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.
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.
