Kansas State ranked as high as 10th in early 2018-19 basketball projections
Expectations are already high for the Kansas State basketball team next season.
The Wildcats are projected as high as 10th in the early top 25 projections for 2018-19, which began popping up following Villanova's victory over Michigan in the championship game Monday night.
Rob Dauster of NBC Sports is most bullish on K-State. He ranked the Wildcats 10th in his preseason top 25, writing: "I really like this group. They have a crop of tough-minded, playmaking guards that can really get out and defend, and their best player is a guy that the public at-large hasn’t really seen play in (Dean) Wade. Bruce Weber is going to silence the haters!"
Most expect K-State to contend for a Big 12 championship next season, as the Wildcats expect to return their entire starting lineup from a group that won 25 games and reached the Elite Eight.
K-State didn't have a scholarship senior on the roster. But junior guard Barry Brown announced Monday that he will test the NBA Draft waters without hiring an agent.
If he returns for his senior year, K-State will have two of the best seniors in the Big 12 next season. Dean Wade was a first-team all-conference selection as a junior, averaging 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds before missing all but eight minutes of the NCAA Tournament because of a foot injury. Brown was an All-Big 12 second-teamer and a member of the league's all-defense team.
With sophomore wing Xavier Sneed also playing at a high level during the NCAA Tournament, and Kamau Stokes, Cartier Diarra and Makol Mawien all back it's easy to see why expectations will be high next season.
CBS Sports and USA Today both have K-State pegged as No. 12 in their preseason rankings.
From CBS Sports writer Gary Parrish: "It's hard not to have Bruce Weber's team somewhere in the top 15. Remember, they could've made the Final Four if Dean Wade was never injured. So don't be surprised if Kansas State is the biggest threat to Kansas' string of Big 12 titles. "
Added USA Today writer Scott Gleeson: "The Wildcats’ surprising Elite Eight run signaled a bright future for Bruce Weber’s team. That whole group that got hot in March and upset Kentucky in the Sweet 16 is all back for more, and should be even more lethal with a healthy Dean Wade."
Other outlets that ranked K-State in the top 20 include: Bleacher Report (14), Sports Illustrated (17) and ESPN (19).
Not every expert is high on the Wildcats next season, though.
Sporting News writer Ryan Fagan left K-State off his top 25.
This story was originally published April 3, 2018 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Kansas State ranked as high as 10th in early 2018-19 basketball projections."