Kansas State’s Struggles Continue as Injuries Mount and Stars Falter in Loss to Kansas
Kansas State’s season is teetering, and Sunday night’s blowout loss to rival Kansas didn’t do anything to stabilize the ship. With key players sidelined and the margin for error shrinking fast, the Wildcats needed their top guys to step up. Instead, they stumbled-badly.
Without sharpshooter Abdi Bashir Jr. and versatile forward Khamari McGriff, the pressure shifted to starters David Castillo and Nate Johnson. But instead of rising to the moment, the duo combined for just 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. Against a high-powered Kansas team, that kind of inefficiency is a recipe for disaster.
Head coach Jerome Tang, usually a steady voice of support for his players, didn’t hold back after the loss. His message was clear: the Wildcats need more from their stars.
“Nate Johnson has to play better. He’s got to.
We need more from him; his team needs more from him,” Tang said postgame. “We expect more from him.
David Castillo’s gotta play better. That’s just what happens.
It’s not a secret that people know David is a really good shooter, and if they take that away, what’s the next thing he’s gonna do?”
That’s the challenge facing Castillo right now. He’s known as a knockdown shooter, but when opponents key in on that strength, he’s struggling to adjust.
Kansas took away his comfort zone, and there wasn’t a Plan B. Johnson, meanwhile, couldn’t find his rhythm, and the Wildcats offense sputtered as a result.
It’s not just about the box score, but the numbers told a pretty accurate story this time. Kansas State shot just 34 percent from the field, and without Bashir Jr. and McGriff to stretch the floor or provide interior balance, the offensive burden fell heavily on Castillo, Johnson, and PJ Haggerty. Haggerty did his best to shoulder the load, but with little help around him, Kansas was able to key in and clamp down.
“In the first half, other guys were taking and making shots, and in the second half, they were taking that away,” Tang said. “So that was your option. I’d like to see [Haggerty] be more aggressive, but we need some guys to step up with him.”
The word Tang kept coming back to in his postgame remarks? Competitiveness.
And that might be the most concerning takeaway of the night. This late in the season, with Big 12 standings tightening and postseason hopes fading, effort and edge shouldn’t be in question.
“At some point in time, they gotta hit your chest, and you have to say ‘no,’” Tang said. “We were just letting them get there, whether it was a post or a guard driving. At some point, you gotta look the other dude in the eyes and say, ‘No, you’re not going there.’”
That’s the kind of mentality Tang is trying to instill, but right now, it’s not translating on the court. Whether it’s fatigue, frustration, or a lack of chemistry with key players missing, the Wildcats aren’t playing with the kind of urgency or grit that’s needed to claw out of the Big 12 basement.
Next up: a road trip to face West Virginia, a team that’s undefeated at home and currently sitting at 13-7 overall, 4-3 in conference play. It’s a tough environment, and with Kansas State’s current form, it’s going to take a significant turnaround-not just in execution, but in attitude-to pull off a win.
The clock’s ticking. The Wildcats don’t need perfect performances, but they do need their stars to show up. And fast.