Kansas State and Oklahoma have the unique distinction of opening and ending Big 12 play against each other. K-State played in the first meeting without Markquis Nowell and will be without him once again on Saturday.

The Sooners won't have Elijah Harkless, but has both Groves brothers unlike the matchup in round one.

Oklahoma defeated Kansas State in Norman by two points after the Wildcats came back from a 14-point deficit early in the second half to tie the game with just over a minute remaining.

Nijel Pack missed a potential go-ahead three in the final 20 seconds and the Sooners held on for the victory.

Oklahoma grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and won second chance points, 18-8.

K-State and Oklahoma will be playing to see who falls to the 8/9 play-in game of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday. The winner receives a bye and will be the 6 or 7-seed on Thursday.

The Kansas State offense is facing the worst eFG% (effective field goal percentage) and 3PT% (three-point percentage) defense in the Big 12, though the Sooners are strong in most other defensive factors.

Fortunately, K-State is the best in the league at taking care of the basketball since they are facing the third-best Big 12 defense in forcing turnovers.

Kansas State is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league and will need to hit some shots on Senior Day. Oklahoma's offense is elite at making twos, leading the Big 12 at 55 percent, but they are pretty poor at the other factors.

K-State was beat on the glass in Norman and must keep the Big 12's worst offensive rebounding team away from second chances.

Umoja Gibson is the Sooners' leading scorer in Big 12 play, but he has been inconsistent. He scored 30 points when Oklahoma upset Texas Tech and had 13 versus Oklahoma State recently, but he also scored in single digits in three of the last four games.

Gibson is only 3 of 20 from deep in the last four and he scored 19 points, including four made threes, in the first meeting against Kansas State.

Jordan Goldwire has been the best Sooner guard lately, with six double-figure scoring games in his last seven. He is not a big three-point shooter and collects most of his points on two-point makes. Goldwire scored 11 points versus the Wildcats in Norman.

Tanner Groves missed the first game against K-State. He has 17 and 14 in his last two games, while making 4 of 9 from beyond the arc, but he had three straight games in single digits before that.

Jalen Hill is a solid swing man with four double-figure scoring outings in his last six. He goes to the free throw line often and is solid on the boards. Hill scored 10 against Kansas State in game one.

Jacob Groves also missed the first game and has moved into the starting lineup for Porter Moser's club. He is averaging 8.8 points per game since becoming a starter and is 8 of 17 from distance.

Bijan Cortes also missed the first game, but he is a limited scorer as a reserve guard. Ethan Chargois is another limited scorer and provides depth in the post.

Wildcat legacy CJ Noland had his best game this season when he scored 10 points against K-State in Norman and provides more depth.

Marvin Johnson rounds out the Oklahoma rotation and has been limited this year, but he recently had his best game this year after tallying 10 points and six rebounds against Oklahoma State.

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FAN: It hurts to not have Nowell on Saturday, and he would provide matchup issues for the Sooners. Fortunately, Kansas State received some much-needed rest for everyone after playing Texas Tech close on Monday. Some big Senior Day performances from Mark Smith and Mike McGuirl will pace the Wildcats, while Nijel Pack puts up his typical numbers. K-State continues to have Oklahoma's number in Bramlage Coliseum, 70-63.

DY: Kansas State saw elevated performances from a lot of others when they were without Markquis Nowell in Lubbock. They played well despite not having him on the floor, though it was another 'close but no cigar' performance. Not having key players hasn't kept them from competing at all this season and I wouldn't expect that to change on Saturday. It just feels like we'll see more of the same, though. The Sooners win a tight one, 66-63.

FLANDO: The Wildcats are on a four-game losing streak, while Oklahoma snapped a four-game losing streak of their own last week. Both teams will be without key pieces. Markquis Nowell's absence means K-State will be without their best playmaker and arguably their best perimeter defender for the second straight contest. No Elijah Harkless for Oklahoma has stripped them of their best defender and a slashing wing for the last two weeks. However, Kansas State didn't see Tanner Groves when they fell in Norman. Ismael Massoud will have his hands full on defense with the stretch big man. Ultimately, the Wildcats valiant effort in Lubbock proved to me this team still has plenty left in the tank. Not leaving Umoja Gibson and Groves open along the perimeter will be the biggest key on defense. Offensively, Nijel Pack and Mark Smith will need take command from the first tip, and not relent. K-State splits the season series and squeaks out the win, 73-72.

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