Kansas State returns home Saturday night for a pivotal Big 12 rematch against TCU. The Wildcats dropped the first meeting in Fort Worth earlier this season, making this one inside Bramlage Coliseum a clear must-win as they battle through the final stretch of conference play.
Here are three things that must go right for Kansas State to defeat TCU and secure just their third Big 12 win of the season.
Kansas State Wildcats must avoid another second-half collapse vs. TCU
Against the Horned Frogs on the road, Kansas State gave up an 18-point lead, its largest of any conference game this season after three straight turnovers in the final minute of the second half. This time around, that can’t happen.
The turnovers can’t be careless – against TCU, they must be nonexistent. The same goes for fast break points. Limit them, get the ball in bounds, and this one is cut and dry.
An early lead could help with momentum, but it's how the Wildcats keep their composure in the later stages that makes the difference. Erase the second-half mistakes, and this one is over from the jump.
PJ Haggerty, Nate Johnson need to click similar to Baylor
Kansas State’s last home game against the Baylor Bears featured the first multi-30-point performance by a pair of Wildcats since 2008. In the first game back following former head coach Jerome Tang’s “for cause” firing, K-State looked on lock from the opening tip, firing on all cylinders.
The last duo to pull off that feat? Michael Beasley and Bill Walker in 2008. Funny enough, also against the Bears. That kind of offensive explosion doesn’t go unnoticed – especially in the Big 12, where every possession is earned and every bucket matters.
Knock down perimeter shots, control the glass, and above all else, finish possessions and put the ball through the net. It really is that simple – the difference between a forgettable outing and a career night comes down to execution.
Contain David Punch, Brock Harding in the midrange
Both David Punch and Brock Harding led the Horned Frogs all five categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Punch is the team’s leading scorer with 13.9 points per game, but he’s not the only threat.
TCU Forward Xavier Edmonds posts 41% from three-point range, one of four players averaging in double figures on the opposing side of the ball. The midrange, however, is a different story.
Punch averages over 50% from the floor, one of just three Horned Frogs to accomplish those numbers. And Harding – he’s one of the nation’s elite defenders.
Do all of those things right – and there’s light at the end of the tunnel entering next week’s rematch against the Kansas Jayhawks.
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