Is Kansas State in March Madness? Exploring Wildcats' odds of making NCAA tournament after Iowa State loss

The Kansas State Wildcats' March Madness hopes could be dwindling after their loss in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals to Iowa State. The Wildcats were riding high after their upset win in the first round over the Texas Longhorns but could not overcome a top-10 team in Iowa State on Thursday night. But was that loss enough to exclude the Wildcats from March Madness this season?

The Wildcats are holding on to hope that their 19-14 overall record will be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament. With Selection Sunday in just two days, this article will break down the likelihood that the Wildcats will see their name on the bracket this year.

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Is Kansas State in March Madness? Analyzing the current scenario

Despite the Wildcats' loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas State still appears to have a fairly high chance of being selected for the NCAA Tournament. According to TeamRankings, Kansas State still has a 79.5% probability of making the tournament.

The simplest way for the Wildcats to do that would have involved winning the Big 12 championship to earn an automatic bid. However, with their loss to Iowa State, that possibility was removed from the equation. Their fate now lies in the hands of the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

Kansas State can make an intriguing argument to the selection committee with its statement wins this season over Kansas, BYU, Iowa State and Baylor.

Has Kansas State ever won the NCAA championship?

Kansas State has never won the NCAA championship in its 119 seasons as a program. The Wildcats have made it to the Final Four four times in 32 tournament appearances and finished as runner-ups in 1951.

The 1951 NCAA Tournament featured only 16 teams. The Wildcats would defeat Arizona 61-59 in the first round 61-59. They then dominated BYU and Oklahoma A&M by double-digit margins to advance to the national championship game against Kentucky. The team ultimately failed to capitalize on its only championship appearance, losing by ten points to Kentucky.

Kansas State's most recent NCAA Tournament run in 2023 had the school making it as far as the Elite 8 as the third seed before losing to FAU 79-76.

Who are the likely top four teams for March Madness?

According to ESPN Bracketology, these are the four teams most likely to earn the top seeds in March Madness this year:

• Purdue Boilermakers
• North Carolina Tar Heels
• UConn Huskies
• Houston Cougars