LOOK: Oscar Tshiebwe dejected following Kentucky round of 32 loss vs Kansas State
Not all losses are created equally, and Kentucky suffered from a tough one on Sunday. The Wildcats were defeated by Kansas State in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament 75-69. Sunday’s loss marks the third straight season Kentucky was unable to reach the Sweet 16, but also could mark the last game in the blue and white for star center Oscar Tshiebwe.
Tshiebwe returned to Kentucky this year after a stellar season with the Wildcats last season, taking home the Naismith Trophy, the Wooden Award, and winning Unanimous National Player of the Year honors from four major publications. He likely returned with a deep NCAA Tournament run heavy on his mind and heart, but unfortunately for him, that became a lost cause on Sunday.
He still had a classic Tshiebwe signature performance, ending the afternoon with 25 points and 18 rebounds. But his impressive performance was shadowed by the heartbreaking loss, as he was seen dejected in the locker room following the game.
Tshiebwe has nothing to be ashamed of, playing well in a back and forth that featured a multitude of lead changes and stellar individual performances. He just completed his second season at Kentucky and his fourth as a collegiate athlete. And with an extra year of eligibly granted from COVID-19 in 2020 plus his eyes likely set on playing at the professional level, it will surely be interesting to see where his future entails.
Kansas State edges Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16
Kansas State battled back and forth with Kentucky throughout their entire matchup in the Round of 32. Still, the Wildcats, specifically the ones in purple, did enough to hang on and beat UK by a score of 75-69 to advance to the Sweet 16.
Kentucky led by as much as eight in the first half as well as the second half. However, Jerome Tang’s team did enough in key moments to tie things up and, by the end of it, pull ahead.
The engine for the Wildcats all afternoon long was senior guard Markquis Nowell. The Harlem, New York native earned his team a chance to play in his hometown with 27 points and nine assists to get K-State to the East Regional in Madison Square Garden. While he was one of four players in their starting lineup with double-figures in points, he led the way and made key bucket after key bucket, including the trips to the free-throw line to ice it.
As for Kentucky, several things ended up being killers against them in the end. First, they finished with 16 turnovers, including 11 in the first half. From there, Oscar Tshiebwe (25 points and 18 rebounds) and Cason Wallace (21 points, nine rebounds, four assists) were the only two consistent contributors for John Calipari on offense. Chris Livingston finished with an inefficient 11 while Antonio Reeves shot 1-15 from the field, including 1-10 from three, and Jacob Toppin shot 1-7.
The story is Tang and Kansas State in his first season, though, as their program is now advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the first time since 2018. Now, they will await the winner of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 2 Marquette to see who they’ll be facing in The Big Apple next week.