No Identity, No Answers: Inside Kansas State’s Breaking Point After the KU Blowout
A historic loss, mounting frustration, and hard questions about the future of Jerome Tang’s program.
Kansas State basketball hit a new low Saturday night — and this episode of Three doesn’t sugarcoat it. Following a 24-point home loss to Kansas, the worst in Manhattan since 2002, John Kurtz, Derek Young, and Cole Manbeck deliver a raw, unfiltered assessment of where the program stands and why the concerns run far deeper than one ugly final score.
At the center of the discussion is a troubling reality: there is no clear identity. Three-plus years into the Jerome Tang era, the hosts wrestle with a fundamental question — what is Kansas State basketball supposed to be? From shifting offensive philosophies to roster construction that feels scattershot, the lack of cohesion has become impossible to ignore. Even the one constant fans could rely on early in Tang’s tenure — defense — has completely collapsed, with this season grading out as the worst defensive team in the KenPom era at K-State.
The episode also dives into the emotional flashpoints that defined the KU loss: the unanswered taunting, the visible apathy, and the controversial postgame comments directed at David Castillo, one of the few players still showing fight. Those moments, the hosts argue, speak volumes about culture — or the absence of it.
Finally, the conversation turns toward the uncomfortable future: a massive buyout, shrinking NIL resources, and a program stuck between change and stagnation. It’s a sobering, necessary listen for anyone trying to understand how Kansas State got here — and what may come next.