The Kansas State Wildcats (15-14) and the TCU Horned Frogs (11-18) bring the regular season to a close when they clash at Fred Bramlage Coliseum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and will air on EFC and ES3.
The Wildcats are hoping to rebound after their 80-61 loss to Iowa State on Saturday. D.J. Johnson was the game’s high scorer with 22 points. The Horned Frogs are coming off an 86-71 loss at the hands of Baylor on Saturday. Malique Trent led the game in scoring with 25 points.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 63-49. Justin Edwards was a top performer in the victory with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks, and one three-pointer.
The Wildcats have gone 15-14 Straight Up (SU) and 14-11-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Kansas State has averaged 64.4 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 70.5. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Kansas State in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.3 offensive boards per game. Kansas State’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 75.7 during that span, compared to its 67.6 season average. Kansas State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Wildcats allow a .306 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation. The Wildcats are the 48th-best team in the country at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 7.6 steals per game.
As for their opponent, the Horned Frogs head into the game with records of 10-14 ATS and 11-18 SU. TCU has been particularly bad ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 2-8.
The Wildcats’ win over TCU in their last game brought their SU record to 6-2 over TCU in their most recent games. The teams are even ATS, with a 4-4 record. Kansas State held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, TCU never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – KanSt, ATS Winner – KanSt
Notes
TCU scores an average of just 67.4 points per game (ranked 226th). Kansas State ranks 64th in points allowed, giving up 67.6 points per game.
In its last game, Kansas State lost by a margin of 19 points. TCU is 4-6 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Kansas State has a 5-2 record in blowouts.
The TCU Horned Frogs average 69.9 possessions per game and .964 points per possession. The Kansas State Wildcats earn fewer possessions with 68.5, but they score more points with 1.029.
Kansas State has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.0%. TCU is an abysmal 4-14 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Kansas State Wildcats attempt 17.0 three point field goals per game and the TCU Horned Frogs attempt 16.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Kansas State is 4-3, while TCU has an underachieving record of 1-5.
TCU makes 6.1 steals per game. When Kansas State allows 6 or more steals, the team has an even 9-9 record.
