The Kansas State Wildcats are 0-5 entering tonight's matchup against Utah
Nothing has gone right for the Kansas State Wildcats thus far in the Big 12 season.
They are 0-5 entering tonight's game against the Utah Utes. While the outsiders have pelted the team with criticism, Wildcats coach Jerome Tang remains upbeat.
He refuses to hit the panic button this early.
“This is not a reflection time and this season is not over,” Tang said. “We have high-character dudes and when you have high-character dudes then there is always hope moving forward. "We’re going to be a better team next week than we are today. We’ll be a better team tomorrow than we are today."
The Wildcats are last in the Big 12 standings. They are also the only winless team in league play. Tang said the team needs to have a single-game focus before even talking about the postseason.
“Nobody’s reflecting on the situation," Tang said. "We’re thinking about how do we get better, how do we improve. If you’re not a part of the ‘how do we improve’ we don’t want you on the bandwagon. Don’t want you there because it’s going to get better and we’re going to improve. The goal for us is just to win. If you do all the things that allow you a chance to win, then there’s a reward at the end. We’re not thinking about that [NCAA Tournament]. What I know is we have time.”
The good news is the Wildcats are favored against Utes (9-9).
Here's the game preview:
Game time: Jan. 20, 9:00 p.m. EST
Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS
TV: CBS Sports (watch here)
VITALS: Kansas State is desperate for victory after being winless through its first five Big 12 matchups. The star trio of PJ Haggerty, Nate Johnson, and Abdi Bashir Jr. had its best performance of the season in the narrow loss to Oklahoma State. Hopefully, they can continue that against a Utah team that matches up well in the Wildcats' favor.
The Utes have the worst rebounding margin in the conference, which is surprising for their three-forward starting lineup. Kansas State can take advantage of the rebounding disparity by continuing its trend of improving on the boards. The team can also play into its strength of 3-point shooting, as Utah hasn't done well defending the perimeter this season.
Betting line: K-State (-8.5)
O/U: 168.5
Moneyline: KSU -457, UTAH +345
PROJECTED STARTERS
WILDCATS
G P.J. Haggerty: 22.8 PTS, 5.1 REB, 4.6 AST
G Abdi Bashir Jr.: 13.2 PTS, 2.2 REB, 2.3 AST
G Taj Manning: 3.4 PTS, 4.1 REB, 0.6 AST
G Nate Johnson: 11.3 PTS, 4.9 REB, 4.0 AST
F Khamari McGriff: 10.2 PTS, 4.3 REB, 1.1 BLK
UTES
G Terrance Brown: 21.6 PTS, 2.0 REB, 4.0 AST
G Don McHenry: 18.2 PTS, 3.2 REB, 1.7 AST
F Keanu Dawes: 12.5 PTS, 9.1 REB, 2.6 AST
F Seydou Traore: 8.8 PTS, 3.3 REB, 1.8 AST
F James Okonkwo: 2.7 PTS, 5.6 REB, 0.5 STL
KEY STATS
WILDCATS
SCORING OFFENSE: 85.5 POINTS/GAME (5th in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 80.3 POINTS/GAME (13th in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 36.8% (4th in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 32.2% (7th in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 37.1 REBOUNDS/GAME (10th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 35.9 REBOUNDS/GAME (14th in Big 12)
UTES
SCORING OFFENSE: 80.3 POINTS/GAME (11th in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 81.0 POINTS/GAME (15th in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 36.0% (9th in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 33.6% (12th in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 35.3 REBOUNDS/GAME (15th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 36.8 REBOUNDS/GAME (16th in Big 12)
QUOTABLE: "We're playing with energy, effort, and enthusiasm, and we're really sharing the ball," K-State coach Jerome Tang said after the Oklahoma State loss. "There's been some great ball movement out there, and as we keep doing that, we're going to get the right shots. We just have to cut down on our turnovers. We're rebounding better. We're more physical. Rebounding in the first few games in the Big 12, there was such a rebounding disparity that it didn't even give us a chance. Now we're giving ourselves a chance. And so now we've got to take the next step."