The Kansas State men’s basketball team won its second consecutive game against a ranked opponent by defeating No. 23 Texas, 66-65, on Tuesday at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
Coach Bruce Weber and the Wildcats pulled off another stunning upset thanks to solid defense and a series of clutch shots from Mark Smith, Nijel Pack and Mike McGuirl.
Smith led the Wildcats with 22 points and eight rebounds. Pack added 16 points and two assists. McGuirl had 13 points and three rebounds.
That was just enough for K-State to hold off a Texas team that got 25 points from Marcus Carr.
K-State (10-7, 2-4 Big 12) is now on a bit of a hot streak after starting conference play with four consecutive losses. Fans were down on the Wildcats, who were dealing with COVID-19 issues within their roster and losing games at less than full strength. But now that the Wildcats have the entirety of their players and coaches healthy and available for games, they have proven what they are capable of.
Fans can start to dream a little bit after the Wildcats beat Texas (13-5, 3-3). And the Wildcats can win their third straight game against a ranked opponent when they play host to No. 7 Kansas on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Here are some key takeaways from K-State’s win over Texas:
Mark Smith delivers another gem
If there was a national award for the most improved transfer in college basketball, K-State guard Mark Smith would be in the running for it.
Smith has been one of the Wildcats’ best players all season after putting up mediocre numbers at Missouri over the past few seasons and is now nearly averaging a double-double. He had another standout performance against Texas.
The 6-foot-4 guard was at his best in this game. He attacked the basket and showed aggression every time the Wildcats possessed the ball. He finished with 22 points on 14 shots.
He was 7 of 9 around the basket and 2 of 5 from the outside. He set the tone by scoring K-State’s first six points of the game and never looked back.
This wasn’t his career high. That happened when he erupted for 25 points and 16 rebounds earlier this season against Oklahoma. But this effort was more meaningful because it was good enough to help his team win.
Free throws and fouls nearly doom K-State
Sometimes simple things decide the outcome of games.
That was almost the case on Tuesday with Texas’ free-throw shooting.
The Longhorns got to the foul line 26 times and made 21 of them. That’s 81% for those of you without a calculator.
K-State had much less luck in that area. The Wildcats got to the free-throw line 16 times and made only nine of their attempts.
Missing too many free throws has become a bad habit for the Wildcats in recent games. They also struggled from the charity stripe during a narrow loss to TCU.
If K-State was better at making the easiest shot in basketball it could easily have a winning record in Big 12 play right now.
The Wildcats overcame those discrepancies at the free-throw line by attempting 54 field goals while the Longhorns shot only 47.
What’s wrong with Selton Miguel?
Selton Miguel earned a lasting spot in Kansas State’s starting lineup at the start of Big 12 play earlier this month by giving the Wildcats a valuable combination of energy and defense on the wing, but his contributions on offense have been minimal over the past month.
Nothing changed for the sophomore guard against Texas.
Miguel made 2 of 9 shots and finished with five points. It was another disappointing game for him considering how often he got good looks at the basket. It’s not like the Longhorns were double-teaming him every time he touched the ball. The way he was shooting around the rim ,they were happy to let him be aggressive with the ball in his hands.
He has been cold for a while now.
K-State has played in six conference games and Miguel has only reached double figures in one of them. What’s the problem? It’s hard to say. It could be mental. He appears in need of a confidence boost.
