Kansas State Has No Room For Error Amid Another Expensive Season

Kansas State made headlines last season as one of college basketball's most expensive units.

Which unfortunately meant that the criticism rained down that much harder after they fell way below the NCAA Tournament. Now, with the same formula handing out lucrative deals to PJ Haggerty and Andrej Kostic, the Wildcats are once again placed with high expectations.

K-State coach Jerome Tang's seat is searing hot this year after missing the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The 2024-25 season was a rollercoaster in Manhattan, KS, with the team getting off to a lackluster start in conference play that glaringly ended any postseason hope. They would've had to be flawless in their last stretch of the season for a shot at the Tournament, but the magic eventually wore off.

This season, the Wildcats have little room for error barring injury. A team featuring Haggerty, Abdi Bashir Jr., Marcus Johnson, and should be a competitive postseason unit.

Just ask Coleman Hawkins how he felt after the underwhelming finish last season.

"I feel like I did a poor job of letting people talk about me," Hawkins said after the Wildcats' season-ending loss to Baylor. "It affected my play. It was happening all year. I wish I could just go back and block out everything, not for myself, but for the team so we could have a more successful year.”

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