With Kansas State coach Matthew Driscoll at the helm, some were expecting something different from when Jerome Tang was the main guy.
According to Driscoll, it's business as usual. Nothing has changed; the main thing is still the main thing.
"We're not gonna change, we're just gonna be a little different," Driscoll said in his Texas Tech postgame interview. "This group came in, they prepared, and did what they needed to do. There was no sulking, there was no, 'It's my time.' Because right now, this can become an individual deal. But marketability always comes into play. The things you do on the floor are always gonna be on video. The way in which you grow, and people see you, all that stuff is gonna matter."
The Wildcats lost to Texas Tech Saturday afternoon, failing to complete their second-half comeback and instead resorting to yet another blowout loss. Still, Driscoll says the players are holding together well despite the tough week, from devastating losses to losing their coach and having to adjust after his departure.
"We're coaching them just like we would coach them if Coach Tang were here," Driscoll said. "To their credit, they haven't missed a beat in that sense. They love coach [Tang], that's not what I'm saying. They've been really responsive to me, because I'm different. I got a lot of odd things about me, but the one thing I've always been is that I've had a disciplined commitment to consistency. I am who I am. I'm gonna do what I do, and I'm gonna be who I am. And so, to these guys' credit, they've embraced [the change]."
PJ Haggerty, the typically consistent weapon throughout the rollercoaster season, had his roughest performance in nearly a month. Haggerty scored 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting, with no second-half explosion saving him this time around.
"I think you found out that when PJ Haggerty gets cut, he bleeds too," Driscoll said. "He's a regular human being. He had a very tough day, because he is usually very strong from three and will knock down some free throws. He will always get somewhere between 20 and 25 [points] and 35 on a good night. And today, on 17 shots, he gets 17 points. He's human."