Lofty preseason expectations welcomed Kansas State into the 2018-19 season due in part to the Wildcats’ balance. They failed to disappoint in that regard en route to the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam championship. 

At least three Wildcats scored in double figures in each of K-State’s three victories, culminating in an 82-67 championship game defeat of Missouri. 

The title tilt was K-State at its best, featuring four players in double figures and Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Dean Wade demonstrating exactly why he earned that distinction. His 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor, five rebounds, and four assists sewed up Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player. 

Miss any of the action? Find the full Paradise Jam archives HERE

Wade said coming out of K-State’s two offensively sluggish performances ahead of the tournament that he was confident the Wildcats’ three-point shooting would pick up. The forward did his part to ignite that facet of K-State’s game with a 4-of-6 performance from deep in the championship. 

Teammate Xavier Sneed got the ball rolling in the 95-68, opening-night rout of Eastern Kentucky, connecting on 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Sneed’s 16 points paced the Wildcats in the quarterfinals, and he joined Wade hitting in double figures through all three contests. He added 11 in the 64-48 semifinal defeat of Penn, and 13 against Missouri. 

Barry Brown Jr. joined Wade on the All-Tournament Team with a trifecta of well-rounded outings — the best of which was his 19-point, six-rebound, six-assist performance with a block and an assist vs Missouri. 

K-State’s big three delivering in the manner it did sets the Wildcats up nicely heading into the remainder of its non-conference schedule, before Big 12 competition begins. Two of their three wins in the Virgin Islands came against teams (Penn and Missouri) that reached the NCAA Tournament a season ago. 

Missouri battled its way into the championship with two closely contested wins, the first a 55-52 defensive struggle against Kennesaw State. Scoring threats emerging to fill the void left with big man Jontay Porter’s season-ending knee injury was a need for the Tigers coming into the Paradise Jam. Over the course of its three days, an answer may have emerged. 

Guard Jordan Geist managed just eight points in the opener, but he outgunned fellow All-Tournament honoree Tres Tinkle 21 to 17 in a 69-63 semifinal win over Oregon State. Geist capped the tournament with 24 points against K-State, his ability to attack the rim giving the Tigers a burgeoning offensive cornerstone moving forward. 

Tinkle and the Beavers may have fallen to Missouri in the semifinal, but they finished 2-1 and in third-place with wins over Old Dominion and Penn. Tinkle recorded double-doubles in all three games for Oregon State, including an eruption for 32 points and 12 rebounds against the defending Ivy League champion Quakers. 

Northern Iowa left the Paradise Jam with two wins and fifth place, outlasting Old Dominion in the final round, 54-53. All-Tournament selection A.J. Green sank a jumper with under two minutes remaining that broke a 50-50 tie, putting the Panthers ahead for good. 

Green’s shot and Northern Iowa’s razor-thin margin of victory speak to the narrow margin for error in the three-games-in-four-days format; Old Dominion can attest. 

Six points separated the Monarchs in their losses to Oregon State and Northern Iowa. Old Dominion led much of the second half before it went cold down the stretch in a 61-56 quarterfinal loss to Oregon State. The Monarchs were on the other end of the equation, rallying from down seven in the final minutes against Northern Iowa before ultimately falling short. 

Guard Ahmad Caver scored 24 points in the fourth-place game for ODU. 

RESULTS 

Champion: Kansas State

• Game 1: W, 95-68 vs. Eastern Kentucky 
• Game 2: W, 64-48 vs. Penn 
• Game 3: W, 82-67 vs. Missouri

Runner-Up: Missouri 

• Game 1; W, 55-52 vs. Kennesaw State
• Game 2: W, 69-63 vs. Oregon State
• Game 3: L, 82-67 vs. Kansas State

Third Place: Oregon State

• Game 1: W, 61-56 vs. Old Dominion 
• Game 2: L, 69-63 vs. Missouri 
• Game 3: W, 74-58 vs. Penn

Fourth Place: Northern Iowa

• Game 1: L, 78-71 vs. Penn 
• Game 2: W, 90-85 vs. Eastern Kentucky 
• Game 3: W, 54-53 vs. Old Dominion

Fifth Place: Penn 

• Game 1: W, 78-71 vs. Northern Iowa
• Game 2: L, 64-48 vs. Kansas State
• Game 3: L, 74-58 vs. Oregon State

Sixth Place: Old Dominion

• Game 1: L, 61-56 vs. Oregon State
• Game 2: W, 65-47 vs. Kennesaw State
• Game 3: L, 54-53 vs. Northern Iowa

Seventh Place: Eastern Kentucky 

• Game 1: L, 95-68 vs. Kansas State
• Game 2: L, 90-85 vs. Northern Iowa 
• Game 3: W, 100-81 vs. Kennesaw State

Eighth Place: Kennesaw State

• Game 1: L, 55-52 vs. Missouri 
• Game 2: L, 65-47 vs. Old Dominion 
• Game 3: L, 100-81 vs. Eastern Kentucky 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM 

Kansas State F Dean Wade (MVP) 

• Game 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
• Game 2 vs. Penn: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists 
• Game 3 vs. Missouri: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists 

Kansas State G Barry Brown 

• Game 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky: 10 points, 6 rebounds 
• Game 2 vs. Penn: 9 points, 4 rebounds
• Game 3 vs. Missouri: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists 

Missouri G Jordan Geist 

• Game 1 vs. Kennesaw State: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
• Game 2 vs. Oregon State: 21 points, 3 rebounds 
• Game 3 vs. Missouri: 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists 

Penn G Devon Goodman

• Game 1 vs. Northern Iowa: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists 
• Game 2 vs. Kansas State: 18 points, 2 rebounds
• Game 3 vs. Oregon State: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

Northern Iowa G A.J. Green 

• Game 1 vs. Penn: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists 
• Game 2 vs. Eastern Kentucky: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists 
• Game 3 vs. Old Dominion: 15 points

Oregon State F Tres Tinkle 

• Game 1 vs. Old Dominion: 13 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists
• Game 2 vs. Missouri: 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists 
• Game 3 vs. Penn: 32 points, 12 rebounds

That's a wrap for the 2018 men's Paradise Jam, but don't forget you can watch all the archived games HERE — and that the 2018 women's Paradise Jam is up next, featuring the ever-dominant UConn Huskies.

Kyle Kensing is a freelance sports journalist in southern California. Follow him on Twitter @kensing45.