Kansas State last night wrapped up a disappointing season with a 67-65 loss to TCU in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament. “The game was kind of a microcosm of our whole season,” head coach Bruce Weber said afterward, “a bunch of ups and downs and all-arounds.” The Wildcats have certainly been through the ringer this year. Questions began surrounding the team back in December after a late-game collapse at home against Texas Southern. That loss was followed by star sophomore Marcus Foster finding his way into Weber’s doghouse before returning to help his team upset Oklahoma in Norman. Foster would ultimately be suspended in February and then reinstated down the stretch as the Wildcats defeated Kansas and Iowa State to play themselves back into the NCAA Tournament conversation for a hot second before losing their final two games. In a word, the season has been tumultuous.
There’s plenty of blame to go around for Kansas State’s poor season. (Scott D. Weaver/K-State Athletics)
Perhaps the biggest factor in the team’s struggles has been an often volatile relationship between Kansas State’s players and their head coach. We mentioned Foster’s suspension. After the February loss at TCU, Weber pleaded with his team through the media, saying, “I just want guys that care. That is all I want, guys that care and want to play for K-State and want to play to win and will play hard.” Finally, sophomore Jevon Thomas was kicked off the team earlier this month, only to learn about his removal through social media before getting reinstated ahead of the conference tournament.
After a 15-17 season, this team’s tumult isn’t likely to end there. Foster faced questions after yesterday’s 0-of-5 performance on whether he’ll return to Manhattan next year, to which he responded, “That’s the plan for right now.” A member of the all-Big 12 Second Team a year ago, Foster had been pegged as a legitimate NBA prospect before this season’s regression. If the Wildcats hope to rebound as a program, they’ll need Foster to return to the form he showed as a precocious freshman when he averaged 15.5 points per game. For his part, the sophomore seems prepared to bounce back, adding, “I’ll definitely be ready to hold up to expectations next season.”
The other lingering question is about Weber himself. The head coach’s time in Manhattan eerily compares to his stint at Illinois where he began strongly — taking the Illini to the 2005 national title game — before wallowing in a status of relative mediocrity over the remainder of his tenure. At Kansas State, Weber came roaring in by winning a share of the Big 12 regular season title during the 2012-13 season. His conference win totals, however, have declined over the past two seasons. Weber’s ability to recruit and develop his own players will be an important factor in the Wildcats’ future improvement, and there are fair questions surrounding his capability to accomplish that.
Kansas State already has five three-star commitments lined up for next season. Despite this season’s issues, Foster, along with Thomas and fellow sophomores Wesley Iwundu and Nigel Johnson, are likely to return. Weber will have a talented core to work with as he seeks to avoid another year in the bottom half of the hyper-competitive Big 12. If he and his team can put this disappointing year behind them and focus on stability and improvement in the offseason, there’s no reason the Wildcats can’t break the cycle and return to their winning ways next season.