Kansas State was unable to defeat UNLV without its best two players in the lineup Tuesday at the Sprint Center.
The loss came in front of a raucous sellout crowd, and the shorthanded Wildcats played the Rebels tough before falling 63-59. But it was a painful night for K-State all the same.
“We’re not about losing here,” said an angry Frank Martin. “We’re not about playing hard and coming up close and moral victories. That’s not what we built our program about. We lost, so it wasn’t good enough.”
Martavious Irving and Jamar Samuels later said they also found few positives in the loss. Samuels made a good point about the Wildcats being strong enough to beat Virginia Tech earlier this season with Kelly out of the lineup and Pullen only playing 14 minutes. He thought they should have done the same here.
K-State is certainly a team that should know how to play with members of its roster unavailable. Of the Wildcats’ 16 players, only six (Rodney McGruder, Victor Ojeleye, Nick Russell, Freddy Asprilla, Jordan Henriquez-Roberts and Will Spradling) have seen action in every game this season.
The other 10 have missed anywhere from one game to nine for various reasons. Here is a rundown:
Jacob Pullen
Games Missed: 1
Reasons: Secondary NCAA Violation
Curtis Kelly
Games Missed: 4
Reasons: Secondary NCAA Violation, Coach’s Doghouse
Jamar Samuels
Games Missed: 1
Reasons: Coach’s Doghouse
Shane Southwell
Games Missed: 3
Reasons: Coach’s Decision, Injured knee
Devon Peterson
Games Missed: 7
Reasons: Coach’s Decision, Transfer Delays
Martavious Irving
Games Missed: 1
Reasons: Concussion
Juevol Myles
Games Missed: 6
Reasons: Coach’s Decision
Alex Potuzak
Games Missed: 7
Reasons: Coach’s Decision
Wally Judge
Games Missed: 3
Reasons: Personal Issues, Coach’s Decision
Nino Williams
Games Missed: 9
Reasons: Multiple Concussions, Coach’s Decision
Had the Wildcats not committed 23 turnovers, they might have been able to beat UNLV the way they defeated Virginia Tech when they dished out 19 assists.
Samuels and company will got another chance to prove themselves Thursday against UMKC at Bramlage Coliseum.
EMPTYING THE NOTEBOOK
– If you have enjoyed the last two games between Kansas State and UNLV, you are in luck. Martin said he and Rebels coach Lon Kruger have discussed continuing the series.
– Rodney McGruder lost at least part of a tooth while fighting for the ball against UNLV. Martin seemed unsympathetic, though.
“Part of playing sports,” Martin said. “You get hit, you bleed a little bit.”
– K-State did a much better job on the boards against UNLV than it did against Florida. The Wildcats outrebounded the Rebels 43-26.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Nick Russell drained a long three-pointer just before halftime to pump up the crowd and give K-State a 34-32 lead.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Oscar Bellfield came through with a huge block against Jamar Samuels in transition, and swished a big three-pointer late.
THAT WAS SWEET: The Sprint Center crowd of more than 18,000 was electric. Here’s hoping K-State continues scheduling name opponents for its annual Kansas City game. Athletic director John Currie has said the Wildcats will take on Alabama in the Sprint Center next season.
WHAT A DOWNER: For the second straight game, the Wildcats had a fatal stat. Against Florida, K-State’s shooting percentage of 27 percent was too low to win any game. On Tuesday, its turnover total of 23 was too high to win any game.
NEXT UP: K-State will take on UMKC at home. It should win regardless of the lineup it uses.
SAY WHAT? “We’ll try that leadership thingy Frank is talking about,” — Samuels.