Bracket finalized for K-State men's basketball in Paradise Jam

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - Kansas State men's basketball is set to make its third appearance in the annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.

Jerome Tang's Wildcats face the Atlantic 10's George Washington at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, the tournament's first day. It's the sixth meeting all-time between the two schools, with K-State leading the series 4-1.

The tournament bracket was finalized Tuesday morning, with other first-round matchups including Longwood vs. UAB, Illinois State vs. McNeese and Louisiana vs. Liberty. The winner of K-State and George Washington will move on to play the winner of Louisiana and Liberty on Sunday, Nov. 24. The other two winning teams will face off on that Saturday.

The winner from both sides of the tournament will play for the Paradise Jam title on Monday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. The 'Cats won the whole thing in 2018, and in Jerome Tang's time as head coach, they won the Cayman Islands Classic in 2022 and finished as runners-up in the Baha Mar Hoops Bahama Championship in 2023.

Three of the eight teams in the Paradise Jam, UAB, McNeese and Longwood, all made NCAA tournament appearances in 2024.