Kansas State headed into Lubbock, TX, with a bit of optimism after a solid conference win over Baylor. It had momentum after overcoming a tough week, showing some fight against No. 23 Texas Tech.
For about a good nine minutes. The Wildcats' relatively competitive start quickly simmered, pushing them back to another double-digit deficit that they just couldn't climb out of. Even with the fight in the second half, another blowout loss was Kansas State's fate.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday afternoon:
KANSAS STATE: Roster stretching thin
When you've invested as much money and star recruiting as you have for Kansas State, you expect to see results. But the injury bug is starting to infest at levels the team just can't overcome anymore.
In addition to the frontcourt absences with Elias Rapieque and Mobi Ikegwuruka being out, Dorin Buca went out against the Red Raiders as well. His presence wouldn't have aided the 3-point disparity, but it would have at least provided a bigger body for the team to utilize.
TEXAS TECH: Making up for the losses
Losing forward JT Toppin is no small feat. The CBB Player of the Year candidate was the Red Raiders' star, so his ACL tear just days ago temporarily dimmed a very bright outlook for Texas Tech's Tournament journey.
That light didn't dim against the Wildcats, and this performance shows what the team can do even without their star. Donovan Atwell took the initiative, nearing his career-high in scoring with 26 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the arc. Combine that with 40 points from LeJaun Watts and Christian Anderson, and it wasn't much Kansas State could do to respond.
KANSAS STATE: Welcome Nate Johnson
All things considered, it's been a relatively disappointing season for reigning MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson. He has been far from the complementary guard the Wildcats have needed, even for his resilience on the defensive end. The absence of Abdi Bashir Jr. has required much from him that he just sadly hasn't been able to give.
Johnson has at least started to show some semblance of that star form over the past week. He had 15 points on 50 percent shooting against Texas Tech, just his fourth 15-point game of the conference slate. The two victories Kansas State has in the Big 12 are when Johnson performs to this standard. Simply put, when Johnson scores, Kansas State wins.