NCAA Tournament 2023: Ranking the surprise Elite 8 teams left in the field
By Joey Loose
7. 3 Kansas State
How can there be any doubt that Jerome Tang is the national coach of the year? Tang’s first season at Kansas State has seen the Wildcats emerge into the national picture after being picked to finish dead last in the Big 12. An afterthought each of the last three seasons, the Wildcats wasted no time announcing their return after impressive play in the Big 12 and even better performances down the stretch in the Tournament.
The combination of All-Americans in Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell has been the ticket to Kansas State’s success. This team won road games at Texas and Baylor early in conference play to announce that they belonged and maintained their momentum even through the rigors of that conference. There are some incredible pieces around these two stars, and Kansas State is staring at the face of history.
The Wildcats dispatched of Montana State, survived Kentucky, and won a classic in overtime against Michigan State, a game in which Nowell had a Tournament-record 19 assists. The smallest guy on the court makes the biggest impact on the game for the Wildcats. Johnson collapsed on the court at Florida three years ago but has returned to form in a major way. The story of Kansas State’s rise can be attributed to their stars and Tang pressing all the right buttons, but will the story keep going?