It’s NCAA Tournament time! #5Kansas State will face #12 Utah State on Thursday, March ..."/> It’s NCAA Tournament time! #5Kansas State will face #12 Utah State on Thursday, March ..."/>
Jug of Snyder
Fansided

#5 Kansas State: Road to Houston

By Editorial Staff

facebooktwitterreddit

It’s NCAA Tournament time! #5Kansas State will face #12 Utah State on Thursday, March 17 in Tucson, AZ as part of the Southeast Regional. There’s a lot of buzz about this being the traditional 5-12 upset that comes every year and while Utah State is no pushover, it’s exactly where Kansas State needs to be to get things moving. Continue reading to find out why grabbing a 5 seed is perfect for the Wildcats.

Reason #1: Kansas State got a better seed than anyone expected them to get after the Big12 first round loss to Colorado. Getting a higher seed is never a bad thing: the higher the seed, the worse the competition. The first thought that crossed most minds was most likely the dreaded 5 seed curse but is it real?

Round of 64 winning percentages by seed:

#1 – 100%

#2 – 96%

#3 – 84%

#4 – 79%

#5 – 68%

#6 – 70%

#7 – 61%

#8 – 46%.

The #5 seed is only a few percentage points away from what would be considered in line with the usual drop off from seed to seed. Over the years of the tournament, that’s only about 5 more wins. So while the winning percentage is a few games under what would be expected, no, it isn’t a curse or even that far away from normal.

Reason #2: Utah State is a match-up that is good for Kansas State. (More on this in the coming days)

Reason #3: The chip on the shoulder is back. The first thing said on CBS’s selection show after the Southeast region was filled was that Kansas State would be upset by Utah State. I would guess that Frank Martin and all the boys heard that right along with the rest of the country.  Kansas State needs to feel disrespected. Being everyone’s #5 – #12 upset will feed that monster. When the Wildcat’s feel like they have something to prove, they go off and they definitely have something to prove now.

Check back all week long for more on the match-up in the round of 64. Also, be sure to enter the JugOfSnyder.com bracket challenge on ESPN.com. We’ll have one for both the men’s and women’s bracket and the winner of each get’s some K-State gear. Click here for more info.