SLATE: Wildcats (of the Villanova Variety) win National Championship

Yes, the Wildcats have won another national championship. Someday, maybe, it will be our Wildcats.

Previously

Though our favorite squad fell just short of the Final Four, their success has led to opportunity for the team and its players. One emerging star, Barry Brown, has announced he will enter his name in the NBA draft. He will not hire an agent, since he wants to preserve his right to come back to K-State for his senior year. Jon Morse broke down the deeper meaning of Barry’s announcement and urged K-Staters: Don’t Panic.

Men’s Basketball National Championship

Michigan made the game hard for Villanova early and led by seven, 21-14, nine minutes into the game. But on the back of sophomore guard Donte DeVincenzo, Villanova reeled in the Wolverines, took its first lead at 23-21 with 6:08 to play in the first half, then cruised the rest of the way to a 79-62 win in the NCAA Men’s National Championship final. DiVinecenzo scored 31 off the bench, and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. As a team, Villanova was simply dominant, winning all of its tournament games by double-digits.

Here is a smattering of print coverage:

Blair Kerkoff, KC Star - The Opponent Didn’t Matter, Villanova Stemrolled them All

CJOnline, via Jakson Blakeney of Gatehouse Media - Villanova Tops Michigan to Claim National Title

SB Nation Main Page - Wildcats Dominant in National Championship Win

USA Today - Donte DiVincenzo Leads Dominant Villanova Past Michigan to Win National Title (with autoplay viedo)

NCAA.com - Villanova beats Michigan 79-62 for Their Second National Championship in Three Years (with autoplay video)

Sports Illustrated — Villanova Takes Control, Then Makes Statement with Program’s Third National Title (with autoplay video)

There is much more where these came from. You can’t look at your phone without stumbling over recaps.

K-State’s Xavier Sneed and Barry Brown each got a cameo in the “One Shining Moment” montage. How great would it be if they—and Dean Wade—dominate that little video next year?

Men’s Basketball

The too-early Top 25 predictions for next season are dropping today. SB Nation pegs K-State as the 15th-best team in the country, even though it characterizes Bruce Weber’s team as a “pretty average” squad that got hot at the right time and benefitted “more than any other team from a historic first round upset.” I guess beating Kentucky counts for nothing.

CBS Sports.com predicts the Wildcats 12th, reminding everyone that what they accomplished was done mostly without their best player, Dean Wade. SI.com says K-State will be 17th. Well-known K-State Hater Myron Metcalf at ESPN lists the Wildcats 19th. Matt Prehm at 247Sports has us 15th.

Ryan Fagan at the Sporting News wins the troll award. He does not list our beloved ‘Cats at all among his preseason Top-25. Do what you do, K-State fans. Fill up his inbox with hate.

Every single one of these articles, by the way, names our evil stepsister down the river as the favorite to win it all. That’s fine. We need more video of adults in novelty headgear crying over basketball games in March.

Kellis Robinett reports that Coach Weber will meet with Xavier Sneed, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade to discuss whether they should follow Barry Brown’s lead to declare for the NBA draft to have the experience and get an evaluation from professional scouts. Weber actually encourages them to do so. Who is this guy with newfound security, anyway?

Football

With basketball finally put to bed, K-State football made headlines by reeling in 3-Star defensive tackle Cooper Beebe. The 6-3, 318-pound prospect from Kansas City’s Piper High School chose K-State over Minnesota and Kansas. Excellent choice, young man.

Rowing

The rowing crew is back from its 11-day spring camp in California, and looks to build on the lessons it learned there.

Women’s Golf

Freshman Niamh McSherry leads the K-State women at 11-over par after two rounds of the Bruzzy Challenge in Carrolton, Texas, good for 39th place. The team is currently 15th in the 15-team field at +63 collectively, 48 strokes behind leader Texas A&M.

Since basketball is officially done, could we please have Spring now?