With a four-game losing streak, a lot of negativity can begin to surround a team and its coach as ongoing problems produce losing results.

Jake Sullivan knows a win over a struggling Kansas State team Saturday to Iowa State’s losing skid doesn’t solve all of Iowa State’s problems, but he made it clear there weren’t that many problems to begin with.

He displayed an obvious frustration with the way people have been blaming his coach, Larry Eustachy, for the team’s 3-9 mark in the Big 12.

“He doesn’t get enough credit. We get the credit when we win, he gets the blame when we lose,” Sullivan said after Saturday’s win. “He is the reason we are playing well right now, he’s the reason we won today. He stayed with us; he hasn’t turned his back on us.

“Coaching is harder than ever and he’s the reason we’re winning. It’s not me scoring 25 or Tim [Barnes] hitting all those threes, it’s Coach Eustachy and that’s the bottom line. And that’s no bull crap — I don’t want you guys thinking I’m trying to be nice to coach. It’s the honest-to-God truth. All of us in that locker room want to play for him more than any coach in the whole country.”

Eustachy has stressed toughness with his team all season and said Saturday’s win was the best display of toughness that he’s seen. He also stresses good practices, which the team says have been strong lately.

“He’s been so positive with us, I know people see him ranting and raving on the sidelines,” Sullivan said. “The way he keeps this team together, he’s really enjoyable to play for right now — there is no question about that.

“He is, in my opinion, the best coach in the country. He’s the reason I’m having so much success, he’s the reason Tim is starting to come along and play so well and Jackson [Vroman] and on down the line. We’re behind him 110 percent no matter what people say or what people do.”

After Shane Power transferred in the off-season and Chris Alexander left school and the team two weeks ago for personal reasons, speculation occurred that Eustachy wasn’t connecting to his team, but Sullivan and Eustachy said that is not the case.

“I’ve enjoyed going to practice and being around these guys,” Eustachy said after Saturday’s game. “This team is with me as much as any team I’ve ever had — all the championship teams, whatever, we’re very much together.”

Adversity has been an important word this season for Iowa State as the team has had to deal with Alexander’s situation, sickness among the team and swirling rumors around the status of assistant coach Randy Brown, who is under currently under investigation for unknown reasons. Saturday brought more adversity, as Marcus Jefferson missed the game to be at the side of his sick mother.

“It’s been frustrating, and it kind of puts an exclamation point on it with Marcus, his mother getting sick like that. Obviously our hopes and prayers are with him and his family,” Sullivan said. “It’s an exclamation point on everything we’ve been through, but it brings you closer together, you have to go through the ups and downs to really become a true team.”

Sullivan and the rest of his team are still aiming for the highest possible goal, a national title, which would require Iowa State to win the Big 12 tournament.

“I think if we can just get a couple of wins, and really get our team’s confidence up, hopefully we can make a nice run in the Big 12,” Adam Haluska said.

Eustachy is more focused on improving the program than worrying about the postseason, and feels the win was a giant step in his plan. “We’re just talking about getting a base to this program and building on it for the future,” he said. “It’s a base, we’re thinking long-term. We’re disappointed but we’re never discouraged. We’ve worked real hard.”