MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former K-State greats Michael Bishop and Martin Gramatica were two of 75 Football Bowl Subdivision players named to the 2018 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced today.

One of the most dynamic players in program history, Bishop played a major role in propelling the Wildcats to their first-ever No. 1 national ranking during the second of his two seasons at K-State (1997-1998), while Gramatica did the same while setting NCAA kicking records and earning two All-America honors.

The 1998 Heisman Trophy runner up and the Davey O’Brien Award winner, Bishop still holds the K-State season passing efficiency record after a 159.6 rating in 1998 (164-of-295 for 2,844 yards and 23 TDs/4 INTs) in addition to ranking second in season total offense at 3,592 yards. He went 22-3 as a starter, including a 15-1 mark in Big 12 play, while also earning All-Big 12 honors both as a junior and senior. Bishop was taken in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by New England.

Gramatica won the Lou Groza Award in 1997 and was named a Consensus All-American. He went on to set the NCAA record for scoring by a kicker in a season with 135 points in 1998 and connected on the longest field goal in NCAA history without the use of a tee at 65 yards, a mark that still stands today. Gramatica also holds K-State’s game, season and career kick scoring records and is tops in school history for career field goals made and field goals attempted.

Most recently, Bishop was also named to the K-State Ring of Honor Class of 2015 and the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, while Gramatica entered the Ring of Honor in 2008 and the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.19 million people have played college football and only 987 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. So being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are extremely proud to announce their names. We look forward to revealing the 2018 Class prior to the CFP National Championship in Atlanta, the esteemed home of the College Football Hall of Fame.”

The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class. The FBS Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, and the Divisional Honors Court, chaired by former Marshall head coach, longtime athletics director and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel, include an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and members of the media.

“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”

The announcement of the 2018 Class will be made Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta. The city is serving as the host for the CFP National Championship, which will be played later that day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Some of the inductees will be on site during the announcement to represent the class and share their thoughts on being elected. The Jan. 8 announcement will be televised live, and specific viewing information will be available as the date draws near. A few inductees will also participate in the pregame festivities and the coin toss before the championship game.

“We cannot thank CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock and his staff enough for the opportunity to continue the tradition of announcing our Hall of Fame Class in conjunction with the National Championship,” said Hatchell. “Our presence at the title game has significantly raised the profile of the announcement, allowing us to shine a much brighter light on the accomplishments of our game’s greatest legends.”

The 2018 class will officially be inducted during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, 2018, at the New York Hilton Midtown. The inductees will be permanently enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta later that December and honored on the field during the 14th Annual National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They will also be honored at their respective schools at an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2018 season.

— KSU Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Highlighted by consecutive home games to open the season and a trip to Vanderbilt in week three, game times and television designations for Kansas State’s first three football games were announced by the Big 12 Conference and its television partners Wednesday afternoon.

K-State, which is opening the season with consecutive home games for the first time since 2013, kicks off the 2017 campaign against Central Arkansas at 6:10 p.m., in a game broadcast world-wide on K-StateHD.TV. For ordering information, log on to www.k-statehd.tv and click on the “Subscribe Now” button.

The following week, September 9, the Wildcats host Charlotte at 11 a.m., and the game will be aired by FSN. It marks the fourth-straight year Kansas State will play a member of Conference USA with three of those contests being played in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

The Wildcats then travel to Nashville, Tennessee, on September 16, to face Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m., in a game televised nationally by ESPNU. It is the first meeting between the Wildcats and Commodores since 1984 and the Wildcats’ first trip to an SEC opponent since playing at Auburn in 2007.

As in years past, all remaining Big 12 game times and television information will be selected on a 12- or six-day basis throughout the season.

Season tickets for the seven-game home slate in 2017 are on sale now through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. Public single-game tickets will go on sale beginning June 19 exclusively for Ahearn Fund members, to all fans online only on June 20 and over the phone on June 21.

Television Selections for First Three K-State Football Games
Date Opponent TV Time (CT)
Sept. 2 Central Arkansas K-StateHD.TV 6:10 p.m.
Sept. 9 Charlotte FSN 11 a.m.
Sept. 16 at Vanderbilt ESPNU 6:30 p.m.

— KSU Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Jon Fabris, who tutored two of Kansas State’s best defensive units in school history in 1997 and 1998, has returned to Manhattan as an assistant coach to work with the defensive ends, while Blake Seiler will coach the linebackers while also being promoted to assistant defensive coordinator, head coach Bill Snyder announced today.

