K-State Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds and pick
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State hosts No. 10 BYU in Big 12 opener Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
- BYU enters 12-1 with AJ Dybantsa leading offense; bookmakers list BYU -3.5.
- Wildcats rely on perimeter shooting and Jerome Tang’s 3-0 Big 12 opener record.
The most exciting, and meaningful, portion of the regular season is about to begin for the Kansas State men’s basketball team.
K-State (9-4) will play host to BYU (12-1) in the Big 12 opener for both teams at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday inside Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats have won four consecutive games to enter conference play with momentum and hopes of a NCAA Tournament berth. But their schedule is about to get much tougher. The No. 10 Cougars are one of the best teams in the country, led by star freshman AJ Dybantsa.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff:
K-State vs. BYU Game details
When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
TV: CBS Sports
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Odds: BYU by 7.5 with an O/U of 172.5.
Probable starters
BYU (12-1)
- F (3) — AJ Dybantsa, 6-9, Fr., 23.1 ppg
- F (13) — Keba Keita, 6-8, Sr., 6.8
- G (30) — Kennard Davis, 6-6, Jr., 8.4
- G (15) — Richie Saunders, 6-5, Sr., 18.6
- G (1) — Robert Wright, 6-1, So., 16.2
Kansas State (9-4)
- F (21) — Khamari McGriff, 6-9, Sr., 10.1
- F (0) — Elias Rapieque, 6-9, Jr., 3.8
- G (34) — Nate Johnson, 6-3, Sr., 12.4
- G (1) — Abdi Bashir, 6-7, Jr., 12.8
- G (4) — PJ Haggerty, 6-4, Jr., 22.9
About BYU:
The Cougars are expected to contend for a Big 12 championship this season. BYU brought back two talented players, in Keba Keita and Richie Saunders, for a strong foundation in the starting lineup. Then BYU added Robert Wright and AJ Dybantsa to the mix. Few teams in the country feature a better mix of experience and talent. Under head coach Kevin Young, the Cougars have been strong on offense. They are currently shooting 36.8% from 3-point range, 59.4% from 2-point range and 75.6% from the free-throw line. Three BYU players average more than 16 points per game. But they are also solid on defense.
About K-State:
The Wildcats have won four straight games thanks to an offense that continues to thrive beyond the 3-point line. K-State is making 39.9% of its shots outside the arc, which has also opened up space in the paint for the Wildcats to make 56.4% of their 2-pointers. PJ Haggerty is the team’s leading scorer. David Castillo, Taj Manning and Dorin Buca have given K-State a lift off the bench in recent games. The Wildcats will need that to continue as they face stronger competition in the Big 12.
K-State game prediction:
While I can see this game going a number of different ways, I am going to roll the dice and pick K-State to pull off an upset.
Why?
Here are the two biggest reasons:
1. Jerome Tang is 3-0 in Big 12 openers, with victories over Cincinnati, UCF and West Virginia during his three years as K-State’s head coach. He knows how to prepare the Wildcats for this moment.
2. BYU hasn’t played a true road game all season. The Cougars have played high-profile games against Villanova, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Miami and Clemson, but all of those matchups were on neutral courts. Their last four games were at home. For that reason, the Octagon of Doom could provide a larger home-court advantage than usual for the Wildcats.
This also figures to be a high-scoring game. K-State loves to run and shoot from the perimeter. BYU is no different. The Wildcats are 7-0 when they score at least 90 points this season. If Abdi Bashir, PJ Haggerty and David Castillo make a few early 3-pointers, this will have the makings of a shootout that K-State can win.
Of course, it’s also possible that BYU is simply better than K-State and none of the reasons I mentioned above will prevent the visiting team from winning this game. The Cougars pulverized the Wildcats 80-65 in Provo last season. They also have a top-50 defense that doesn’t allow opponents to easily get to the free-throw line.
BYU could reel off multiple 10-0 runs in a flash, in which case K-State will have virtually no chance.
Still, K-State is a volatile team that is bound to knock off a few ranked teams with its outside shooting in Big 12 play. It could happen on Saturday.
K-State 92, BYU 88
Last game prediction: K-State 112, ULM 76 ✅(actual score: K-State 94, ULM 85)
Season record: 9-4.
Season record ATS: 6-7.
Season record O/U: 10-3.
This story was originally published January 2, 2026 at 12:43 PM.