The Kansas State Wildcats clinched their spot in the Sweet Sixteen after emerging victorious in one of the most dramatic games of the women’s NCAA Tournament, an 80-79 OT thriller over Kentucky on Sunday.
As exciting as that was, K-State has the opportunity to advance further in the tournament, and their odds have increased after a scary injury to a star player. USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, the Big Ten Player of the Year and AP First-Team All-American, suffered a torn ACL during the Trojans’ 96-59 demolition of the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Monday night.
Watkins had led USC to a number-one seed and represented real title aspirations before her unfortunate fall. Before the injury, the Trojans had the fifth-highest championship odds, at just under 10-1. Now, after the heartbreaking tumble Watkins took, USC’s odds are at 30-1, and they are the team with the sixth-highest title odds, passed by Notre Dame.
Not only does Watkins' absence affect the Trojans' end-goals, but it should also make their upcoming tilt against K-State a nail-biter. That’s not to suggest that USC doesn’t have other good players; they do, and that supporting cast will need to step up for the women of Troy to get past the No. 5 seed Wildcats and into the Elite Eight. Here are the three players K-State needs to focus on to advance on Saturday.
Who will K-State have to lock down?
Kansas State’s game plan will shift now that they don’t have to worry about containing Watkins, but they still have their work cut out to survive and advance.
The most obvious focal point and candidate to lead the Trojans on the court is senior forward Kiki Iriafen, who would be the best player on most teams. She averaged 18.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, shooting over 50% from the field and over 80% from the line. USC’s offense will now run through Iriafen, but she isn’t the only player the Wildcats will need to be aware of if they are to pull off the upset.
Freshman guard Kennedy Smith was the Trojans’ third-highest scoring player (9.2) this season and is the logical choice to have a higher usage rate vs. K-State. She isn’t known as an accurate shooter (41.6%, 31.3 3P%) but hit double figures in 11 games this season, including a season-high 19 against Rutgers on January 5th. Smith is coming off a 10-point (4-8 FG), five-rebound showing against Mississippi State on Monday night.
Because she’s been so disruptive on the defensive end, K-State must prepare for senior center Rayah Marshall. She averages 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game and will be a factor as a rim protector and passing lane deflector. Marshall can also contribute on the offensive end, coming off a 12-point, nine rebound, four-block performance against the Bulldogs.