Five things we learned from Kansas State Wildcats’ impressive Big 12 victory at TCU
After being on the wrong end of player injuries and COVID absences for much of the season, Kansas State finally caught a break.
The K-State men’s basketball team was near full strength when it took the floor for a Big 12 road game against TCU on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena. The Horned Frogs were not. Mike Miles, one of the top scorers and best players in the entire conference, was unable to play because of a wrist injury.
Advantage Wildcats. They capitalized on the good fortune with a 75-63 victory that kept them in a tie for sixth place in the league standings.
K-State (12-10, 4-6 Big 12) has won consecutive games after falling to .500 following a disheartening loss at Mississippi. It beat TCU (15-5, 4-4) thanks to 20 points from Nijel Pack, 16 points from Mark Smith, 14 points from Markquis Nowell and 13 points from Mike McGuirl.
“We did a little bit of everything,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “It was one of our best games of the season.”
Indeed, it is rare for four K-State players to finish in double figures. But the Wildcats were also solid on defense, making the Horned Frogs look like a team that was missing its best player.
“It makes us really versatile when it comes to scoring,” Pack said. “It makes it hard to guard us when a lot of people are contributing. You can’t focus in on one person. That is what we really need in a lot of games, all-around balance. That helped us today.”
Here are some key takeaways from the game before the Wildcats turn their attention to their next contest on Wednesday at home against Baylor.
Don’t count out the Wildcats
The odds of K-State reaching the postseason seemed to all but disappear at this time last week when the Wildcats were on a three-game losing streak and only 2-6 in conference play.
But head coach Bruce Weber found a way to help the Wildcats turn things around. They have won back-to-back important league games and now have a realistic shot at finishing in the middle of the Big 12 standings.
Fans also wrote off K-State earlier this year when it started conference play 0-4 and blew a late home lead against the Horned Frogs. And yet the Wildcats bounced back with consecutive wins over Texas Tech and Texas.
There seems to be something about people counting them out that suits the Wildcats. They play their best when their backs are against the wall. They have responded both times the sun appeared to be setting on their season.
“We needed that,” Pack said. “We needed some humble pie just to get us back on track, to get us back to the details. It got us back to practicing hard, going hard at it and getting really locked in for games.”
K-State still has lots of work left to get back in the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation. But if they can build off this winning streak it’s far from impossible.
“Best shooter in the Big 12”
It’s safe to say TCU guard Francisco Farabello is glad to be done guarding Pack this season.
Farabello was very complimentary of Pack after the K-State sophomore guard scored 20 points on 10 shots against the Horned Frogs on Saturday.
“Tremendous player, best shooter in the Big 12,” Farabello said. “I think we should have done a better job defending him. Super crafty, can shoot it, unlimited range, great player, smart, he has everything that an offensive player can have.”
Mike McGuirl does it again
For as wild and crazy as this season has been for the Wildcats, there is one thing fans can count on from this team.
Every time senior guard Mike McGuirl plays well enough to reach double figures, K-State finds a way to win.
K-State entered the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record when McGuirl scored at least 10 points. That trend continued on Saturday when he scored 13 points on 10 shots and the Wildcats improved to 5-0.
Though he didn’t quite reach double figures in his last outing, K-State defeated Oklahoma State while he had six points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
McGuirl is not the best player on this team. Far from it. But he is clearly one of the most important players on the roster. He has proven his value many times this season, including in this victory.
“Mike has really stepped into his role,” Smith said. “I’m so proud to see him do well. He has so much energy and passion, and he has put so much into our team. He wants to win. It was good to see him make some shots in a place like this today, because we expect that from Mike.”
Davion Bradford, Carlton Linguard improving inside
The Wildcats are starting to get solid production from their weakest position.
There have been times this season when K-State has been so limited inside that Weber has chosen to play a lineup of five guards rather than put a single big man on the floor. But those days appear to be over.
K-State centers Davion Bradford and Carlton Linguard are now giving their team a boost in the paint. Bradford had four points and one rebound against TCU, while Linguard added five points and one rebound. That might not sound like much. It certainly won’t put either of them in the running for Big 12 Player of the Week. But it is a noticeable improvement of the numbers they have produced in other games.
Bradford started the scoring on Saturday with a quick layup, and Linguard came off the bench to make two nice shots inside.
It would be a big deal for K-State if they can continue contributing at even that small level. Problem is: It seems hard for Weber to keep them both on the court. Each player is foul prone. Bradford isn’t the strongest player on offense. Linguard could use some work on defense. There are times when it makes sense to take them out or give them a breather. But there is a significant drop-off when they aren’t in the lineup, and that was evident in this game.
Still, they are heading in the right direction. That is a positive for the Wildcats.
Selton Miguel nearing a return
The sophomore guard hasn’t played since he suffered a nasty injury to his left ankle two weeks ago against Baylor, but he is expected to return to the K-State rotation sooner rather than later.
Weber said that Miguel is making extraordinary progress and even participated in the team’s shoot-around on Saturday. There is an outside chance he could play as soon as Wednesday against the Bears, though it is more likely he would return next weekend for a road game against Iowa State.
“We will see,” Weber said. “We can’t push it. That’s the thing. Obviously, he gives us a lot, but you don’t want to have him come back too early and then he’s not ready and then it hurts him for the rest of the year.”
This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Five things we learned from Kansas State Wildcats’ impressive Big 12 victory at TCU."