Kansas State Basketball: Why the Wildcats could make a run in the Big Dance

Kansas State basketball snatched a First Four win over Wake Forest and will face Cincinnati in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Despite owning an under .500 conference record and a brutal non-conference strength of schedule, the Kansas State Wildcats snuck into the NCAA Tournament based upon their two victories over Baylor and a solid overall showing the Big 12 Tournament.

Last night, they surely didn’t look like one of the last four teams in the tournament as they dropped 95 points on Wake Forest by hitting 66 percent of their shots from the field and six total threes. The Wildcats had four players score in double figures, including Wesley Iwundu who dominated the game on the offensive end by putting up 24 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.

The Wildcats’ offensive explosion certainly had something to do with Wake Forest’s non-resistant defense but KSU’s brilliant guard play and versatility provided enough shot making and spacing, respectively, to carry Bruce Weber’s team into the opening round of the Big Dance.

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And in that first round match-up, Kansas State will have to go toe-to-toe with the Cincinnati Bearcats, a team that plays the complete opposite style of the Demon Deacons. The Bearcats defend aggressively, using their size, toughness, culture and chemistry to stifle opposing offenses.

However, every year since the first iteration of the First Four in 2011, at least one team that played in the event has advanced past the Round of 64. VCU made the Final Four in 2011. South Florida reached the Round of 32 in 2012. La Salle had a marvelous season and made their way to the Sweet 16 in 2013 and Tennessee reached the same point in the tournament in 2014. Finally, in 2015, Wichita State knocked off Arizona in the first round before giving Miami a run for their money in the second round.

What gives Kansas State the potential to join these teams is the fact that they have three ball handlers on the floor at almost all times — Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes, and Iwundu. They can not only create shots for themselves but they can also make plays for their teammates, including D.J. Johnson and Dean Wade in the post.

And they have that breakout star in Iwundu. He plays multiple positions, can defend numerous positions and is a scorer from at least two levels (he is still inconsistent from three). He also has experience given the fact that he is playing his final year of college basketball.

Add in the fact that Johnson provides toughness in the paint, and Kansas State has all the tools to win at least one more game.

The reason I say one more game is because if they do indeed beat the Bearcats, things get dicey in the future rounds. UCLA will likely be waiting while Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wichita State all remain major standout programs in this region.

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So while Kansas State’s best bet is a second round berth, it’s still something that was unlikely just months ago when Bruce Weber was on the hot seat and Kansas State’s lack of quality wins was likely going to keep them out of the tournament.

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