NCAA Tournament 2017, Cincinnati vs Kansas State: Highlights, score and recap

Highlights and recap of Friday’s NCAA Tournament clash between Cincinnati and Kansas State

After playing their way out of the First Four, Kansas State landed a game against Cincinnati. Though Kansas State is an 11-seed, KenPom’s adjusted efficiencies peg them among the top 30 teams in the country. Their 21-13 record shows they ‘earned’ their seed, but the underlying metrics see a much stronger team.

The Wildcats are quality on each end, but they’re best on defense. They’re among the best teams in the country at forcing turnovers, getting them on 22.1 percent of possessions. . Three of their starters have free throw rates above 42 percent, and their prowess there helps make up for a team that’s about average from 3.

RELATED: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Cincinnati battled its way through the AAC, earning a 6-seed for their 29-5 campaign. As always, Mick Cronin’s group is excellent on the defensive end – they’re a top-10 defense by KenPom’s adjusted efficiency. But this year, they’re bringing an offense that can almost match. While they’re not great at shooting, the team is uncommonly good at both avoiding turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds. This improved shot volume helps compensate for a mark from 3 that sits at 34.3 percent on the year.

Cincinnati didn’t need the three to win this game. At halftime, they had attempted just 6 threes, and led by 11 – led by Troy Caupain, and a flurry of offensive rebounds. They finished the night with 11 three point attempts out of 43 field goals.

Kansas State struggled to get anything going against the Bearcats’ stout defense in the first half, shooting about 40 percent from the field and 20 percent from three in the first frame. After they buried a few threes and got within 4 points of the Bearcats early in the second half, Cincinnati bore down and stretched the lead back to double digits. Kansas State never really challenged again, as Cincinnati would win by a comfortable margin.

Three Stars

Troy Caupain led the charge for the Bearcats. He went two for four from three, but his relentless attacks on the basket were also both successful and foul drawing. He hit 5 of his 6 2-point attempts, and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line, finishing with 23 points. He also added seven rebounds, a pair of assists, two steals, and a block.

Kyle Washington was also key to helping Cincinnati dominate the paint. He missed just one of his six field goal attempts, and went 6-for-8 from the free throw line. He was a key part of an overall dominating performance for Cincinnati from inside the arc, on both ends of the floor.

Wesley Iwundu was Kansas State’s best offensive player, mainly thanks to a scorching mark from 3. Iwundu went three-for-four from behind the arc, and also managed to get to the line for six attempts. His final line was 19 points on 10 shots, along with some stat-stuffing across the rest of the box score.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/842907653147828224

Next Game

Cincinnati moves on to face the winner of the UCLA-Kent State clash. UCLA has to be the favorite for the opponent, considering they’re the 3-seed in the South bracket. It’ll be an interesting clash between a defense-centric AAC team and the high-flying Bruins, should it come down to that. We’ll be covering it no matter what here at FanSided, so stick close for all your favorite March Madness highlights and analysis.