SE: K-State MBB’s NCAA Tournament Experience Brings Comfort, Hunger for More
Mar 18, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Two years ago, K-State men's basketball was not sure if its name would pop up on the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. It did, as the last at-large team in, which earned the Wildcats a trip to the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
Even last year, when K-State took a nine seed to the Elite Eight, there was some unease at the team's watch party.
This year, however, the Wildcats were one of the featured teams on the CBS broadcast. The regular season Big 12 Championship trophy was positioned in the middle of the team, seated on its practice floor at the Ice Family Basketball Center when the show began.
The Wildcats (25-8) were relaxed. Still, they let out a loud celebration when they were announced as a No. 4 seed in the South Region to face 13th-seeded UC Irvine (30-5) on Friday at 1 p.m. (CT) in San Jose, California, on TBS.
"I wasn't too anxious this year," senior Barry Brown, Jr., said. "I just wanted to see where we were going to be, who we were going to play, and get ready for them."
"The last two years, we weren't so sure if we were going to be in. This year, we pretty much knew we were going to be in, it was just figuring out what seed we were going to be and who we were going to be playing," senior guard Kamau Stokes added. "Being in the tournament is still exciting. Now, I feel like we're a little more comfortable."
K-State head coach Bruce Weber said watching the show and being selected is "always special," regardless of circumstances. In his eyes, it's the team's reward for all the hard work it has put in since April, when goals are set. For this team, the first goal was to get into the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year. The second was to get a better seed than a year ago.
With 25 wins for the second season in a row, both goals were checked off.
"Now what are you going to do with it?" Weber said. "That's the whole key."
Like the past two years, this team wants to take another step forward. In 2017, the Wildcats defeated Wake Forest in the First Four and then lost to Cincinnati. Last season, K-State won three games to make it to the South Regional Final, one win short of the Final Four.
Going into their final NCAA Tournament, K-State's senior guards had two slightly different takes on what those postseason experiences mean for this team. Both can be true and benefit the Wildcats this time around.
"The experience helps a lot. We know what to expect. We know how to handle certain situations," Stokes said. "Having everybody back from that team last year during our run, it means a lot because they know what to do in the tournament, how to handle all the pressure, if there's any, and how to prepare for certain teams."
"It's in the back of our minds, knowing that we're capable. We're able to do it, but it's a new team. It's new teams," Brown added. "We're still a new team because we've grown, we've had those experiences. As players, we've developed, and we can do different things. We're a new team, we're going to play new teams in a different arena.
"Last year, it was good, but March is here, and it's time to do something different."
Brown echoed a message Weber said he's been preaching all season: Each game is different.
Weber said he's felt like his team has bought into it well, with its 14-2 finish toward a Big 12 Championship, after a 0-2 start, as a prime example of its game-by-game focus.
"That's something we've tried to teach and learn throughout the year. The ball bounces different; shots go in, they don't go in," Weber said. "But control what you can control. We better guard the heck out of people. We better play our butts off. In this case, we're going to have to rebound. Then, share the basketball. When we share the basketball, we're pretty good."
K-State did not have to do any research to know that UC Irvine is also pretty good.
The Wildcats played the Anteaters last year in Bramlage Coliseum and won, 71-49. Eight of the 11 Anteaters who played in that game are on this season's roster. UC Irvine, the Big West regular season and tournament champions, also enter the NCAA Tournament on a 16-game win streak. They have K-State's full attention.
"It's going to be a tough game," Brown said. "We have to come to play."
"It's win or go home," Stokes added. "That's what we're emphasizing right now, how much we want to stay alive in that tournament. We have to be prepared for a tough game on Friday."
Two years ago, K-State men's basketball was not sure if its name would pop up on the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. It did, as the last at-large team in, which earned the Wildcats a trip to the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
Even last year, when K-State took a nine seed to the Elite Eight, there was some unease at the team's watch party.
This year, however, the Wildcats were one of the featured teams on the CBS broadcast. The regular season Big 12 Championship trophy was positioned in the middle of the team, seated on its practice floor at the Ice Family Basketball Center when the show began.
The Wildcats (25-8) were relaxed. Still, they let out a loud celebration when they were announced as a No. 4 seed in the South Region to face 13th-seeded UC Irvine (30-5) on Friday at 1 p.m. (CT) in San Jose, California, on TBS.
"I wasn't too anxious this year," senior Barry Brown, Jr., said. "I just wanted to see where we were going to be, who we were going to play, and get ready for them."
"The last two years, we weren't so sure if we were going to be in. This year, we pretty much knew we were going to be in, it was just figuring out what seed we were going to be and who we were going to be playing," senior guard Kamau Stokes added. "Being in the tournament is still exciting. Now, I feel like we're a little more comfortable."
K-State head coach Bruce Weber said watching the show and being selected is "always special," regardless of circumstances. In his eyes, it's the team's reward for all the hard work it has put in since April, when goals are set. For this team, the first goal was to get into the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year. The second was to get a better seed than a year ago.
With 25 wins for the second season in a row, both goals were checked off.
"Now what are you going to do with it?" Weber said. "That's the whole key."
Like the past two years, this team wants to take another step forward. In 2017, the Wildcats defeated Wake Forest in the First Four and then lost to Cincinnati. Last season, K-State won three games to make it to the South Regional Final, one win short of the Final Four.
Going into their final NCAA Tournament, K-State's senior guards had two slightly different takes on what those postseason experiences mean for this team. Both can be true and benefit the Wildcats this time around.
"The experience helps a lot. We know what to expect. We know how to handle certain situations," Stokes said. "Having everybody back from that team last year during our run, it means a lot because they know what to do in the tournament, how to handle all the pressure, if there's any, and how to prepare for certain teams."
"It's in the back of our minds, knowing that we're capable. We're able to do it, but it's a new team. It's new teams," Brown added. "We're still a new team because we've grown, we've had those experiences. As players, we've developed, and we can do different things. We're a new team, we're going to play new teams in a different arena.
"Last year, it was good, but March is here, and it's time to do something different."
Brown echoed a message Weber said he's been preaching all season: Each game is different.
Weber said he's felt like his team has bought into it well, with its 14-2 finish toward a Big 12 Championship, after a 0-2 start, as a prime example of its game-by-game focus.
"That's something we've tried to teach and learn throughout the year. The ball bounces different; shots go in, they don't go in," Weber said. "But control what you can control. We better guard the heck out of people. We better play our butts off. In this case, we're going to have to rebound. Then, share the basketball. When we share the basketball, we're pretty good."
K-State did not have to do any research to know that UC Irvine is also pretty good.
The Wildcats played the Anteaters last year in Bramlage Coliseum and won, 71-49. Eight of the 11 Anteaters who played in that game are on this season's roster. UC Irvine, the Big West regular season and tournament champions, also enter the NCAA Tournament on a 16-game win streak. They have K-State's full attention.
"It's going to be a tough game," Brown said. "We have to come to play."
"It's win or go home," Stokes added. "That's what we're emphasizing right now, how much we want to stay alive in that tournament. We have to be prepared for a tough game on Friday."
Players Mentioned
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