K-State Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears: Basketball lineups, TV, time, odds, prediction

THE DETAILS

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Ferrell Center (Waco, Texas)

TV: ESPN+

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: Baylor -4

Over/Under: 150

STARTING LINEUPS

About Kansas State (13-1):

The Wildcats are coming off, by far, their most impressive game of the season, a 116-103 road victory over the Texas Longhorns. K-State put on an offensive clinic earlier this week with Markquis Nowell (36), Keyontae Johnson (28) and Cam Carter (17) all scoring points in bunches. Jerome Tang’s team has won back-to-back games against ranked opponents and will now go for No. 3 against Baylor. Starting forward David N’Guessan is considered day-to-day heading into Saturday’s action, so it seems likely that Abayomi Iyiola will continue to lead the frontcourt against the Bears.

About Baylor (10-4):

The Bears are a desperate team coming off back-to-back losses at the start of Big 12 play. Baylor opened conference play with a road loss against Iowa State and then failed to protect an early lead against TCU. The Bears have balanced scoring this year with Keyonte George, LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler all averaging more than 14 points per game. Flo Thamba is a familiar face in the post, as he is back as a senior. Tang knows this roster like the back of his hand.

Prediction

This game should be an entertaining chess match between two coaches who know everything about each other.

Jerome Tang helped recruit Baylor’s current roster while he worked alongside Scott Drew for 19 years in Waco, Texas. He doesn’t need to look at a scouting report to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the Bears. Drew might not be quite as familiar with K-State’s rebuilt roster, but there’s nothing Tang can do as a coach that will surprise him.

Does that intimate knowledge favor either coach? It’s difficult to say.

What can be said with absolute certainty is that this game will mean more to Baylor than K-State. The Bears are in desperate need of a victory after dropping their first two Big 12 contests. The Wildcats are on the other end of the spectrum at 2-0 in conference play.

This seems like a let-down spot for K-State. That’s not to say that the Wildcats will look past this game or play with any less urgency than normal, but it can’t be easy to follow a 116-point performance. This game is anything but a must win for them.

K-State has also been on the road all week, as the team elected to stay in central Texas for several days rather than return home to Manhattan after its win over the Longhorns on Tuesday. Winning back-to-back road games in the Big 12 is never easy, especially when you’re not sleeping in your own bed in between them.

Baylor needs a win to get back in the Big 12 championship mix. It will also be playing at home. I think that gives the Bears an edge in this game, even though K-State has been playing better basketball of late.

Baylor 78, K-State 73

Last game prediction: Texas 73, K-State 65.

Season record: 11-2.

Season record against the spread: 8-5.