Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang on nonconference scheduling
Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang talks about the challenge of building a nonconference schedule with the Big 12 expanding to 20 games.
K-State Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas State basketball has had a 10-day break for finals and now heads to T-Mobile Center to take on unbeaten Drake in a key nonconference matchup.
The Wildcats (6-3) are coming off a disappointing 88-71 loss at St. John’s in which they blew a four-point halftime advantage. They face a Drake team that has flourished under first-year coach Ben McCollum, who won multiple NCAA Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State.
Drake is off to an impressive start, outscoring opponents by an average of nearly 20 points per game. The Bulldogs proved themselves in late November when they captured the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic with double-digit victories over Miami (80-69), Florida Atlantic (75-63), and Vanderbilt (81-70).
K-State has been plagued by inconsistency in Jerome Tang’s third season as coach. In addition to the St. John’s loss in the Big 12/Big East Battle series, the Wildcats lost at home to LSU and to eventual champion Liberty in the semifinals of the Paradise Jam.
Here are three things to know, plus a prediction, for Tuesday’s game:
Drake has a distinct NW Missouri State flavor
McCollum, who went 495-91 with four national championships at Northwest Missouri State, brought the best players from his 2023-24 Bearcat roster with him to Des Moines.
The Bulldogs start four Northwest Missouri transfers, including leading scorers Bennett Stirtz at 17.8 points per game, Daniel Abreu at 13.9, and Mitch Mascari at 12.2. Cam Manyawu, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward who averages a team-best 6.9 rebounds, is a Wyoming transfer.
Bulldog defense among the nation’s best
Drake has been especially stingy on defense through its first nine games, ranking second nationally with an average of 55.2 points allowed while limiting opponents to 39.3% shooting overall and 26.9% from 3-point range.
Vanderbilt is the only team to reach 70 points against the Bulldogs, who average 75 points and are 15th in the nation in victory margin.
K-State must adjust its rotation
With forward Achor Achor leaving the team for personal reasons last week, K-State will need increased production from backup big men Ugonna Onyenso and Baye Fall, who average 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds between them in limited action.
Achor averaged 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in seven games, including 21 points in a 120-73 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but played only five minutes in the loss to St. John’s.
The Wildcats also could use more scoring from starting forward Coleman Hawkins, who is fourth on the team with 8.8 points per game, though he does average a team-high 7.2 rebounds to go with 3.7 assists.
Prediction: Drake 70, Kansas State 65
K-State has yet to put together a complete game against a top-flight opponent, while Drake has not only beaten three quality teams in Charleston but also won its Missouri Valley Conference opener at Valparaiso.
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 X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.
