MANHATTAN — PJ Haggerty knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:52 left against Kansas to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to four on Jan. 24 at Bramlage Coliseum in a game that feels like a lifetime ago.
After Bill Self took a timeout, the Jayhawks outscored the Wildcats by 20 to hand the Wildcats an 86-62 loss, which was the beginning of the end for Jerome Tang’s time in Manhattan. It was the first of six consecutive losses, ending with Tang’s firing for cause on Feb. 15, after a string of horrendous losses and, in some cases, worse press conferences.
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Now led by interim coach Matthew Driscoll, the Wildcats will get another crack at the Jayhawks when the two play on Saturday, March 7, at 1 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I know the guys will be prepared,” Driscoll said. “It’s a ranked opponent, it’s Kansas, a true blood, and it’s excitement leading into the Big 12 Tournament.”
Kansas State (12-18, 3-14 Big 12) is locked into the 15-seed at next week’s Big 12 Tournament, while No. 15 Kansas (21-9, 11-6 Big 12) needs the win to guarantee itself a double-bye.
The Wildcats will play on Tuesday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. They play the 10th-seed, which will be either West Virginia or BYU.
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But first, the Wildcats will go into one of the most historic venues in college sports, hoping to win there for the first time since 2006.
“We’re knowing more and more about what this rivalry is,” Nate Johnson said. “Coach Tang definitely didn’t like how (the last KU game) ended, and he emphasized to us how we need to be more enthused with the energy of the rivalry game.”
The game ended with Kansas mocking the Wildcats on their home floor, mocking the “Wabash Cannonball” dance. The Jayhawks continued the celebration in the locker room with a player taking a belt and whipping the floor, simulating the beatdown they had just given the Wildcats.
Two Wildcats admitted they quit down the stretch, while Tang called out two different players for not playing to their full potential.
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This game will be much different when Driscoll is the main voice for the Wildcats, and the Jayhawks could have potential NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Darryn Peterson, who didn’t play in their first matchup.
The Wildcats will have Khamari McGriff, who didn’t play against Kansas. There is some concern that Haggerty could be out or limited against Kansas after he missed the Wildcats’ win over West Virginia on March 3 with an arm injury. Driscoll said Tuesday he believes Haggerty will play.
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball faces Kansas in rivalry rematch
