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The Kansas State Wildcats escaped a tough round of 32 contest against Kentucky to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018. The Wildcats now face the No. 7 seed Michigan State Spartans, who eliminated USC and Marquette to get to this point. Here’s a look at Kansas State’s roster ahead of Thursday’s matchup.
Kansas State roster breakdown
Best player
It’s a tough call here between Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, but the latter does get the edge since his impact is far less reliant on his shot going down. Nowell was brilliant against Kentucky, although Johnson did ultimately have the dagger basket. Nowell’s ability to see the floor and find open shooters will be key against Michigan State’s compact defense.
Unsung hero
It’s hard to say Desi Sills is an unsung hero, as the senior has put together plenty of massive moments in his career. However, he’s certainly taken a back seat to Johnson and Nowell in this year’s campaign. Sills worked through an injury in the round of 32 and eventually did log 29 minutes. His stat lines are not impressive but he knows where to be and how to move the ball in this offense, which is important for K-State.
Kansas State roster
| Player | # | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | RSCI Top 100 | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | # | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School | RSCI Top 100 | Summary |
| Keyontae Johnson | 11 | SR | F | 6-5 | 229 | Norfolk VA | Oak Hill Academy | 69 (2018) | 17.5 Pts 7.0 Reb 2.2 Ast |
| Markquis Nowell | 1 | SR | G | 5-7 | 155 | Harlem NY | St. Patrick HS | 17.1 Pts 3.5 Reb 7.8 Ast | |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin | 35 | JR | F | 6-10 | 210 | Harlem NY | Urban Assembly School (NY) [Did not play] | 10.3 Pts 5.8 Reb 1.1 Ast | |
| Desi Sills | 13 | SR | G | 6-1 | 202 | Jonesboro AR | Jonesboro HS | 8.8 Pts 3.6 Reb 2.3 Ast | |
| Camryn Carter | 5 | SO | G | 6-3 | 185 | Donaldsonville LA | Oak Hill Academy | 6.4 Pts 2.9 Reb 1.5 Ast | |
| David N'Guessan | 3 | JR | F | 6-9 | 205 | De Lier Netherlands | Mt. Zion Prep | 6.4 Pts 3.7 Reb 0.8 Ast | |
| Ismael Massoud | 25 | JR | F | 6-8 | 220 | East Harlem NY | MacDuffie School | 5.1 Pts 1.7 Reb 0.5 Ast | |
| Abayomi Iyiola | 23 | SR | F | 6-9 | 230 | Atlanta GA | Greenforest Christian High School | 3.6 Pts 3.0 Reb 0.3 Ast | |
| Tykei Greene | 4 | SR | G | 6-4 | 205 | Queens NY | Long Island Lutheran (NY) | 2.8 Pts 2.0 Reb 0.3 Ast |