The Big 12 was highly competitive this year and several teams are locks to make the NCAA tournament. While Iowa State is considered a guarantee given their No. 16 ranking, Kansas State needs a strong conference run to make sure they get in and it all starts on Thursday.
Kansas State would lock down their March Madness chances if the team can get a win over the Cyclones and move forward in the Big 12 tournament. While the Wildcats might not need the win, they are entering the matchup like nothing is given and everyone's chances are wide own. Kansas State has some marquee wins on their resume with a 6-2 record against ranked teams. However, they ended the year with losses to Baylor and Oklahoma State, hurting their momentum entering conference tournaments.
The Baylor defeat was tough to swallow. The Wildcats led by eight at halftime before letting the Bears score 51 points in the second half on 50.0 percent shooting. Marcus Foster put up 29 points in the loss while Nino Williams added 15.
Iowa State is coming into the tournament after defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, ending a two-game losing streak. They overcame a 16-point deficit to get the overtime win. DeAndre Kane had 27 points while George Niang added 22. Melvin Ejim is the player to watch after getting named Big 12 Player of the Year. He finished second in scoring with 18.2 points per game, although he was held to just 18 points total in his final two games.
The Wildcats had a strong showing in the tournament last year and would like the same again. They fell to Kansas in the Big 12 final. Kansas State played well against Iowa State in the regular season, splitting the series with them. The winner will get to take on the winner of the Oklahoma State, Kansas game in the next round.
