I don't get it. 
After Kansas State coasted to an 82-62 victory over the Sunbelt’s representative, North Texas, there really wasn’t much rejoicing for Wildcat fans in Manhattan or Oklahoma City, the site of the game. This was an expected win by Frank Martin’s club and anything less than a big victory would be viewed as a disappointment. For Jacob Pullen and Co., it’s just the first step of what they hope will be a run to the Final Four and was treated as just another game.
In New York City, however, emotions were high at HBO corporate headquarters after Kansas State’s balanced attack guaranteed themselves a matchup with BYU in the tournament’s second round. In an agreement made public after the first session ended in Oklahoma City, HBO executives announced that Saturday’s matchup will be billed as the “HBO Bowl” and stars from two of the network’s biggest shows will be on hand.
Playing off of the mafia look of Kansas State coach Frank Martin and in hopes of stirring up interest in another release of The Sopranos on DVD, James Gandolfini will reprise his role as Tony Soprano and sit on the Wildcat bench for the game. Gandolfini, who has tried to distance himself from the character since the final episode when he, umm, well we don’t know, said acknowledged that he’s been a closet Wildcat fan for years after mistakenly flying to Manhattan, Kansas instead of Manhattan, New York for a job interview. HBO also said that Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher, will sit at the end of the bench and knock over water bottles and screw things up.
BYU, meanwhile, will welcome in the creepy old guy from Big Love, who will settle in on the Cougar sideline and stare at people with wide, lifeless eyes. After initial concerns that Harry Dean Stanton, who played the Prophet Roman Grant, would be a distraction to the team and his general creepiness could hurt the Cougar’s concentration, HBO officials convinced the BYU coaching staff that Jimmer Fredette, who went off for 37 against Florida, might actually be a real-life prophet and cannot be knocked off his game. They also gave them lots and lots of money in a last ditch effort to make Big Love half-way appealing to anyone on the planet. Though he didn't declare outright fanhood for his team like Gandolfini did, Stanton did admit that he was intrigued when he saw that guy shooting a ball through a peach basket at the "Y" that day.
The big loser of the second Oklahoma City game (besides North Texas) was HBO rival Showtime, who hoped to send the cast of Weeds to cheer on The Mean Green in the second round.
It’s BYU and Kansas State in the HBO Bowl on Saturday.
