Before the Wildcats beat then-number 1 Texas, they were still very much under the radar. The Wildcats have losses to Mississippi, Missouri, and Oklahoma State—all of whom are not ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Kansas State does, however, have wins over Baylor, UNLV, Xavier, Dayton, and Texas. After climbing into the top 10 for the first time in nearly four decades, many still wonder: Just how good are the Wildcats?
Let them show you!
The Wildcats are 17-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12, which ranks second in the RPI ratings. Much of the Wildcats’ early success has come from behind the arc, but as the conference race has thickened, that hasn’t always been the case. The Wildcats have established their frontcourt with Curtis Kelly, and Jamar Samuels off the bench. The Wildcats rely heavily on their outstanding bench play from freshman players such as Rodney McGruder, Martavious Irving and Wally Judge in addition to Samuels. Head coach Frank Martin has established a hard-nosed system that has worked wonders. After each of K-State’s three losses, the Wildcats have clawed back with a winning streak of three games or more.
Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente can stretch the floor with their terrific shooting abilities. Each player’s preparation is intense and both are equipped with the ability to drive and dish as well as to drive and finish at the rim.
osing teams. Wildcat fans rattle opposing teams and the team has ridden the momentum of the crowd to ten home wins so far this season. After a 14-game home win streak came to an end against Oklahoma State, the Wildcats are looking to start another streak against rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown on Saturday.
The X-factor for the Wildcats this season has definitely been their frontcourt. This point has been illustrated in their three losses this season. The Wildcats have lost the battle on the boards in their three losses, averaging just 29.6 rebounds per game. Luckily, for the majority of the season, K-State has not suffered such deficiencies. Great guard play has combined with dominant frontcourt play to produce a winning formula resulting in a 17-3 record to this point.
Not only do the Wildcats fill up stat sheets, they get after it on the defensive end of the court. The Wildcats defense is proficient, forcing teams to turn over the ball an average of 17.3 times per game. This creates offense in transition for the Wildcats and results in easy points. K-State also protects the three-point line, allowing teams to shoot a mere 28 percent. Finally, the Wildcats are averaging 5.83 blocks per game in conference play. The Cats never give the opposing team an easy rebound because they are always around the rim trying to clean up the shot.
K-State has played exceptionally well this season aside from the three blips against non-ranked opponents. The Cats see their next action against Kansas in the “Octagon of Doom” on Saturday, January 30 at 6PM. ESPN’s College GameDay crew will be in Manhattan to showcase the game Saturday morning at 10AM on ESPN.
