On Wednesday evening in Orlando, Florida, two Big 12 teams clashed in an exciting back-and-forth matchup.
Johnny Dawkins and the UCF Knights welcomed Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats to Addition Financial Arena for the 17th game of the Big 12 regular season. UCF started off hot and carried that momentum deep into the second half before Kansas State rallied back and made it a one-score game. In the end, UCF outlasted the Wildcats in dramatic fashion to earn a victory at home.
With that, here are the top three takeaways from UCF’s 80-76 win over the Wildcats.
Controversy In Orlando
With 11.8 seconds left on the clock, head official Brooks Wells elected to make a controversial call in Orlando.
After a four-point play from Brendan Hausen put the Wildcats within two, UCF inbounded the ball and committed a near turnover, which would have given the Wildcats possession underneath the Knights basket and a chance to tie.
The nearest official to the call signaled a turnover and that the ball belonged to Kansas State, while Wells ran in late and called a foul on K-State, resulting in two free throws for the Knights.
Keyshawn Hall hit the pair, and the Knights won a sloppy contest at home.
Chasing History
While athletes like Keyshawn Hall and Darius Johnson shined for the Knights on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to avoid discussing the stellar play of freshman phenom Moustapha Thiam.
He posted a near triple-double in the win, and while the average fan may assume that it was done in points, rebounds, and assists, Thiam nearly accomplished the feat in his own way.
The 7-foot-2 center recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds, and eight blocks against the Wildcats, solidifying himself as one of college basketball’s best shot-blocking big men.
Back to the Drawing Board
It’s no secret that Kansas State has one of the most expensive rosters in all of college basketball this year, and yet, they don’t show it. The team has been a complete failure from start to finish.
Outside of a flukish six-game road streak in mid-February, Kansas State has been one of the worst teams in the Big 12 Conference despite having one of the highest-paid rosters in the league.
Stars like Coleman Hawkins and Dug McDaniel have provided less impact than expected, while players like veteran returner David N’Guessan and Cal State Fullerton transfer Max Jones have been the best pieces for Jerome Tang this fall.
It should go without saying, but if Tang wants to cool off his seat heading into Year Three in Manhattan, he needs to approach the offseason drastically differently if he intends to reach March Madness for the first time in three years.
