We last wrote that Utah State may not be too happy to see Kansas State in the 2011 NCAA tournament bracket. The Wildcats have been on a nice run lately and their talent level, with guys like Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, says they're a higher seed than a 5.
The oddsmakers agree...sort of. Kansas State is indeed favored to win the game, according to NCAA tournament odds, but only by two points. K-State head coach Frank Martin said even though they're from a small conference Utah State plays like they're from the Big 12.
"They're similar to a Big 12 team," Martin said. "They have two frontcourt guys who can both score and rebound at the rim. They have a point guard that is very athletic and can get the ball anywhere he wants to. They have an athletic small forward who can shoot it and drive it. ... They're very compatible with Nebraska."
So how did K-State do against Nebraska? They beat them twice this year, including a 16-point and four-point victory. Utah State went 30-3 but lost to Georgetown and BYU, the only two teams on their schedule in the NCAA tournament. So K-State is only favored by two points but there are reasons to be optimistic in Manhattan.
Check out Bring On The Cats for more on the game.