It’s hard to imagine a better opening act than what Jerome Tang has done in his first year at Kansas State.
The former longtime Baylor assistant has rejuvenated the Wildcats men’s basketball program since arriving in Manhattan, going 22-7 in his first season and having the program two games out of first place in the Big 12.
The Wildcats are in line for their best finish in the conference since capturing the regular season crown in 2019 when they went 14-4 in Big 12 play and capped off a three-year run of winning 20 or more games overall.
This year’s K-State squad appears set to be the first to make the Big Dance since that 2019 team, though the Wildcats hope this year’s appearance goes better than their last one.
Kansas State lost in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament to UC-Irvine.
Fast forward four years and it appears Kansas sports betting oddsmakers are confident such an outcome won’t happen again this year, with the Wildcats sitting in a tie for 18th overall on the operator’s title odds board, at +4000.
As the Wildcats cap off their regular season run against Oklahoma and West Virginia this week, BetKansas.com, which also has information on Kansas sportsbook apps, wanted to contextualize how the 2022-23 team stacks up in school history.
Best Seasons By Conference Record Since 1996-97
- 2018-19: 14-4, 25-9 overall (.735)
- 2012-13: 14-4, 27-8 overall (.771)
- 2009-10: 11-5, 29-8 overall (.784)
- 2022-23: 10-6, 22-7 overall (.759*)
- 2007-08: 10-6, 21-12 overall (.636)
- 2006-07: 10-6, 23-12 overall (.657)
- 2017-18: 10-8, 25-12 overall (.676)
- 2013-14: 10-8, 20-13 overall (.606)
- 2008-09: 9-7, 22-12 overall (.647)
BetKansas.com is home to Kansas sportsbook promotions for the rest of the college basketball season.
Where Current Squad Stacks Up
When breaking down Kansas State’s 118-year history, this year’s team falls in a tie for 17th overall with the 1963-64 squad as far as winning percentage is concerned (.759).
When focused solely on conference wins and losses, this year’s team ranks tied for 29th overall, alongside the 1966-67 squad that went 10-6 in Big 8 play and 17-8 overall.
Whether the 2022-23 Wildcats program can be the first since 1964 to make it to the Final Four and the first since 1951 to reach the title game remains to be seen.
As of right now, the Wildcats would hold the third seed in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, playing TCU in the quarterfinal round.
A win over the sixth-seeded Horned Frogs would set up a game against either Texas, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State in the semifinals, with a possible showdown with rival Kansas waiting in the finals.
For now, with the Wildcats sitting in 19th position on KenPom.com and as a second seed in ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest mock bracket, it’s clear the future is bright in Manhattan.
National Championship Odds
