Maybe it was natural; we all know this Kansas State team is young and inexperienced and in a hurry. They hired a first-time coach and brought in two players who would have gone right to the NBA had they been allowed. They all realized from the very first practice that the clock was ticking. They had one season, one, to make something great happen. In some ways, they did. They beat Kansas at home, first time since 1983. That wasn’t just a victory; that changed the way people viewed the program.
They made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. They won an NCAA Tournament game, first time since 1988. They got Kansas State basketball high enough to be picked up by the national radar, and that’s good.
And yet, you get the feeling that there might have been more. Michael Beasley is such a unique player, such a dominant presence, that even Kansas fans stood and applauded him after he was taken out of Saturday’s game for a final time. Bill Walker is such a game changer, unstoppable when he’s determined and adamant. There might not be another team in America with that one-two punch.
And when the Wildcats were good, they were really good. At times this year — as recently as Thursday night when they pounded and bludgeoned Southern California — the possibilities for this team seemed limitless.
Looking back, the potential was not limitless. This team had flaws. This team never had a real chance to grow together. This team had down moments. This team, on its bad days, could be very ordinary.
Saturday, though, they were not exactly ordinary. No, they were just beaten by a better basketball team, a college basketball team that contests every shot, and controls the tempo and finds the open man. That’s a team that knows exactly what to do and then does it. NBA scouts may not agree. But that’s talent.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.