K-State Basketball To Play Two Big Monday Games On ESPN

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

K-State is not expected to be the featured team in the Big 12 this year – that recognation goes to KU following a stellar recruiting class that looked to be tops in the league even before national #1 recruit Andrew Wiggins committed to the Jayhawks. Second is Oklahoma State with returning top five future NBA pick Marcus Smart. However, that doesn’t mean that the Wildcat team which tied for the Big 12 regular season title last year doesn’t carry a bit of intrigue heading into the 2013-14 season – demonstrated by the Wildcats earning a spot in two of the Big 12’s Big Monday games.

The first game comes February 10th when KU visits Bramlage Coliseum for a game that K-State has struggled to win, but always keeps interesting. The Wildcats suffered a four point defeat in Manhattan last year in one of the season’s lowest scoring games, 59-55. While K-State has struggled in Lawrence most years, the Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan is always a brutal, hard-fought affair.

The second Big Monday game will be the final regular season Big Monday match-up of the year – a trip to Oklahoma State on March 3. K-State was one of Oklahoma State’s biggest rivals last year as both teams ran neck-and-neck for both conference standings and national rankings. However, the Wildcats got the best of the Cowboys last season winning at home 73-67 to kick off Big 12 play, losing in Stillwater 76-70, but taking the rubber match in the conference tournament semifinals, 68-57.

Now that ESPN’s nationally televised Big Monday games have been officially announced, the rest of the Big basketball schedule should be forthcoming shortly.