The head coach was Frank Martin,[2] who served his 3rd year at the helm of the Wildcats.

The team played its home games in Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas.

[3] They lost to the rival Kansas Jayhawks in the finals of the Big 12 tournament, 72–64.

The team received a #2 seed for the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, and beat North Texas and BYU to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where the Wildcats faced Xavier.

On December 21, Kansas State's rise in the polls reached historical levels, as the Wildcats earned their highest ranking in nearly 36 years on Monday at number 12 in The Associated Press Top 25.

With the win over Cleveland State on December 29, the Wildcats moved to 12-1 on the season and are off to their best start since the 1958–59 squad also began 12-1.

The victory set a new record for consecutive home wins at Bramlage Coliseum with 13.

It is the highest in The Associated Press poll in almost 50 years since the Wildcats were ranked sixth on March 13, 1962.

The record ties for the fifth-best start in school history and the best since the 1961–62 squad opened the year at 21-3.