ICYMI: Kansas State’s backcourt battle with Peterson and Council decides rivalry

P.J. Haggerty and Nate Johnson, the starting guards for the Wildcats, were recruited by former Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang, who knew what he was doing. The numbers support the progress, even though the record may not indicate it.

Stopping two of the biggest names in the Big 12 is the first step towards victory against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Kansas State’s guard duo faces biggest test against Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council Jr.

Haggerty is undoubtedly one of the top scorers in the country. He is ranked fourth in the country ahead of Saturday’s game against Kansas, behind Daeshun Ruffin of Jackson State, Jordan Riley of East Carolina, and AJ Dybantsa of BYU, who is expected to be selected in the lottery.

Despite missing Tuesday’s game against the West Virginia Mountaineers, Haggerty leads the Wildcats by a wide margin with 23.3 points per game. Before Tuesday, he had led Kansas State in 18 straight games, scoring 20 points or more in 14 of them.

There are other K-State guards making noise besides him. For the first time since 2008, a Wildcats pair scored 30 points apiece in the same game as senior Nate Johnson scored a career-high 34 points against Baylor.

Such statistics are not accidental, and in Tang’s absence, they have become more than just a regular occurrence. Those numbers are essential against the Jayhawks, particularly when Darryn Peterson and Melvin Council Jr. are playing.

Haggerty and Johnson are capable of the numbers, but can they deliver?

The offensive game isn’t the only thing that must intensify during rivalry games versus the Jayhawks. The backcourt is under siege. Cincinnati demonstrated that any team can make three-pointers against the Jayhawks, but winning in Lawrence typically comes down to timing the cold spells.

That was crucial against Baylor: close out on the perimeter, knock down shots, rinse, and repeat. Contested looks and preventing thoughtless errors on the offensive side of the ball follow the same pattern.

While Council continues to be a dangerous facilitator in assists, Peterson is the only Jayhawks starter who is getting close to 20 points per game. Things might quickly deteriorate if Peterson is given another entire game to play.

Protect the three, maintain constant contact with Peterson and Council, and hope that center Dorin Buca is fit enough to compete with Flory Bidunga’s size. This one stays close for at least the first half if you keep them contained.