State advances to first round after victory over Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons and Wildcats square off in the second of two games in Dayton, Ohio, with tipoff scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET.

K-State (21-13) moves on to play No. 6 Cincinnati on Friday in Sacramento in the South Regional bracket. Any way you put it, we are in the NCAA Tournament.

John Collins led Wake Forest with 26 points and nine rebounds.

CLAMPING DOWN: Kansas State held its last three opponents to an average of 54.3 points and 36 percent shooting.

“I don’t know if that’s a record”, Weber said.

On the season, Kansas State is averaging 71.7 points, 32.8 rebounds and 15.0 assists per game. The Bearcats have staved off upsets in their last two dances, but, in 2014, 12th-seeded Harvard had a miraculous win over them in the opening round.

Head coach Bruce Weber yells during the basketball game between K-State and Baylor in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017. “They don’t have the commitment”. Defeating Wake Forest to make it into the actual tournament was nice, but I just don’t think this team has the mojo to keep going.

Manning has talked to his young team about his experiences in the NCAA Tournament.

In some ways, beating Wake Forest could have energized players.

“My mom might, but I don’t”, he said.

First, the New Orleans Privateers (20-11) and Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (19-15) face off in a battle of 16s, with the victor facing overall No. 1-seed Villanova in the East Region. The Demon Deacons won 19 games this season and are led by First Team All-Conference player John Collins, a sophomore that is averaging 19 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game this season.

“It’s for everybody in New Orleans who has been in New Orleans since the devastation of Katrina”, guard Christavious Gill said.

The Wildcats hope they can bring momentum with them, too. He shot 40 percent from three, scored 13.3 points, grabbed 7.4 boards and handed out 3.6 dimes a night in 18 conference games.

“We’re playing well”, second-year Cyclones coach Steve Prohm said. Works extremely hard on both ends of the floor. “He’s a special player because he’s got enormous heart”. Defense isn’t Wake’s strong suit so keeping the game flowing and knocking down baskets to win a shootout is no doubt what the team will be looking to do in its first tourney game.

In the most important game of his career, where the team needed him the most, Wes came through in a big, big way. After trailing by as many as nine early in the second half, the Demon Deacons made their run.

After a dunk by Collins made the score 72-70 with five minutes left, Stokes nailed a deep 3-pointer to push the Wildcats’ lead to five.