UC Irvine upsets Kansas State: How far can Anteaters go in NCAA Tournament?

The NCAA Tournament got its first major upset when 13-seed UC Irvine knocked off 4-seed Kansas State to throw some major uncertainty into the Midwest Region.

After a relatively dull Thursday, March Madness finally arrived this afternoon courtesy of the UC Irvine Anteaters, who shocked Kansas State 70-64. The Anteaters used a zone defense to clamp down a low-wattage Kansas State offense that was hard-pressed to score without forward Dean Wade.

The win was very impressive for the Anteaters, who notched their first NCAA Tournament victory against a squad that went to the Elite Eight a year ago. Juniors Max Hazzard and Evan Leonard combined for 38 points for the Anteaters, who are now in the midst of a 17-game winning streak and can be a huge pain in the neck for the field thanks to their stingy defense.

The Wildcats shot only 37.3% from the field against the Anteaters’ zone, including a dreadful 8-27 from beyond the arc. If UC Irvine is going to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history they will need to maintain that kind of defensive intensity in the Round of 32.

Next up for the Anteaters will be the winner of the Midwest Region’s 5-12 matchup between Wisconsin and Oregon. Each team presents a unique challenge to UC Irvine, with 5-seed Wisconsin having a double-double machine in Ethan Happ that will be tough for the Anteaters to match up against.

If Oregon makes it through, the Anteaters will have to deal with one of the hottest teams in the country. After being left for dead at 15-12, the Ducks ripped off eight consecutive victories to steal the Pac-12’s automatic bid to March Madness, making that game a potential barnburner between two of the nation’s hottest squads.