Big 12 foes will clash when the Kansas State Wildcats (15-12) face off against the No. 24 Texas Longhorns (17-10) at Fred Bramlage Coliseum. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Wildcats fell to Kansas 72-63 on Saturday. Stephen Hurt had a good game, contributing 13 points, nine rebounds, and two steals for Kansas State. The Longhorns, meanwhile, are coming off a 78-64 loss against Baylor on Saturday. Shaquille Cleare led the team in scoring with 14 points.
The Wildcats could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank 23rd in the nation in OR% at 36.9%. Conversely, Texas places 301st in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 67.4%. Also, the Longhorns commit the 33rd-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 15.9%), while the disruptive defense of the Wildcats causes the 33rd-most (opponents’ TO% of 21.6%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Longhorns winning the first matchup 60-57. Isaiah Taylor had a stellar game with 17 points, two rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block, and one three-pointer.
The Wildcats come into this game 15-12 Straight Up (SU) and 14-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 8-2 ATS. 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 three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game.
Across the court, the Longhorns have 17-10 SU and 13-13 ATS records. The Texas defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 35th in Division I with only 68.3 points allowed per road game.
The Longhorns’ win over Kansas State in their last clash took the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The Wildcats lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Texas held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Kansas State never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – KanSt, ATS Winner – KanSt
Notes
Kansas State scores an average of just 70.9 points per game (ranked 181st). Texas ranks 71st in points allowed, giving up 67.9 points per game.
Kansas State scores just 74.8 points per home game (ranked 154th). Texas ranks 35th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.3 points.
The Kansas State Wildcats have a defensive rating of 98.0 (ranked 55th), while the Texas Longhorns have an offensive rating of 108.3 (ranked 116th).
The Texas Longhorns average a field goal percentage of 43.7% this season. The Kansas State Wildcats have an abysmal record of 3-9 when opponents have a FG% of 43.7% or greater.
The Kansas State Wildcats rank higher based on their field goal percentage (249th) than their effective field goal percentage (293rd). The Texas Longhorns rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (191st) than their field goal percentage (200th).
Texas, the 54th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.6 per game. Kansas State does worse, ranked 258th with 2.7.
The Kansas State Wildcats make an average of 7.7 steals per game. When the Texas Longhorns allow 7 or more steals, they are a solid 5-2.
