Disappointed as they were to leave Kansas City without a Big 12 Tournament championship, the Kansas State Wildcats couldn’t help but feel like they had a productive week following a 63-59 loss to Iowa State on Friday at Sprint Center.
Sure, it would have been better had they made some open threes late against the Cyclones and Marial Shayok would have missed some of his. This wasn’t a moral victory. But it wasn’t exactly a deflating loss, either.
The main reason why: Cartier Diarra.
With Dean Wade missing from action this week because of an injured right foot and questionable for the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats needed someone to step up and provide a spark.