On Wednesday evening in Manhattan, Kansas, two Big 12 teams clashed in a game that quickly became a blowout.
Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats welcomed Steve Lutz and the Oklahoma State Cowboys to Bramlage Coliseum for the ninth game of the Big 12 regular season. While Lutz’s group took care of the Wildcats comfortably in the first matchup between the pair in Stillwater, Kansas State blew the Cowboys out wire-to-wire to earn their second-straight win.
With that, here are the top three takeaways from Kansas State’s 85-57 win over the Cowboys.
Different Teams
It goes without saying that Kansas State is one of the most interesting teams in the Big 12 Conference this season. They may not have lived up to preseason expectations through the first batch of games, but Jerome Tang appears to have found something as of late. The Wildcats have now won back-to-back games for the first time since late November vs. Longwood and Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
Against Oklahoma State, K-State was dominant, leading wire to wire with little to no resistance from the Pokes. Dug McDaniel, Coleman Hawkins, Max Jones, and Brendan Hausen combined for 57 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. The crew as a whole shot 52.6% from the field, 52.2% from three, and 72.2% from the free throw line.
Where did this team come from?
Tough Day at the Office
For Steve Lutz, his players, his staff, and the entirety of the Oklahoma State fanbase, Wednesday was a tough day at the office. At multiple points during the contest, CBS Sports showed Steve Lutz with his head in his hands and looks of utter shock.
The reaction is understandable, as the Cowboys played quite possibly their worst game of the season against a team they beat by 13 less than three weeks ago.
The Cowboys turned the basketball over 21 times vs. Kansas State, leading to 28 points off turnovers for Jerome Tang and company. They also shot 39.6% from the field, 31.6% from three, and 60% from the free throw line.
While struggles are often expected under a first-year head coach, it’s shaping up to be a long season for Cowboys fans everywhere.
An In-State Comparison
While there’s technically still time for Kansas State to go on a run and pull off a miracle and make the NCAA Tournament, more than likely, the turnaround will just contribute to a better offseason transition to the 2025-26 season.
That being said, when watching the Wildcats play, an in-state comparison came to mind that highlights what K-State is on track to become as of Game Nine in league play. Kansas State made their bed early in the season with some horrendous showings, but it’s becoming more and more clear that they can become a problem for the rest of the league.
Kansas State Basketball should aspire to do what Kansas Football did in 2024, being the team no one wanted to see in the regular season. The Jayhawks pulled off three straight wins against Top 20 teams in the AP Poll despite missing a bowl game at 5-7.
Could Kansas State be a team that can knock down others on any given night? The cards they played tonight appear to read that way.
