K-State Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears: Big 12 basketball game time, TV, odds & pick
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K‑State begins interim era under Matthew Driscoll after Tang’s dismissal for cause.
- Baylor favored despite inconsistent play and a three‑game losing skid.
- Game could affect Baylor’s NCAA hopes and K‑State’s turbulent season finish.
The Kansas State men’s basketball team will play its first game without Jerome Tang this season when it hosts Baylor at 8 p.m. Tuesday inside Bramlage Coliseum.
Interim head coach Matthew Driscoll will lead the team for the remainder of the season now that Tang has been fired.
The Wildcats (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) have lost their past six games. The Bears (23-12, 3-9 Big 12) have lost three in a row.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff:
K-State vs. Baylor game details
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Odds: Baylor by 3.5 with an O/U of 159.5.
Probable starters
Baylor (13-12, 3-9 Big 12)
- C (44) — Caden Powell, 6-9, Sr., 6.7 ppg
- G (10) — Isaac Williams, 6-1, So., 9.8
- G (5) — Obi Agbim, 6-3, Sr., 11.1
- G (43) — Cameron Carr, 6-5, So., 19.2
- G (24) — Tounde Yessoufou, 6-5, Fr., 18.4
Kansas State (10-15, 1-11 Big 12)
- F (21) — Khamari McGriff, 6-9, Sr., 9.5
- F (15) — Taj Manning, 6-7, Jr., 3.7
- G (34) — Nate Johnson, 6-3, Sr., 11.1
- G (10) — David Castillo, 6-1, So., 11.4
- G (4) — PJ Haggerty, 6-4, Jr., 23.3
About Baylor:
It’s been a long season for the Bears. Baylor has played well below its usual standards during the Scott Drew era, as it resides near the bottom of the Big 12 standings. This team needs a major late-season turnaround to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Bears have shown flashes of brilliance on offense, behind the elite scoring numbers of Cameron Carr and Younde Yessoufou, but they don’t do anything else special.
About K-State:
The Wildcats are in turmoil. Not only are they stuck in last place of the Big 12 standings, but they are also now playing with an interim head coach. Jerome Tang was dismissed “for cause” over the weekend. Many are now focused on the legal battle around his $18.7 million buyout. But the Wildcats still have six games to play, plus the Big 12 Tournament, with Matthew Driscoll at the controls.
K-State has lost six straight games, but it did play with admirable levels of effort last time out against Houston.
K-State game prediction:
It will be fascinating to see the Wildcats play with an interim coach.
Driscoll has two decades of experience as a head coach, and he once guided North Florida to the NCAA Tournament. He won’t be intimidated by anything that happens to him or K-State while he is in the lead chair.
It’s possible that K-State will play better with him at the controls. It’s not like they were playing well under Tang.
Maybe a coaching change will light a fire under this team. Or maybe not. It’s a complete unknown.
Still, Baylor is the deserved favorite in this game. The Bears haven’t played well this season, but they have put it together in random spots for convincing wins over Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Colorado. They also recently played Iowa State and BYU within single digits.
Given how poorly K-State has played at home this season, the Bears are my pick to win.
Baylor 83, K-State 78
Last game prediction: Houston 88, K-State 58 ✅ (actual score: Houston 78, K-State 64)
Season record: 17-8.
Season record ATS: 11-14.
Season record O/U: 18-7.