“Jon is a quality person, dedicated husband and father as well as a dedicated leader and teacher of young men,” Snyder said. “He has a proven record here at Kansas State. He will again be an asset to our defense and to Sean with our special teams. I’m pleased to have him back with us.”

Fabris (pronounced FAB-riss), who has more than 30 years of experience as a coach, has coached in 12 total bowl games in stops at Indiana (2012-13), Georgia (2001-09), Georgia Tech (1980), Washington State (1982-86), Iowa State (1987-1994), Notre Dame (1995-96), K-State (1997-98) and South Carolina (1999). He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns (2000) as well as Northwest Mississippi Community College (2011). In his 12 seasons coaching defensive ends at Georgia, South Carolina and Kansas State, 15 of his players earned spots on NFL regular season rosters.

While at K-State during the ultra-successful 1997 and 1998 seasons, Fabris helped the Wildcat defensive ends and the entire unit rank among the best in the nation. In 1998, K-State was third in the country in total defense and tied for sixth nationally in scoring defense. The Wildcats, led by All-Big 12 and All-American Darren Howard, finished fourth in the nation in total defense, sixth in scoring defense and second in sacks the previous campaign. He also played a key role in the Wildcats’ success on special teams in his two seasons.

At Georgia, Fabris mentored one of the most decorated players in Bulldog history, David Pollack. In 2004, Pollack was named a first team All-American for the third-straight time, SEC Player of the Year for the second time and captured several of the nation’s most prestigious defensive awards: the Rotary Lombardi Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Ted Hendricks Award (second-straight year) and the Ronnie Lott Trophy.

Fabris, who was recognized by Sporting News as the best position coach in the SEC in 2009 and one of the top 20 national recruiters by Rivals in 2008, helped Charles Grant (2001), Pollack (2002-04), Quentin Moses (2005), Charles Johnson (2006) and Justin Houston (2009) earn All-SEC honors, while Marcus Howard was voted the 2008 Sugar Bowl MVP.

Seiler is entering his fifth year as a full-time coach at K-State and his ninth season overall on the staff. A Wildcat defensive end from 2003-06, Seiler tutored a pair of All-Americans in Jordan Willis (2016) and Ryan Mueller (2013). Willis ranked 12th nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks last season en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Under the direction of Seiler, Willis left K-State ranked third in school history and tied for seventh in Big 12 history with 26.0 sacks.

“Blake has worked diligently with our defense these past four seasons and certainly helped develop several very productive players,” Snyder added. “He has a broad and distinct understanding of our defense and will be a great asset to Tom Hayes in the development of our entire defense.”

Mueller, a former walk-on just like Seiler, earned two-straight First Team All-Big 12 honors as a junior and senior, while he was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2013 and a Second Team All-American that season as he tied the school record with 11.5 sacks.

Prior to becoming a full-time coach, Seiler was a quality control coach in 2009-10 and a graduate assistant in 2011 and 2012. He graduated from K-State with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2007 and obtained his MBA from Wichita State in 2010.

— K-State Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer noticed Kansas State tends to hound an opponent’s best shooters, at least in terms of statistics, and surmised that Karlie Samuelson might have a tough night.

She also figured Brittany McPhee would get plenty of looks.

The Cardinals’ unsung star made the most of them, lighting it up from 3-point range and pouring in 21 points to help second-seeded Stanford rout the No. 7 seed Wildcats in their NCAA Tournament game Monday night — earning VanDerveer’s program a 10th straight trip to the Sweet 16.

“The coaches had told us they leave shooters open. They guard the people who have the best shooting percentage,” said McPhee, who hit five 3-poitners with seven rebounds and five assists. “They were just really positive with me, telling me to step up and knock it down.”

Alanna Smith also had 19 points for the Cardinal (30-5), who managed just fine with Samuelson getting only three shots and the Wildcats (23-11) playing in front of a home crowd.

Stanford roared to a 39-21 halftime lead and never looked back in advancing to face No. 3 seed Texas on Friday night in Lexington, Kentucky. The Cardinal beat the Longhorns 71-59 in early November.

“We played them early. We played them at home,” VanDerveer said. “Our team is playing with confidence, but you know, I’m sure they’ll remember — that probably wasn’t a fun trip back to Austin.”

Kindred Wesemann had 11 points and Breanna Lewis was held to nine in their final game for the Wildcats (23-11), who have not advanced past the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend since 2002.

