American at Kansas State preview: how to watch, what to expect

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan

Radio:1480-AM; 102.5-FM; 107.9-FM

TV: FSKC/ESPN3

The Lowdown: College basketball is back, and Kansas State opens the season with a home game against American, a Patriot League team that went 8-22 last season.

American Player to watch: Sa’eed Nelson. The 6-foot-1 point guard is coming off a strong freshman year in which he averaged 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He is expected to lead the Eagles in scoring this season, and could pose a challenging matchup for Kamau Stokes.

Kansas State Player to watch: Mawdo Sallah/Makol Mawien. The Wildcats need someone other than Dean Wade to emerge as a consistent producer in the paint this season, and Bruce Weber will look to that pair of transfers first. Sallah and Mawien both had their moments during the exhibition season, but will need to do more, particularly in the rebounding department, for K-State to reach its full potential this season. Both players will make their debuts against American. Who will make a push for the full-time starting spot?

Bottom Line

This game counts, but it might not feel much different from Kansas State’s exhibition games. Expect the Wildcats to cruise early and experiment with different lineups late against an overmatched opponent.

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "American at Kansas State preview: how to watch, what to expect."