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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A year ago, Kansas State basketball’s improbable run to the NCAA Tournament was fueled by what coach Jerome Tang and the Wildcats described as “crazy faith.”

Well, it may take more than crazy faith for the Wildcats just to get back to the tournament this year, especially after Iowa State ran them off the court, 76-57, on Thursday in their Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal loss to the Cyclones at T-Mobile Center.

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The Wildcats, already a fringe NCAA bubble team after an impressive come-from-behind second-round victory over Texas the night before, are 19-14, finished 8-10 in the conference during the regular season and have not strung more than two wins together since notching four straight since late December and early January.

But Tang, ever the optimist, wasn’t hearing that. Not only did he express confidence in the Wildcats’ position leading to selection Sunday, but he spent three full minutes of his postgame news conference making the case for anyone who would listen.

Kansas State basketball freshman Dai Dai Ames earns his stripes in big win over Texas

“I thought last night when we won that game against (Texas), and I have several reasons why,” he said when asked if he thought the Wildcats were still in the running. “We have five Quad 1 wins, all five of our Quad 1 wins against the top 30 in the NET. We have six wins against the top 40 in the NET.”

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For the uninitiated, NET stands for NCAA Evaluation Tool, a sorting system to help the tournament selection committee leading up to the tournament’s bracket reveal Sunday.

And Tang was just warming up.

“The opponents that we played against in the nonconference and the conference combined have the ninth-best defense in the country and the 35th-best offense in the country. So, we didn’t play a powder puff schedule.

“We have the number one strength of schedule of all of the bubble teams right now. We have the number one strength of schedule against all of them. We’re 1-0 against the SEC, and that was a true road game at LSU. We’re 2-0 against the Big East, and we played Providence on a neutral court with Bryce Hopkins, their best team, and beat them. We played six power conference teams in the nonconference and an American team, so we didn’t duck anybody.”

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More: Big 12 extends conference basketball tournament agreement with Kansas City through 2031

There was nobody to fact-check Tang in real time, not to suggest that he was fabricating the numbers. But he clearly presented the most favorable scenario, and his definition of bubble teams was open to interpretation.

For super-senior guard Tylor Perry, a graduate transfer from North Texas who has never played in the NCAA Tournament, he agreed with Tang’s assessment.

“It would mean the world, more than anything,” he said. “I’ve said that from the jump There is nothing individually that I wanted this year to share that experience with this group.

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“So, I think we’ve done enough to get in, and now we will wait on Selection Sunday.”

Tang made several other points in defending the Wildcats’ resume.

More: Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark bullish on basketball’s future in Kansas City

  • He lamented that the Wildcats were punished for their seven overtime victories, especially against Quad 3 and 4 teams. “I was told all along time ago, just win the game, right?” he said. “Because we didn’t win by 30 or 40 against Quad 4 teams, that’s being held against us in the numbers and what the NET shows.”
  • Losing starting forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who was dismissed from the team before the season, and potential starting guard Ques Glover to injury, also was a factor. “We were trying to figure out who we were in November when those things happened,” Tang said.
  • Only three of the Wildcats’ losses came against non-NCAA Tournament teams by Tang’s calculations. “I’ve said all along, nine wins in this league should get you in, so last night when we won, I felt really good about that,” he said.
  • The Wildcats’ lone Quad 3 loss came against Miami in the Bahamas in November when the Hurricanes were ranked nationally ranked, and they dropped their season opener to Southern California in Las Vegas before the Trojans were hit hard by injuries.
  • “Now, obviously I’m not the one making the decision, but we have the most Quad 1 wins and the best Quad 1 winning percentage of any bubble team except for Texas A&M, and they have four Quad 4 losses,” Tang continued. “We have non-Quad 4 losses.”

Tang was so positive that the Wildcats will hear their name called by the NCAA on Sunday that he’s not even thinking NIT.

“We’re going to talk about what’s going on, but right now I’ve got this crazy faith inside of me, and I’m looking forward to Selection Sunday,” he said.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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Kansas City, Missouri, police searching for 30-year-old missing man

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Kansas City, Missouri, police searching for 30-year-old missing man


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating a missing man.

Jacob Phillips, 30, was last talked to around 10:17 p.m. Wednesday.

Phillips is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel-colored eyes, according to KCPD.

Police said his family is concerned for his well-being.

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If anyone sees Phillips, they are urged to call the KCPD Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5043 or 911.





