Kansas State basketball not shrinking from challenge of facing KU in Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE — Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang can talk all he wants about breaking down the schedule into a series of one-game seasons.
The fact of the matter is the Wildcats are running out of time and both Tang and his players know it.
That is why, in previewing last Saturday's road trip to Cincinnati, he called it "the biggest game of the year, and not just because it's the next one."
Tang likened it to an NCAA Tournament game with what was at stake for both K-State and Cincinnati, a pair of bubble teams desperate to tack on some late victories. The fact that the Wildcats came out on the short end of a devastating 74-72 loss, means that Tuesday's visit to No. 14-ranked Kansas for chapter two of the Sunflower Showdown takes on even greater importance.
"Man, I feel like this one is like going to the Sweet 16," Tang said of the 8 p.m. showdown with KU at Allen Fieldhouse. "And if you're a recruit out there, why wouldn't you want to play in this league, when every night is an NCAA Tournament game?"
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The reality is that the Wildcats sit at 17-12 overall and 7-9 in the Big 12 with two regular-season games left. After the trip to Lawrence, they return to Manhattan to face a top-10 team in Iowa State on senior day.
Lose either game and it will take a deep run in next week's Big 12 Tournament to revive any NCAA hopes. And yet, Tang is pushing his team to embrace the challenge rather than shrink from it.
"I was clear with them that (Cincinnati) was a big game," Tang said. "Not just because it was the next game. It was a huge game for us and we were right there, and we let it slip away.
"The great thing is that we had a really good day (Sunday). The cats are fired up. We had great energy. The loss, although it got to our hearts, it didn't linger, and I was happy about that, that it did get to their hearts. The staff did a great job with the guys, and I feel like we'll have another great day (Monday) and we'll be ready to play tomorrow."
One reason to hope is that the Wildcats already have a victory over KU (21-8, 9-7) this season, beating the Jayhawks, 75-70, in overtime on Feb. 5 in Manhattan. In fact, Tang is 2-1 as a head coach in the Sunflower Showdown, something not many of his contemporaries can claim.
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It hasn't taken Tang long to gain an appreciation for the in-state rivalry, though he would like for it to be a little less lopsided.
"This is really cool," he said. "I get our fans a little bit more. I'm understanding it a little bit more.
"Honestly though, for them to consider us rivals, we've got to beat them more. So, we've got a lot of work to do. Obviously, they are a rival to us, and I get that from our fans, and I'm right there with them."
Both of Tang's victories over KU came at Bramlage Coliseum. You would have to go back to 2006 under Jim Wooldridge, a stretch of 17 games, for the last time the Wildcats prevailed at Allen Fieldhouse.
All the more reason to be fired up, according to Tang.
"The atmosphere feels like an NCAA Tournament game," he said. "You’re playing against the best teams. There's something on the line every night.
"If you don't want to be a part of this, we'd have to question, how competitive are you?"
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball fired up to face Kansas in Big 12 road test
