Kansas State Wildcats Basketball: Where Do We Go From Here

Jan 11, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) passes the ball as Kansas State Wildcats forward Thomas Gipson (42) defends during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won 86 – 60. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Step back from the ledge. The sky isn’t falling. One loss to in-state “rival” Kansas does not take away what the Kansas State Wildcats have built so far this season. While a 26 point loss is never ideal, K-State will be okay.

KU is a bad match-up for K-State. The Jayhawks are very athletic, they have a potential No. 1 pick as their big man, and have scorers all over the floor. Saying that KU is inside of K-State’s head is the narrative, but the reality is that the Wildcats just don’t match-up well.

This slaughter of the Wildcats was not fun for anyone in purple to watch, but there are positives to be taken from this game. Way more negatives, but positives nevertheless. For instance, K-State won the jersey battle yesterday. That crisp white font looked much better than the blue cursive.

As far as the play on the court goes, Marcus Foster was just 3 for 12. Jevon Thomas tried to turn into a scorer rather than doing what he does best: distributing the ball. Why are these positives? Because it means K-State didn’t play well in this game. If Foster had 20 points and was 8 for 12 from the floor, it’d be much more concerning. If K-State had played well, and lost by 26 points, the concern level would be much higher in the Manhattan area.

; Kansas State Wildcats guard Jevon Thomas (5) Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t let this game turn into two losses.

Some teams will come back from a bad loss and absolutely dominate. Other teams will let the loss linger with them and lose their next game. K-State faces a stout Oklahoma team in their next game, but it is in Bramlage Coliseum. OU is coming off of a huge win against previously undefeated Iowa State, and plays Baylor after K-State.

This is a trap game for OU, but if K-State doesn’t come out to play, they won’t be able to capitalize on that. They must put their awful loss to KU behind them, and realize they still have 15 games left. The Wildcats must once again prove they have mental toughness, and win this game.

Most realistic fans know that K-State is a long shot to hold the title of “Big 12 Champion” again this year. They are not a long shot to make the tournament, however if they don’t play well in the Big 12, they may end up in the wrong post-season tournament. Beating Oklahoma is the type of win K-State needs to keep building their resume. Every team in the Big 12 is currently sitting at, (even TCU) or over, .500, so there are no nights off or time for a hang over.

So, K-State fans, just like the actual players, it’s time to look on to the next opponent. A 26-point loss counts just as much as a 1-point loss in the standings. The world isn’t ending. The Wildcats have 15 more games to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament, so fans need to support them every step of the way.