Kansas guard Dahuan Harris Jr. (3) and the Jayhawks leave the court after the Jayhawks’ 83-82 overtime loss to Kansas State on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 at the Bramlaj Coliseum.
by Nick Krug
Here’s What About Such Losses The No. 2 Kansas basketball team lost to No. 13 Kansas State University in Manhattan on Tuesday night. — They tend to hurt fan bases more than they hurt players.
Don’t get me wrong. The Jayhawks were disappointed Tuesday that they didn’t find a way to pull off a win on a night they didn’t play well as a team.
Not a single member of KU’s travel party did not leave Manhattan feeling a little sick about the way things unfolded hours before departure.
However, it is speculated that they had finished it by the time the bus returned to Lawrence.
There are several reasons.
The first has to do with fatigue. After a fight like Tuesday’s overtime thriller, players on both sides are usually exhausted. Sure, they remember some specific plays that might have changed the outcome. But they are exhausted. And even getting excited about a painful loss takes a little more energy than it does in the moment.
So on to the next day. For Kansas, this means a day off for him and the start of preparations for Saturday’s fight against No. 14 TCU.
Speaking of that game, with another Top 15 clash looming, the Jayhawks don’t have time to shut up about Tuesday’s setback. , many of them will spend the next few days speculating on everything that went wrong and highlighting what should have gone wrong.
But players can actually do something in practice or in the next game. And the way Tuesday’s loss unfolded should have helped their ability to accept their second loss of the season and move forward, as KU nearly won despite so many things going wrong.
In the end, KU shot 6/29 from 3-point range and, despite seeing three starters fouled out, had overtime on the road alongside top 10 teams and in-state rivals.
The Jayhawks were also slow to get going in the first five minutes of the game, having to pull out of a 14-point hole in the first half.
15 turnovers and 10 missed free throws also contributed to the loss, but the Wildcats also missed 15 turnovers and 7 free throws, so those two stats are a bit overestimated. It could be. But K-State made one 3-pointer on 12 fewer attempts, so KU’s offshoot night definitely cost them.
One more shot and Kansas might have survived.
However, not doing so might be the best thing for this team.
A few weeks ago, KU coach Bill Self said the team was playing with fire by winning all of these close matches. And junior forward Jaren Wilson said Tuesday that he may have caught up with the Jayhawks by going down the right side in tight games against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State.
These results tend to be uniform over time.
Wilson also demonstrated composure and perspective in the post-match presser by answering all questions in a thoughtful and pensive manner, without frowning.
These KU veterans especially Wilson They’ve been through a lot in their college careers, and past experience teaches them that these are long seasons and losses really do happen.
Remember last year’s loss at TCU? Remember when KU was completely underwhelmed in every way in Fort Worth? I guess. Ultimately, though, that loss played a big role in the very reason the 2021-22 Jayhawks won the national title.
i don’t know that yet What the Jayhawks learned from Tuesday night’s loss at K-State, However, it soon became clear that the lessons were already beginning to seep in.
The Big 12 race has now begun. They are tied at the top with the same 16-2, 5-1 record, but Kansas State technically sits in first place as of today due to a head-to-head victory over the Jayhawks. .
When the Wildcats come to Lawrence for a rematch on January 31, KU will get a chance to even the scores in two weeks.
And there’s also plenty of basketball to play before that.
