The 2023 NCAA Tournament is in full swing, with only March's the best of the best remaining in contention for the title. The No. 3 seed Kansas State Wildcats will face the No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic Owls in the Elite Eight on Saturday, which means it is time for some Kansas State basketball bold predictions.
The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 23-8 record, defeating seven nationally-ranked programs in the process. They would end up losing to the then-No. 22 TCU Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. Despite the early exit, Kansas State earned a high seed in the Big Dance.
In the NCAA Tournament so far, the Wildcats have beaten Montana State, Kentucky and Michigan State. In the Sweet 16, they earned an instant-classic overtime win over the Spartans.
On the other side of the contest, the Owls are 34-3 overall, which includes a Conference USA title. As for March Madness, Florida Atlantic is the dance's biggest Cinderella. The team defeated No. 24 Memphis, Fairleigh Dickinson and No. 20 Tennessee to reach the Elite Eight. Notably, this is just the second time in program history the Owls have participated in March Madness.
With two preseason underdogs playing for a spot in the Final Four, this could be a game to remember. In a win-or-go-home situation at Madison Square Garden, anything can happen. With that being said, here are some bold predictions for the Kansas State Wildcats as they play the Florida Atlantic Owls in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
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3. Wildcats force 12+ turnovers
Although Florida Atlantic does not have any top prospects on its roster, some players still deserve some special attention on Saturday.
Johnell Davis scored 29 points in the second round against Fairleigh Dickinson and leads the team in points per game with 13.9. He also averages 1.5 steals a night. Alijah Martin is making around two three-pointers across the last 10 games. Center Vladislav Goldin is grabbing 2.4 offensive rebounds per contest.
With three big threats ahead of them, the Wildcats will need to prepare for the challenge. One area that could be in their favor is turnovers.
Kansas State's defense forces 14.88 turnovers per game, good to place it in the top-40 in the nation. For comparison, that's better than UConn and Gonzaga's numbers, two teams who will play in the Elite Eight.
As for the Owls, they average 11.6 turnovers per game, 87th in the country.
With three of the team's leading scorers also averaging over a steal, the bold prediction is the Wildcats will force 12-plus turnovers on Saturday. Should that happen, Kansas State will be in a good position to win this game.
2. Markquis Nowell shines with a 20-10-3 stat line
If there is one player from Kansas State who is making the most noise in March, it is Markquis Nowell. The diminutive guard is playing the basketball of his life in the NCAA Tournament, spearheading the Wildcats' run to the Elite Eight.
Against Montana State, he had a double-double with 17 points and 14 assists plus three steals. He followed that up with 27 points, nine assists and three steals versus Kentucky.
Nowell gained national attention in the Sweet 16 when Kansas State squared off against Michigan State. The 5-foot-8 guard scored 20 points alongside five steals. Most notably, he recorded 19 assists, setting a new NCAA Tournament record for a single game.
One of his highlights was a pass to Keyontae Johnson for a reverse alley-oop dunk to give the Wildcats the lead in the final minute of overtime.
KEYONTAE JOHNSON WITH THE REVERSE ALLEY-OOP FINISH 😱pic.twitter.com/58i2EHJ63V
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 24, 2023
Fans should expect Nowell to go off once again. The bold prediction is that he will have at least 20 points, 10 assists and three steals against Florida Athlantic. If he records such a stat line, the Wildcats will be a step closer to the Final Four.
1. Kansas State wins in thrilling fashion, advances to Final Four
The Wildcats are favorites to win this matchup, according to FanDuel. However, the spread is currently only -1.5—currently lowest among Elite Eight games.
This means many people believe this encounter should be a close one. Both the Wildcats and the Owls are on a hot streak, with Kansas State winning in overtime against Michigan State while Florida Atlantic has won its last 10 games.
With so much at stake and two underdogs facing off, it is difficult to imagine this game not living up to the hype. At the end of the day, there is a big chance fans will remember it as one of the best in this year's tournament, and even recent memory.
The bold prediction is that Kansas State will prevail over Florida Atlantic. However, it should be in a thrilling fashion, perhaps with the need for overtime once again. With the result, the Wildcats will return to the Final Four for the first time since 1964 and try to win their first national championship in program history.
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