Kansas State Can Use Dug McDaniel’s Production As Inspiration To Win Again
Even amid Kansas State’s consecutive losses, guard Dug McDaniel has still been the leader the team needs.
Over the last four games, he averaged 18.5 points on 45.5 percent shooting, elevating Kansas State’s Tournament hopes. His improved play at the point guard position has helped the Wildcats rebound from a six-game losing streak in conference play.
McDaniel has also improved on the defensive end, something coach Jerome Tang implored him to do when he became the starter. His leadership, energy, and aggressive play spearheaded the Wildcats’ turnaround.
It’s good that this has remained consistent during the losses, but it needs to translate to winning for the Wildcats’ Tournament hopes to remain alive.
Tang talked about reflecting on last season while still looking ahead and finishing the year strong regardless of the outcome.
“I’m trying to learn from last year,” Tang said. “I thought maybe I might have put some undue pressure on our guys by putting a number out there or any of that. Right now, all we can focus on is just winning the next game. The blessing of playing in this league is you’re always playing against really good teams, so those numbers kind of take care of themselves if you can win some games. But for us, it’s just about winning our next game against Arizona State.”
