- Last Season: 25-12, Lost in Elite Eight
- Notable Losses: None
- Notable Additions: Shaun Williams
Suffice it to say that not many people filling out their brackets heading into March Madness last season had Bruce Weber’s Kansas State Wildcats making it to the Elite Eight, but that didn’t matter. Even with Dean Wade, the team’s star player, slowed due to injury, the Wildcats clawed their way through the tournament field and made noise when not many expected them to. They may not be a surprise in the 2018-19 college basketball season, but they can have great success still.
In truth, there’s really no one of note that the Wildcats are losing from their team last season. True, they will be without three players that all elected to transfer to other programs, but that trio only combined to average 6.2 points per game last season. As a whole, this is a team that will look largely as they did a season ago.
The aforementioned Wade will again be the star as the now senior averaged 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Not short on scoring, though, the Wildcats also bring back senior guard Barry Brown and junior forward Xavier Sneed, a duo that combined to score 27 points per game last season. With their other two starters, Makol Mawien and Cartier Diarra, returning as well, the experience of this team is obvious.
Also obvious is the depth as the Wildcats will be bringing back their key depth pieces as well, in addition to adding more guard depth with Shaun Williams. Weber’s team is going to be tough-nosed and a tough out in 2018-19.