Kansas State Wildcats NCAA Tournament History: A Legacy of Excellence

The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team, representing Kansas State University, boasts a storied history in college basketball. As a member of the NCAA Division I and the Big 12 Conference, the program has been a consistent contender since its inception in 1902. Under the leadership of head coach Jerome Tang, the Wildcats continue to build on their rich tradition.

Early Success and Conference Dominance

Kansas State quickly established itself as a force in the early days of college basketball. The team secured its first two major-conference regular season titles in 1917 and 1919 as a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In total, Kansas State has won 19 regular season conference crowns, demonstrating their sustained success over the years. The team also had some notably successful seasons before the creation of the NIT (1938) and the NCAA tournament (1939), including conference titles in 1917 and 1919 under coach Zora Clevenger.

NCAA Tournament Appearances and Notable Finishes

The Wildcats have made 32 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with their most recent appearance in 2023. Their all-time record in the tournament stands at 39-35 (.527). The team's best season finish came in 1951, when they reached the national championship game but were defeated by Kentucky.

Kansas State has reached the Final Four four times and has made it to the Elite Eight 14 times and the Sweet Sixteen 18 times.The best season in the school's history may have been 1959, when the team finished the season ranked #1 in the final Associated Press poll and Coaches poll. K-State has finished ranked in the Top 10 of one of the two polls on eleven total occasions (most recently in 2023), and in the final top 25 polls 22 total times.

The Frank Martin Era and Return to Prominence

After a period of limited success in the 1990s and 2000s, the program experienced a resurgence under head coach Frank Martin. Following a twelve-year absence, the team returned to the NCAA Tournament after the 2007-08 season. That year, Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley earned All-American honors and was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.

Read also: Utah State's March Madness Past

In the 2009-10 season, the team consistently ranked in the Top 10 of the AP poll and finished second in the Big 12. They received a #2 seed in the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Bruce Weber's Tenure and Continued Success

Bruce Weber took over as head coach on March 31, 2012, after Frank Martin's departure. In his first season (2012-2013), Weber led Kansas State to its first regular season conference title since 1977, earning them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Weber's team won the conference title again in the 2018-2019 season.

The Jerome Tang Era: A New Chapter

After three consecutive losing seasons, Weber resigned in March 2022. He was succeeded by Jerome Tang, a longtime assistant coach from Baylor. In Tang's first season, he guided a KSU team picked to finish last in the Big 12 to a third-place finish and to the NCAA Tournament, the first NCAA appearance since 2019.

Rivalries

Kansas State's main rivalry is with the Kansas Jayhawks. The rivalry peaked in the 1950s when both teams were annually national title contenders. The 1987-88 season also proved to be momentous in the rivalry. In the first matchup of the season, on January 30, 1988, Mitch Richmond scored 35 points to lead Kansas State to a 72-61 win to halt KU's then-record 55-game home winning streak. On February 18, KU turned the tables, prevailing 64-63 at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan to deny K-State a victory over KU in the old field house's last year. In what was supposed to be the rubber game, in the 1988 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament, Kansas State won a decisive victory by a 69-54 score. However, the biggest was yet to come. Both teams qualified for the NCAA tournament, and after three wins each in the tournament they faced each other on March 27 in Pontiac, Michigan, for the right to advance to the Final Four. Led by Danny Manning's 20 points, KU turned a tight game into a runaway and prevailed 71-58. The rivalry slipped in significance after the 1988 season, and from 1994 to 2005 KU won 31 straight games against K-State, the longest streak for either school in the series. Jeff Sagarin's rankings of the nation's top programs by decade in the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia nicely track the history of the rivalry. In the 1950s, when the rivalry was at its peak, Kansas State finished the decade ranked as the #3 program in the nation and KU was ranked as #4. In the 1960s KU was ranked #9 for the decade and KSU was ranked #11. In the 1970s, the programs were again nearly even, with Kansas State ranked at #24 and KU at #25. In the 1980s some separation appeared, as KU finished the decade ranked at #19 and Kansas State at #31. As of the 2022-23 season, Missouri is Kansas State's second most-played rival, with 237 games dating back to 1907. Kansas State leads the series 121-116. Kansas State had an ongoing in-state, out-of-conference rivalry with Wichita State, dating back to 1932 and last played in 2022. Kansas State leads the series 22-11.

Rankings and Recognition

Kansas State University has finished in the final rankings of the AP poll or Coaches poll on 22 occasions throughout its history, including one season at #1 in the final polls (pre-NCAA Tournament). The AP poll first appeared in 1948 and has been published continuously since 1950-51. The Coaches poll began in the 1950-51 season.

Beyond the NCAA Tournament

In addition to their NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wildcats have participated in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) seven times and the National Commissioners Invitational Tournament once.

Notable Players and Coaches

The Kansas State Wildcats have a rich history of talented players and coaches. The program has retired the jerseys of several outstanding players, though their respective jersey numbers remain available for use. These players represent some of the finest to have played for Kansas State. The Big Eight Conference established the Conference Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards in 1957. Many former Wildcats have gone on to play professionally in the NBA and other leagues. Kansas State University has had two overall #1 draft picks in the NBA since the draft began in 1947: Howie Shannon (1949) and Bob Boozer (1959). A number of notable and successful coaches have led the Wildcats through the years.

tags: #k #state #basketball #ncaa #tournament #history