Neither senior star could get on track after combining for 39 in the opening round.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster, but I love my team,” said Lewis, who battled through foul trouble much of the game. “They’ve been really supportive through it all. This just doesn’t feel real right now, but it’s been a great journey for me.”

The journey continues for the Cardinal, who needed to rally from nine down in the opening round to beat upset-minded New Mexico State. It was an ugly, disjointed performance that led Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer to muse afterward nearly two weeks off may not have been good for them.

Two days off seemed to suit the Cardinal much better.

They quickly shook loose of the Wildcats with hounding defense and pinpoint perimeter shooting, using a 13-0 run late in the first quarter and early in the second to take a 28-12 lead. And when McPhee hit a 3-pointer moments later, she had nearly as many points (13) as the Wildcats (14).

Kansas State went on a brief run to trim its deficit to 34-21 with 2 minutes left before halftime, but Nadia Fingall’s basket in the paint and McPhee’s fourth 3 of the half restored order.

The Wildcats had six turnovers in the first quarter and nine by halftime, while the Cardinal had already built a 20-9 rebounding advantage by that point — despite having no advantage in size.

“We did not control the ball very well,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “Turnovers were a problem for us, the glass was a real problem for us. Not much went right early for us in that game, but a lot of credit for that goes to Stanford. I thought they executed very well.”

The Cardinal’s lead swelled to 47-24 before the Wildcats managed their first basket of the third quarter with 4:11 remaining. Kansas State proceeded to run off nine straight points in its best stretch of the game, but Karlie Samuelson’s 3-pointer got Stanford back on track.

They coasted through the fourth quarter and right into the Sweet 16.

“Their balance is very, very impressive,” Mittie said. “I don’t know that people give them the credit they deserve. If they shoot the basketball well, I think they can be a Final Four team.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State has made strides in three years under Mittie, but the Wildcats’ coach still has never made it to the tournament’s second weekend. The Wildcats have been bounced in the second round the past two years, and five of his teams at TCU were eliminated in the same round.

Stanford missed out on having home games the opening weekend because of a conflict at Maples Pavilion, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Now, the Cardinal head to a neutral floor as they attempt to reach the Final Four for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

UP NEXT

The Cardinal head to Lexington to face the Longhorns.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State was on the defensive end late in its NCAA Tournament opener, and Breanna Lewis was standing near the lane with Drake guard Paige Greiner waving a hand right in her face.

Lewis looked at the nearby official and ruefully smiled.

The size mismatch between the seventh-seeded Wildcats and No. 10 seed Bulldogs was never more evident than that moment. Lewis used it to her advantage, too, pouring in 23 points and pulling down 11 rebounds while leading Kansas State to a 67-54 victory on Saturday.

“I thought this was going to be a game of style, who could get it in their style,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “The challenge of playing Drake for us, with a true center, is they’re going to try to make her run all over the floor.

“When Bre has the post-presence she had today, we’re a pretty good basketball team.”

The Wildcats (23-10) took the lead in the game’s opening minutes and never relinquished it, even though the Bulldogs (28-5) never made things easy. That allowed Kansas State to ease into a matchup with No. 2 seed Stanford on Monday night for a spot in the Sweet 16.

Like they had against Drake, the Wildcats will again have the benefit of playing at home.

The NCAA selection committee awarded them the right to host the opening rounds when Stanford had a conflict at Maples Pavilion, a testament to the crowd support Kansas State has enjoyed over the years.

“They were so loud. They brought the energy,” said Kindred Wesemann, who added 16 points for the Wildcats. “If they bring the same energy Monday night, it’ll be a lot of fun to play.”

Lizzy Wendell scored 17 for Drake, which carried the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 22 games into the tournament. Becca Hittner added 13 points and Sammie Bachrodt had 10.

“We’ll get into reflective mode at some point because every time I start to go there, tears start to come,” Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “But I’m really proud of our team, I’m really proud of our senior class for taking us on this amazing journey this season.”

The Wildcats raced to a 20-13 lead after the first quarter Saturday, but the game quickly devolved into a sloppy, muddled affair where turnovers seemed to be more popular than shots.

Kansas State had 12 in the first half. Drake had 10.

The turnovers were a big reason why the Bulldogs were able to chip away at their deficit, which grew to 27-20 early in the second quarter. It certainly wasn’t their shooting: When Wendell knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:20 left, it was Drake’s first field goal in nearly seven minutes.

