If this latest season of college basketball is any indication, the emotional turmoil handed down on head coaches night after night is having an all-too-visible effect on those who just can’t finish in the win column.
Colorado coach Tad Boyle and Kansas State coach Jerome Tang put together two losses by 29 or more points on Wednesday night; Donovan Atwell (20 points) and Texas Tech blew out the Buffaloes at home in Lubbock; Jizzle James (24 points) and Cincinnati broke 90-plus points against the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State (10-14, 1-10 Big 12) chalked up its 10th loss of Big 12 play, and fifth in a row since Jan. 20 vs. Utah at home; Colorado (14-11, 4-8 Big 12) has dropped three of its last five and now looks ahead to No. 22 BYU on Saturday in Provo.
Boyle summarized both losses best:
“I’m embarrassed by our performance,” Boyle said. “I’m embarrassed for our university, I’m embarrassed for the city of Boulder, I’m embarrassed for the state of Colorado and I’m embarrassed for every former player that’s worn this uniform.”
Boyle was especially irked with Colorado’s lack of second-chance points.
Texas Tech nabbed 30 defensive rebounds alone in route to 47 total on the evening. Isaiah Johnson led the Buffaloes with just 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Colorado, as a team, finished just 29% from the floor.
‘THESE DUDES DO NOT DESERVE TO WEAR THIS UNIFORM’: TANG BLASTS K-STATE AFTER HOME LOSS
To the north in Kansas, Tang and the Wildcats took another step backward as James went off in leading Cincinnati to 91-62 road win in Manhattan. Baba Miller earned his 11th double-double and found four different blocks on Wednesday night.
Folks in the EMAW crowd knew the score with Cincinnati coming to town, and arrived in-person, complete with paper bags over their heads as their beloved basketball team descends further into madness with yet another loss.
Tang, visibly distraught following Wednesday night’s loss, accepted just two questions from reporters after opening his press conference with a wild opening rant.
“These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform,” Tang said.
“There will be very few of them in it next year… We’ve got practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, and we will get this thing right. I have no answer, no words – ya’ll got two questions so whoever want to ask two questions, I’ll answer them to the best of my ability right now, but right now, I’m like pissed.”
It’s hardly the end of the a long road for either of this programs, either.
Colorado, after making the trip to BYU this weekend, enjoys a bye and will welcome in a dangerous Oklahoma State team for the first time this season next Saturday, Feb. 21; They’ll hosts Kansas State the week after on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Tang and the Wildcats are in for another long night at No. 3 Houston on Saturday; They’ll travel to No. 16 Texas Tech and Colorado before returning home against TCU on Saturday, Feb. 28 to begin its final three-game stretch.
