K-State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones: TV, time and Big 12 Tournament prediction
The Kansas State Wildcats will get another opportunity to improve their postseason resume when they take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 6 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, plus a score prediction:
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Mo.)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Iowa State by 7.5
Over/Under: 132.5
STARTING LINEUPS
P | No. | Iowa State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 22 | Milan Momcilovic | 6-8 | Fr. | 10.9 |
F | 12 | Robert Jones | 6-10 | Sr. | 8.0 |
F | 0 | Tre King | 6-7 | Sr. | 9.2 |
G | 3 | Tamin Lipsey | 6-1 | So. | 12.5 |
G | 10 | Keshon Gilbert | 6-4 | Jr. | 13.5 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 20 | Jerrell Colbert | 6-10 | So. | 2.7 |
G | 4 | Dai Dai Ames | 6-1 | Fr. | 4.8 |
G | 24 | Arthur Kaluma | 6-7 | Jr. | 14.7 |
G | 5 | Cam Carter | 6-3 | So. | 14.8 |
G | 2 | Tylor Perry | 5-11 | Sr. | 15.4 |
About Iowa State (24-7)
The Cyclones are coming off a road loss to the Wildcats. Iowa State got off to a hot start in that game and then struggled to compete with K-State the rest of the way. TJ Otzelberger and his team have been off since that time, so it will benefit from a rest advantage in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. The Cyclones are a lock for the NCAA Tournament. A few victories in Kansas City will boost their seed.
About Kansas State (19-13)
The Wildcats are coming off a comeback victory against Texas in which they rallied from 10 points down in the second half to advance in the Big 12 Tournament. K-State exploded for 49 points after halftime with Tylor Perry, Arthur Kaluma, David N’Guessan and Dai Dai Ames all turning in impressive stat lines. K-State will need to play well again to give itself a shot at the NCAA Tournament. A win over Iowa State would make it a serious contender.
Iowa State vs. K-State prediction
Don’t let Jerome Tang and the Wildcats get hot this time of year.
That could be a good motto for any team still alive in the Big 12 Tournament, or any team fighting for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
If last season taught us anything it’s that Tang knows how to build off momentum once he tastes victory in the postseason. After the Wildcats defeated Montana State in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament they went out and beat Kentucky and Michigan State in the next two rounds.
Maybe this K-State team is capable of going on a similar run this week, albeit on a smaller scale in Kansas City.
It won’t be easy. Up next is a challenging game against Iowa State, which is ranked inside the top 10 and is always hard to beat at T-Mobile Center.
These teams split their Farmageddon series in the regular season with Iowa State winning in Ames and K-State winning in Manhattan.
The rubber match may come down to turnovers. No team in the Big 12 forces more turnovers than the Cyclones. No team in the Big 12 commits more turnovers in the Big 12 than the Wildcats. If Iowa State can take advantage of that mismatch, then it should win this game. But K-State limited its turnovers against Texas on Wednesday. Maybe it can also take care of the ball against Iowa State.
Iowa State will also benefit from a rest advantage. But K-State is coming off a win. That may not be much of a factor.
Expect a low-scoring game between two teams that play excellent defense. The spread of 7.5 seems too high with an over/under of just 132.5.
The Wildcats should take this game down to the wire, and maybe even make a game-winning shot at the end.
K-State 65, Iowa State 64
Last game prediction: Texas 74, K-State 68 (Actual result: K-State 78, Texas 74)
Season Record: 24-8
Season Record ATS: 16-16
Season Record O/U: 21-11
