Let's preview tonight's Kansas State vs. Alabama State basketball match-up with help from ksu_FAN and K-State Athletics Communications.

Alabama State is the third offense coming into Manhattan rated No. 330 or worse in Kenpom, rating 325 or worse in three of the four factors.

Defensively, the Hornets are decent at forcing turnovers - which could be a concern - but this is a bad team and should be a comfortable double digit win for K-State.

Alabama State plays a lot of guys and only features one double digit scorer in Tobi Ewuosho. There are a few other scoring options, but he is clearly their best player on a roster not loaded with talent.

GAME 9

KANSAS STATE (5-3) vs. ALABAMA STATE (1-7)

Wednesday, December 11, 2019 >> 7:02 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION

Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)Stan Weber (analyst)Bridget Howard (sideline reporter)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Online: TuneIn.com [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Internet 972

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)Matt Walters (analyst)

LIVE STATS

www.kstatesports.com

kstate.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS

www.kstatesports.com/tickets

(800) 221.CATS [2287]

Advanced Single Game: $5 (bench & GA)

Gameday: $10 (bench & GA)/$20 (chairback)

Group (12+): $3

COACHES

Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)

Overall: 468-247/22nd season

At K-State: 155-92/8th season

vs. Alabama State: 0-0 (0-0 at home)

Alabama State: Lewis Jackson (Alabama State ‘84)

Overall: 200-245/15th season

At Alabama State: 200-245/15th season

vs. Kansas State: 0-0 (0-0 on the road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (5-3)

G: #00 Mike McGuirl

G: #2 Cartier Diarra

G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #11 Antonio Gordon

F: #14 Makol Mawien

Alabama State (1-7)

G: #0 D.J. Keith

G: #24 Kevion Stewart

G/F: #1 Leon Daniels

G/F: #5 Tobi Twuosho

F: #21 Mike Stone

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 1-0

Current Streak: K-State, 1

In Manhattan: K-State leads 1-0

At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 1-0

Last Meeting: W, 99-81 [12/14/91 in Manhattan]

Weber vs. Jackson: First meeting

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (5-3) concludes a 3-game homestand on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Alabama State (1-7) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. It will be the last game at Bramlage Coliseum for 18 days, as K-State will travel to Newark, N.J., this Saturday to play Mississippi State (6-2) in the Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center followed by a game against Saint Louis (8-1) in the Wildcat Classic on Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

K-State will look to get back on track after seeing its 33-game winning streak against non-conference opponents at Bramlage Coliseum end in Saturday’s 73-65 loss to Marquette in the inaugural Big East/Big 12 Challenge. It was the first non-conference loss at Bramlage Coliseum since a 50-46 loss to Georgia on Dec. 31, 2014.

The Wildcats have lost 3 of their last 4 games after opening the season at 4-0. During that 4-game stretch, the team is allowing opponents to average 66.8 points on 45.7 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 65 points on 41 percent shooting, including just 33.3 percent from long range.

Despite seeing its 33-game non-conference winning streak end on Saturday, the Wildcats have still been an impressive 109-7 (.940) at home venues in non-conference play since 2006-07, including 100-6 (.943) at Bramlage Coliseum, with wins in 96 of their last 101 non-conference home games. The team has not lost consecutive home games in non-conference play in nearly 5 years since losing to Texas Southern (56-58) on Dec. 28 and Georgia (46-50) on Dec. 31, 2014.

K-State could not sustain the momentum from its best offensive game of the year in the 76-58 win over Florida A&M on Dec. 2, as the Wildcats connected on a season-low 32.3 percent (20-of-62) from the field in the loss to Marquette, which included season-lows for points in paint (16), fast-break points (4) and field goal percentage in a half (26.5). The team connected on just 33.3 percent (13-of-39) from inside the arc and missed 12 of their 30 free throw attempts. On the defensive end, the Golden Eagles set opponent highs for points (73), field goals made (25) and attempted (59), total rebounds (45), assists (18) and second-chance points (18). Four Wildcats scored in double figures for the first time this year against the Golden Eagles, as junior Cartier Diarra led the way in points (14), rebounds (8) and assists (5) for the first time in his career.

