Upset-minded UMBC turns attention to No. 9 Kansas State
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) No. 9 seed Kansas State (23-11) vs. No. 16 seed UMBC (25-10)
Second round, South Region; Charlotte, North Carolina, Sunday approximately 7:45 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: No. 16 UMBC became the story of the NCAA Tournament when it stunned No. 1 Virginia on Friday night, routing the nation's top-ranked team 74-54 in the biggest upset in college basketball history. The Retrievers, a 20 1/2-point underdog coming into the game, became the first 16 seed to beat a 1 in March Madness. They will face a ninth-seeded Kansas State team that never trailed against Creighton, earning a wire-to-wire victory to reach the round of 32 for the first time since 2012.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS: Apparently Las Vegas is expecting a letdown from the America East Conference champions, who enter the game as a 10-point underdog against the Wildcats.
INURY UPDATE: Dean Wade, Kansas State's leading scorer, did not play in the first round game because of a stress fracture. It's possible, although not necessarily likely, that he could see limited time against UMBC if he feels well enough to play, according to coach Bruce Weber.
STOPPING LYLES: The Wildcats will have their hands full trying to stop Jairus Lyles, who scored 23 of his 28 points against Virginia in a near flawless second half. Lyles was 9 of 11 from the field after halftime with three 3-pointers and was 7 of 9 from the foul line. He sliced and diced his way through the nation's top-ranked defense with ease, getting to the basket six times for layups. Lyles also hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Vermont in the America East Conference championship game.
THE DEFENDER: Look for Kansas State to put Barry Brown, one of the nation's top on-ball defenders, on Lyles. Brown held Creighton's leading scorer Marcus Foster to five points on 2 of 11 shooting in the first round. Foster came in average 20.3 points per game but didn't score until the 10:30 mark of the second half.
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