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"2017 NCAA Tournament: Wichita St. vs. Kentucky among six 2nd-round games we want" - CBS Sports
by Matt Norlander, Sports Writer
02/15/17, 4:00pm cst
#1 - "My intent was pick only five, but there are six scenarios I had to hit:
Kentucky-Wichita State (South): This is the most-desired game. The first reason is because Wichita State is mis-seeded, so there’s a heavy contingent of Shockers backers who want to see this team at least win a game and to prove the selection committee silly for putting them on the 10 line to start. Then there’s the Kentucky intrigue. Seeing the Wildcats against another top-10 team in the metrics would be an unusual first-weekend collision. Normally these types of games are reserved for the Sweet 16 and beyond.
And the full-circle irony would be the strongest storyline. Three years ago, when Wichita State was undefeated and a No. 1 seed, the Shockers were put in the same bracket as No. 8 Kentucky. It seemed an unfair potential matchup. Kentucky went on to the national title, proving to be under-seeded. Now, second-seeded Kentucky is given a possible second-round matchup with one of the most talented 10-seeds in history. Will Wichita State do this year to Kentucky what Kentucky did in 2014 to Wichita State?
If this game happens, we can only hope an outcome that half as good as 2014, when Kentucky won 78-67 in one of the best tournament games of the past five years."
by Matt Norlander, Sports Writer
02/15/17, 4:00pm cst
#1 - "My intent was pick only five, but there are six scenarios I had to hit:
Kentucky-Wichita State (South): This is the most-desired game. The first reason is because Wichita State is mis-seeded, so there’s a heavy contingent of Shockers backers who want to see this team at least win a game and to prove the selection committee silly for putting them on the 10 line to start. Then there’s the Kentucky intrigue. Seeing the Wildcats against another top-10 team in the metrics would be an unusual first-weekend collision. Normally these types of games are reserved for the Sweet 16 and beyond.
And the full-circle irony would be the strongest storyline. Three years ago, when Wichita State was undefeated and a No. 1 seed, the Shockers were put in the same bracket as No. 8 Kentucky. It seemed an unfair potential matchup. Kentucky went on to the national title, proving to be under-seeded. Now, second-seeded Kentucky is given a possible second-round matchup with one of the most talented 10-seeds in history. Will Wichita State do this year to Kentucky what Kentucky did in 2014 to Wichita State?
If this game happens, we can only hope an outcome that half as good as 2014, when Kentucky won 78-67 in one of the best tournament games of the past five years."
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