Kansas State Basketball: Keys to move past UC Irvine in the first round

1. Seek out the best shot on each possession.

As I mentioned earlier, both of these teams are driven by their defense so if Kansas State wants to avoid the upset, they will have to make sure they take the best possible shot on every possession with points likely to be at a premium in this one. For a team that scores less than 66 points per game, being successful on a large majority of their offensive possessions will be paramount.

As good as the Wildcats’ defense has been at holding teams to 60 points or less, their offense can come up just as dry, having been held to less than 60 points ten times themselves. They have struggled this season at all three levels on the floor, shooting just 41% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc, and at the charity stripe, they shoot just 66%, which is 316th worst in all of Division I.

If the Wildcats find themselves settling for shots early, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they are playing catch up against an Anteater team that is fifth in the country in field goal percentage defense (38%). Getting good shots every time down the floor may be the biggest factor in this game for Kansas State.