Kansas State University

K-State fans were waiting for Jerome Tang and Wildcats at airport after Kentucky win

Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin throws down an alley-oop dunk just before halftime against Kentucky during the first half of their second round NCAA Tournament game in Greensboro, NC on Sunday.
Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin throws down an alley-oop dunk just before halftime against Kentucky during the first half of their second round NCAA Tournament game in Greensboro, NC on Sunday. The Wichita Eagle

Turns out, the Kansas State men’s basketball team wasn’t done celebrating its victory over Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament when it departed Greensboro Coliseum and flew home on Sunday evening.

The party was just getting started.

When the Wildcats arrived home at Manhattan Regional Airport a few hours later a throng of purple-clad fans were waiting to congratulate them. That’s what happens when you beat No. 14 seed Montana State and No. 6 seed Kentucky in the first two rounds of March to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16.

So many K-State fans were waiting to celebrate with the head coach Jerome Tang and his players that it was hard for everyone to fit in the terminal after the Wildcats walked off the plane.

Fan excitement is understandably high for the K-State basketball team right now.

The Wildcats have won 25 games this season and they are now heading to New York City for a Sweet 16 game against No. 7 seed Michigan State at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

This is the first time K-State has advanced beyond the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2018 and only the second time it has done so in the past decade.

With two more wins, the Wildcats can reach their first Final Four since 1964.

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Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
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