Aside from the joy on Bruce Weber’s face, you could also spy relief after Kansas State sent Kentucky packing in the Sweet 16 this past March.
Reaching the Elite Eight for the first since 2010 appeared to end the lingering reluctance around Manhattan to embrace Weber, who had arrived in 2012 but only notched a lone NCAA tournament victory and posted a .500 record in Big 12 Conference play. Sure, knocking off Creighton, UMBC and a lackluster UK squad before bowing out to Loyola-Chicago is a soft path to tread. However, none of that was in Weber’s control, and he had to orient that trail without a vital piece in stretch forward Dean Wade.