Kansas State ‘Embarrassed’ in Blowout Loss to Cincinnati
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Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang kept his postgame remarks brief after the Wildcats’ 91-62 loss to visiting Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
Tang usually talks at length but on this night, well, there wasn’t much to say about Kansas State’s performance. But what Tang said had impact. He clearly was angry about his team’s effort after the Wildcats’ fifth consecutive loss.
“This was embarrassing,” Tang said at his postgame news conference. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year.
“I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section.
“It is ridiculous. We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning. We will get this thing right. I have no answers and no words. I’m only taking two questions. I’m [hissed]. This is, this is … ”
Cincy not a Big 12 powerhouse
Kansas State is playing in what might be college basketball’s best conference. There are four Big 12 teams ranked in the top 10 of the latest AP Top 25 Poll. Two more teams are in the top 25.
Cincinnati isn’t any of that. The Bearcats came to Manhattan playing .500 basketball and were only 4-7 in the conference. Cincy was 0-6 in true road games before Wednesday night.
For K-State, now 10-14, 1-10 in the Big 12, it was an opportunity for a conference win. Cincinnati hadn’t won in Manhattan since 1967.
And the Wildcats were run out of Bramlage Coliseum. Cincinnati shot 57.1 percent in the first half and went into the locker room ahead, 53-31. The game stabilized some in the second half — Cincy outscored K-State, 38-31 — but the damage had long been done.
Fans booed the Wildcats and students wore paper bags over their heads.
“I’d wear a paper bag, too, if I was them,” Tang said about the students in the student section.
K-State’s next game is Saturday at No. 3 Houston.
Defensive deficiencies
Defense has been a problem for the Wildcats. They rank 335th (out of 361) in the nation, allowing 80.8 points per game. In the first half, Cincinnati looked like it was running layup drills, blowing through the Wildcats defense for easy shots at the rim.
Cincinnati finished with 31-of-62 shooting from the floor (50 percent) and 16-of-28 (57 percent) from distance. The Bearcats’ 16 three-pointers were a season high.
Five Cincinnati players scored in double figures, led by junior Jizzle James with 24 points. James made 6-of-8 shots from distance. Baba Miller, one of three in the nation who averages at least 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, had 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists against the Wildcats.
“I have so much respect for Kansas State and Coach Tang,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said.
“I was watching them doing the scouting report, and watching their game at TCU, I’m going, ‘Man, this is the best 1-9 teams I've ever seen.’
“And that’s just how good this league is and how difficult it is. So to come in and have a win like this on the road for us, obviously, very, very pleased with it, very proud of our players.”
Haggerty with 24 points
Kansas State’s leading scorer all season, P.J. Haggerty, was the only K-State player in double figures. He scored 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting. The Wildcats shot 40 percent for the floor and only 24 percent from distance. K-State was outrebounded, 37-29.
K-State fell to 8-7 at home.
“I asked the staff this week that same question and I followed Minnesota last year closely and they played great on the road and struggled at home so then they started staying in hotels at home, treating it like a road game,” Tang said.
“I even talked about whether we need to change that? No, none of that crap matters. These dudes got to have some pride. It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, everything this university is about.
“I love this place, man, and they don’t love this place and don’t deserve to be here.”
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Chuck Bausman is a writer for Kansas State on SI. Chuck formerly was the Executive Sports Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, Executive Sports Editor of the Courier-Post in South Jersey and Sports Copy Editor for the Detroit Free Press. He has been a Big Ten enthusiast for nearly forever. He learned how to cuss by watching Philly sports. You can reach Chuck at: bausmac@icloud.com