On Sunday afternoon, Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats barely escaped a crushing loss. The Wildcats took their home court as 33.5‑point favorites against a 3‑10 ULM team, but that didn’t matter much when the ball tipped off.
The game was back-and-forth for a while with each team going on runs, and as the first half wound down, the Wildcats started to pull away. At the halftime break, Kansas State led by 10, despite PJ Haggerty going 0-6 from the field with zero points at the break.
K‑State built a 20‑point lead early in the second half and looked like they might run up the score on a team that’s struggled all year, but right when they took their foot off the gas, ULM rallied back. The Wildcats ended up winning 94‑85, but ULM cut that 20‑point lead to four with less than five minutes to play and made a game of it.
That’s not how you want to feel after beating a 3‑10 non‑conference opponent at home. Kansas State improved to 9‑4 on the season, but this game raised more questions than answers, especially about what’s going on inside the paint.
PJ Haggerty was the best player on the floor for the Wildcats once he woke up in the second half. He finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, and he carried much of the offensive load when the rest of the team got stagnant. The backcourt showed it still has playmaking talent; Nate Johnson stepped up alongside David Castillo, but in the front court, things got dicey. They couldn’t protect the paint at all, and gave up the third most points scored for UL Monroe this season.
Kansas State’s frontcourt has looked shaky all season. Everybody can see the danger in the backcourt with Haggerty, Johnson, Castillo, and Abdi Bashir. The Cats can take care of the ball, find shooters, and keep possessions moving, but when it comes to rebounding and interior defense, the team just gets exposed. This game was just the latest example.
Now, unfortunately, they turn around and take on No. 10 BYU, which has been dominant from the start of the year. That’s a completely different challenge. AJ Dybantsa is scoring at a historic rate, Richie Saunders is one of the better all-around players in the league, and Rob Wright can never be counted out. BYU’s offense is fast, it’s confident, and K-State has virtually no one who can defend Dybantsa or Saunders.
I wouldn’t expect that game to be pretty, at least not from a defensive standpoint. If K‑State couldn’t hold off ULM down the stretch in Bramlage, there’s no reason to think they’ll have an easier time slowing down one of the Big 12’s best offenses in a tough road environment.
Winning ugly can work once. Doing it twice in a row against much, MUCH better competition? That’s a different story.
