Kansas State’s Success Is So Much Sweeter Following Rough Season Start
All hope was pretty much lost after Kansas State dropped its sixth consecutive game last month.
So imagine how they feel after getting six the other way. Sometimes, to embrace sunshine, you have to know what darkness feels like. Wildcats coach Jerome Tang discussed the team’s eventual breakthrough after many demoralizing losses.
“Man, this is a blast,” Tang said after defeating Arizona Tuesday night. “I know everyone would wanna say, ‘Well man, if they had done this earlier, can you imagine what would happen?’ The reason it’s so much fun right now is because of what we went through earlier with the struggles. We’re not hugging each other because of the win. We’re hugging each other because of all the tears we cried, all the sweat, and all the rough times we went through. But we stuck together, so we’re even happier for each other.”
Kansas State’s ability to bounce back after this losing streak illustrated its ability to stick together and overcome adversity. Now, they get to enjoy being one of the hottest teams in college basketball.
Still, the focus remains the same. They’re still just 7-6 in the Big 12, ranking eighth in the conference. The Wildcats still have work to do to make the NCAA Tournament. But at least this streak shows they have the potential to do so.
“Love the fact that we went through that struggle,” Tang said. “I hope that I don’t have to go through it again, but we know we’ve got a group that can go through it together. So it’s a lot of fun right now.”
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
