Another Chance to Go 1-0
Mar 19, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Kansas State won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2018 by beating Montana State, 77-65, on Friday, setting up a matchup against Kentucky on Sunday for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in New York City.
No. 3 seed K-State, 24-9, is the highest seed in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has a history against sixth-seed Kentucky, 22-11, heading toward Sunday's 1:40 p.m. tipoff at Greensboro Coliseum.
It was nearly five years to the day that Barry Brown banked one in with his left hand with 18 seconds left to lift ninth-seeded K-State to a 61-58 win over No. 5-seed Kentucky in the 2018 South Regional semifinals in Atlanta.
K-State has changed in five years. After a few up and down seasons, first-year head coach Jerome Tang has the Wildcats back in March Madness.
These Wildcats hope to make Sunday special.
"This whole year has been a dream come true for me," Tang said. "From the moment I got the job to putting the team together and through the whole course of the season the way our guys have embraced us as a staff and embraced each other, culminating playing in the ultimate tournament, it's a dream, and one we don't want to see end.
"I'm super excited about the opportunity we have for (Sunday). We just want to keep living this thing and try to be together a little bit longer."
Kentucky has eight national titles and holds NCAA records for most tournament appearances (60) and most games played (183). Kentucky is second for most victories (130) and fourth in winning percentage (.710, 130-53).
Kentucky is 32-9 in the NCAA Tournament under John Calipari with eight Sweet 16s, seven Elite Eights, and four Final Fours.
"The tournament is one game," Calipari said. "It's not the best of seven, best of five or best of three. It's one game. Anything can happen. This year has proven it. Last year has proven it. Anybody can beat anybody."
Tang captured his first NCAA Tournament win, and K-State is ready to continue its remarkable season that saw it rise from 10th in the Big 12 Conference in the preseason to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll, to a third-place finish in the toughest conference in America.
K-State finished No. 15 in the final AP Poll. Kentucky received 39 votes in the poll.
"He's done a great job," Calipari said. "You think of where they were and where they are now and where they're headed? Whew. Great job."
A pair of third-team All-Americans — one of the top scoring duos in the nation — led K-State to its victory over the Bobcats on Friday. Keyontae Johnson scored 18 points and eight rebounds in nearly 39 minutes, and Markquis Nowell had 17 points and a career high-tying 14 assists to lead four players in double figures. Nae'Qwan Tomlin added 13 points and David N'Guessan had 10.
Nowell's 14 assists were ninth most in a NCAA Tournament game and broke Steve Henson's record of 12 assists against Purdue in 1988 as the most assists by a K-State player in a NCAA Tournament game.
K-State had 21 assists, tying its record in a NCAA Tournament game, and overcame 14 turnovers while shooting a scalding 58.2% from the floor. K-State outscored Montana State 48-30 in the paint.
K-State believes it isn't finished yet.
"Our goal from the beginning of the season was a national championship," Johnson said. "We preach one game at a time and never try to look ahead and focus on other schools and other outcomes. We just focus on what we can control. (Friday) went 1-0, so now we're trying to focus on Kentucky and go 1-0 there so we can go to Madison Square Garden for the Sweet 16."
Kentucky posted a 61-53 win over No. 11-seed Providence on Friday, improving several impressive marks.
The 53 points by Providence was the fewest by a Kentucky opponent in a NCAA Tournament game since Kentucky held West Virginia to 39 points in 2015.
Kentucky improved to 89-0 under Calipari when keeping opponents to 55 points or less, including 6-0 this season and three times in the last seven games.
Kentucky held Providence to 36.2% shooting and is 233-24 under Calipari – including 11-0 this season – when holding opponents to 40% or less.
Kentucky led Providence by as many as 11 points. Kentucky is 329-14 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at some time during the game.
Senior Antonio Reeves led all scorers with 22 points, including 5-of-9 on 3-pointers, Jacob Toppin had 18 points and six rebounds, while All-American Oscar Tshiebwe had just eight points, but grabbed 25 rebounds — three short of his career high.
Reeves has 10 20-point performances this season. He has averaged 22 points over the last six games.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Tshiebwe, the unanimous National Player of the Year last season, is unlike any big man that K-State has faced this season.
"I didn't have to look at Oscar on film," Tang said. "We recruited him really hard coming out of high school and then watched him play two years and competed against him at West Virginia. We've seen him up close and personal. He does have that 'it,' and in their wins and losses Oscar gets double-doubles.
"We'll try to make it difficult for him but guys like that do what they do."
Tshiebwe paces Kentucky in averaging 16.2 points on 55.8% shooting from the floor while averaging 13.5 rebounds.
"We're going to come in and be ready to play," Tshiebwe said. "Because to watch the film, what they are doing, it's a team that's really good I'm just going to come in. We have a team plan on how we're going to play them, so I'll be ready."
K-State is undaunted by any statistics while focusing on itself.
"We play in the toughest league in the country. We play in the Big 12," Nowell said. "From top to bottom, it's a tough night. But I like our chances with my guys because we're gritty, tough, hard-nosed, and we have a great coaching staff from top to bottom, and I know that they'll do a good job of game planning versus Kentucky."
Tang indicated that K-State must stay true to its identity.
"We're going to have to just be who we are," he said. "We can't change anything. They do what they do. I want to make this game plan as simple as possible for our guys so they can play with freedom, and I'm sure (Calipari) wants to do the same with his."
Kentucky is expected to hold a decided advantage in attendance, creating a road-like environment for K-State.
"We've played in tough environments, and we've won and lost in tough environments," Tang said. "(Sunday) is not going to be about the environment, it's going to be the 10 dudes who are on the court."