The Bulldogs’ cold shooting continued in the second half. They missed all seven of their 3s and were 4 for 16 from the field in the third quarter as Kansas State pressed its lead to 43-35.

It took a buzzer-beating basket by Wendell just to stay that close.

“We kind of let the defense get to us and we stopped moving the ball,” Wndells aid. “We could have moved the ball a little better, found those open shots.”

Shaelyn Martin’s nifty reverse layup and Kaylee Page’s long 3-pointer early in the fourth pushed the Wildcats’ lead to double-digits for the first time in the game, but the Wildcats still couldn’t quite shake the first team ever to roll through the Missouri Valley unbeaten.

Drake was still within 54-47 when Wesemann hit the first of two 3-pointers down the stretch, and the Wildcats finally managed to put the game away to set up a date with Stanford.

NO JONAS
Drake’s size disadvantage was made even bigger when Becca Jonas was unable to play because of a lingering injury. “Becca is our best post defender, so missing that piece didn’t help us,” Baranczyk said. “She tried, and we all knew she would give everything she had to try.”

BIG PICTURE

Drake’s coach was hoping for a better return to Manhattan, where she got her start as an assistant under former coach Deb Patterson. Baranczyk spent much of the game feuding with the officials, especially down the stretch, when a couple of 50-50 calls went against her team.

Kansas State improved to 14-3 at Bramlage Coliseum this season, and its only losses were to No. 1 overall seed Connecticut and Big 12 powerhouses Texas and Baylor.

UP NEXT

Kansas State gets second-seeded Stanford for a spot in the Sweet 16.

— Associated Press —

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Troy Caupain scored 23 points, Kyle Washington added 16 and defensive-minded Cincinnati shot it way past Kansas State 75-61 Friday night in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.

Cincinnati (30-5) was knocked out the first round a year ago and No. 6 seeds were 0-3 before the Bearcats took the floor, with Maryland, Creighton and SMU all losing to No. 11 seeds.

The Bearcats took care of their business and the No. 6 jinx with an impressive shooting display, shooting 62 percent. Cincinnati is known for its defense and did that, too, preventing Kansas State (21-14) from making much of a run after building a 17-point lead.

The Bearcats now move on to play the winner between No. 3 seed UCLA and No. 14 Kent State on Sunday.

Wesley Iwundu led Kansas State with 19 points.

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was not pleased with his team’s seeding nor the travel all the way to California to play its opening game.

Kansas State had an even tougher trip, having two days between games after traveling from Dayton to Sacramento following a 95-88 win over Wake Forest in the First Four.

The Wildcats has to switch gears quickly in style of play, too. While Wake Forest likes to play at a fast pace, the Bearcats have the nation’s fourth-stingiest scoring defense at 60.4 points allowed per game.

Cincinnati was solid defensively, as expected but the offense stole the show early. The Bearcats hit their first eight shots to go up 9 midway through the first half and only slowed slightly.

Caupain made all five of his shots to score 14 points and Cincinnati hit 15 of 23 to lead 39-28.

Kansas State made a run at the Bearcats early in the second half, cutting the lead to 6.

The Bearcats pushed the lead back to 13 behind their offense and with a tightened-up defense after those early baskets by Kansas State. Cincinnati made 12 of 20 shots in the second half.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, but will have to replace three key seniors to get back: D.J. Johnson, Iwundu and Carlbe Ervin II.

Cincinnati was fourth nationally in scoring defense during the season and will be a tough out the rest of the tournament if it keeps shooting like this.

UP NEXT

Cincinnati plays the winner between No. 3 seed UCLA and No. 14 seed Kent State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday, as the Wildcats earned their 29th overall bid to the NCAA Tournament, including the third in five seasons under Bruce Weber.

K-State (20-13, 8-10 Big 12) was selected as a No. 11 seed in the South Regional and will travel to Dayton, Ohio, to play in the First Four to play fellow No. 11 seed Wake Forest (19-13, 9-9 ACC) on Tuesday, March 14 at the University of Dayton Arena. The winner will advance to play No. 6 seed Cincinnati (29-4, 16-2 AAC) on Friday, March 17 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.

The Wildcats will be joined at the venue by fellow No. 11 seeds Providence and USC and No. 16 seeds Mount St. Mary’s and New Orleans of the East Regional and No. 16 seeds North Carolina Central and UC Davis of the East Regional. The top seeds in the South Regional are No. 1 seed North Carolina, No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 3 seed UCLA, No. 4 seed Butler and No. 5 seed Minnesota.

