How to watch
Channel: ESPN+ I Fubo TV
Date: Saturday, January 20
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Radio: K-State Sports Network
Venue: Bramlage Coliseum
All-time history
- Kansas State leads the all-time series 86-58 over Oklahoma State
- Kansas State has won the last two matchups
- In the last 10 matchups, each team has won five games
- Kansas State is 43-18 when playing Oklahoma State at home
Odds
By no surprise, Kansas State is favored in this matchup. The Wildcats are an 8.5-point favorite by Vegas with the line being set at 110. This is an interesting line because, in their last two games, the Wildcats have been under.
I am going to go with Vegas and say K-State will win this game, but I am going to take the over on this line. I do believe K-State's defense will dominate the Cowboys, but I think this will be the perfect game for the Wildcats to explode offensively. Oklahoma State has the No. 13 defense in the Big 12 and when K-State went up against West Virginia, which is the No. 14 ranked defense, the Cats put up 81 points.
So I am going to take the Wildcats in this and take over for this game.
Key matchups
I may sound like a broken record at this point, but Cam Carter and Tylor Perry are key to a Wildcat win any game. However, I will add a few names here that may surprise you. I have spoken about Arthur Kaluma, who had a nice game against Baylor, but Jerome Tang went deeper into his bench than he had all season against the Bears.
Going forward, teams are going to key in more on Carter and Perry, so I think two players to watch in this game will be Dorian Finister and Jerrell Colbert. Finister played nearly 20 minutes in the game against Baylor. He didn't light up the scoreboard, only scoring five points, but he made plays when it was needed most.
Finister played only 14 minutes during non-conference play, but in conference play, he has seen his time on the court rise, playing an average of 20 minutes a game. The young redshirt freshman brings youth and energy to the court, as seen with his booming alley-oop dunk against Baylor.
Colbert is a transfer from LSU that brings height and power to the team. As the second tallest player on the court, only behind Will McNair Jr., Colbert brings a presence in the paint, especially if McNair finds himself in foul trouble.
Kansas State does need to watch out for Javon Small, the Cowboys' leading scorer. The junior guard has the power to drive the ball to basketball and score with contact. Small leads the team with 224 points, averaging 14 points a game, and is a solid three-point shooter.
Prediction
Oklahoma State is struggling right now, they are currently at the bottom of the league with an 8-9 record, 0-4 in the Big 12. The Cowboys are hungry for their first conference win. Kansas State is riding high after their big win over Baylor. The Wildcats can not let this be a trap game, they need to protect their home court and get business done.
I believe Jerome Tang will bring his team in ready to play and get better. I am going to take the Wildcats in this one, their defense will be all over Oklahoma State. I think Carter and Perry will play well, but I see Finister playing a lot of minutes and putting up numbers for the Wildcats.