No. 13 Kansas will kick off the second half of the Big 12 season with an in-state showdown.
KU will travel to Kansas State Tuesday night for a game that could have huge implications on the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats (16-5, 6-2 Big 12) have won six league games in a row, and are currently tied with Baylor atop the conference standings.
The Jayhawks (17-5, 6-3) have lost three of their four road games during the Big 12 slate.
Kansas is coming off a 79-63 win over Texas Tech, while K-State claimed a 75-57 victory over Oklahoma State this past weekend.
Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m.
Series history: KU leads the overall series with Kansas State, 196-93, including a 26-4 record in Bramlage Coliseum. KU has won the last eight matchups and since Feb. 12, 1994, Kansas has won 57 of the last 62 meetings with K-State
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**BREAKING DOWN KANSAS STATE**
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**TOP PLAYER**
*No. 32 — F Dean Wade | 6-10, 228, sr.*
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Spoiler alert: Kansas State is a better team when the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year is on the floor.
K-State is averaging 67.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 32.8 percent from 3-point range, in the 15 games with Wade in the lineup, while the team is averaging just 59.7 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range, in the six games without him. The Wildcats are 12-3 this season with Wade, who is averaging with 14.3 points per game.
Wade has averaged 13.3 points on 49.3 percent shooting, including 45 percent from 3-point range, in seven career starts against Kansas.
**SUPPORTING CAST**
*No. 5 — G Barry Brown | 6-3, 195, sr.*
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On both ends of the floor, Brown has been a key contributor for the Wildcats throughout his career.
Brown is pacing K-State with an average of 15.3 points per game, and he’s consistently stealing passes on the defensive end. Brown’s 231 career steals currently rank seventh in Big 12 history. He’s also played in 126 consecutive games for K-State, and is one shy of tying Steven Henson’s school record of 127, which was set from 1986-90.
Not long ago, Brown orchestrated K-State’s school-record 21-point comeback in a victory over West Virginia. He scored a season-high 29 points, while recording a career-best six steals in the win.
*No. 3 — G Kamau Stokes | 6-0, 170, sr.*
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Stokes is averaging 9.9 points per game and 3.5 assists per contests for Kansas State.
Like his senior teammates Brown and Wade, Stokes ranks among the all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including fourth in assists (375), seventh in 3-point field goals made (176) and steals (118), while he is just outside the top-10 in minutes played (3,162).
With 25 more assists, Stokes could become just the third Wildcat in school history to eclipse 400 assists, joining all-time leader Steve Henson (582; 1986-90) and Jacob Pullen (455; 2007-11).
*No. 20 — F Xavier Sneed | 6-5, 220, jr.*
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In his junior season, Sneed is averaging 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
Since missing the opener against Kennesaw State, Sneed has scored in double figures in 10 of the last 20 games, including a season-high 18 points on 6-of-9 field goals in the win over TCU on Jan. 19.
As a sophomore, Sneed averaged 11.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.
**ONE THING KANSAS STATE DOES WELL**
Texas Tech coach Chris Beard called K-State the best defensive team in the Big 12, and the numbers would suggest KSU is in the conversation. The Wildcats are boasting an 87.9 adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com, which ranks fifth in all of college basketball.
**ONE AREA KANSAS STATE STRUGGLES**
The Wildcats have not been a good offensive team this season, and have particularly struggled shooting the ball from deep. Kansas State is shooting 32.3 percent from long range, which is 263rd in the nation.
**MEET THE COACH**
K-State is coached by Bruce Weber, who is 141-85 in his seventh season at KSU and 454-240 in his 21st season overall.
**VEGAS SAYS…**
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As of Tuesday afternoon, Kansas State is an 1.5-point favorite over Kansas. The Jayhawks have struggled on the road this year, but they have also won their last eight games against the Wildcats. It feels like KU needs this game more than most, so I’ll always pick Bill Self in these situations.
**My prediction:** Kansas 69, Kansas State 64
