Kansas State walked into this week with the sting of a bad opener still fresh, and it has responded by looking like a team that took the lesson personally.
After the shocking loss to South Dakota State, the Wildcats have stacked up back-to-back wins, first a 95-78 rout of Cal State Northridge and then an 89-82 victory over Creighton. That second one mattered most, because it came against a Big East opponent and gave K-State a much better feeling around Bramlage Coliseum than the one that followed the season opener.
“After losing that first one,” K-State guard Brandon Rechsteiner said, “I just wanted to win so bad for everybody.”
That urgency has shown up in the way the Wildcats have played. Creighton coach Alan Huss saw it from the other side.
“They were the hungrier team, and they executed,” Huss said. “They were humbled a week ago, and they weren’t ready to play. But they have clearly gotten better.”
The clearest jump has come on offense. K-State knocked down 17 3-pointers against Cal State Northridge and added 14 more against Creighton, a sharp contrast from the opener, when the Wildcats hit just 28% from deep. Rechsteiner has been at the center of it, scoring 26 points in both wins.
The ball has started moving, too. Against Creighton, six different Wildcats made at least one 3-pointer, and 10 different players scored. That kind of balance was missing in Game 1, when Rechsteiner looked like the only K-State player willing to let it fly.
“It shows us that we can beat good teams,” Alexander said. “I felt like our bounce back on Friday, I was equally as impressed and proud of that, even though CSUN may not end up being the same quality at the end of the year that Creighton is.
I thought we rose to the occasion in both games. We were ready to go.
They played hard and found ways to win.”
The opener turned into a wake-up call, and Rechsteiner said the details were the issue.
“Not to take anything away from (South Dakota State), but we didn’t screen well, we didn’t guard well, we didn’t rebound well,” Rechsteiner said. “Focusing on that completely changes our team and our emotion.”
K-State still had plenty to clean up against Creighton. The Wildcats committed 22 turnovers and allowed 13 offensive rebounds, mistakes that kept the game tight and forced them to keep pushing until the final buzzer.
Even so, the shot-making was enough to carry them through. K-State finished with 57% shooting from the field and hit 47% of its 3s.
This is not a finished team yet, but the record looks a whole lot better at 2-1 than it did at 0-1.
“It’s a great win for our team, especially early in the year after what happened last week and everything else,” Alexander said. “It is a taste of what’s going to come, and also a good example of what we can do.”
In Other News...
Kansas State Faces A Costly QB Decision With TCU Up Next
Kansas State is still sorting through one of the most important decisions on its schedule, with Collin Klein not ready to name a starting quarterback for the upcoming meeting with TCU. Sophomore Dillon Duff and junior Blake Barnett are both in the mix, and Klein said the competition will continue in practice as the Wildcats try to steady themselves after Avery Johnsons injury helped trigger a recent losing streak.
The possibility of using both quarterbacks adds another layer to a situation Kansas State would rather have settled by now. With TCU next and the offense still adjusting to life without its starter, Klein is weighing not just who gives the Wildcats the best chance to move the ball, but how much flexibility he wants to keep available once the game begins. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Pushing For A Young Tight End Fans Should Watch
Kansas States recruiting board keeps expanding, and one of the more intriguing names to surface is Caden Palmquest, a young tight end from Aledo High School in Texas. Collin Klein has extended a scholarship offer to Palmquest, who is already committed to SMU but is drawing attention from programs that like his upside and long-term potential. He is also hearing from Arkansas, Baylor and Oregon State, a sign that the Wildcats are competing in a crowded race for a prospect who is still early in his high school career.
For Kansas State, the offer fits a broader push across multiple positions and recruiting classes as the staff keeps working to build out its future board. Tight end is always a position worth tracking in this offense, and Palmquest is the kind of name that can linger on the radar for a while as the recruiting process unfolds. The Wildcats have made clear they want to stay involved, and for fans following the next wave of targets, this is one to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Heads To TCU With A Major Quarterback Problem
Kansas State heads to TCU carrying a roster concern that goes well beyond the usual late-week injury report. The Wildcats will be without at least five players for the matchup, and the biggest issue is under center, where starting quarterback Avery Johnson and backup Jacob Knuth are both out. DeArieun Hicks, Sawyer Schilke and Eli Jackson are also unavailable, leaving the staff to sort through a thin depth chart before kickoff.
Max Lovett is listed as questionable, adding one more layer of uncertainty for a team already trying to piece together its offensive plan. TCU has its own availability issues, with seven players ruled out and two safeties questionable, but Kansas States situation is the one that will shape the conversation most heading into the game. The Wildcats now have to find a way to stay functional at the most important position on the field while waiting to see whether any help is coming. [Read more 🡒]