Kansas State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Lineups, time, TV and a prediction
The Details
When/where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
TV/radio: ESPN2; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
Projected lineups
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 14 | Makol Mawien | 6-9 | Sr. | 7.3 |
F | 23 | Montavious Murphy | 6-9 | Fr. | 5.4 |
G | 20 | Xavier Sneed | 6-5 | Sr. | 14.8 |
G | 4 | David Sloan | 6-0 | Jr. | 5.0 |
G | 3 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-4 | Fr. | 6.5 |
P | No. | Iowa State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 12 | Michael Jacobson | 6-9 | Sr. | 7.0 |
F | 33 | Solomon Young | 6-8 | Jr. | 8.5 |
G | 22 | Tyrese Haliburton | 6-5 | So. | 15.5 |
G | 45 | Rasir Bolton | 6-3 | So. | 15.5 |
G | 3 | Tre Jackson | 6-1 | Fr. | 3.9 |
About Kansas State (9-13, 2-7 Big 12): The Wildcats are looking to prove they are a better team than their record indicates, and a road trip against Iowa State provides a good opportunity. This is the type of game most teams in the Big 12 will win this season. The Cyclones have lost four home games this year, including a shocking defeat against Florida A&M. But winning on the road hasn’t come easily for the Wildcats. They haven’t won away from Bramlage Coliseum since early November when then defeated UNLV in Las Vegas. Xavier Sneed snapped out of a mini slump with 23 points in his last game against Baylor. The Wildcats will hope for another strong effort from him against the Cyclones.
About Iowa State (9-13, 2-7 Big 12): The Cyclones have lost four straight games after a 9-9 start and are flirting with the bottom of the conference standings. Tyrese Haliburton remains the engine that makes Iowa State go, averaging 15.5 points this season. He will likely play in the NBA next season, but his efforts have not translated into many victories in Ames. Rasir Bolton is also averaging 15.5 points. No one else in Iowa State’s starting lineup averages double figures. The Cyclones like to play up-tempo like they always have under coach Steve Prohm, but they aren’t making outside shots like they have in the past, averaging just 31.7% from three-point range.
Prediction
This is an important game for both teams.
Iowa State is having a disappointing season and currently sits near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. The exact same thing can be said about K-State.
The Cyclones and Wildcats enter this game with identical records, but both teams are holding out hope that a win on Saturday can turn their season around.
Things are about to get easier for K-State, at least on paper. Its next three games are against beatable opponents Iowa State, Oklahoma State and TCU. The Wildcats have an opportunity to pick up some wins during the second half of conference play. So do the Cyclones. One of them will leave Hilton Coliseum with confidence Saturday night. The other will have a harder path moving forward.
Iowa State will be favored at home, but the Cyclones have been far from invincible in Ames this season. K-State is capable of pulling off the upset, but it has lost nine straight games away from home.
This game will probably come down to pace of play. If the Cyclones speed things up and push the score into the 70s, they will likely defeat the low-scoring Wildcats. But if K-State can slow things down and keep the game in the 60s its defense may win the day.
This feels like a coin-flip. Give the home team a slight advantage.
Iowa State 68, K-State 65.