K-State Wildcats vs. KU Jayhawks: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds and pick
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tipoff Saturday 7 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum; FOX will televise; KU favored by 5.5.
- Kansas rides a three-game win streak; defense holds opponents to 28.8% from deep.
- K-State short multiple rotation players (Bashir out); must rely on defense; pick KU 82-74.
Round 1 of this year’s Sunflower Showdown basketball rivalry will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State (10-9, 1-5 Big 12) enters the game fresh off a much-needed victory over Utah. Kansas (14-5, 4-2 Big 12) has won three in a row.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff:
K-State vs. KU game details
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
TV: FOX
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Odds: KU by 5.5 with an O/U of 160.5.
Probable starters
Kansas (14-5, 4-2 Big 12)
- F (40) — Flory Bidunga, 6-10, So., 14.1 ppg
- F (15) — Bryson Tiller, 6-11, Fr., 7.9
- G (14) — Melvin Council, 6-4, Sr., 13.5
- G (3) — Tre White, 6-7, Sr., 15.0
- G (22) — Darryn Peterson, 6-6, Fr., 21.6
Kansas State (10-9, 1-5 Big 12)
- F (21) — Khamari McGriff, 6-9, Sr., 10.2
- F (15) — Taj Manning, 6-7, Jr., 3.3
- G (34) — Nate Johnson, 6-3, Sr., 11.6
- G (10) — David Castillo, 6-1, So., 11.8
- G (4) — PJ Haggerty, 6-4, Jr., 23.4
About Kansas:
The Jayhawks got off to a slow start in Big 12 play, but they have since reeled off three straight victories (over Iowa State, Baylor and Colorado) to move to 4-2 in the conference. Bill Self is expected to coach for Kansas this weekend after missing the Colorado game with a brief health scare. Darryn Peterson suffered an ankle sprain against the Buffaloes, and his status for Saturday is not yet known. He is averaging 21.6 points game. Flory Bidunga should pose some problems for K-State on the inside. The Jayhawks are at their best on defense, allowing teams to shoot just 28.8% from beyond the arc and 45.2% from within the arc.
About K-State:
The Wildcats picked up their first win in Big 12 play earlier this week when they outlasted Utah 81-78 at home. They will look to build off that result when they host the rival Jayhawks on Saturday. K-State will be without Abdi Bashir. The shooting guard will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken foot. The Wildcats may also be without Khamari McGriff, Elias Rapieque and Mobi Ikegwuruka. K-State may need to rely on defense more than usual without its full rotation of players. CJ Jones and Andrej Kostic will both likely see increased playing time. Haggerty leads the team in scoring.
K-State game prediction:
The days of K-State flirting with 100 points are over.
Abdi Bashir, the team’s best 3-point shooter, isn’t available to make a bunch of shots from 3-point range. Khamari McGriff is also dealing with an injury. And even when he’s healthy, he struggles to stay out of foul trouble. The K-State offense becomes even more limited when you remove Elias Rapieque from the starting lineup.
That means the Wildcats may need to rely on their defense and win this game at a pace that doesn’t include their preferred run-and-gun style.
Can K-State pull off an upset without scoring 80 points?
Anything is possible, especially in the Sunflower Showdown. Jerome Tang is 3-0 at home against the Jayhawks for a reason. He knows how get the best out of his roster for this game. But it’s worth pointing out that the Wildcats haven’t won a single game all season when they have failed to score 81 points, going 0-5.
The Wildcats will need to find new sources of offense or play exceptional defense to beat the Jayhawks.
KU would prefer to play a defensive-minded game. The Jayhawks have allowed opponents to score an average of 64.6 points per game during their current three-game winning streak.
K-State will need to have much more success than that. But it won’t be easy. The Jayhawks should be able to play strong defense at the 3-point line and hold their own in the paint.
Kansas isn’t great on the offensive glass. Nor does it force many turnovers on defense. Those are both bonuses for Tang’s team.
Still, I don’t see the Wildcats scoring enough points to win this game.
Kansas 82, K-State 74
Last game prediction: K-State 88, Utah 80 ✅ (actual score: K-State 81, Utah 78)
Season record: 12-7.
Season record ATS: 8-11.
Season record O/U: 13-6.