K-State Wildcats vs. TCU Horned Frogs basketball game prediction: What to know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State seeks to end a three-game skid at TCU with upset potential.
- TCU is streaky, strong defensively and can punish opponents in transition.
- Outcome hinges on K-State ball security and TCU success in transition.
The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to end its losing streak when it returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday against TCU at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth.
The Wildcats (10-12, 1-8 Big 12) are coming off a loss to Iowa State. The Horned Frogs (13-9, 3-6 Big 12) lost their last game against Colorado.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff:
K-State vs. TCU game details
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth
TV: TNT
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Odds: TCU by 9.5 with an O/U of 153.5.
Probable starters
TCU (13-9, 3-6 Big 12)
- F (24) — Xavier Edmonds, 6-8, Jr., 12.0 ppg
- F (15) — David Punch, 6-7, So., 14.3
- G (3) — Liutauras Lelevicius, 6-7, Jr., 8.0
- G (1) — Jayden Pierre, 6-0, Sr., 10.5
- G (2) — Brock Harding, 6-0, Jr., 8.6
Kansas State (10-12, 1-8 Big 12)
- C (22) — Dorin Buca, 7-2, Jr., 3.5
- F (15) — Taj Manning, 6-7, Jr., 3.4
- G (34) — Nate Johnson, 6-3, Sr., 11.2
- G (10) — David Castillo, 6-1, So., 11.7
- G (4) — PJ Haggerty, 6-4, Jr., 23.0
About TCU:
The Horned Frogs have been a difficult team to predict this season. They have bizarre losses to New Orleans, Utah and Colorado, but they have also defeated Florida and Wisconsin. They also own a pair of wins over Baylor and pushed Kansas and Michigan to the buzzer in narrow losses. Which TCU team shows up for this game? Good question. The Frogs have been solid on defense all season, as they force turnovers and block shots at a high clip. But they don’t do anything special on offense. David Punch leads the team in scoring.
About K-State:
The Wildcats have lost three straight games and eight of their past nine. They are slumping hard against Big 12 competition. There is a chance that Elias Rapieque and/or Khamari McGriff could return from injuries in the near future, which could give K-State a needed boost in the front court. Dorin Buca, Taj Manning and Marcus Johnson have been playing extra minutes without them in the lineup. PJ Haggerty is averaging 23 points per game. Jerome Tang has challenged his other guards to help him on offense by making more shots.
K-State game prediction:
Unlike last weekend against Iowa State, K-State will enter this game with legitimate hopes of pulling off an upset.
The Wildcats haven’t been competitive with the best teams in the Big 12 this season. But they have played hard against the rest of the conference.
If K-State can avoid sloppy turnovers and limit TCU in transition, this should be a close game.
Still, Schollmaier Arena has not been kind to the Wildcats under Tang. He has lost both of his previous visits to Fort Worth.
This game comes down to which team shows up ... on both sides.
When TCU plays well, it is capable of playing like a NCAA Tournament team. Note its wins over Baylor, Florida and Wisconsin in addition to a pair of close calls against Kansas and Michigan. But this is also a team that is capable of losing to New Orleans and getting blown out by Colorado.
K-State has also played well enough to challenge Oklahoma State and West Virginia on the road in conference play. But it has also lost three league games by double digits.
If the Wildcats can get hot from 3-point range and force the Horned Frogs to score out of half-court sets, this game will go down to the wire. But the Frogs will be in control if they can score in transition and get their home crowd behind them.
I can see this game unfolding in many different ways, but the most likely scenario seems like a close TCU win.
TCU 77, K-State 72
Last game prediction: Iowa State 84, K-State 66 ✅ (actual score: Iowa State 95, K-State 61)
Season record: 15-7.
Season record ATS: 10-12.
Season record O/U: 16-6.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 10:16 AM.