This was supposed to be a takeaway story.
But after a loss like this, there's not a lot that you can highlight beyond just saying "everything." You thought the Iowa State loss was the lowest Kansas State could get?
Cincinnati had something to say about that. It handed the Wildcats their 10th Big 12 loss of the season, and perhaps their worst. It was a 40-minute clinic for Cincinnati, with Kansas State hardly showing any resistance or semblance of cohesive play. And of course, social media showed no mercy for the blowout defeat.
Sloppy turnovers, defensive lapses, and horribly missed shots translated to highlight dunks, season-high 3-point shooting performances, and a dominant victory for the Bearcats. A chorus of boos was droned out by the occasional cheer for Dorin Buca or Marcus Johnson. Fans protested by putting paper bags on their faces in a blatant finger pointing to the organization.
And this was all against Cincinnati. At home. Not Iowa State, Houston, or Kansas. A team that was barely outside the conference's bottom five. It was just five points away from being the worst loss under coach Jerome Tang.
Cincinnati shot 50 percent from the field and 57 percent from the arc, and those percentages honestly dropped as the game progressed. Baba Miller and Jizzle James combined for 40 points on 80 percent shooting from 3-point range, with Miller adding 12 rebounds and four blocks to his star performance. Meanwhile, the Wildcats had no double-digit scorers outside of PJ Haggerty, hitting less than 25 percent of their shots from the arc.
At this point, Tang's seat is flaming hot. There's something to be said about defeats, but devastating losses in a season with Tournament expectations are bound for critique regardless of circumstance. It's hard to imagine that Abdi Bashir Jr., Elias Rapieque, or Andrej Kostic would have made a difference. And now, Kansas State is heading toward missing the postseason for the third consecutive year.
"As much as I wish this game was an overstatement of how bad K-State is, I think it’s pretty accurate. We’re awful, and getting worse," one fan tweeted.