On the surface, anyway, Kansas State will enter the NCAA Tournament from much the same launch point it did a year ago: With the same postseason starting five that barged into an Elite Eight run, with the foot of star forward Dean Wade encased in a boot and again coming out of a defeat in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, in this case a grinding 63-59 loss to Iowa State on Friday night at Sprint Center.
Despite the setback, given the broader view, you can make a case K-State is better equipped for a run now than it was at this stage last season.