Kansas State is the hottest team in college basketball, according to one expert’s model
Few college basketball teams are playing better than Kansas State.
That is the safe way to phrase things after the Wildcats put an exclamation mark on a three-game winning streak by beating Iowa State 80-61 on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.
But it might be an understatement. It’s possible that no team is currently playing better than K-State. If you only look at the past 10 days of results — during which the Wildcats beat up on West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Iowa State by an average of 20 points per game — college basketball statistician Bart Torvik rates Jerome Tang’s team No. 1 in the entire country.
That is 10 spots ahead of Auburn and 15 spots ahead of Duke.
In other words, the Wildcats are the nation’s hottest team by at least one metric as they head to Arizona State for a 9 p.m. game on Tuesday.
“I fully believe in this team,” K-State forward Coleman Hawkins said after the ISU victory. “Some people doubt us, but now we’re starting to win.”
K-State’s return to form has caught many by surprise.
The Wildcats (10-11, 4-6 Big 12) got off to such a bad start that they still have a losing record, despite winning three games in a row. Their overall rating of No. 51 at EvanMiya, No. 68 by Ken Pomeroy and No. 58 at Torvik also remains mediocre compared to many other power-conference teams.
Still, their recent play can’t be ignored. If you widen your focus to K-State’s past six games, instead of just the past three, the Wildcats rate No. 8 nationally at Torvik.
That improvement came after the Wildcats dropped outside the top 100.
“We’re ready to move on to the next game,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said. “It’s the Big 12. As soon as you think you can relax, you end up on a losing streak.”
K-State has looked like a new team ever since it suffered a humbling 30-point home loss to Houston in early January. Its improvement has shined through during its current winning streak, which began with a 73-60 victory over West Virginia.
Over the past three games, the Wildcats have played well on both ends of the floor. They have ranked 12th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and third in defensive efficiency. They have forced turnovers at a rate of 23.6% and, most importantly, they have been unconscious from beyond the arc.
K-State has made 46.7% of its 3-pointers during its winning streak, while opponents have made only 31%.
Dug McDaniel has been more assertive at point guard. Brendan Hausen has knocked down shots. Hawkins has stuffed the stat sheet. And balanced scoring has become a calling card for the Wildcats.
It’s impossible to know how long this hot streak will continue. But K-State has shown no signs of cooling off lately.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Kansas State is the hottest team in college basketball, according to one expert’s model."