The Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City is almost here, and for the Kansas State Wildcats, that might be a problem. If this season has anything left in store, it needs to come fast.
Wildcats near bottom of Big 12 standings as postseason approaches
Kansas State’s long-shot odds will be put to the test in the postseason – and there’s no better way to say that. The Wildcats are second-to-last at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, just one game ahead of Utah.
Conference play hasn’t been kind to the Wildcats, either, and their next matchup on the road against the Kansas Jayhawks is no exception. It hasn’t been easy for the Wildcats thus far. K-State won its last home game against the Mountaineers but has struggled to maintain consistency throughout the season.Â
Their struggles began with a four-game slide in nonconference play and turned into an 0–5 start in conference play. That followed with a six-game losing streak through mid-February and an inability to win a single game on the road.
And the roster depth hasn’t helped. Kansas State hasn’t seen Mobi Ikegwuruka since January, and entered Tuesday’s win over West Virginia without leading scorer P.J. Haggerty in the starting lineup or Dorin Buca off the bench. It’s a far cry better than playing with just seven available players, but still a tough situation.
Both are expected to return healthy, along with Abdi Bashir Jr., who’s been day-to-day after missing most of the season recovering from foot surgery. Returns by Bashir and Buca add depth, but Haggerty is a must-have.
The reality of Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown matchup
Saturday’s road matchup against Kansas won’t be easy. The Wildcats haven’t won inside Allen Fieldhouse since 2006, and the last seven trips to the Phog ended with double-digit losses to the Jayhawks.Â
If this season’s trends hold, Saturday could become the eighth. But flip the script, and the Wildcats have a chance to end the season on a high note. Chalk it up as a loss if you must, but the bigger questions come next week: can this Wildcats team win a postseason game?Â
Current projections slot K-State as a 15-seed, set to face the 10th seed in the first round. That spot is currently occupied by BYU. The Cougars already handed the Wildcats a 10-point loss earlier this season, but Cougars have struggled over their last five games, leaving the door wide open for an upset, even a long-shot bid in March Madness.
That recent win over West Virginia could pay dividends, and depending on how BYU fares against No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday, a rematch with the Mountaineers is certainly a possibility.Â
In a conference where unpredictability is the indefinite reality, there’s room for just about anything to happen. The only problem: the team just has to want it. One hot shooting night, a strong defensive showing, or even a bounce or two going their way could flip expectations on their head.Â
Give it enough time, and it could turn into a Wildcats run nobody saw coming.
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