Struggling to a 4-3 three record is not how most K-State fans envisioned the start of K-State’s first season with Bob Huggins as head coach. I expected there would be a few bumps in the road, with a brand new coach, new system, new players..etc. However, two major blowouts and a colon blow later, it seems like K-State basketball is about to derail.

Before any fans of other teams in Kansas start a post-mortem on the cats, let’s be clear: by the time K-State sets foot in a gym to play a Big 12 conference game, they are going to be ready to compete for one of the top spots in the league. What’s that? You respectfully disagree?? Not surprising. A lot of K-State fans have chalked this year up as a pre-season practice for next year. With Wichita State apparently world-beaters and KU being…well…themselves, the cats certainly appear to be a lost cause.

However, people quickly forget that this is Huggins first year, and these were his first seven games. He is busy leaning on guys to play their best, and it is not happening. I have noticed one thing about Bob Huggins. He isn’t going to help players who aren’t going to help themselves. He isn’t going to even bother to out-coach someone else, if his team isn’t going to try their hardest. If things aren’t getting done his way, they don’t get done at all. Huggins wants to win, but he wants to win his way.

The difference between that philosophy and the philosophy of past K-State coaches is the long-term benefits. With Huggins’ philosophy no one win is more important than making sure that the players are buying into the system, and those players are executing the system as best as they possibly can.

Expect the cats to continue with their growing pains for the next few games, then just in time for the Xavier game…they raise their game.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.