Kansas State Wildcats vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Lineups, time, TV and a prediction
The details
When/where: 8 p.m. Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kansas
TV/radio: ESPNU; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
Projected lineups
P | No. | Oklahoma State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 14 | Yor Anei | 6-10 | So. | 8.0 |
F | 12 | Cameron McGriff | 6-7 | Sr. | 10.5 |
G | 20 | Keylan Boone | 6-8 | Fr. | 3.1 |
G | 1 | Jonathan Laurent | 6-6 | Sr. | 4.7 |
G | 13 | Isaac Likekele | 6-4 | So. | 11.6 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 14 | Makol Mawien | 6-9 | Sr. | 7.3 |
F | 23 | Montavious Murphy | 6-9 | Fr. | 5.3 |
G | 20 | Xavier Sneed | 6-5 | Sr. | 14.5 |
G | 3 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-4 | Fr. | 6.7 |
G | 2 | Cartier Diarra | 6-4 | Jr. | 13.2 |
About Oklahoma State (11-12, 1-9 Big 12): It’s been an interesting season for Mike Boynton and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They began the year red hot, winning their first seven games and earning a national ranking. Then they lost nine of their next 11 and fell to the bottom of the Big 12 standings. Isaac Likekele missing four games because of an injury led to some of those struggles. But the sophomore guard is now back and playing like his old self, which has helped the Cowboys win two of their past four. Oklahoma State won its first conference game last week against TCU and pushed Baylor in a narrow loss over the weekend. Though he isn’t in the starting lineup, it will be important for K-State to keep an eye on guard Lindy Waters.
About Kansas State (9-14, 2-8): The Wildcats are coming off a 73-63 loss at Iowa State. That defeat stung worse than several of K-State’s other recent losses, because the Cyclones are also having a disappointing season. Bruce Weber is hopeful his team can take better advantage of this (on paper) friendly game. Junior guard Cartier Diarra returned to the starting lineup for the Wildcats over the weekend and played one of his best games, finishing with 24 points on 15 shots. But Weber said he hadn’t decided which five players to start against Oklahoma State. The Wildcats could use big games from both Xavier Sneed and Diarra. When they both play well, K-State is capable of beating the best teams on its schedule. But both players have lacked consistency this season. Sneed only had seven points last time out.
Prediction: This appears to be the most winnable game remaining on K-State’s schedule.
Oklahoma State has lost five straight Big 12 road games and K-State has been strong at home over the past month, knocking off favored opponents West Virginia and Oklahoma at Bramlage Coliseum.
That doesn’t mean this will be an easy game for the Wildcats, though. The Cowboys have shown signs of improvement over the past two weeks and challenged No. 1 Baylor on the road over the weekend. Likekele is one of the best guards in the Big 12. Both he and Cameron McGriff are coming off 28-point efforts against the Bears.
Still, this feels like a game K-State needs to win and should win. If Diarra plays the same way he did against Iowa State, his teammates will provide enough help for the Wildcats to win a back-and-forth contest.
K-State 64, Oklahoma State 60.