Kansas State's Bruce Weber: NIT Season Tipoff was 'great learning experience'

The Kansas St. Wildcats fell to the Michigan Wolverines 71-57 in the championship of NIT Tip-Off Tournament Friday. The No. 4 Wolverines got 23 points and seven rebounds from Tim Hardaway Jr. as they pulled away from the Wildcats in the second half. After the game, head coach Bruce Weber called the game a great opportunity for his team.

"Obviously they're a very good team. Have two of the best players in the country," Weber said. "But we felt we had to defend it and rebound which we did in the first half. Sometimes you've got to grind games out."

Weber went on to say the game was decided at the beginning of the second half when the Wolverines held the Wildcats scoreless for a near-five minute span as Michigan built a 13-point lead. K-State was unable to dig out of the hole for the remainder of the game and never cut the lead to single digits in the second half.

The Wildcats next play USC-Upstate on Dec. 2.