We did not lose last night because of a talent differential between KSU and KU. KU played better basketball, but overall they did not have better players (prob not worse either).
I don't disagree with this, but KU did have the best player on the court, and that makes a difference. But overall there isn't a big discrepancy. I think we should beat them in Manhattan.
KU's guards' athleticism caused problems for all of our guards except Tay. I felt like our players were playing better than KU's (except for Robinson) headed into the game, but KU's athleticism + effort overcame their guards' carelessness with the ball and poorer shooting than you expect from KU guards. They made up for their inconsistent shooting by blowing by our guards for layups, getting o-boards, and locking down defensively. It was a fine display of using superior athleticism/strength/effort to overcome shaky jump shooting--a page right out of K-State's playbook.
I expect a K-State win in Manhattan, due to improved effort by the Cats and the decreased comfort level of the shaky KU guards in the OOD.