Kansas State Basketball: Much at Stake in Big 12 Tourney
By Stan Unruh
Does Kansas State need a win in the Big 12 tournament to reach the NCAA tournament? A second straight win over Baylor would help.
Bruce Weber knows the importance of his team’s opener in this week’s Big 12 tournament. Beyond an invite to the NCAA tournament, some suggest Weber is coaching for his job.
FS__2017MarchMadness_Big12_formI disagree. The Wildcats have had a roller coaster ride this season but exceeded expectations with a 6th place finish in the nation’s most difficult basketball conference.
The Wildcats played outstanding defense in the first half against Baylor in Waco. They held the Bears to 22 points and held on to win. Why not do it again?
On CBS Sunday, analyst Seth Davis said he thought Kansas State would get an invite to the NCAA tournament.
At one time, CBS Bracket expert Jerry Palm had the Wildcats as a bubble team -number 10 seed.
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Since their loss at OU, that changed. As a result, he has Kansas State among the last four in and one of the first four games. Bruce Weber’s guys would face Danny Manning’s Wake Forrest Demon Deacons, according to Palm.
ESPN’s Bracket guru Joe Lunardi still thinks only five Big 12 teams will earn a trip to the tournament.
He did have the Cats as an 11-seed but now continues to list them as among the first four out.
On the Monday night February 27, ESPN broadcast, Lunardi said the winner of the Kansas State- TCU game had a good chance of earning a tournament bid. The Wildcats did their part.
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Fox Sports still lists six Big 12 teams getting bids to the tournament.
They weren’t sold on Kansas State last week and as expected, they still list Bruce Weber’s team as among the first 4 out along with Texas Tech.
The Wildcats missed opportunities at home this season. As a result, they now need to make the most of the game against the Bears in the Big 12 tournament.