K-State Wildcats vs. LSU Tigers: Basketball lineups, time, TV and score prediction

The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to keep its winning streak going in its first true road game of the season, against the LSU Tigers at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, plus a game prediction:

When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center (Baton Rouge, La.)

TV: SEC Network

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: LSU by 1

Over/Under: 146.5

STARTING LINEUPS

About LSU (5-3):

The Tigers have been a roller-coaster of a team this season. They own solid victories over North Texas and Wake Florida, but they have also lost to Nicholls at home. LSU is coming off a 73-66 win over Southeastern Louisiana. Matt McMahon’s team is at its best on defense, where it forces turnovers on 22.2% of possessions and holds opponents to 41.1% shooting from within the arc. But the Tigers are weak against the three-ball, as teams have made 35.7% of their shots from beyond the arc. The Tigers play with size, and feature two true big men in their starting lineup. Will Baker could pose a problem inside for the Wildcats.

About Kansas State (7-2):

The Wildcats are coming off three consecutive overtime games for the first time since 1964. K-State was able to win all three games against Oral Roberts, North Alabama and Villanova but none of those results came easily. Arthur Kaluma is a big reason why the Wildcats have built a winning streak. After a string of quality games, he is now the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. K-State has found some stability with its starting lineup now that Will McNair has settled in at center. Dai Dai Ames and Jerrell Colbert have established themselves as the main contributors off the bench.

Prediction:

This will be a difficult game for Jerome Tang’s team.

Even though LSU is nothing special this season, the Tigers will benefit from playing the Wildcats at an opportune time.

Not only is K-State coming off three straight hard-fought games that went to overtime, but it has been dealing with tons of recent off-court drama surrounding the suspension and then dismissal of senior forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

This is also the first true road game of the season for K-State.

Add it all up, and it may be hard for the Wildcats to put their best foot forward here. They could suffer an emotional letdown after a stressful week. They could get rattled by the road crowd. They could show fatigue after all those overtime games.

Regression also has to set in at some point. Yes, Tang is a perfect 9-0 in overtime games with K-State. But that trend can’t continue forever. The Wildcats have played four games this season against power-conference teams. They got thoroughly out-played in two of them and won the other two in overtime.

That suggests K-State will have its hands full with LSU, even under normal circumstances.

One thing helping the Wildcats in this matchup is the way LSU defends the 3-point line. Teams have been lighting up the Tigers on the perimeter this season. If Cam Carter and Tylor Perry can heat up from the outside, that would give them a chance to pick up a road win even under trying circumstances.

But I still think timing will favor the home team on Saturday.

LSU 75, K-State 69

Last game prediction: K-State 72, Villanova 71. (Actual result: K-State 72, Villanova 71)

Season Record: 9-0

Season Record ATS: 5-4

Season Record O/U: 8-1

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.