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Kansas State freshman Jack Fleischaker, 19, dies after falling from fraternity house window

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Kansas State freshman Jack Fleischaker, 19, dies after falling from fraternity house window


A Kansas State University freshman died after he fell from a fraternity house window — just weeks away from the end of the semester.

Jack Fleischaker, 19, plunged from a second-floor window at the Sigma Chi house on the Manhattan, Kan., campus around 3:15 a.m. on April 25.

He was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but died three days later, according to the Riley County Police Department.

Jack Fleischaker, 19, who died after falling from a fraternity house window at Kansas State University. KAKE News

Police are investigating exactly how the fatal fall unfolded, but said foul play is not suspected.

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“RCPD extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and the K-State community during this very tragic time,” the department said in a statement to People.

The fraternity said Fleischaker’s death appears to be accidental.

“This was a heartbreaking accident, and there is no indication that anyone is at fault,” Sigma Chi International Fraternity spokesperson Michael Church said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jack’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. We are actively supporting the chapter with mental health and wellness resources and are grateful for the assistance provided by Kansas State University’s administration as well.”

Fleischaker in the hospital surrounded by family and friends following the fall that later proved fatal. KAKE News

Fleischaker, from Overland Park, Kan., was studying accounting and finance and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, according to his LinkedIn and Instagram profiles.

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As police continue to investigate, Kansas State University said it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The university has offered support to the family and has also offered assistance and student support resources to the fraternity members,” spokesperson Michelle Geering said in a statement to the Kansas City Star.

“We are reviewing available information to determine the next steps in accordance with our policies and procedures.”

The Sigma Chi fraternity house at Kansas State University where the tragic fall occurred. KAKE News

The horrifying incident comes four years after Sigma Chi’s University of Kansas chapter was shut down by its national organization in 2022 over hazing violations and lying about it.

There have been no recent hazing reports involving the Kansas State chapter, according to the Kansas City Star.

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Friends and family are reeling from the sudden loss.

“This is a tragic accident that nobody anticipated,” family pastor and friend Gar Demo told KMBC.

“Every trajectory in their life has changed in an instant,” he added.

Kansas State University is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Fleischaker’s death. jzehnder – stock.adobe.com

Demo said the family has faced devastating loss before. Fleischaker’s sister Natalie died 13 years ago from a brain tumor.

“[The family] went through the incredible pain of losing a child then, and I think they’re asking the question,” Demo said.

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“All of us who know them are asking, why did this happen? How could this happen to this family?”

“I think to walk with them again in a different kind of situation but still to lose another child is just not something I have a playbook for,” he said.

“But we walk with our faith and we walk there and we show our strength with them and surround them with the love that we can share.”

In the days after the fall, hundreds gathered at the hospital to say their goodbyes, according to KAKE News.

Fleischaker was an organ donor and is expected to help save lives.

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Kansas Supreme Court affirms conviction in Wichita teen’s 2021 murder

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Kansas Supreme Court affirms conviction in Wichita teen’s 2021 murder


WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man had his conviction in the 2021 killing of a Wichita teen upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court on Friday.

In a unanimous opinion, the court says that there was plenty of evidence to convict Tyler Kelly and that he had a fair trial.

Kelly was found guilty by a Sedgwick County jury in 2023 of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated assault in the July 17, 2021, shooting death of 16-year-old Joseph Florence. Court records show Kelly and a 16-year-old broke into Florence’s home to confront him over a girl.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for first-degree murder. He also got 43 months for aggravated burglary and 13 months for aggravated assault.

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The judge ordered that he serve the 25 years, plus the additional 56 months before he could be considered for parole.

Kelly appealed his conviction. He argued there was not enough evidence to prove he entered Florence’s home illegally or intended to commit a crime, and he made claims of multiple incidents of prosecutorial error. He also argued that the jury should have been given use-of-force instructions to support his self-defense claim.

In an opinion written by Justice Larkin Walsh, the court says there is more than sufficient evidence that Kelly entered the home illegally with intent to assault Florence. The justices determined that Kelly received a fair trial that was free from prosecutorial error.

“We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm these convictions,” the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “This ruling brings a final measure of justice to the victims and their families, and it validates the hard work of our prosecutors and local law enforcement in securing this conviction.”

Kelly is currently housed in the Hutchinson Correctional Facility with an earliest possible release date of May 1, 2048, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

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