Game Preview: Wildcats at Kansas

Kansas State scored 50 first half points and built a 16-point halftime lead against Kansas a month ago. Ultimately, the Jayhawks out-scored K-State 44-25 in the second half for the comeback win in Manhattan.

The Wildcats led by five with just over three minutes remaining and had possession, but they failed to score another point and Kansas finished the game on a 9-0 run.

Nijel Pack had the best game of his career, scoring 35 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the three-point line. Markquis Nowell scored 16 and Selton Miguel scored 11 points to join Pack in double figures.

Mark Smith and Mike McGuirl combined for two points.

Kansas was led by Ochai Agbaji's 29 points. David McCormack and Jalen Wilson both had a double-double and Christian Braun finished with 11 points.

The differences in the game that inspired the comeback from the Jayhawks came in three main areas.

First, Kansas grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, 52.9 percent of their misses (to just 20.6 percent for K-State) and out-scored the Wildcats 19-8 on second chance points.

Secondly, while Kansas State did hang with the Jayhawks on two-point shots (55.3 percent to 51.5 percent), Kansas owned points in the paint, 30-20.

Finally, Kansas got to the free throw line 12 more times (30 attempts compared to 28 for K-State) and made 21 compared to just 11 for the Wildcats.

Those three items were enough to overcome Kansas State making 10 of their 26 triples (38.5 percent), compared to only 5 of 21 (23.8 percent) for the Jayhawks.

K-State also committed just six turnovers versus Kansas and won the turnover rate battle, 9.0 percent to 16.6 percent, and out-scored the Jayhawks in points off turnovers, 12-7.

Offensive rebounding, points in the paint, two-point percentage and three-point shooting will be the main areas to watch in the second edition of the Sunflower Showdown in Lawrence.

I'm already prepared to concede free throws given the strengths of Kansas and where the game is being played.

Kansas still has plenty of talent, but this year's team really comes down to their big four.

Agbaji is on the road to winning Big 12 Player of the Year. He's scoring over 20 points per game. He got to the free throw line 11 times in Manhattan on his way to 29 points and has scored 20 and 23 points in his last two games.

He has been a streaking shooter from deep lately, but he makes frequent trips to the charity stripe.

Jalen Wilson scored 16 points and grabbed 10 boards in Manhattan. He is consistently in double-digits and pounds the glass on both ends of the floor, plus he can step out and shoot threes.

Braun has consistently scored between 13 and 18 in Big 12 play, but he only scored nine in their previous contest. Braun scored 11 in Manhattan, but he was only 1 of 5 from beyond the arc and is only 2 of 9 from three-point range in the last three games for Kansas.

McCormack scored 11 and grabbed 15 rebounds in the first matchup. He's coming off one of his best games this season with 19 points and 11 rebounds versus West Virginia. He has three double-doubles in his last six games.

Dajuan Harris starts at the point and scored eight points in the first meeting. He has been consistent with assists and has two double-figure scoring games in his last six.

Joseph Yesufu didn't play against the Wildcats in Manhattan, but has been a consistent sixth man lately with Remy Martin not available. Yesufu is not a big scorer and is only 4 of 15 from deep in the last six games.

Mitch Lightfoot continues to be the first forward off the bench and grabbed three boards and scored two points versus Kansas State in January. Jalen Coleman-Lands, KJ Adams and Zach Clemence all can see minutes off the bench, but none have shown a threat to step up and be a double-figure scorer.

Kansas' four leaders are the key, but they consistently have three of the four scoring in double figures and have built a two-game lead in the Big 12 race.

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN

TIP TIME: 8:00 P.M. CST

FAN: The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss in Stillwater, while Kansas recorded a solid win at West Virginia. The Jayhawks' only loss at home was the beatdown they took from Kentucky, but they've had several close calls, including narrow wins over Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Iowa State. K-State will compete and keep it close into the second half, but they simply won't have enough to topple the Jayhawks in Allen Field House. The Wildcats fall, 75-67.

DY: It's a bounceback spot for Kansas State and they've played their best basketball and have had some of their best moments of the season when their backs are against the wall. And even in games, they revive themselves often after trailing by a considerable amount, aside from contests versus Baylor. They are a squad with a short memory. That's a good thing. It'll help them on Tuesday night in Lawrence. They'll flirt with a monumental win and have people believing, but Kansas will pull out the rug at the very end. Kansas squeaks by the Wildcats, 71-67.

FLANDO: I know the right pick is to go with the team that has defeated the other in six straight meetings. Bruce Weber is 0-10 against Kansas in Lawrence. The Jayhawks are the better team with the better record. They have a national player of the year candidate in Ochai Agbaji, a do-it-all guard next to him in Christian Braun and a former McDonald's All-American swallowing up the paint in David McCormack. However, I'm going against my brain here. I don't know if a Weber squad has had three hungrier guards on the same team than Markquis Nowell, Mark Smith and Nijel Pack. And they all three are peaking at the end of the season. They will have to have magical performances shooting the ball. Another key and more difficult challenge will be to manage the rebounding battle. K-State pulls off the unthinkable over Kansas, 70-69.

***Subscribe to K-StateOnline by clicking here***

Talk K-State football and basketball in the largest, most active K-State message board community anywhere, The Foundation.