Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big 12 Basketball: Each team’s worst performance of the last decade

By Joey Loose

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 08: Head coach Lon Kruger of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts to a lead over the USC Trojans after a timeout with Trae Young
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 08: Head coach Lon Kruger of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts to a lead over the USC Trojans after a timeout with Trae Young /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 11
Next
NORMAN, OK – JANUARY 9: Khadeem Lattin #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners blocks Wesley Iwundu #25 of the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Lloyd Noble Center on January 9, 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – JANUARY 9: Khadeem Lattin #12 of the Oklahoma Sooners blocks Wesley Iwundu #25 of the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Lloyd Noble Center on January 9, 2016 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /

Kansas State

February 25, 2017 (at Oklahoma 81, Kansas State 51) (GS: 9)

It’s weird to say this about a team that was in the Elite Eight last season, but Kansas State is the worst D1 team in the state of Kansas. While they do have a history just as deep, if not deeper, than Wichita State, it’s hard to argue with this fact based on recent history. Fans in Manhattan were getting tired of Bruce Weber’s lack of progress in year six before last year’s surprise run to the Elite Eight, and we’re going to look at some of those moments that made them irate.

A prime example was losing to 13-seed La Salle in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, a game they trailed by 18 at the half before fighting back and losing a 63-61 effort. If you don’t like close finishes, then this past year’s Elite Eight game against Loyola should suffice, a 78-62 loss to the 11-seeded Ramblers. There’s also the 69-42 loss at Baylor a few weeks before Baylor feel to Georgia State, but we’ll focus in on a different Big 12 blowout.

Entering a game at Oklahoma (9-18 at the time), Kansas State was a slight favorite, but they certainly didn’t play like it. The Wildcats were blasted away by a Sooners squad on the night that Lon Kruger would earn his 600th coaching victory. Kansas State shot miserably, especially from 3 (3-23 for 13%) and trailed from beginning to end, where the game got far out of hand. Khadeem Lattin led the Sooners with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Fortunately, this horrid performance did not cost Kansas State an NCAA Tournament bid, as they squeaked in as an 11-seed a few weeks later, doomed to the First Four. Regardless, their season didn’t last much longer; an abysmal performance against a rebuilding Oklahoma squad completely unacceptable. There’s no shortage in disappointment for Kansas State (there are games with Kansas we could’ve brought up), but maybe last year’s Elite Eight run will spark something good for the future?

Home/Big 12