Kansas State driven to host March Madness games as women’s Big 12 Tournament begins
One by one, members of the Kansas State women’s basketball team took turns thanking fans after they played a pair of home games in the NCAA Tournament last March.
The No. 4 seed Wildcats were unable to advance to the Sweet 16 following a loss to No. 5 seed Colorado in the Round of 32, but it meant the world to players that they got to play a pair of meaningful games in front of sellout crowds at Bramlage Coliseum.
“It was pretty awesome,” former K-State guard Gabby Gregory said last year. “If that’s my last game in Bramlage, that’s a pretty good crowd to go out on.
“I’m just really thankful to the fans. Everyone has been amazing and so supporrive of us this year. I really think that we have grown the game of women’s basketball in Manhattan, Kansas and I just can’t wait to see the support that they continue to get next year.”
The Wildcats hope to welcome NCAA Tournament games back to Manhattan this season, but they may need a strong showing at the Big 12 Tournament this week to make it happen.
It seemed like a lock for K-State to host postseason games when it began the season 19-1. But the Wildcats have only gone 6-5 since then with star center Ayoka Lee missing all but one of the past 11 games with a foot injury.
Now they are in danger of missing out on a top 16 seed and the biggest perk that comes with it -- home games during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
K-State was a No. 4 seed (and 15th overall) when the selection committee shared its look-ahead bracket last week. But that was before the Wildcats lost 85-63 at Iowa State on Sunday.
That loss may have dropped them below the cut line.
The latest ESPN bracket projection still has K-State hosting games as a No. 4 seed in the Birmingham Region. But Her Hoop Stats has K-State as a No. 5 starting out at Ole Miss.
Jeff Mittie’s team can boost its cause with a strong showing at the Big 12 Tournament this week in Kansas City. The Wildcats begin play at 11 a.m. on Thursday against UCF. They will advance to the quarterfinals with a win and play West Virginia on Friday. The top three seeds in the conference (TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma State) likely await if K-State goes on a run.
The Wildcats will be motivated to win the tournament after they finished the regular season on a low note. Every game will matter as they push for a top 16 seed in March Madness.