In theory, the Big 12’s first-place team should be able to go into the arena of the league’s eighth-place team and win with relative ease. But you know what they say about rivalry games, and Kansas enters Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown at Kansas State looking for its first win against Bruce Weber’s Wildcats in Bramlage Coliseum since Perry Ellis’ freshman year.
*(Insert your When was that? 1992?-type joke here.)*
At 15-11 overall and 4-9 in the Big 12, the Wildcats aren’t particularly impressive. Still, just two weeks ago they shocked Oklahoma in Manhattan, 80-69.
Ranked No. 44 in the nation by kenpom.com, college hoops’ math wizard actually really likes K-State’s defense, which ranks ninth in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The No. 2-ranked Jayhawks (22-4, 10-3) know the Wildcats compete on defense and on the glass. K-State made KU look awful on the boards in Allen Fieldhouse, as Kansas got out-rebounded 36-21 in an 18-point home win.
Kansas State had similar success while knocking off Oklahoma. The Sooners lost the battle of the boards, 36-29. But the Wildcats really won that game by taking away OU’s 3-pointers. The Sooners only made 6 of 24 from deep at Bramlage and shot a miserable 11.1% in the second half.
If K-State can control the glass again versus Kansas and duplicate the 3-point defense it played against Oklahoma, that’s a great recipe for an upset with the Wildcats’ rabid fan base providing moral support.
Obviously, Weber’s team isn’t unbeatable at home. K-State’s three Bramlage losses all came against ranked teams: West Virginia, 87-83 (2OT), Iowa State, 76-63, and Baylor, 82-72.
We’ll find out Saturday if Kansas can join that bunch or if K-State will win 3 consecutive home games against KU for the first time since 1981-83.
Now it’s time to get reacquainted with the Wildcats Bill Self’s Jayhawks will have to keep in check to maintain sole possession of first place in the Big 12.
**KANSAS STATE STARTERS**
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*No. 25 — G/F Wesley Iwundu | 6-7, 210, jr.*
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*– Feb. 3 at KU: 15 points, 5/7 FGs, 1/2 3s, 4/4 FTs, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers, 1 steal in 37 minutes*
– K-State’s most versatile player, junior Wesley Iwundu averages 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
– Iwundu has led the Wildcats in scoring 7 times, in assists 13 times and in rebounding 5 times this season.
– Against Oklahoma, Iwundu poured in 22 points, a personal career best in a Big 12 game. He also led K-State with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in the upset.
– Iwundu has only hit 6 of his 26 attempts from 3-point range (23.1%) this season. He’s improved a little in Big 12 play: 4 of 13 (30.8%).
– Leads K-State in free-throw attempts but is shooting 68.5% (85 of 124).
*No. 14 — G Justin Edwards | 6-4, 200, sr.*
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*– Feb. 3 at KU: 2 points, 1/9 FGs, 0/3 3s, 6 rebounds (2 offensive), 1 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal in 31 minutes*
– The only senior in K-State’s starting lineup, Justin Edwards barely trails Iwundu for the team lead in scoring (12.0 points) and adds 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists, as well.
– Edwards scored a game-high 17 points at TCU this week in a rare road win for the inconsistent Wildcats.
– In Big 12 games, Edwards leads the team in points (11.3), rebounding, (5.6) and steals (2.1).
– Ten times in Big 12 play, Edwards has swiped 2 or more steals.
– On the year, Edwards has made 25 of 87 from 3-point range (28.7%).
– He’s an active guard on the offensive glass, averaging 2.3 a game, with a team-leading 61 offensive rebounds on the season.
*No. 32 — F Dean Wade | 6-10, 225, fr.*
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Dean Wade ties the game at 50! Watch the finish in Stillwater on ESPNews. #KStateMBB https://t.co/MjfbBuHrW5
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) February 13, 2016
*– Feb. 3 at KU: 5 points, 2/3 FGs, 1/2 FTs, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls in 26 minutes*
– Freshman big man Dean Wade comes in averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, and likely motivated to prove he can hang with the Jayhawks after a poor showing in his first collegiate game against Kansas.
– Wade stepped up against Oklahoma, scoring a career-best 17 points, even though Weber didn’t start him that game.
– The big man’s activity on defense at TCU helped him come away with 4 steals.
– Maybe one day the young post player’s long-range shooting will come around. For now, Wade is hitting just 28.8% of his 3-pointers (19 of 66). He’s actually dipped even lower in Big 12 games: 9 of 37 (24.3%).