K-State and Wake Forest will tip off at 8:10 p.m. CT or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game of the evening session between No. 16 seeds Mount Saint Mary’s and New Orleans on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast nationally on TruTV with Brian Anderson, Clark Kellogg and Lewis Johnson.

Tickets may be requested by current Ahearn Fund members, men’s basketball season ticket holders, faculty/staff, students and alumni. Ahearn Fund members and season ticket holders received an email and can now order online. Faculty/staff, students and alumni should call the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221.CATS on Monday between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Tickets are priced at $65 for the First Four match-up.

Fans can also pre-order tickets for the 1st and 2nd rounds in Sacramento. Tickets are priced at $100, and the deadline to request is 5:30 p.m. Monday. Orders placed for Friday will automatically be rolled over to Sunday should K-State advance. All seats will be assigned in order of K-State Athletics priority points following the noon and 5:30 p.m. deadlines. Any first and second round tickets remaining on Tuesday, March 14 will be made open to the public at 8:30 a.m., while tickets for the game in Dayton will be made available to public beginning at 1:00 p.m. Monday. All tickets are will call only.

Kansas State is making its 36th postseason appearance, which includes 29 in the NCAA Tournament and seven in the Postseason NIT. The Wildcats advance to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in 11 seasons, including their first since a second-round appearance in 2014. The program has now advanced to the postseason nine times in the last 11 seasons (seven trips to NCAA Tournament and two to the NIT). The 29 overall bids ties for 23rd nationally (along with Utah and BYU), including fourth among Big 12 schools.

In its last appearance, the ninth-seeded Wildcats fell to No. 8 seed Kentucky, 56-49, in the NCAA Midwest Regional second round at the Scotttrade Center in St. Louis. The team shot just 35.8 percent (19-of-53), including 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from 3-point range, as then freshman Marcus Foster led three players in double figures with 15 points. Two current players – seniors Wesley Iwundu and D.J. Johnson – played in the game with Iwundu scoring 7 points on 3-of-4 shooting with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in 31 minutes while Johnson played just 4 minutes before breaking his foot in the first half. K-State has a 6-6 NCAA Tournament mark in its last six appearances.

The program has posted a 33-32 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play, including 10-4 in the first round. The school will be making its second appearance in the South Regional with its other trip coming in 1993 and is 0-1 all-time in the region. K-State will be making its third appearance as a No. 11 seed and the first since the 2008 NCAA Tournament, in which, the Wildcats defeated No. 6 USC, 80-67 before falling to No. 3 seed Wisconsin in Omaha, Nebraska. Overall, the school is 1-2 as a No. 11 seed.

In K-State’s 29 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wildcats have advanced to the Sweet 16 a total of 16 times. The program has also reached the Elite Eight 11 times, made four Final Four appearances and played in one National Championship game (1951).

Weber becomes fifth different coach to lead K-State to at least three NCAA Tournament appearances and joins Jack Hartman (1978-82), Lon Kruger (1986-90) and Frank Martin (2007-12) as the only coaches to accomplish it three times in a five-year period. Overall, Weber advances to his 11th NCAA Tournament, which includes six at Illinois and two at Southern Illinois. He is 41st head coach in NCAA history to take three different schools to the tournament, including the 21st active coach. He has an 11-10 record in the NCAA Tournament with three trips to the Sweet 16 and the 2005 Final Four.

The Wildcats earned their third 20-win season under head coach Bruce Weber and finished sixth in the Big 12. Overall, the team has four of five starters averaging in double figures led by by Third Team All-Big 12 selection Wesley Iwundu (12.5 ppg., 6.4 rpg.) and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick D.J. Johnson (11.2 ppg., 5.8 rpg.).

Wake Forest enters Tuesday’s game with a 19-13 overall record, which includes a 10th-place finish in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference with a 9-9 mark. The Demon Deacons are led by sophomore forward John Collins, First Team All-ACC performer and the league’s Most Improved Player, who is averaging a team-best 18.9 points on 62 percent shooting to go with 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Two others average in double figures, including sophomore guards Bryant Crawford (16.1 ppg., 5.4 apg.) and Keyshawn Woods (12.8 ppg., 3.5 apg.), while four others average between 6.6 and 9.0 points per game.

