Kansas State Basketball: March Madness seeding nothing to worry about

Kansas State insider Matt Hall of KStateOnline.com joins us to share his thoughts on Kansas State basketball heading into March Madness and other insights.

Matt Hall of KStateOnline.com was kind enough to answer some questions about the Kansas State basketball program, their opponent in University of California-Irvine, and perhaps what comes next for the Wildcats.

Thoughts on the K-State draw

I think it’s fantastic. People get super worried about your draw beyond your first round game, but anything beyond round one – and especially round two – is a crapshoot and not worth getting worked up about, in my opinion. Getting a number four seed, and playing on a Friday, were the two most important things for K-State heading into this.

Opinion of the bracket overall

More from KC Kingdom

Really no issues from me. Everybody could nit pick little things, but every change that’s made impacts the rest of the bracket, too, and we may not be privy to how that all is impacted. I don’t see anything that really bothers me.

Concerns over geography of California-Irvine being significantly close to San Jose than Kansas State

None for me, no. Should be a non-factor.

Health situation with Dean Wade

There’s nothing new on Wade to share or anything

What does Irvine do well?

Rebound and defend the two-point shot. Easily their two biggest strengths.

Conversely, where does Irvine struggle?

They don’t do a lot of damage from deep, and they haven’t played a difficult schedule.

How well does K-State matchup against the Irvine squad

I think pretty well. Irvine has more size inside than K-State and can scare you on the boards, but they don’t have length along the perimeter to handle guys like Barry Brown, Cartier Diarra and Xavier Sneed. The pace will also be played in a manner K-State is comfortable with.

Is there a single player on the Irvine roster that should concern or worry the Cats?

There’s not one star to point out, in my opinion. They will play eight or so guys significant minutes, and the thing to really watch for is their size inside.

With a win, do the Wildcats want Wisconsin or Oregon?

It’s cooler to be hip and say you’d rather play Wisconsin, but the Badgers are a five-seed and Oregon a 12-seed for a reason. The Ducks weren’t even sniffing this tournament without winning the Pac-12. Either team would present a major challenge, but I’d rather play Oregon.

Who steps in to replace Dean Wade’s production?

I think Xavier Sneed is the biggest in terms of literally sliding into Dean’s spot, but the person who may see their volume/usage increase the most could be Cartier Diarra.

How far does KSU advance in the dance?

Fan side of me would say Elite 8, media side of me says Sweet 16.

Are students/fans/alumni excited for the tournament?

I would sure say so, but there’s still a ‘wait and see’ mentality with a lot of fans. I think a lot of people are bought in, appreciate what’s been accomplished and are excited about the possibilities, but there’s also still a small sub-set that always wants Weber to “prove more.”

Who do you see cutting down the nets?

I like Duke to win it all.

Next. Best Head Coaches in Kansas State Basketball History. dark

Kansas State basketball tips off against UC Irvine on Friday at 2:00 central time.

Home/Kansas State Wildcats