K-State Wildcats vs. Nevada Wolf Pack: Basketball lineups, TV, time, odds, prediction
THE DETAILS
When/where: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, John Gray Gym
TV: FloHoops (streaming service)
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 5 1/2
Over/Under: 137 1/2
STARTING LINEUPS
P | No. | Nevada | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 5 | Darrion Williams | 6-6 | Fr. | 9.0 |
F | 14 | Tre Coleman | 6-7 | Jr. | 7.6 |
F | 50 | Will Baker | 7-0 | Jr. | 10.0 |
G | 13 | Kenan Blackshear | 6-6 | Sr. | 11.8 |
G | 2 | Jarod Lucas | 6-4 | Sr. | 17.0 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 3 | David N’Guessan | 6-9 | Jr. | 5.5 |
F | 35 | Nae’Qwan Tomlin | 6-10 | Jr. | 12.3 |
F | 11 | Keyontae Johnson | 6-6 | Sr. | 15.5 |
G | 5 | Cam Carter | 6-3 | So. | 8.3 |
G | 1 | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | Sr. | 11.3 |
About Nevada (5-0):
The Wolf Pack are playing well under coach Steve Alford this season. They are off to a 5-0 start and defeated Tulane, 75-66, in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic on Monday. Nevada is one of the best defensive teams in the country, as they rank third in effective field-goal percentage allowed per Ken Pomeroy. This team is particularly strong against two-pointers, as it is allowing opponents to make 36.3% of their shots within the arc. Jarod Lucas leads Nevada with 17 points per game. Will Baker is a 7-footer who provides size inside.
About Kansas State (4-0):
The Wildcats stayed perfect on the season with an easy 77-57 victory over Rhode Island in the opening round of the Cayman Islands Classic on Tuesday. Nae’Qwan Tomlin led all scorers with 15 points in that game, while Markquis Nowell sent out 12 assists. Expect David N’Guessan to remain in the starting lineup after the junior forward has 12 points and seven rebounds against the Rams.
Prediction
This should be the toughest test Jerome Tang has faced as the head coach at K-State. Nevada checks in at No. 95 in Ken Pomeroy’s national ratings system, which is nearly 100 spots higher than any of the other four teams that the Wildcats have played this season. K-State will also be playing this game on a short-turnaround and be at a slight rest disadvantage against the Wolf Pack.
Nevada is a difficult defense to prepare for, so the Wildcats may have to resort to creating off the dribble and making a few outside shots. If they score easily in half-court sets, they should win comfortably. If they can only score in transition, this game will go down to the wire. How might K-State handle its first close game of the Tang era? Here’s guessing they make enough plays down the stretch to win.
K-State 67, Nevada 64
Last game prediction: K-State 68, Rhode Island 62
Season record: 4-0.
Season record against the spread: 2-2.
