March Madness 2019: 10 teams with the toughest path to the Final Four

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles discusses a call with a referee in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 15: Makol Mawien #14 of the Kansas State Wildcats grabs a rebound over Tyrese Haliburton #22 of the Iowa State Cyclones during the semifinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament at Sprint Center on March 15, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

4. Kansas State

The selection committee clearly wasn’t a fan of the Big 12 this season, snubbing two of its schools for at-large bids and handing difficult paths to Minneapolis to several of its teams. Kansas State is the third Big 12 school on this list and they will have to fight tooth and nail to even return to the Elite Eight.

The Wildcats only ended up with a 4-seed in the South Region, and they might have ended up with the most difficult 13 in the field in UC Irvine. The Anteaters allow only 63.3 points per game, the 19th fewest in the country, and they should be locked in a low score game with the Wildcats.

Next up would be either a date with Wisconsin, which features do-it-all big man Ethan Happ, or one of the nation’s hottest teams in Oregon. The Ducks won eight straight games to end the year and steal the Pac-12’s automatic bid, so it wouldn’t be a shock if they keep their run going here.

Assuming Kansas State takes care of business and reaches Louisville, they would have to take on Virginia in the Sweet 16. The Cavalier’s Pack Line defense can slow anyone down, and Kansas State doesn’t score many points, to begin with, turning this into another low scoring affair.

Last but not least would be a showdown with Tennessee in the Elite Eight, and the Volunteers have plenty of firepower to try and outscore the Wildcats. Don’t be surprised if the Big 12’s regular season champs bow out early.

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