Kansas State Wildcats vs. TCU Horned Frogs: Basketball lineups, TV, time, prediction
The details
When/where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
TV/radio: ESPNU; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
About TCU (15-4, 4-3 Big 12): The Horned Frogs look like a different team than the one that narrowly escaped Bramlage Coliseum with a 60-57 victory earlier this season. TCU has won five of its past seven games to establish itself as one of the best teams in the Big 12. Jamie Dixon’s team will try to keep that momentum going against K-State this weekend. Mike Miles led TCU with 19 points against K-State last month. Damion Baugh also reached double figures with 12 points.
About Kansas State (11-10, 3-6 Big 12): The Wildcats are coming off a thrilling home victory over Oklahoma State in which Nijel Pack made a game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds remaining. K-State will try build off that game with another strong effort at TCU. Pack has been playing at a high level lately and is averaging 16.8 points. Mark Smith leads the Big 12 in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game. He is also averaging 11.5 points. Bruce Weber’s team is once again expected to be short-handed without Selton Miguel. But the rest of K-State’s playing rotation is healthy.
Projected lineups
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 21 | Davion Bradford | 7-0 | So. | 4.1 |
G | 00 | Mike McGuirl | 6-3 | Sr. | 6.1 |
G | 13 | Mark Smith | 6-4 | Sr. | 11.4 |
G | 24 | Nijel Pack | 6-0 | So. | 16.8 |
G | 1 | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | Jr. | 11.8 |
P | No. | TCU | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 2 | Emanuel Miller | 6-8 | Jr. | 9.8 |
F | 5 | Chuck O’Bannon | 6-6 | Sr. | 9.8 |
C | 4 | Eddie Lampkin | 6-11 | So. | 5.8 |
G | 1 | Mike Miles | 6-2 | So. | 15.4 |
G | 10 | Damion Baugh | 6-4 | Jr. | 10.1 |
Prediction
TCU is a good matchup for Kansas State.
The Wildcats weren’t able to take advantage of it when they played the Horned Frogs earlier this season, but that was mostly because they collapsed in the final two minutes and lost the contest more than TCU won it.
Mike Miles is one of the best players in the Big 12, but the Horned Frogs lack many other consistent scorers. They make a woeful 30.1% of their shots from three-point range and have games when they really struggle to score, such as a recent 73-50 home loss against Texas.
But they are an excellent rebounding team. When they get lots of second-chance points, they tend to win.
If K-State can keep the rebounding margin close and make a few shots on the road, it will have an opportunity to steal this game late the same way TCU did in Manhattan.
Problem is, rebounding has been a major issue for the Wildcats lately. And TCU has been red hot outside of that one flop against Texas.
The Wildcats blew their best shot at beating the Horned Frogs earlier this season. It’s hard to expect a road win in the rematch.
TCU 64, K-State 61.