K-State Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies: Basketball prediction, lineups, time, TV info
The details
When/where: 11 a.m. Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
TV/radio: ESPNU; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
Projected lineups
P | No. | Texas A&M | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 15 | Jonathan Aku | 6-10 | So. | 2.1 |
F | 5 | Emmanuel Miller | 6-7 | So. | 15.0 |
G | 20 | Andre Gordon | 6-2 | So. | 9.2 |
G | 11 | Hassan Diarra | 6-2 | Fr. | 6.1 |
G | 0 | Jay Jay Chandler | 6-4 | Sr. | 8.0 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 21 | Davion Bradford | 7-0 | Fr. | 6.8 |
G | 00 | Mike McGuirl | 6-2 | Sr. | 11.5 |
G | 2 | Selton Miguel | 6-4 | Fr. | 8.5 |
G | 3 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-4 | So. | 9.8 |
G | 24 | Nijel Pack | 6-0 | Fr. | 10.7 |
About Texas A&M (7-7, 2-6 SEC): The Aggies have struggled mightily since the beginning of SEC play. They have lost six of their past eight games, with all of those defeats coming by double digits. Buzz Williams in his second season at Texas A&M after stints with Marquette and Virginia Tech. He likes to deploy a mixture of defenses that keep opponents off balance. Emmanuel Miller could pose some problems for K-State inside. The Aggies aren’t strong from the three-point line, as they average 29.6% from beyond the arc.
About Kansas State (5-12, 1-8 Big 12): The Wildcats are in a tailspin. They have lost seven straight games, and none of them have been by slim margins. They are coming off a 107-59 loss against No. 2 Baylor, which was the most lopsided defeat in program history. But there is hope for better days moving forward. K-State will have 11 active scholarship players against Texas A&M, including its entire starting lineup. All kinds of things have gone wrong for the Wildcats this season, but they now have an opportunity to improve with a healthy roster. Bruce Weber says he is emphasizing defense right now. K-State hasn’t held an opponent below 67 points in a month.
Prediction: The schedule makers did a terrific job lining up this game for the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
It is an ideal matchup for a pair of teams that are sick and tired of getting smacked around in their own conference.
There is a reason why Weber and K-State basketball players have been looking forward to this game for weeks. The Aggies are only favored by two points against the Wildcats. It’s a toss up between a pair of struggling teams.
This game may come down to which team makes the most three-pointers. Neither squad is particularly strong from the outside, so even an average shooting performance could make a big difference.
Texas A&M doesn’t have enough offensive firepower to run away from K-State. If Mike McGuirl or Nijel Pack can deliver strong games, this is a good spot for the Wildcats to end their losing streak.
K-State 66, Texas A&M 65.