‘We’ve obviously got to win out’: K-State basketball admits pressure for March Madness hopes

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MANHATTAN — A year ago, as the season wound down, Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang did not shy away from pleading his case for the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament resume.

This time, with five regular-season games remaining and the Wildcats hanging onto the March Madness bubble for dear life, Tang has changed his tack.

“I’m trying to learn from last year,” said Tang, whose Wildcats (13-13, 7-8 Big 12) play host to Arizona State (12-14, 3-12) at 3 p.m. Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum. “I thought I might have put some undue pressure on our guys by putting a number (of victories) needed or any of that.

“Right now, all we can focus on is just winning the next game.”

To look beyond that, Tang added, serves no purpose.

“It’s one game at a time. It’s 1-0, focus on that game,” he said. “Whatever’s going on at the end of the day, somebody else is going to make that decision on bubble, or whatever.

“All we can control is how we prepare and then how we play in the game.”

Related: ‘They kicked our butts’: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang doesn’t sugarcoat loss

Related: How far did Kansas State women’s basketball fall in new coaches poll after loss?

Kansas State guard Max Jones (2) drives against Utah’s Miro Little (1) during their game Monday night at the Untsman Center in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats did not do themselves any favors last week by going 0-2 on their road swing to the state of Utah, where they fell 80-65 to Brigham Young and then dropped a 74-69 decision at Utah. Those losses killed the momentum of a six-game winning streak that preceded the trip.

But as of Tuesday, ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi still had the Wildcats in his list of next four out, which would put them within eight spots of the NCAA Tournament. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm did not have K-State on his list of eight bubble teams.

While Tang has done his best to downplay the bracket talk, his players nonetheless are aware of their situation.

“We’ve obviously got to win out,” super-senior guard Max Jones said…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/weve-obviously-got-win-k-152617214.html

Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal

Publish date : 2025-02-21 15:26:00

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