Who? The Wildcats of Kansas State.
What? Kansas State went through a couple of nicknames before permanently settling on Wildcat. No reason is given for Willie's name other than alliteration (and possibly college-level humor).
Where? Manhattan, Kansas. They call it the Little Apple. I call it frustrating. ("OMG, St. John's is playing Marist? DO WANT. And Grambling is involved? Even better, we can say hi to Recee! And it's in Manhattan? I AM SO THERE. Wait, Manhattan, Kansas? Ffffffffffffffffffffffff-")
When? Sunday the 20th at 2:30, versus Purdue.
Why? Lucky them, they drew the 8 seed in the Philadelphia region. "Congrats, Wildcats! If you manage to get past Purdue, we feed you to the Huskies. Enjoy scenic Storrs!"
How? They were an at-large selection out of the Big XII.
Surprise? It was looking kind of dicey in the middle of the season, but beating Texas A&M was the linchpin.Who's driving this thing, anyway? Deb Patterson, since 1996.
RPI: 37
SOS: 39
Record: 21-10 (10-6 Big XII)
Best win: Texas A&M (H)
Worst loss: UT-San Antonio (N)
Notable results: Middle Tennessee (L, N, 63-49), Iowa State (W, A, 56-53)
It'll be interesting to see how Kansas State does away from the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum. This is not a very good rebounding team, being slightly edged out on the boards overall this season. Keep an eye on sophomore guard Brittany Chambers, the team's leading scorer with 16 points per game.