Kansas State won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2018 by beating Montana State, 77-65, on Friday, setting up a matchup against Kentucky on Sunday for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in New York City.
No. 3 seed K-State, 24-9, is the highest seed in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has a history against sixth-seed Kentucky, 22-11, heading toward Sunday's 1:40 p.m. tipoff at Greensboro Coliseum.
It was nearly five years to the day that Barry Brown banked one in with his left hand with 18 seconds left to lift ninth-seeded K-State to a 61-58 win over No. 5-seed Kentucky in the 2018 South Regional semifinals in Atlanta.
K-State has changed in five years. After a few up and down seasons, first-year head coach Jerome Tang has the Wildcats back in March Madness.
These Wildcats hope to make Sunday special.
"This whole year has been a dream come true for me," Tang said. "From the moment I got the job to putting the team together and through the whole course of the season the way our guys have embraced us as a staff and embraced each other, culminating playing in the ultimate tournament, it's a dream, and one we don't want to see end.
"I'm super excited about the opportunity we have for (Sunday). We just want to keep living this thing and try to be together a little bit longer."
Kentucky has eight national titles and holds NCAA records for most tournament appearances (60) and most games played (183). Kentucky is second for most victories (130) and fourth in winning percentage (.710, 130-53).
Kentucky is 32-9 in the NCAA Tournament under John Calipari with eight Sweet 16s, seven Elite Eights, and four Final Fours.
"The tournament is one game," Calipari said. "It's not the best of seven, best of five or best of three. It's one game. Anything can happen. This year has proven it. Last year has proven it. Anybody can beat anybody."
Tang captured his first NCAA Tournament win, and K-State is ready to continue its remarkable season that saw it rise from 10th in the Big 12 Conference in the preseason to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll, to a third-place finish in the toughest conference in America.
K-State finished No. 15 in the final AP Poll. Kentucky received 39 votes in the poll.
"He's done a great job," Calipari said. "You think of where they were and where they are now and where they're headed? Whew. Great job."
A pair of third-team All-Americans — one of the top scoring duos in the nation — led K-State to its victory over the Bobcats on Friday. Keyontae Johnson scored 18 points and eight rebounds in nearly 39 minutes, and Markquis Nowell had 17 points and a career high-tying 14 assists to lead four players in double figures. Nae'Qwan Tomlin added 13 points and David N'Guessan had 10.
Nowell's 14 assists were ninth most in a NCAA Tournament game and broke Steve Henson's record of 12 assists against Purdue in 1988 as the most assists by a K-State player in a NCAA Tournament game.
K-State had 21 assists, tying its record in a NCAA Tournament game, and overcame 14 turnovers while shooting a scalding 58.2% from the floor. K-State outscored Montana State 48-30 in the paint.
K-State believes it isn't finished yet.
"Our goal from the beginning of the season was a national championship," Johnson said. "We preach one game at a time and never try to look ahead and focus on other schools and other outcomes. We just focus on what we can control. (Friday) went 1-0, so now we're trying to focus on Kentucky and go 1-0 there so we can go to Madison Square Garden for the Sweet 16."
Kentucky posted a 61-53 win over No. 11-seed Providence on Friday, improving several impressive marks.
The 53 points by Providence was the fewest by a Kentucky opponent in a NCAA Tournament game since Kentucky held West Virginia to 39 points in 2015.
Kentucky improved to 89-0 under Calipari when keeping opponents to 55 points or less, including 6-0 this season and three times in the last seven games.
Kentucky held Providence to 36.2% shooting and is 233-24 under Calipari – including 11-0 this season – when holding opponents to 40% or less.
Kentucky led Providence by as many as 11 points. Kentucky is 329-14 under Calipari when leading by at least 10 points at some time during the game.
Senior Antonio Reeves led all scorers with 22 points, including 5-of-9 on 3-pointers, Jacob Toppin had 18 points and six rebounds, while All-American Oscar Tshiebwe had just eight points, but grabbed 25 rebounds — three short of his career high.
Reeves has 10 20-point performances this season. He has averaged 22 points over the last six games.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Tshiebwe, the unanimous National Player of the Year last season, is unlike any big man that K-State has faced this season.
"I didn't have to look at Oscar on film," Tang said. "We recruited him really hard coming out of high school and then watched him play two years and competed against him at West Virginia. We've seen him up close and personal. He does have that 'it,' and in their wins and losses Oscar gets double-doubles.
"We'll try to make it difficult for him but guys like that do what they do."
Tshiebwe paces Kentucky in averaging 16.2 points on 55.8% shooting from the floor while averaging 13.5 rebounds.
"We're going to come in and be ready to play," Tshiebwe said. "Because to watch the film, what they are doing, it's a team that's really good I'm just going to come in. We have a team plan on how we're going to play them, so I'll be ready."
K-State is undaunted by any statistics while focusing on itself.
"We play in the toughest league in the country. We play in the Big 12," Nowell said. "From top to bottom, it's a tough night. But I like our chances with my guys because we're gritty, tough, hard-nosed, and we have a great coaching staff from top to bottom, and I know that they'll do a good job of game planning versus Kentucky."
Tang indicated that K-State must stay true to its identity.
"We're going to have to just be who we are," he said. "We can't change anything. They do what they do. I want to make this game plan as simple as possible for our guys so they can play with freedom, and I'm sure (Calipari) wants to do the same with his."
Kentucky is expected to hold a decided advantage in attendance, creating a road-like environment for K-State.
"We've played in tough environments, and we've won and lost in tough environments," Tang said. "(Sunday) is not going to be about the environment, it's going to be the 10 dudes who are on the court."
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