(excerpt) If Kansas State is trying to assess why it failed to advance beyond the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats should start by re-examining an antiquated decision coach Bruce Weber made.
Weber needlessly sat first-team all-Big 12 guard Barry Brown for the rest of the first half after he picked up his second foul less than six minutes into the game.
Thirteenth-seeded UC Irvine took advantage of Brown’s absence, erasing a 10-point deficit by holding Kansas State’s anemic offense without a field goal for the final six minutes before halftime. Brown then struggled to generate any second-half rhythm after sitting so long, finishing a 70-64 loss with just five points and still only two fouls.