Slate: K-State Basketball Optimistic after Elite 8 Run

With roughly 98 percent of the team’s production expected to return, the Wildcats expect good things in 2018-2019.

By Luke Sobba Mar 27, 2018, 6:58am CDT

Loyola v Kansas State — Barry Brown leads K-State into an off-season of heightened expectations.

Later

Later this morning, look for TB’s recounting of his semi-deranged, spur-of-the-moment Odyssey to see the Elite 8 game. Sandstorm alert.

Men’s Basketball

After Jon did yeoman’s work yesterday summarizing the multitude of articles from all over the country extolling the accomplishments of the K-State basketball team, we enter the melancholy period of being yesterday’s news. No more game coverage, sadly. But a handful of retrospectives and prognostications about the future which, everyone agrees, looks bright.

Kellis Robinett of the Eagle writes that after its Elite 8 performance in the NCAA tournament, K-State will enter the 2018-2019 season with Big Expectations. Among areas for improvement, Coach Weber singled out offensive efficiency and rebounding physicality. So, apparently, it’s not obvious only to us.

The Associated Press, via Fox Sports, carries on the theme, noting that bigger possibilities should follow a season that exceeded minimal expectations this year. Want to put context on the reason for hope? How about this quote:

All told, the Wildcats will return 98.6 percent of their scoring, 96.5 percent of their rebounding and a nucleus that played 97.6 percent of 7,425 total minutes this season.

Ryan Black at the Mercury joined in the 180-degree view, noting that looking back should serve as the impetus for achieving better things in the future.

Women’s Basketball

Corbin McGuire of K-State Sports Extra features senior Shaelyn Martin, who was so amazed at learning of her selection as an CoSIDA Academic All-American that she took a screen shot of the announcement on her phone just to assure herself it was real. Next, she sent it to her mother. Martin credits careful planning and the assistance of the K-State Athletics’ Academic Center at the Vanier complex for aiding in her accomplishment.

Baseball

After suffering a sweep at the hands of league foe TCU over the weekend, the K-State baseball team (12-12, 0-3 Big 12) will try to get back on the winning track Tuesday evening against the Omaha Mavericks (9-13, 5-1 Summit). First pitch is set for 6:30 at Tointon Family Stadium. The game can be viewed live on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Audio is avilable by Live stream at k-statesports.com or over the air on KMAN (93.3 FM, 1350 AM).