Takeaways From Kansas State's Victory Over Cincinnati: Coleman Hawkins, Dug McDaniel Lead The Way
The Kansas State Wildcats handed Cincinnati its second loss of the season with a narrow victory Monday night. Here are a few takeaways:
1. The stars stepped up for Kansas State.
It's early in the season, but this game almost felt like a must-win after three consecutive losses.
The stars seemingly got the memo and responded. David N'Guessan, Coleman Hawkins, and Dug McDaniel combined for 50 points on 56 percent shooting.
Hawkins led the Wildcats in nearly every statistical category with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and four steals. McDaniel scored 17, while N'Guessan added 13 points and seven rebounds.
2. Brendan Hausen needs to be consistent.
Consistency was one of coach Jerome Tang's talking points after losing to Wichita State. Guard Brendan Hausen is an illustration of this concern, as he scored three points for the second time performance in the last month. He went 1-of-9 from the field, including 12.5 percent from the arc. As the team's primary sharpshooter, Hausen must improve to balance the offense as a perimeter threat.
3. Kansas State mitigated its free-throw issue.
The Wildcats are near the bottom of the conference in free-throw discrepancy. Performances like these, going 16-of-20 from the line, will help them climb out. While they can't control the opposing free-throw percentage, they can dictate their performances in that area. Aggressive play and improved accuracy at the line will reverse this free-throw difference.
The Wildcats head to TCU (7-5) on Saturday afternoon.
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.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.