Kansas City, Mo. witnessed an extraordinary 20-point comeback by the Kansas State Wildcats against unbeaten Drake. This comeback was precisely what coach Jerome Tang and his team were hoping for to rejuvenate their season. However, a 73 - 70 loss on Tuesday night at the T-Mobile Center left fresh wounds as the team's 6 - 4 start has been deemed underwhelming by many. Forward Coleman Hawkins, who transferred from Illinois and leads the Wildcats with 16 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals, experienced the wrath of disappointed fans immediately after the game. He emphasized that it's time for the team to unite and face the challenges together. "Me personally, I feel like it’s us versus everybody," he said. "I can’t go on my phone without people wishing the worst for me and wishing not just for me, but for our team, and it devastates me. I just went on my phone and saw someone say, ‘I hope you break your leg.’ Like that’s the kind of stuff that our team has been dealing with all year, and it affects me so much because I don’t wish that upon my worst enemy."

Fan Criticism and NIL Deal

Hawkins has borne the brunt of fan criticism due to a massive name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal worth $2 million after transferring to K-State. Against Drake, he hit a tying 3 - pointer with 12 seconds left in overtime, only to see Bennett Stirtz respond with one of his own for the Bulldogs at the three - second mark and secure the win. The fact that fans are already turning against a K-State team with one nonconference game left on Saturday against Wichita State before facing a tough Big 12 schedule doesn't sit well with Tang. He stressed the need for patience with a roster largely composed of transfers, supported by a significant NIL fund. "It’s a shame some of the comments these guys get," Tang said. "For any fans, or any people who are reaching out to say negative things to these guys, man, shame on you. Shame on you. I’ve got a great group of dudes there, and they are working really, really hard, and they’re trying to put together into just a few months what some other teams have multiple years to do."

Transfers on Drake's Team

Drake's team also has a significant number of transfers. Four of their starters, including Stirtz and Mitch Mascari who combined for 47 points in the game, accompanied first - year coach Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State. This shows the impact of transfers on both teams.

Fighting Back in the Game

One positive for K-State is their ability to fight back from a 29 - 9 deficit in the first half and have a chance to win in regulation. Coach Tang had no complaints about the team's effort. "So proud of our guys’ effort, their fight, their togetherness, their buy - in. All the things that we’ve been stressing and pushing and fighting for, those guys came through, and they gave us a great effort that was good enough for us to win. But we have to do a better job as a staff and help them in those situations there. I should have done a better job at the end of regulation (a 3 - point miss by Brendan Hausen), and I definitely should have done a better job at the end of overtime to set our defense and help our guys in those situations."

Looking Ahead

Hawkins cautioned fans not to count the Wildcats out yet. "We go out and we practice every day; we play hard," he said. "We’re doing the best we can. So, my message would be it’s us versus everybody, and we can control what we can control, and all the other stuff we’ll just have to tune out and lock in the rest of the way come conference play."Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.