The Kansas State men’s basketball team has struggled throughout the stretch of the season. Was Saturday’s blowout loss to last-place Oklahoma the nail in Bruce Weber’s coffin? The Collegian’s sports editor Scott Popp, writers Brett Engle and Ryan Porter and editor-in-chief Jason Tidd share their thoughts on whether or not Weber should be relieved of his duties.
Do you think Bruce Weber should be fired when the season ends, and do you think he actually will be fired?
Scott: The team has consistently gotten worse since Weber took over the helm. While I like the guy and I don’t think he should get the amount of hate from K-State fans that he has gotten recently, I do think he should be fired. If K-State wants to consistently compete at a high level, Weber needs to go; he has proven his teams can’t consistently win the games they should.
Unless K-State wins out and wins at least a game or two in the Big 12 Tournament, I think the Cats will miss the NCAA Tournament, and Weber will be fired. John Currie leaving his post as athletic director also does not help Weber’s cause.
Brett: I think that it’s very simple what determines if Weber gets fired or not. If the Wildcats make the tournament, he stays. If not, he doesn’t. The entire K-State fan base expects success at the highest level, and since Weber has been here we haven’t done that. The last few games this season will definitely determine Weber’s fate.
Looking at it now, I would have to say K-State will miss out on the tournament and end Weber’s time at Kansas State. Even if the Wildcats win their final two regular season games but drop the first game in the Big 12 Tournament, they still could be on the outside looking in. I also think winning today’s game against TCU would have a great chance of getting them in, but Kansas State has been ice cold lately. I’d love to see the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament, but I wouldn’t put any money on it or on Weber at this point.
Ryan: Weber had a great start to this season, there is no denying that. It seems though the lack of ability to finish a game has angered many K-State fans. I think it is time for K-State to move on with a new coach, especially with the young talent we’ve seen from the Wildcats.
Ultimately, Weber will be done at the end of the season. He has been blamed for some of the losses endured this season, although the inability of K-State players to make free throws did not help his case for staying.
Jason: I want nothing more than for K-State men’s basketball to win the Big 12 Tournament, beating KU in their backyard in Kansas City in the process and guaranteeing them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. I also want a million dollars, a 4.0 GPA and a regular sleep schedule.
None of those are going to happen.
Last year, while in the pep band at the men’s Big 12 Tournament, an Oklahoma State fan told me “thank you” for beating them so they could get a new coach.
I would never cheer for my team to lose. I don’t know how any Wildcat fan could cheer for K-State to lose. But I think that Oklahoma State fan had a point.
I want Weber to succeed; I want K-State men’s basketball to succeed. But the loss to Oklahoma killed what hope I had left of Weber turning around this team. Weber’s time is up.
