Kansas State gears up for its 13th game of conference play on Tuesday against Baylor, looking to end its longest losing streak of the season and avoid a seventh consecutive loss.
But against head coach Jerome Tang’s former team, nothing comes easy.
Things looked different the last time out
In Kansas State’s last outing against No. 3 Houston, the Wildcats defied all odds – literally. The betting odds were off, the widely expected blowout never came, and the Wildcats looked like a team that came out firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately for fans in The Little Apple, it was still another double-digit loss tallied into an ever-growing column.
But something was different – there were no names on the backs of the jerseys, no selfish expectations and a team that showed up to play. And play they did.
The Wildcats matched Houston’s second-half efficiency, scoring 45 points after being held to just 19 in the first 20 minutes of play. Three scorers ended the game in double figures with Nate Johnson and Taj Manning combining for 22 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists.
PJ Haggerty led the team in scoring for the 14th consecutive game, logging 23 points and remaining as one of the nation’s leading scorers atop the list with fellow Big 12 star and projected first round pick AJ Dybantsa.
Compare that to K-State’s loss against Cincinnati, and the difference is night and day.
Scouting Baylor: Another team fighting to steal a tournament bid
The Bears enter Tuesday’s game against K-State on a three-game losing streak, but the stats tell a different story. All three losses came against opponents ranked in the AP Poll.
Their first loss against then-No. 7 Iowa State came 72-69, the second at home in Waco against then-No. 22 BYU 99-94, and the most recent against No. 24 Louisville 82-71.
Saturday’s loss against the Cardinals was the team’s worst since Feb. 4 against Cincinnati, a game the Bears lost 67-57 to the same team that shot lights out against K-State in its last home matchup.
Freshman guard Tounde Yessoufou scored a season-high 37 points against BYU, the second game in a row that he played all 40 minutes as a starter.
Speaking of Cincinnati, Bearcats’ transfer Dan Skillings Jr. is among one of four players averaging in double figures this season with 10.4 points per game. Cameron Carr and Obi Agbim also rank near the top of that list, Carr at 19.2 points and Agbim with 11.1.
Last time out against Kansas State, Drew and the Bears advanced in the Big 12 Tournament with a 70-56 victory. In its last game against the Wildcats inside Bramlage Coliseum, Baylor was handed a 68-64 overtime loss.
The Outlook
If the Wildcats can get the ball rolling in a similar way to Saturday’s game against the Cougars, buckle up. This one could go either way.
Expect a highly competitive, back-and-forth competition between two teams aiming to boost their respective resumes and earn higher seeding in this year’s Big 12 Tournament.
Score Prediction: Kansas State 70, Baylor 66
More Kansas State News
Bookmark Jug of Snyder and follow us on X with the username @JugofSnyder and Facebook @ksujugofsnyder.