There were a lot of happy people in Kansas State's locker room after the Wildcats clinched a spot in the Sweet 16, but no one had a bigger smile than Dean Wade.
Turns out not playing in victories over Creighton and Maryland-Baltimore County because of a foot injury made the 6-foot-10 junior forward appreciate the success more than being in the starting lineup.
"We have been working toward this goal all season," Wade said. "We had a lot of ups and downs, but we just kept fighting. Kamau (Stokes) went out and Cartier (Diarra) stepped up big-time.