Senior Xavier Sneed became the 13th Wildcat to join the 1,000-point/500-rebound club with his first rebound of the game, as he now has 1,124 career points and 504 rebounds. Two freshmen performed well on the big stage, as DaJuan Gordon posted his second double figure scoring game with 10 points to go with 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, while Antonio Gordon added team-highs in rebounds (8) and steals (3).

With the offense continuing to develop, K-State has had to rely on its defensive foundation. The Wildcats are allowing 60.3 points on 41.1 percent shooting, including 31.9 percent from 3-point range, while posting league-bests in steals (10.4 spg.) and turnovers forced (19.5). The team ranks 29th nationally in scoring defense, while they place 10th in both steals per game and turnovers forced and 18th in turnover margin (+5.3).

NOTES ON ALABAMA STATE

Alabama State is coming off a 73-59 loss at South Dakota on Monday night, as the Hornets connected on just 35 percent from the field while the Coyotes shot 50 percent, including 56.7 percent in the second half. Junior Tobi Ewuosho had a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Alabama State is in the midst of a 15-game road trip to start the season and won’t play a home game until hosting Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 11, 2020. The Hornets have lost at Gonzaga (64-95), Missouri State (50-59), Houston (56-84), Tennessee (41-76) and VCU (62-78) before splitting neutral site games to Chattanooga (56-74) and Chicago State (67-54). The team still has games at Boise State (Dec. 13), the St. Petersburg Classic (Dec. 20-21), Oregon (Dec. 29), Jackson State (Jan. 4) and Grambling (Jan. 6).

Alabama State is averaging 57 points on 36.5 percent shooting, including 29.4 percent from 3-point range, with 29.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, while allowing 74.1 points on 47.7 percent shooting, including 35.6 percent from 3-point range. The team has connected on 69.3 percent from the free throw line.

Ewuosho is the lone Hornet to average in double figures at 13.8 points on 50 percent shooting, including 41.7 percent from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game. Four other players (Jacoby Ross, Brandon Battle, Leon Daniels and Kevion Stewart) are all averaging between 5.3 and 7.3 points per game. Daniels has a team-high 10 3-point field goals, while junior Kevin Holston leads the way with 20 assists.

Alabama State returns 7 lettermen, including 2 starters, from a team that posted a 12-19 overall record, including a 9-9 mark in SWAC play, in head coach Lewis Jackson’s 14th season. Jackson is his 15th season as a head coach at Alabama State, leading the Hornets to a 200-245 record. He has led the team to five winning seasons, including 20-win seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09. He has gone to the NCAA Tournament twice in 2009 and 2011.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Alabama State will meet for the second time on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats won the first and only meeting nearly 28 years ago in a 99-81 victory at Bramlage Coliseum on Dec. 14, 1991. This will be the first meeting for coach Bruce Weber against Alabama State as well as the first for ASU head coach Lewis Jackson.

K-State is 10-1 against teams with the SWAC with all 11 matchups coming at home. This will be the second meeting with a SWAC opponent this season after dispatching of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-51, on Nov. 19. The last loss to SWAC opponent came against Texas Southern on Dec. 28, 2014.

UP NEXT: NEVER FORGET CLASSIC

Kansas State will meet SEC foe Mississippi State in the fourth annual Never Forget Tribute Classic presented by United Rentals, which is set for Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The matchup between the Wildcats and Bulldogs will be part of doubleheader in the Classic, which also includes a contest between reigning Big East champion Villanova and Delaware.

The Classic, which began in 2016, serves as a partner with SoldierStrong, which was created in 2009 to support the men and women of the armed forces in the wake of the events on September 11, 2001. SoldierStrong helps to service American veterans by providing resources that aid both mental and physical rehabilitation, as well as assisting with scholarship grants for domestic and foreign affair grants.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (6-2)

Mississippi State has had the week off after losing to Louisiana Tech, 74-67, at home on Dec. 5. The Bulldogs won their first 5 games of the season before suffering a 83-76 loss to Villanova at the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Nov. 22. The team has three players averaging in double figures led by Tyson Carter (17.9 ppg.), Reggie Perry (14.6 ppg.) and Robert Woodard II (11.6 ppg.). Perry is averaging a near double-double with 9.5 rebounds per game.