K-State Wildcats vs Rhode Island Rams: Basketball lineups, TV, time, odds, prediction
THE DETAILS
When/where: 6:30 p.m. on Monday, John Gray Gym
TV: FloHoops (streaming service)
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 10
Over/Under: 134 1/2
STARTING LINEUPS
P | No. | Rhose Island | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 22 | Alex Tchikou | 6-11 | So. | 6.3 |
F | 1 | Abdou Samb | 6-8 | Fr. | 10.0 |
G | 12 | Malik Martin | 6-6 | Sr. | 10.0 |
G | 10 | Ishmael Leggett | 6-3 | So. | 17.7 |
G | 4 | Sebastian Thomas | 6-1 | So. | 9.0 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 23 | Abayomi Iyiola | 6-10 | Sr. | 4.7 |
F | 35 | Nae’Qwan Tomlin | 6-10 | Jr. | 11.3 |
F | 11 | Keyontae Johnson | 6-6 | Sr. | 16.0 |
G | 5 | Cam Carter | 6-3 | So. | 8.7 |
G | 1 | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | Sr. | 12.0 |
About Rhode Island (1-2):
The Rams got off to a rough start this season, opening with home losses against Quinnipiac and Texas State, but they bounded back with a win over Stony Brook last week. Rhode Island enters the Cayman Islands Classic rated No. 173 nationally by college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy. That makes the Rams the highest-rated team that K-State has played thus far. They defend the three-point line well, and have held opponents to 22% shooting from beyond the arc. But they don’t shoot the ball well on offense and are turnover prone. Ishael Leggett is their best player, averaging 17.7 points per game.
About Kansas State (3-0):
Jerome Tang has already guided the Wildcats to a pair of victories on their home court and one in a true road game. Now he gets to add his first win on a neutral court. K-State heads to the Cayman Islands Classic with an undefeated record and three double-digit victories over Texas-Rio Grande Valley, California and Kansas City. The Wildcats are expected to be one of the favorites at this tournament. The other teams in the field are Akron, Illinois State, LSU, Nevada, Tulane and Western Kentucky. Keyontae Johnson has been K-State’s go-to player thus far, averaging 16 points per game.
Prediction
The opening round of a holiday tournament is always tricky. Both K-State and Rhode Island have spent the past few days traveling or relaxing on the beach. Whichever team stayed fresh while flying to the Cayman Islands and stayed focused on basketball could have an advantage in this game. I think that team will be K-State. The Wildcats have already played away from home this season and won. Rhode Island has played exclusively home games and the Rams already have two losses.
K-State should be able to take advantage of Rhode Island turnovers and score in transition, which is a big positive for a team that has struggled to run half-court offense at times this season. Both teams have strong defensive numbers, which could keep the score down. But that won’t bother the Wildcats. They won each of their past two games while scoring in the 60s.
K-State 68, Rhode Island 62
Last game prediction: K-State 82, Kansas City 58
Season record: 3-0.
Season record against the spread: 2-1.
This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 8:48 AM.