Wake Forest is led by Kansas legend and former assistant coach Danny Manning, who led the Jayhawks to a 71-58 victory over the Wildcats in the Midwest Regional Final en route to the national championship in 1988. He has an 81-81 overall record in 5 years as head coach, including a 43-52 mark in this third season at Winston-Salem. He was the head coach at Tulsa from 2012-14, leading the Golden Hurricane to the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14. He spent nine seasons at Kansas from 2003-12, including the last five seasons as an assistant coach.

This will be the first-ever meeting between K-State and Wake Forest on the hardwood.

The winner of Tuesday’s First Four matchup will face No. 6 seed Cincinnati (29-5, 16-2 AAC) on Friday. The Bearcats, which finished second in the American Athletic Conference with a 16-2 mark, has a balanced attack with six players averaging 8 or more points, including four in double figures. Sophomore guard Jacob Evans III leads the way with 13.7 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting, including a team-high 66 3-pointers, while second team All-AAC selection junior forward Kyle Washington averages 13.1 points on 51.3 percent shooting to go with 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Junior forward Gary Clark averages a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game to go with 10.7 points per game, while senior guard Troy Caupain dishes out 4.6 assists per contest.

Cincinnati is coached by 1997 alum Mick Cronin, who has a 305-158 overall record in his 14th season as a head coach, including a 236-134 mark in his 11th season at the helm of the Bearcats.

A meeting with Cincinnati would be the eighth in school history, including the fourth in the NCAA Tournament.

K-State was one of six Big 12 teams to earn berths in NCAA Tournament, joining No. 1 seed Kansas (Midwest), No. 3 seed Baylor (East), No. 4 seed West Virginia (West), No. 5 seed Iowa State (Midwest) and No. 10 seed Oklahoma State (Midwest) in the field.

In addition, all three Division I programs in the state of Kansas (Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State) all advanced to the NCAA Tournament for fourth time in six seasons.

— K-State Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — West Virginia’s Esa Ahmad made the second of two free throws with 20.2 seconds left, and an off-balance 3-pointer by Kansas State’s Kamau Stokes was off at the buzzer, allowing the No. 11 Mountaineers to escape with a 51-50 victory in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals Friday night.

Tarik Phillip tied the game for the Mountaineers (26-7) with a 3-pointer with 1:41 left, and the Wildcats (20-13) came up empty at the other end. Ahmad was fouled during a mad scramble for a rebound moments later, and he clanked his first free throw before making his second.

The Wildcats brought the ball up court and called timeout with 10.2 seconds left.

After they inbounded the ball to Stokes, he headed across to the right wing, where he inexplicably picked up his dribble. Tightly guarded as time ran out, he heaved a shot that hit off the rim.

That gave the Mountaineers a spot in Saturday night’s title game against No. 23 Iowa State.

Ahmad finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Phillip had 13 points to help the Mountaineers reach the final for the second straight year. They lost to Kansas last year.

They haven’t won a conference tournament since the Big East in 2010.

Wesley Iwundu had 13 points and Stokes finished with 10 for the Wildcats, who can only hope their quarterfinal win over No. 9 Baylor will be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament.

The way the first half played out was reflected on the benches.

The Wildcats were hustling up and down the floor, skinning knees while diving for loose balls and then laughing about it afterward. And on the sideline, coach Bruce Weber was hopping up and down like a mad man, a fountain of encouragement in the din of an arena packed with Kansas State fans.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers were openly frustrated every time a shot clanked off the iron or a whistle blew for a foul. And on their sideline, coach Bob Huggins spent the half ripping into everyone from his players to the officials, often pointing out to them the foul disparity.

The Wildcats went to the line 10 times in the first half. West Virginia never did.

The sum of all that was a first half dominated by the Kansas State defense. It held West Virginia to 6-for-32 shooting and was the biggest reason the Wildcats led 25-16 at the break.

The Wildcats kept the Mountaineers at arm’s length most of the second half, but the Press Virginia defense finally started to force a couple turnovers. And when Kansas State began to struggle to get open looks, the Mountaineers seized an opening and clawed back to tie the game.

Then their veteran poise allowed them to make the plays that mattered in the final minute.

BIG PICTURE
Kansas State split with West Virginia in the regular season and went 2-1 against Baylor, so there are some marquee wins on the Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament resume. But they could have avoided a tense wait for their fate had they managed to put this one away.

