With the season opener just around the corner, the Kansas State men’s basketball team is heading into next week with boosted confidence after a commanding 112-90 victory over the Newman Jets at Bramlage Coliseum.
“We try to treat both exhibition games like practices,” said K-State head coach Jerome Tang. “Not necessarily like games, but working on certain things. Mizzou exposed our transition defense and we just gave up too many driving gaps.”
In preparation for the game against Newman, the Wildcats focused on making defensive adjustments during practice, emphasizing transition defense and shrinking the floor. While K-State pushed the tempo, the purple and white looked fatigued at times during the lengthy first half.
“Dudes made some shots,” Tang noted. “When I watch film, guys are gonna be in the right position, and I’m okay with that, as long as our positioning is right.”
During the first half, the Jets outshot the Wildcats from beyond the arc, connecting on 48.6 percent compared to K-State’s 37.5 percent. This resulted in Newman trailing K-State by a score of 59-50 at halftime.
“We adjusted at halftime,” Tang said. “We picked up the pressure and turned it.”
Although the Jets stayed close, one Wildcat stood out—P.J. Haggerty came out ready to shoot and be a weapon. Haggerty finished with 17 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds.
“My teammates told me to keep shooting,” Haggerty shared. “My first two didn’t go in, and then I got hot. They put me in positions to score, I got the easy job just making my shot. I appreciate them for having confidence in me and uplifting me every time.”
Coming out of the break, the Wildcats increased their tempo and tightened their offense. They scored 20 points in the second half by moving the ball in transition and working together to find open looks down the floor.
“We’ve been working on shrinking the floor and not letting people get in the paint,” said Abdi Bashir Jr. “That’s the one thing we’ve been focused on the whole time. Then we got a team that shoots threes, and we just had to adjust.”
While Haggerty led the stat sheet in the first half, Bashir Jr. took over in the second, effortlessly scoring 19 points on 5-9 shooting from the field and 3-7 from three-point range.
“The fans are amazing,” Bashir Jr. expressed. “I wouldn’t want to play in front of anybody else. It means a lot to wear this jersey and play.”
Haggerty and Bashir Jr. were the top two scorers of the night, combining for an impressive 52 points. Haggerty also secured 10 rebounds, earning a double-double.
Khamari McGriff and David Castillo each contributed 11 points in the victory over the Jets.
“We’ve got things to work on,” Haggerty admitted. “It’s mainly just communication and gelling together. I feel like once we gel completely, the defense will take care of itself.”
Despite a few areas needing improvement before the season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Wildcat fans joyfully celebrated the team’s 112-90 win by all joining in the Wabash Cannonball.
“Overall, everybody’s healthy and so thankful and excited to move forward,” Coach Tang said.
https://kstatecollegian.com/2025/10/31/wildcats-wrap-up-exhibition-season-with-win-over-newman/