With his team seeking its first Big 12 victory, Kansas State coach Jeremy Tang finds himself concentrating on chemistry.
The Wildcats (9-7, 0-3) will try to get that first triumph and break a three-game skid Wednesday night when they play recently ranked UCF (13-2, 2-1) in Manhattan, Kan.
The matchup is pivotal for both sides: Kansas State’s campaign has derailed and needs to get on track soon while UCF must learn to prevail in road games, especially over struggling teams, in order to climb the conference standings and return to the Associated Press Top 25.
“It’s the chemistry on the court,” Tang said of his team’s lack of cohesion while being swept out west by No. 1 Arizona and Arizona State. “They don’t always play like they really like each other. You see them off the court, and you’re like, ‘Man, those dudes love each other.’ So we need to bring that on the floor.”
Added the fourth-year coach: “We can’t have two guys play well one night and get goose eggs from other guys.”
P.J. Haggerty is not one putting up zeroes.
The junior guard averages 22.9 points per game, just ahead of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (22.4 ppg) for the Big 12 lead. Haggerty has paced the Wildcats in scoring in 13 of their 16 games.
Abdi Bashir Jr., who made 6 of 12 3-point attempts in Saturday’s 87-84 loss at Arizona State, nets 13.2 points per game and ranks third in the conference with 3.6 treys per outing and a 45.7% success rate.
UCF, after losing Tuesday at Oklahoma State in its second road game of the season, responded Sunday with a 73-72 home win over Cincinnati. The Knights had to withstand a potential game-winning 26-footer by the Bearcats’ Jalen Celestine to win for the second time in three conference meetings.
UCF coach Johnny Dawkins knows what to expect over the next two months.
“It’s Big 12 basketball at its best,” he said following the victory. “Every single night, it’s a fight.”
Themus Fulks (13.0 points, 7.0 assists per game) hit the go-ahead jumper with 13 seconds left and said the play unfolded organically.
“You just take what the defense gives,” Fulks said. “You predetermine sometimes, and that’s when you mess up and do uncharacteristic things.”
Riley Kugel (14.5 ppg), Jordan Burks (12.6) and Jamichael Stillwell (12.3) round out the Knights’ double-digit scorers.
–Field Level Media
