(24) Kansas State (18-7) at Baylor (17-8)
FACTS & STATS: Site: Ferrell Center (10,284) -- Waco, Texas. Television: Fox SportsNet South. Home Record: Kansas St. 14-1, Baylor 10-3. Away Record: Kansas St. 2-3, Baylor 4-4. Neutral Record: Kansas St. 2-3, Baylor 3-1. Conference Record: Kansas St. 8-3, Baylor 5-6. Series Record: Kansas State leads, 10-8.
GAME NOTES: The 24th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats will attempt to salvage something from their current two-game road trip, as they stop off in Waco this evening, for a Big 12 contest against the Baylor Bears. The Wildcats have struggled to find consistency of late, splitting their last six games. On Wednesday, the team was in Lincoln, where it dropped a 71-64 decision to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The loss dropped KSU to 8-3 in league play, leaving the team a game behind both Kansas (9-2) and Texas (9-2) in the conference standings. The Bears have played well overall, but league play has been a real problem of late. Baylor is in the middle of the pack in-conference with a 5-6 league ledger, but has dropped four straight games and six of its last seven overall, including a heart-breaking 92-91 overtime setback at Oklahoma on Tuesday. KSU holds a slim 10-8 edge in the all-time series with Baylor. The Bears are a solid 10-3 at home this year, while Kansas State has lost three straight road games.
Freshman phenom Michael Beasley recorded his 22nd double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but that had to be considered a good defensive effort by Nebraska against the 6-10 manchild. With the performance, Beasley tied Carmelo Anthony's NCAA freshman record for double-doubles in a season. Three other Wildcats finished in double figures in the game, with Jacob Pullen netting 15 points, followed by Bill Walker (12 pts) and Blake Young (10 pts). Still, the Wildcats shot just .431 from the floor overall and turned the ball over 14 times, while putting up just 64 points. The numbers on the year have been much better, with KSU averaging a hardy 80.1 ppg and outrebounding foes by 9.4 caroms per game. Beasley has been unstoppable, leading the Big 12 in scoring (25.4 ppg) and the entire nation in rebounding (12.5 rpg). He is also pacing the team in both blocks (40) and steals (35). Walker (16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Pullen (10.4 ppg, team-high 86 assists) complete the nation's most productive freshmen class.
The Bears will not shy away from turning this game into a shootout, as they possess enough firepower to go basket-for-basket with the Wildcats. Baylor is shooting a healthy .460 from the floor this season, including .380 from behind the arc. The result is an impressive 81.4 ppg. Scoring depth is apparent with four players averaging double figures, including three starters. Curtis Jerrells leads the team with 15.4 ppg. He is followed by LaceDarius Dunn, who comes off the bench with 13.0 ppg. The pair have combined for 101 three- pointers to date. Kevin Rogers is the team's top threat inside, averaging 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per outing. Henry Dugat rounds out the double-digit threats with 11.9 ppg. Aaron Bruce (9.6 ppg) and Tweety Carter (9.0 ppg) give the team two more perimeter options. The Bears had a chance to win at Oklahoma this week, but Jerrells missed two free throws with one second remaining, giving the Sooners a one-point win. It spoiled a terrific offensive performance by Jerrells otherwise, as he erupted for a game-high tying 29 points. Rogers recorded a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Carter and Dugat chipped in with 17 and 13 points, respectively.
The Bears are a dangerous team, especially at home. Kansas State has struggled outside of Manhattan recently, but needs to keep pace in-conference to have a shot down the stretch. Beasley and company will get it going early and take advantage of a Baylor team that has been snake-bitten of late
FACTS & STATS: Site: Ferrell Center (10,284) -- Waco, Texas. Television: Fox SportsNet South. Home Record: Kansas St. 14-1, Baylor 10-3. Away Record: Kansas St. 2-3, Baylor 4-4. Neutral Record: Kansas St. 2-3, Baylor 3-1. Conference Record: Kansas St. 8-3, Baylor 5-6. Series Record: Kansas State leads, 10-8.
GAME NOTES: The 24th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats will attempt to salvage something from their current two-game road trip, as they stop off in Waco this evening, for a Big 12 contest against the Baylor Bears. The Wildcats have struggled to find consistency of late, splitting their last six games. On Wednesday, the team was in Lincoln, where it dropped a 71-64 decision to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The loss dropped KSU to 8-3 in league play, leaving the team a game behind both Kansas (9-2) and Texas (9-2) in the conference standings. The Bears have played well overall, but league play has been a real problem of late. Baylor is in the middle of the pack in-conference with a 5-6 league ledger, but has dropped four straight games and six of its last seven overall, including a heart-breaking 92-91 overtime setback at Oklahoma on Tuesday. KSU holds a slim 10-8 edge in the all-time series with Baylor. The Bears are a solid 10-3 at home this year, while Kansas State has lost three straight road games.
Freshman phenom Michael Beasley recorded his 22nd double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but that had to be considered a good defensive effort by Nebraska against the 6-10 manchild. With the performance, Beasley tied Carmelo Anthony's NCAA freshman record for double-doubles in a season. Three other Wildcats finished in double figures in the game, with Jacob Pullen netting 15 points, followed by Bill Walker (12 pts) and Blake Young (10 pts). Still, the Wildcats shot just .431 from the floor overall and turned the ball over 14 times, while putting up just 64 points. The numbers on the year have been much better, with KSU averaging a hardy 80.1 ppg and outrebounding foes by 9.4 caroms per game. Beasley has been unstoppable, leading the Big 12 in scoring (25.4 ppg) and the entire nation in rebounding (12.5 rpg). He is also pacing the team in both blocks (40) and steals (35). Walker (16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Pullen (10.4 ppg, team-high 86 assists) complete the nation's most productive freshmen class.
The Bears will not shy away from turning this game into a shootout, as they possess enough firepower to go basket-for-basket with the Wildcats. Baylor is shooting a healthy .460 from the floor this season, including .380 from behind the arc. The result is an impressive 81.4 ppg. Scoring depth is apparent with four players averaging double figures, including three starters. Curtis Jerrells leads the team with 15.4 ppg. He is followed by LaceDarius Dunn, who comes off the bench with 13.0 ppg. The pair have combined for 101 three- pointers to date. Kevin Rogers is the team's top threat inside, averaging 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per outing. Henry Dugat rounds out the double-digit threats with 11.9 ppg. Aaron Bruce (9.6 ppg) and Tweety Carter (9.0 ppg) give the team two more perimeter options. The Bears had a chance to win at Oklahoma this week, but Jerrells missed two free throws with one second remaining, giving the Sooners a one-point win. It spoiled a terrific offensive performance by Jerrells otherwise, as he erupted for a game-high tying 29 points. Rogers recorded a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Carter and Dugat chipped in with 17 and 13 points, respectively.
The Bears are a dangerous team, especially at home. Kansas State has struggled outside of Manhattan recently, but needs to keep pace in-conference to have a shot down the stretch. Beasley and company will get it going early and take advantage of a Baylor team that has been snake-bitten of late
