On the day Curtis Kelly finally came through with a big game for Kansas State, Rodney McGruder disappeared.
That wasn’t the only reason why the Wildcats fell to Texas A&M 64-56 on Saturday at Reed Arena, but it certainly was a factor.
Kelly looked like the senior forward everyone was hyping in the preseason. He scored 15 points on eight shots, snared 11 rebounds and blocked six shots. He was a true force inside. Had he been eligible and played like that a few more times this season, K-State may not be in its current predicament.
Add his day on to 21 points from Jacob Pullen and a decent afternoon from McGruder, who has been the Wildcats’ most consistent player all year, and K-State is likely feeling good about a win today. But the sophomore guard was not himself.
He put up a few air balls, scored zero points, grabbed one rebound and lost the ball on two boneheaded turnovers.
All good players are allowed an off night, but when a team is in a hole like the Wildcats are (13-7 overall, 1-4 Big 12) they need everyone contributing. They can’t ask two or three players to do all the scoring.
Also concerning: This was the second-straight down game for McGruder, who came into Saturday’s action averaging 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds. Against Missouri, he scored four points on nine shots.
He will need to bounce back and play well against Baylor on Monday. He may not need to match the 16 points and 15 rebounds he put up against Texas Tech three games ago, but the Wildcats need him to snap out of his funk if they are to snap out of theirs.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Curtis Kelly. Frank Martin was furious with the senior forward for giving up a few key rebounds late, but he still came through with his best game of the season. His seven offensive rebounds and six blocks changed the way Texas A&M approached the game inside.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Naji Hibbert drained two three-pointers in 5 seconds to help Texas A&M score 13 straight points in the second half. Talk about a dagger.
THAT WAS SWEET: Will Spradling looked like he might be ready to step back into the starting lineup. The freshman guard showed real toughness with the ball late and made a fantastic pass under the basket in the second half. He finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
WHAT A DOWNER: K-State debuted new purple uniforms, and not only were they a bit on the dull side they were hastily put together. Whoever is in charge of stitching the names on the back of the jerseys misspelled Shane Southwell’s name. He played with the letters “SOUHTWELL” on his back.
NEXT UP: Baylor comes to Manhattan for a Big Monday game that has turned into a must-win for K-State.
SAY WHAT? “We’ve got a lot of opportunities to prove ourselves. Every game after this is real crucial and important. We’ve got to start winning more than we’re losing.” — Curtis Kelly.
