MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT)- K-State men’s basketball is back in the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats are a three-seed in the East region and will play against 14th-seeded Montana State on Friday. It’s the first NCAA tournament bid for K-State since 2019.

The Purdue Boilermakers are the No. 1 seed in K-State’s region. If the Wildcats beat Montana State they’ll play the winner of six-seeded Kentucky and No. 11 Providence. K-State would meet two-seed Marquette in the Sweet Sixteen, if both teams win twice.

The Wildcat enter the tournament 23-9 after finishing third in the Big 12.

K-State and Montana State will tipoff at 8:40 central time on Thursday.

K-State has surprised many in Jerome Tang’s first season as head coach after being picked to finish last in the conference before the season began.