Skip to content

4 surprising stats from Kansas State's stunning win over Kentucky

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The South Region has been full of upsets throughout the NCAA tournament and that continued Thursday night when No. 9 Kansas State shocked No. 5 Kentucky to advance to the Elite Eight.

The setback for Kentucky represents John Calipari's first-ever loss with the program in the Sweet 16, and eliminates the Wildcats after many thought they had a clear path to the Final Four.

In a game that produced a number of unexpected statistics, here are the four most surprising.

Kansas State's top scorer played only 8 minutes

Kansas State's win was shocking by itself, but it's even more stunning when you consider that the Wildcats' top scorer and rebounder, Dean Wade, was only on the floor for eight minutes. Wade, who averages 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, hadn't played since suffering a stress fracture in his foot during the Big 12 tournament. The star junior gave the Wildcats some decent minutes in the opening half, scoring four points, but didn't take the court in the second half.

P.J. Washington missed 12 foul shots

Kentucky wouldn't have been in the game without a great performance by P.J. Washington. The standout forward was a monster against Kansas State's depleted frontline, pouring in 18 points and ripping down 15 rebounds in the loss. Unfortunately, Washington struggled mightily from the free-throw line, making only 8 of 20 shots, including some big misses down the stretch. The 6-foot-7, 236-pounder entered the game shooting 63 percent from the charity stripe, but couldn't come close to that average during this one.

3 Kansas State players fouled out

While Kansas State is certainly happy with the result, Thursday's matchup was less pleasing for neutral fans thanks to some whistle-happy officials. The teams combined for a whopping 51 fouls, including 30 on Kansas State. Three different players from Bruce Weber's outfit fouled out, forcing the Wildcats to play a five-guard lineup down the stretch.

Kentucky's dynamic duo was a combined 3-for-14

In Kentucky's blowout win over Buffalo, the NBA-level talent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hamidou Diallo was on full display. The tandem put forth a dominant performance, connecting on 19 of 24 shots with 14 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.

Related: Kentucky's NBA talent on display in smashing of Buffalo's Cinderella run

That was not remotely the case against Kansas State, as the pair made just 3 of 14 shots from the field and turned the ball over six times. Diallo battled foul trouble all game, and Gilgeous-Alexander didn't look like the future NBA lottery pick that played the opening two games for the Wildcats.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox