K-State Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: TV, time, game preview and score prediction

The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to bounce back from a loss against the Iowa State Cyclones when it travels to Houston on Saturday for a game at Fertitta Center.

Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, plus a score prediction:

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Fertitta Center (Houston)

TV: ESPN

Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Betting line: Houston by 14.5

Over/Under: 128.5

STARTING LINEUPS

About Houston (17-2, 4-2)

The Cougars have adapted well to their new conference. College basketball statisticians Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik both have Houston ranked No. 1 in the country and Kelvin Sampson’s team is one of the favorites in the Big 12 this season. Houston has won three straight games after dropping its first two road trips in league play. The Cougars are at their best on defense, where they rank fifth nationally in 3-point shooting allowed (28%), first in two-point shooting allowed (40%) and first in blocks (19.6% of all possessions). Baylor transfer LJ Cryer is leading the Cougars in scoring.

About Kansas State (14-5, 4-2)

The Wildcats are coming off a 78-67 road loss against the Iowa State Cyclones, but they remain near the top of the Big 12 standings along with Houston. Tylor Perry has been in a bit of a shooting slump lately, but Cam Carter and Arthur Kaluma have stepped up their offensive games accordingly. Dorian Finister and Jerrell Colbert have both given the Wildcats solid minutes off the bench in recent games, and they could be once again called upon at Houston. Don’t expect Jerome Tang to use a short rotation in the team’s second consecutive road game.

K-State at Houston prediction

If Houston fans are looking for a nickname for Fertitta Center, might I suggest The Torture Chamber?

Houston’s home arena has the makings of an extremely difficult place for Big 12 teams to play, just like Allen Fieldhouse, Hilton Coliseum and Bramlage Coliseum, which the locals like to call The Octagon of Doom.

Visiting teams always seem to have a miserable experience at Houston. Not only do they usually walk away with a loss, they rarely score points against the Cougars.

Houston has been downright dominant at home this season, going 11-0 with an average victory margin of 33.3 points. Granted, some of those games came against bad competition. But the Cougars are 3-0 at home in Big 12 play with big wins over West Virginia (89-55), Texas Tech (77-54) and UCF (57-42).

No visiting team has scored more than 55 points at Houston all season, and that team still lost by 34.

The odds are heavily stacked against K-State in this one.

Houston smothers opponents with its defense and also has an efficient offense. The Wildcats are going to need a flurry of outside shots from Tylor Perry, Cam Carter and Arthur Kaluma to keep up with the Cougars, or they are going to have to play extraordinary defense.

That could be difficult for a team playing in a difficult road environment for the second time this week.

One thing that could work in K-State’s favor: The Wildcats are hard to beat by a large margin. They haven’t lost by more than 16 points in a game this season. Even when they trailed by 14 at Iowa State they came back to tie the score. Their defense and toughness could keep them in this game.

It’s hard to see the Wildcats pulling off the upset on Saturday. But they could cover the spread.

Houston 70, K-State 57

Last game prediction: Iowa State 73, K-State 62. (Actual result: Iowa State 78, K-State 67)

Season Record: 17-2

Season Record ATS: 11-8

Season Record O/U: 13-6