Opportunity still exists in remainder of Big 12 season

It's 21 games into the season, yet Frank Martin and his K-State men's basketball team still appears to be in the process of finding themselves as a unit. Martin's clubs have always been built on defense and intensity and this team is no different. The season has been one resembling a roller coaster filled with both ups and downs. Just when the team seems to have hit its stride, it has a setback and drops a couple of games to teams that many believe are inferior to the Wildcats. Although the Wildcats have been struggling as of late, I urge you to reflect on the season up to this point as a whole when analyzing the success the team has had.

Success is often based upon what something or someone has accomplished versus the expectations prior to taking on the task. This is a K-State basketball team that was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference by the coaches in the preseason. The Wildcats currently sit tied for fifth in the Big 12. It's true that fifth place isn't an spot that the team or its fans wants to be in, but the Big 12 is arguably stronger this season as a whole than it has been in the past several years. Frank Martin will be the first person to speak on behalf of the rigors and challenges that come with playing in such a tough conference.

Not buying into the idea that the Big 12 is one of the top conferences in the country? Look at the stats.

There is only one conference in America that has three teams ranked inside the top 10. It's the Big 12 with Missouri ranked fourth, Baylor ranked sixth and Kansas ranked eighth. Those top three teams in the Big 12 have combined for 58 wins this season versus only eight losses overall. Eight Big 12 teams have 12 wins or more this season, with nine conference teams boasting a .500 winning percentage or better. The Big 12 is second among conferences in the latest ratings percentage index, marking the fifth consecutive season the Big 12 has ranked in the top three in conference RPI. In non-conference play, the Big 12 has the nation's best winning percentage versus nationally-ranked opponents, second-best overall winning percentage and fewest losses of any conference in the country.

So, the Big 12 is one of the top conferences in the country but where does that leave K-State?

I agree that the Wildcats have been struggling as of late. But, just like a college student who decides to attempt to improve a grade in the final weeks of the semester, K-State has the opportunity to finish strong in the final nine games of Big 12 play.

K-State still has games to play against all four teams ahead of the Wildcats in Big 12 standings. Those games include a matchup at Texas against a Longhorn team that K-State has already beaten this season. The Wildcats will have revenge on their minds when they face the Kansas Jayhawks in the Octagon of Doom in a couple of weeks. The team will then have road matches against a Baylor team that the Wildcats played very closely with earlier this season and a Missouri team that was given its first loss of the season by the Wildcats. The sting from the recent Iowa State loss will still be fresh when K-State takes on the Cyclones later this season in Manhattan.

Point is, all is not lost just yet and K-State fans should put the panic button on hold for the time being. K-State still has time to make up for lost opportunity in the first part of the Big 12 schedule. The opportunity starts this Saturday against Texas A&M.

Jared Brown is a senior in marketing. Please send comments to sports@kstatecollegian.com.