Where will Kansas State start the NCAA Tournament? Here are some possibilities

Kansas State basketball players can kick back and relax during the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday.

The Wildcats are almost certain to hear their name called as an at-large team. Unlike last year, they have played their way off the bubble and solidly into the projected field of 68.

There won’t be much drama. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few questions. Here are two big ones: What seed will K-State earn? Where will K-State play its first- and second-round games?

Most experts project K-State to be a No. 9 or No. 10 seed after finishing 22-11 overall and fourth in the Big 12. If that holds true, the Wildcats will likely travel east or north. Potential sites include Charlotte, N.C.; Detroit; Nashville, Tenn.; and Pittsburgh.

Expect K-State to be paired with probable No. 1 and No. 2 seeds Virginia, Xavier, Villanova, Duke, North Carolina, Purdue and Cincinnati. All of those teams should play close to home.

K-State fans would prefer a closer location such as Wichita or Dallas, but those spots seem unlikely unless the Wildcats unexpectedly fall to a No. 11 seed.

Kansas should begin the NCAA Tournament in Wichita as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, which means K-State (as a conference rival) can’t be paired with the Jayhawks. Without another obvious geographic fit for the other Wichita pod, a No. 3 or No. 4 seed will likely lead the way there.

TCU and Texas Tech could claim spots in Dallas.

Boise, Idaho, and San Diego will also host first- and second-round games.

As of Saturday morning, both CBS and ESPN projected K-State to play in Detroit. CBS predicts the Wildcats will be a No. 10 seed and face No. 7 seed Texas A&M. ESPN predicts they will be a No. 9 seed and play No. 8 seed Rhode Island.

Bracket Matrix, a website that compiles every expert projection into a single consensus, lists K-State as a No. 9 seed above 11 other at-large teams.

K-State players didn’t have much to say about potential seeds and sites when asked about NCAA Tournament possibilities following the Wildcats’ loss in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals on Friday. They simply want to learn their matchup and get to work.

They won’t have to wait much longer.

This story was originally published March 10, 2018 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Where will Kansas State start the NCAA Tournament? Here are some possibilities."