Game time: Feb. 1, 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS
TV: FOX
VITALS: Kansas State is coming off another ugly loss against West Virginia. Instead of defensive lapses, it was the offense that couldn't put together a cohesive performance to defeat the Mountaineers. The Wildcats dropped to 1-7 in Big 12 play and their first losing record this season.
And it doesn't get any easier on Sunday afternoon. Iowa State is ranked eighth in the nation for a reason, excelling at stopping opposing rebounds and hitting 3-pointers. Cyclones big man Joshua Jefferson is one of the best forwards in the country, excelling at scoring, facilitating, and even perimeter defending. The Wildcats will have to try matching up with him without a chunk of their primary frontcourt players.
PROJECTED STARTERS
WILDCATS
G P.J. Haggerty: 23.0 PTS, 5.2 REB, 4.4 AST
G David Castillo: 11.8 PTS, 2.4 REB, 2.0 AST
G Nate Johnson: 11.4 PTS, 5.0 REB, 4.1 AST
G Taj Manning: 3.6 PTS, 4.4 REB, 0.7 STL
C Dorin Buca: 3.4 PTS, 3.7 REB, 1.5 BLK
CYCLONES
G Tamin Lipsey: 13.2 PTS, 3.8 REB, 5.3 AST
G Killyan Toure: 9.9 PTS, 3.9 REB, 2.6 AST
F Blake Buchanan: 8.6 PTS, 6.1 REB, 1.0 BLK
F Joshua Jefferson: 17.2 PTS, 7.8 REB, 5.1 AST
F Milan Momcilovic: 18.6 PTS, 3.1 REB, 1.0 STL
KEY STATS
WILDCATS
SCORING OFFENSE: 82.7 POINTS/GAME (8th in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 79.5 POINTS/GAME (13th in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 37.1% (4th in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 32.0% (6th in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 36.0 REBOUNDS/GAME (11th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 36.0 REBOUNDS/GAME (15th in Big 12)
CYCLONES
SCORING OFFENSE: 86.1 POINTS/GAME (3rd in Big 12)
SCORING DEFENSE: 65.0 POINTS/GAME (3rd in Big 12)
TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING: 40.6% (1st in Big 12)
OPPONENT 3-POINT SHOOTING: 31.7% (3rd in Big 12)
REBOUNDING: 36.8 REBOUNDS/GAME (10th in Big 12)
OPPONENT REBOUNDING: 30.1 REBOUNDS/GAME (1st in Big 12)
QUOTABLE: "Brutal and whatever a better word for 'exciting' is," Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said about the challenge of playing in the Big 12. "You get fired up. We went to Arizona and played the No. 1 team in the country, and we still have to play Houston, Iowa State, Texas Tech, you know? You get those kinds of challenges, and you just gotta love it as a competitor right to go against that."
DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.