The Kansas State Wildcats have blown past their expectations for the season in a hell-raising Big 12. The past is the past, but don’t look now, the Wildcats are tied for second in the conference, and with KU losing to Oklahoma, the K-State is set up for a potential run.
The Wildcats host the Jayhawks in 6 days, and truly have been playing their best basketball since Kamau Stokes went down.
Now, they’ve looked to Barry Brown to make up for the lost talent on the floor. Brown has been the steady hand Bruce Weber needed to make K-State look like a contender.
The Wildcats have sneakily set themselves up for a potentially tournament bid if they continue to play with consistency and flow. But before they can take on their state rivals in Lawrence, the Cats will host the Georgia Bulldogs at the Octagon of Doom, a game which Weber emphasized they weren’t looking past and onto Monday’s Sunflower Showdown.
Georgia won’t be a cakewalk, either. The Dawgs are notorious for playing their opponents close, and Saturday’s matchup will be no exception.
Necessities For A Tourney Run
Dean Wade plays such an incredibly important role for the Wildcats. They need someone taking the pressure off of Barry Brown, and when Dean Wade puts the ball on the floor or takes a quick mid-range jumper, the K-State automatically increases their chances of winning.
Xavier Sneed is the spark that the Wildcats have enjoyed and needed from the stripe. He hits 85.7% of his free throws, and the way these Big 12 games have played out this season, you need players who can make free throws…*ahem* Udoka *ahem*… and play tight defense down the stretch.
Kamau Stokes is the key to long term success in Manhattan. If and when he comes back, and can coexist in a hopefully smooth transition back on the floor, Kansas State immediately improves from contender to deadly force.
*psst* Plus they brought back the 70’s color scheme and it looked filthy.
