Don’t call it a comeback! On second thought, maybe do, as Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats have launched themselves back onto the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
After starting conference play off with a 1-6 record through their first seven outings, Kansas State has won their last five games and now sits on the bubble in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest tournament projection.
Latest Brackets per @ESPNLunardi with @StJohnsBBall a 4
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 11, 2025
The three top seeds are from the SEC pic.twitter.com/XLy9unhTzH
The Wildcats currently check in on the next, next four out category, ahead of Cincinnati and UCF, who have each been competing for a bubble spot of their own in recent weeks. Jerome Tang’s team is listed as the field’s 77th-ranked team, trailing Boise State, UC San Diego, Xavier, Pittsburgh, SMU, North Carolina, VCU, and Arkansas.
The Wildcats have made a remarkable comeback over the past five games and check in as the best team in basketball analytically during the stretch. According to some updated numbers from Bart Torvik’s basketball rankings, K-State ranks No. 45 in the nation overall, No. 30 in conference games, and No. 1 over the past five wins.
The turnaround can be attributed largely to the starting five for the Wildcats, a group consisting of Dug McDaniel, Brendan Hausen, Max Jones, Coleman Hawkins, and David N’Guessan, who are averaging 65.8 points per game in the winning streak.
They have a tough task ahead of them on Tuesday night, with the surging Arizona Wildcats heading to Bramlage Coliseum for a game that features two of the hottest teams in college basketball.
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