SE: K-State MBB Feels Better Before and After NCAA Tournament Selection Show
Mar 12, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
The format of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show was different, as was the mood at the K-State watch party at the Ice Family Basketball Practice Facility on Sunday evening.
Sure, there were nerves and suspense before K-State's name popped up as the No. 9 seed of the South Regional to face eighth-seeded Creighton (21-11) in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday at 5:50 p.m. (CT), on TNT. But it was eagerness instead of anxiety.
"It was a better feeling," junior guard Barry Brown said of watching this year's NCAA Tournament bracket revealed, compared to last year when the Wildcats were the last at-large team in the 68-team field. "I feel like we had a little bit better body of work and some better quality wins. We worked for it, so it's great to be in this position."
"I felt like our resume spoke for itself," redshirt freshman guard Cartier Diarra added. "I was happy that it showed and we're in the tournament as a good seed."
As the TBS-hosted Selection Show listed off the at-large selections alphabetically, K-State head coach Bruce Weber said he started going through the letters in order in anticipation of when his team would pop up. K-State (22-11) was the 12th at-large team revealed and enters its fourth NCAA Tournament in six years as the 34th overall seed, ranking ahead of 10 other at-large picks.
"It was a relief. I thought we were OK," Weber said. "When Davidson won (the Atlantic 10 Championship on Sunday) I went to Coach (Drew) Speraw, because he's got all the matrixes and stuff, and he kept assuring me we were fine."
K-State's improved resume included finishing fourth in the Big 12 regular season standings and advancing to the conference tournament semifinals for the second-straight year. The latter marked a first for the program in the Big 12 era.
"You want continuous improvement," Weber said. "I'm just so proud of our guys, what they've done and how hard they work. Now you have to prepare yourself. You have to take care of your body, you have to get your mind right and you have to come play with a big heart."
K-State's third-year juniors — Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes and Brown, who missed the NCAA Tournament as freshmen — have been the heart of the team this season. As its veterans, they have taken extreme pride in pushing the program to greater heights once again.
"I remember as a freshman I was talking to D.J. (Johnson) and he just kept telling me to leave the program better than you found it," Brown said. "I think that's my mindset and the mindset for all of us when we got here, to leave the program in better shape than when we found it. I feel like since we've gotten here it's went uphill and hopefully it'll stay that course."
Wade, an All-Big 12 First Team selection this season, said each season has been about building off the one before it.
"As freshmen, we were kind of thrown into the fire. We had no choice. We had to play and we didn't really know what we were doing. Last year we had a year under our belts, got a little more experience, knew what was happening," he said. "This year I think the same thing has happened. We have two years under our belts. We're great players. We're a little more mature than we've been in the past and we have great leaders on the team. The coaches are doing a great job with scouting reports. Honestly, our whole team is just locked in and bought into (Coach Weber's plan). I think there's a lot of great stuff happening and hopefully in the years to come we can keep building."
K-State topped Wake Forest in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament last season in Dayton, Ohio, before losing to sixth-seeded Cincinnati in the first round in Sacramento, California. This time, the Wildcats get to go straight to the first round, where a win would add another block of achievement to the program's ascension.
"I think that would be great for us to show that we're capable of not only getting to the tournament but winning some games," Brown, an All-Big 12 Second Team pick and All-Defensive team member, said. "I think winning some games would be great for us and our program."
Added Wade: "Winning the First Four, it was fun, but this is the real thing now. Coming out and playing great competition like Creighton, it would be great to get one win and just keep building off that. It's March so anything can happen."
The format of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show was different, as was the mood at the K-State watch party at the Ice Family Basketball Practice Facility on Sunday evening.
Sure, there were nerves and suspense before K-State's name popped up as the No. 9 seed of the South Regional to face eighth-seeded Creighton (21-11) in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday at 5:50 p.m. (CT), on TNT. But it was eagerness instead of anxiety.
"It was a better feeling," junior guard Barry Brown said of watching this year's NCAA Tournament bracket revealed, compared to last year when the Wildcats were the last at-large team in the 68-team field. "I feel like we had a little bit better body of work and some better quality wins. We worked for it, so it's great to be in this position."
"I felt like our resume spoke for itself," redshirt freshman guard Cartier Diarra added. "I was happy that it showed and we're in the tournament as a good seed."
"Fight for your teammates, and try to make history." - Cartier Diarra#KStateMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/MQbfPqx31G
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 11, 2018
As the TBS-hosted Selection Show listed off the at-large selections alphabetically, K-State head coach Bruce Weber said he started going through the letters in order in anticipation of when his team would pop up. K-State (22-11) was the 12th at-large team revealed and enters its fourth NCAA Tournament in six years as the 34th overall seed, ranking ahead of 10 other at-large picks.
"It was a relief. I thought we were OK," Weber said. "When Davidson won (the Atlantic 10 Championship on Sunday) I went to Coach (Drew) Speraw, because he's got all the matrixes and stuff, and he kept assuring me we were fine."
K-State's improved resume included finishing fourth in the Big 12 regular season standings and advancing to the conference tournament semifinals for the second-straight year. The latter marked a first for the program in the Big 12 era.
"You want continuous improvement," Weber said. "I'm just so proud of our guys, what they've done and how hard they work. Now you have to prepare yourself. You have to take care of your body, you have to get your mind right and you have to come play with a big heart."
K-State's third-year juniors — Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes and Brown, who missed the NCAA Tournament as freshmen — have been the heart of the team this season. As its veterans, they have taken extreme pride in pushing the program to greater heights once again.
"I remember as a freshman I was talking to D.J. (Johnson) and he just kept telling me to leave the program better than you found it," Brown said. "I think that's my mindset and the mindset for all of us when we got here, to leave the program in better shape than when we found it. I feel like since we've gotten here it's went uphill and hopefully it'll stay that course."
Wade, an All-Big 12 First Team selection this season, said each season has been about building off the one before it.
"As freshmen, we were kind of thrown into the fire. We had no choice. We had to play and we didn't really know what we were doing. Last year we had a year under our belts, got a little more experience, knew what was happening," he said. "This year I think the same thing has happened. We have two years under our belts. We're great players. We're a little more mature than we've been in the past and we have great leaders on the team. The coaches are doing a great job with scouting reports. Honestly, our whole team is just locked in and bought into (Coach Weber's plan). I think there's a lot of great stuff happening and hopefully in the years to come we can keep building."
This is what we work for. #KStateMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/5P4psxG3vC
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 12, 2018
K-State topped Wake Forest in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament last season in Dayton, Ohio, before losing to sixth-seeded Cincinnati in the first round in Sacramento, California. This time, the Wildcats get to go straight to the first round, where a win would add another block of achievement to the program's ascension.
"I think that would be great for us to show that we're capable of not only getting to the tournament but winning some games," Brown, an All-Big 12 Second Team pick and All-Defensive team member, said. "I think winning some games would be great for us and our program."
Added Wade: "Winning the First Four, it was fun, but this is the real thing now. Coming out and playing great competition like Creighton, it would be great to get one win and just keep building off that. It's March so anything can happen."
Players Mentioned
K-State Football | Stanton Weber Press Conference - Feb. 12, 2026
Thursday, February 12
K-State Football | Thad Ward Press Conference - Feb. 12, 2026
Thursday, February 12
K-State Men's Basketball | Game Replay vs Cincinnati - February 11, 2026
Thursday, February 12
K-State Men's Basketball | Coach Tang Press Conference vs Cincinnati
Thursday, February 12
