Game time: Feb. 11, 9:00 p.m.
Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS
TV: CBS Sports
Betting line: K-State (+2.5)
O/U: 146.5
Money Line: CIN -140, KSU +116
VITALS: Kansas State wants to regroup after another ugly Big 12 loss, this time dropping an 18-point lead to TCU. They fell in the final seconds with sloppy turnovers and fouling 23 times to the tune of 22 Horned Frogs points. Haggerty ended with 30 points on 14-of-24 shooting after another huge second-half explosion. Still, he had four turnovers, one assist, and just one free-throw attempt, leaving much to be desired from his game as the head honcho.
Nevertheless, it's a team game for a reason, and others need to step up to alleviate pressure off Haggerty. Perhaps they can lean on Marcus Johnson, who had 15 points (5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range) off the bench in his first true game this season. The Wildcats face a Cincinnati team coming off a 20-point victory over UCF, so its spirits are likely high. Kansas State can match up against its lackluster offense, but will likely struggle against the Big 12's fourth-best scoring defense.
PROJECTED STARTERS
WILDCATS
G P.J. Haggerty: 23.3 PTS, 5.2 REB, 4.2 AST
G David Castillo: 11.7 PTS, 2.2 REB, 2.0 AST
G Taj Manning: 3.4 PTS, 4.4 REB, 0.6 BLK
G Nate Johnson: 11.3 PTS, 4.7 REB, 4.4 AST
F Khamari McGriff: 10.0 PTS, 4.2 REB, 1.2 BLK
BEARCATS
G Jizzle James: 11.0 PTS, 2.6 REB, 2.4 AST
G Day Day Thomas: 10.9 PTS, 3.4 REB, 3.7 AST
G Jalen Celestine: 6.7 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.1 AST
F Baba Miller: 13.6 PTS, 10.5 REB, 3.0 AST
C Moustapha Thiam: 11.0 PTS, 6.0 REB, 1.5 BLK
KEY STATS
WILDCATS
SCORING OFFENSE: 81.7 POINTS/GAME (8th in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 80.3 POINTS/GAME (14th in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 37.1% (4th in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 32.9% (8th in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 35.0 REBOUNDS/GAME (13th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 36.3 REBOUNDS/GAME (14th in Big 12)
BEARCATS
SCORING OFFENSE: 71.6 POINTS/GAME (15th in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 67.3 POINTS/GAME (4th in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 31.2% (16th in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 32.1% (6th in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 37.4 REBOUNDS/GAME (6th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 34.8 REBOUNDS/GAME (11th in Big 12)
QUOTABLE: "It tells you a lot when you’re 1-9, especially in the Big 12, these mistakes start to show that you’re not a winning basketball program at this particular time, because the habits are not there throughout the course of the game,” analyst and former CBB star Jamal Mashburn said after Kansas State's loss.
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