Three takeaways from Kansas State’s basketball victory over the Colorado Buffaloes
It’s hard to say just how good (or bad) the Kansas State men’s basketball team is as the regular season winds down.
The Wildcats have been all over the map in recent weeks. This squad has managed to reel off prolonged winning streaks and prolonged losing streaks in conference play.
But one thing is for sure: K-State is better than Colorado. The Wildcats proved that much as they defeated the last-place Buffaloes 65-56 on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State beat them thanks to 21 points and eight rebounds from David N’Guessan to go along with 10 points and seven assists from Dug McDaniel. The Wildcats were so much better than Colorado that they were able to win by a comfortable margin with Coleman Hawkins and Mobi Ikegwuruka watching from the bench.
“We made a concerted effort to try and start the game a little grittier and tougher than we have the last few games, and not put ourselves in a hole,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said. “We felt like we could turn them over, and and we did. So we got out to a good start there ... I’m just really proud of the guys. Wins are hard to get.”
Indeed, this was a welcome result for the Wildcats (14-15, 8-10 Big 12). It stopped a four-game losing streak and gives them an opportunity to build momentum before the Big 12 Tournament begins in Kansas City. The Buffaloes (11-18, 2-16 Big 12) are on track for the No. 16 seed at T-Mobile Center.
Next up for K-State is a road game against Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Until then, here are takeaways from Sunday’s action:
David N’Guessan has become K-State’s most consistent scorer
He might not be the flashiest or most talented player on the K-State basketball roster, but no one scores more consistently in a purple uniform than the senior forward from The Netherlands.
That is particularly true in recent games.
N’Guessan scored a game-high 21 points on Sunday when his team needed him to have a big game. But that is nothing new for him. He has scored at least 20 points in four of K-State’s past eight games.
He delivered 22 points against Arizona State, poured in 20 against Kansas, scored 20 more in a rematch against Arizona State and then reached 21 points against Colorado.
This big effort appropriately pushed N’Guessan north of 1,000 points for his college career.
N’Guessan did most of his damage in the paint, as he made 8 of 13 shots from within the arc. He also got to the free-throw line for five points. K-State got production from him on the glass, as well: He finished the afternoon with eight rebounds.
For a team that has lacked consistency on a week-to-week basis, it has helped to have a contributor to count on near the end of the regular season.
K-State was down another player in the front court
The Wildcats have been short-handed for the past week without Coleman Hawkins in the rotation.
Their front court took another hit in this game.
Mobi Ikegwuruka, perhaps the best energy player on the entire K-State roster, did not dress Sunday.
That left Tang with few options at forward and center beyond starters N’Guessan and Ugonna Onyenso. He had to get creative with his substitutions as the game went on.
Macaleab Rich played in his second straight game. The sophomore forward logged 13 minutes and scored six points. And Taj Manning saw action for the first time since Jan. 29. He logged four minutes.
Winning a conference game without a hint of drama while missing a pair of usual contributors made this result satisfying for the Wildcats.
After the game, Tang provided updates on both Hawkins and Igekwuruka.
He said Ikegwuruka suffered an injury against UCF earlier in the week and was not yet ready to return to action. He is expected back in the near future.
Things are a bit more complicated with Hawkins. Tang said his injury is improving and he is also working hard to get back on the court. But, as of now, there is no timetable for his return.
Bad luck continues on goal-tending reviews
It’s safe to say that Tang and the Wildcats are sick and tired of officiating reviews going against them when it comes to goal-tending.
K-State lost its third made basket of the Big 12 season on Sunday when it was determined that Colorado legally blocked a layup from Brendan Hausen in the second half.
The Wildcats were awarded two points at the time of the play, as the Buffaloes were whistled for a goal-tend. But officials took a closer look at the play during the next media timeout and determined that it was a blocked shot.
Two points were subtracted from K-State’s running total, and the game continued. But not before fans filled the arena with boos.
“It’s absolutely stupid,” Tang said. “They have to fix it.”
Similar reviews also went against K-State in recent games against Arizona and UCF.
All three reviews were frustrating for the Wildcats — not just because they were stripped of two points each time, but because they were in position to score all three times without interference from the officials. In all three situations, they could have grabbed a loose ball and scored after blocks.
Here’s the thing: K-State wasn’t able to put the ball in the basket because officials waved the play dead.
That type of play has gone against teams across the country this season. It may be worth looking at handling them in a different away. K-State would not mind a change after yet another review went against the Wildcats on Sunday.
This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Three takeaways from Kansas State’s basketball victory over the Colorado Buffaloes."