LINGERING BELIEF
After a crushing loss to TCU and an 0-4 start to Big 12 play, Kansas State is not feeling great about themselves. From the coaches to the players, they each still care deeply about the team and each other.
Despite the losses and lackluster start, they still believe they are capable of an incredible turnaround. Disappointment is present, though. That could manifest itself in a number of ways.
It could turn into motivation and push them to knock off Texas Tech and allow it to fuel themselves even further into a few more victories. With that being said, the more they lose, the harder it will be to plug away.
While their confidence has been shaken a bit, the sentiment in the locker room is still one of belief, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Or maybe it is a glimmer of hope. But the only antidote for the failure thus far is.... winning.
ILLNESS REPORT
Mike McGuirl has returned after a stint in health and safety protocols. His first practice with the team was on Friday. He has missed tow games. Assistant coach Shane Southwell isn't totally in the clear, yet, and is questionable for Saturday's contest in Bramlage Coliseum.
***Subscribe to K-StateOnline by clicking here***
Talk K-State football and basketball in the largest, most active K-State message board community anywhere, The Foundation.
TEXAS TECH PREVIEW
The mantra against a team like Texas Tech is whether they can combat them with toughness and discipline. Bruce Weber wants to be able to defend the Red Raiders one-on-one.
Defensively, Mark Adams' group takes teams out of their comfort zone and prevents them from doing what they want to do. To do so, they constantly switch on screens. The most effective way to beat that is with ball movement and making the simple pass or the extra one.
Texas Tech rebounds the basketball at an impressive rate. They also run a lot of isolation on offense, while the others crash the glass hard. K-State wants to focus on trying to limit second chance opportunities for the Red Raiders.