– On 2-point attempts in conference games, Wade is converting 50.7% of the time.
– His 10 blocked shots in Big 12 games ranks 2nd on K-State.
*No. 5 — G Barry Brown | 6-3, 195, fr.*
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Coming off a key road win at TCU, Barry Brown knows the team has to do the "dirty work" on Saturday vs #2 Kansas.https://t.co/zVfOk9Y2cQ
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) February 19, 2016
*– Feb. 3 at KU: 11 points, 4/10 FGs, 3/7 3s, 0/1 FTs, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals in 28 minutes off the bench*
– A freshman guard who is gaining steam of late, Barry Brown averages 9.0 points on the season, and recently got promoted to the starting lineup.
– Brown started the first game of his career in K-State’s upset win over OU.
– In the past week, Brown averaged 13 points in road games at Oklahoma State and TCU. He nailed 6 of 11 3-pointers in those games, as K-State went 1-1.
– Before moving to the starting 5, Brown led K-State in scoring from the bench in 5 games.
– In Big 12 games, Brown averages 11.2 points.
– Now that Kamau Stokes is out with an injury, Brown has caught up with Stokes for the team lead in 3-pointers. Brown is shooting 34.7% from beyond the arc: 35 of 101.
*No. 4 — F D.J. Johnson | 6-9, 250, jr.*
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*– Feb. 3 at KU: 9 points, 3/4 FGs, 3/4 FTs, 4 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 5 fouls in 12 minutes*
– K-State’s bruiser in the paint, junior D.J. Johnson averages 8 points and 5 boards, while leading the team in field-goal%, at 63.3%.
– Johnson’s numbers have come in less than 20 minutes a game, as he eased back into playing after sitting out the previous season with a broken foot.
– A starter in K-State’s last 4 games, Johnson has averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while hitting 62% of his shots since the change.
– Put up a career-high 19 points and led K-State with 8 rebounds against Baylor, in a 10-point home loss.
– When K-State knocked off Oklahoma, Johnson contributed 12 points off 5-for-6 shooting and grabbed 8 rebounds.
– Johnson has a team-best 13 blocks in Big 12 games.
– With 60 offensive boards on the season, Johnson is averaging 2.4 a game in just 19.6 minutes a game.
**KANSAS STATE BENCH**
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*No. 41 — F Stephen Hurt | 6-11, 265, sr.*
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*– Feb. 3 at KU: 14 points, 6/13 FGs, 0/4 3s, 2/4 FTs, 11 rebounds (4 offensive), 4 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal in 28 minutes as a starter*
– A former starter, senior big man Stephen Hurt averages 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds on the season. However, he more than doubled both of those numbers against Kansas earlier this month.
– Hurt enjoys taking jumpers but has made just 11 of 41 from behind the 3-point line (26.8%).
– While his minutes are down in K-State’s past 3 games (11.7 a game), Weber figures to use him more against Kansas, given his success in the first meeting.
*No. 1 — G Carlbe Ervin II | 6-3, 205, jr.*
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Carlbe Ervin with the floater. Tune into @ESPNU now to watch the Cats take on #17 Iowa State. https://t.co/R5tpZn8T5D
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) January 16, 2016
*– Feb. 3 at KU: 0 points, 0/6 FGs, 0/1 3s, 3 rebounds (2 offensive), 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 4 fouls in 21 minutes as a starter*
– A substitute role player, junior Carlbe Ervin II averages 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds, and actually has started 5 games this season.
– In 2 of his last 3 games, Ervin has grabbed 3 offensive rebounds. He’s averaging 4.7 boards in his last 3 games.
– Beginning with K-State’s trip to KU, Ervin has struggled from the field. In his last 5 games, he has only made 2 of 15 shot attempts (13.3%).
– Ervin has made just 3 of 22 from 3-point range this year (13.6%).
*No. 35 — F Austin Budke | 6-6, 220, jr.*
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This Austin Budke 3 has helped @KStateSports to an early 14-7 lead in the ???? Showdown. https://t.co/VP5rQG71it
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 4, 2016
*– Feb. 3 at KU: 3 points, 1/1 FGs, 1/1 3s, 1 (offensive) rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover in 13 minutes off the bench*
– Another role player, junior Austin Budke averages just 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds.
– The walk-on has played in every game, averaging just 13.8 minutes.
– Budke has hit 50% of his shots in Big 12 games, but only 1 of 3 from deep (he made his lone 3 vs. KU).
