Written by Chip Patterson at CBSSports.com
Every year since the First Four was put in place, an 11-seed team has advanced from Dayton to win its opening game and advance to the weekend.
In 2011, the first year the First Four was in place, VCU carried that momentum all the way to the Final Four.
So odds are, either Kansas State or the winner of Wednesday night’s Providence-USC game will knock off its 6-seed foe later this week. One thing’s for sure, the Wildcats should be energized by its 95-88 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night.
Kansas State came out firing, dictating the pace and shooting better than 60 percent from the field but led by only four at halftime as Wake Forest hung tight at the free-throw line. The Demon Deacons cut the lead to one several times in the second half but never led as crucial errors in the final minutes cost them the game.
A few takeaways from Thursday night’s action:
The good Kansas State showed up
Don’t forget that Kansas State, one of the last teams in the NCAA Tournament, lost to Oklahoma, the ninth-place team in the Big 12, by 30 just a few weeks ago. The Wildcats were erratic this year, beating the likes of West Virginia and Baylor (twice, in Waco and in the Big 12 tournament) but also losing to some of the league’s bottom-feeders.
Senior forward Wesley Iwundu wasn’t in the mood to end his season in Dayton, and his 24 points showed a preview of what could come in the first round. Iwundu was active early, setting the tone along with fellow senior DJ Johnson and making sure that a Wake Forest team led by All-ACC big man John Collins never got comfortable on offense. The physical style of play kept the Demon Deacons at the line, where they converted 29-of-32 attempts, but it also contributed to the victory.
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