K-State Wildcats vs. Cincinnati Bearcats: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds, pick

Shortly after the Kansas State men’s basketball team closed out the nonconference portion of its schedule with a humbling loss against Wichita State, Jerome Tang said it was time for the Wildcats to hit the reset button.

“We are 0-0,” the K-State coach said.

Kansas State could certainly use a fresh start after it began the season with an ugly 6-5 record.

Can the Wildcats expect better results as they turn the page to Big 12 action starting with a home game against Cincinnati at 6 p.m. on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum?

We are about to find out.

Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, including a score prediction:

When: 6 p.m. Monday

Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan

Stream: CBS Sports Network

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

Betting line: Cincinnati -3.5

Over/under: 139.5

STARTING LINEUPS

About Cincinnati (10-1)

The Bearcats are off to an impressive 10-1 start and they are ranked inside the top 25. Cincinnati is led by returning starters Aziz Bandaogo, Simas Lukosius and Jizzle James. All five players in the starting lineup average more than nine points per game. The Bearcats are at their best on defense, where they rank top 10 in several statistical categories. They only allow opponents to make 27.5% of their shots from 3-point range. But they are equally strong inside, as teams are only shooting 42.3% against them from within the arc. On offense, Cincinnati does most of its damage around the basket with a strong frontcourt.

About Kansas State (6-5)

The Wildcats are off to their worst start (not including the pandemic season of 2020-21) in more than two decades. But they have played well at time in recent games against St. John’s, Drake and Wichita State. K-State led at halftime against both the Red Storm and the Shockers. And they steam rolled the Bulldogs in the second half at T-Mobile Center. And yet, the Wildcats found a way to lose all three games by a combined total of 39 points. K-State is getting steady contributions out of David N’Guessand and Brendan Hausen, but the rest of the rotation is extremely inconsistent.

K-State game prediction

The Wildcats have won at least two conference games in every season since they joined the Big 12 in 1996.

Could that record of futility be in jeopardy in the coming year?

Anything is possible for this team. K-State is off to a 6-5 start and its best win of the early season came against George Washington, a team that is rated No. 155 in Bart Torvik’s college basketball rankings database. That isn’t a good omen when you consider that all 16 teams in the Big 12 are rated No. 101 or higher. And 12 are rated inside the top 64.

Torvik projects K-State to win six games in the upcoming gauntlet known as the new 20-game Big 12 basketball schedule. But the Wildcats only figure to be favored in three games the rest of the way.

Perhaps Tang can find something within his team to play inspired basketball during conference play. But things are about to get harder, not easier, for the Wildcats.

Hosting Cincinnati is not an easy way to start Big 12 play.

The Bearcats don’t seem like a good matchup for the Wildcats, as they defend the 3-point line well and score at will inside the paint behind its big and talented front court.

Hausen will need to get hot from the 3-point line for K-State to win this game. It’s hard to see that happening against one of the best perimeter defenses in the country.

Until K-State can prove it’s capable of beating a solid team, there is no reason to expect a victory in this type of game.

Cincinnati 74, K-State 66

Last game prediction: K-State 75, Wichita State 69

Actual score: Wichita State 84, K-State 65

Season record: 7-4

Season record ATS: 4-7

Season record O/U: 6-5.

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.