Did Kansas State's Recent Loss Show How Much They Need Coleman Hawkins?
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Fans have thrown constant shots toward Coleman Hawkins for his underwhelming season at Kansas State.
But Sunday afternoon may have some taking back their words, as the Wildcats were embarrassed by Arizona State with Hawkins sidelined.
Yes, the Wildcats were on a decline the past week with losses to BYU and Utah, reverting to early-season form after a six-game winning streak. But even then, a double-digit loss to one of the worst Big 12 teams may indicate just how much they need the star forward.
"We had to make a change," coach Jerome Tang said. "I felt we needed to adjust what we were running to force the other team to put two on the ball. We tried some things that looked good on film and in practice, but it just didn't work. I felt like our guys were taking shots that weren't in rhythm. They were good shots, but we had learned where we would get our shots, and this change affected that. It was tough to turn it around quickly, but that's not on our players. It's on me. We were playing good basketball, and this performance isn't indicative of the kind of players we have."
Dug McDaniel, averaging 18.5 points the previous four games, had just four points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field with four turnovers and three personal fouls. Kansas State couldn't hit anything from 3-point range, shooting 19.2 percent.
"A lot of our offense goes through Coleman, so it's definitely an adjustment," forward David N'Guessan said. "But he's hurt right now, so we gotta figure out another way to put more points on the table."
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.
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