West Virginia survived despite a lousy performance from star guard Jevon Carter, who went 1 for 12 from the field and 1 for 7 from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers also were dominated in the paint, even though they had a 44-35 rebounding advantage.

UP NEXT

Kansas State heads west on I-70 back to Manhattan to await its NCAA Tournament fate.

West Virginia gets ready for the Cyclones on Saturday night.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Barry Brown and D.J. Johnson heard what critics were saying about Kansas State, all those rumors that coach Bruce Weber was on the hot-seat and the Wildcats were an NCAA Tournament long shot.

They provided a defiant answer to all those people Thursday night.

Brown had 21 points, including a series of crucial foul shots down the stretch, and Johnson had 13 points and seven rebounds to help the Wildcats upset ninth-ranked Baylor 70-64 in the Big 12 Tournament — clinching not only a spot in the semifinals but likely a berth in the NCAA’s field of 68.

“We knew what was on the line. We knew what people were saying,” Brown said. “We just stuck together. We played for coach, played for one another.”

It was the second time the sixth-seeded Wildcats (20-12) have beaten the Bears (25-7) this season, giving them precisely the kind of marquee victory that the selection committee favors.

They’ll get a chance for another against No. 11 West Virginia in Friday night’s semifinals.

“We just beat one of the marquee teams in the country,” Weber said. “We talked about success is when opportunity meets preparation, that’s when you meet success, and we have to be prepared. We have another opportunity. We have to be prepared.”

The No. 3 seed Bears got to 64-60 on Al Freeman’s 3-pointer with 50 seconds to go, but they were forced to keep sending Brown to the foul line. The sophomore guard, who’s been mediocre there all season, made six of eight down the stretch to seal the Wildcats’ third straight win.

Freeman had 16 points to lead Baylor. Johnathan Motley and Manu Lecomte had 13 points apiece.

“We knew that anyone could win this because of the parity in the league. It didn’t matter where anybody was seeded,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “They made plays. They earned it.”

Neither team gave an inch in a first-half dominated by defense.

The Bears kept slapping the Wildcats with their trademark zone, forcing them into taking long jumpers deep in the shot-clock. Kansas State countered with a suffocating man-to-man that not only produced nine first-half turnovers but forced Baylor into a plethora of rushed shots.

“They blasted us on defense,” the Bears’ Jake Lindsey said.

The strategy for the Wildcats was simple- keep Motley, the Bears’ All-Big 12 forward, from getting looks inside and Lecomte, one of the league’s top newcomers, from getting looks outside.

Not surprisingly, the teams played to a 25-all draw after 20 minutes.

It was still tied at 33 when the Wildcats began to assert themselves midway through the second half, and again it was their defense that got things started. They forced Baylor into another shot-clock violation, and Isaiah Maurice followed with a dunk that brought a pro-Kansas State crowd to life.

Kamau Stokes hit a bucket moments later, Brown poured in a 3 as the shot-clock was about to expire, then he added a four-point play that gave Kansas State a 44-37 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left.

The Wildcats had pushed it to 60-51 when Motley scored inside with 2:20 to go. The Bears slapped on some pressure and forced a turnover, Freeman made two free throws, then more full-court pressure created another turnover that led to another basket for Motley and trimmed it to 60-55 with 1:40 left.

But after weathering yet more pressure, the Wildcats got the ball to Stokes at the other end, and his wiggling, off-balance shot with just over a minute left fell to give them a cushion.

Brown and the Wildcats took care of the rest from the foul line.

“We talked about all the things that were going on off the court,” Brown said, “but Coach kept us level-headed and kept us thinking about basketball. The team stayed together, no matter what was being said in the media. The team stayed together and we were able to pull out the victory.”

SNYDER IN THE STANDS
Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder took in the game from an aisle seat several rows behind the Wildcats’ bench. The 77-year-old Snyder has been undergoing treatment for throat cancer but expects to be on the field when the Wildcats begin spring practices later this month.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State improved to 3-1 against the Bears in the Big 12 Tournament with its 20th win of the season. The last time the Wildcats won 20 games was in 2014, when they last went dancing.

Baylor had reached the Big 12 Tournament semifinals each of the past three seasons, but this time joined top-seeded Kansas in heading home early. Kansas lost to TCU earlier in the day.

UP NEXT

Kansas State gets the Mountaineers on Friday night.

Baylor heads back to Waco, Texas, to await Selection Sunday.

— Associated Press —