Game Preview: Wildcats vs Omaha

NOTE: Team stats from last year were used because the data from a couple games isn't really valid, yet. Player stats from this year were used, though, because Omaha lost so many players from last year and it provides better contest to who they have this season.

Selton Miguel hit a corner three with 10 seconds left to give Kansas State a two-point lead last year against Omaha. The Mavericks missed a corner three at the buzzer that would have won it.

After that win on December 29, the Wildcats wouldn't win again until February 20.

K-State took 31 threes in the game (50 percent of their field goal attempts) and made 8, which was good for just 25.8 percent.

They won the battle on the glass and took better care of the ball, but Omaha shot nine more free throws (17 compared to 8) in their narrow loss in Manhattan.

The Mavericks finished 5-20 last season under long-time coach Derrin Hansen. They were 3-11 in the Summit League and finished eighth. They are picked to finish eighth once again this season.

Hansen has five returners from last year, but the bulk of the production is gone. Nearly 90 percent of the scoring and 80 percent of the minutes played and 80 percent of the rebounding is no longer with the program.

His Omaha teams are characterized by playing at a fast pace, taking care of the basketball and shooting well from beyond the arc, though they don't shoot a lot of threes. Defensively Omaha is generally poor. allowing eFG% (effective field goal percentage) numbers that rank in the 300s, regularly.

The best aspects of Hansen-coached teams have often been defensive rebounding and not allowing opponents to take many trips to the free throw line.

Omaha has a 10-point win over Hastings and a 4-point loss at Ball State this season. Against the Cardinals, Omaha fell behind 38-11 in the first half, but they came back to cut the lead to 65-64 with four minutes left in the game.

Freshman forward Frankie Fidler is the leading scorer for the Mavericks through two games, averaging 14 points per game. Fidler is shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range on four attempts per game, and he has collected four rebounds per game. His offensive rating of 1.30 leads the team.

Junior guard Kyle Luedtke scores 10 per game, making 40 percent from distance on five attempts per game. Luedtke leads in rebounds at 5.5 per game and is second with an offensive rating of 1.23.

Junior guard Felix Lemetti scores 7.5 points per game and leads in assists with 3 per game. Lemetti is attempting 5.5 shots from the three-point line per game, but only making 27.3 percent.

Senior guard Marco Smith is averaging nine points per game and scored six points last year against the Wildcats in Manhattan.

Senior guard Sam'i Roe is not starting this year, but he had one of his best games of the year last season against Kansas State with 12 points and 4 rebounds. He is scoring 7.5 points per game this season.

FAN: Florida A&M wasn't a great team, but they did have a really good guard who could score and a ton of experience. This year's Omaha team has neither, and it will be very disappointing if they are able to hang around like the Rattlers did last week against the Wildcats. I expect K-State to play much better and handle a bad Mavericks team. The Wildcats take control early and cruise to a comfortable win, 78-55.

DY: My above colleague is right. Omaha isn't nearly as good as Florida A&M, and the Rattlers hung around because Kansas State still isn't crisp and still figuring out their roles and rotations, and they didn't have an answer at times for MJ Randolph. Omaha doesn't pose that challenge, and Bruce Weber should have his group a little better each night. I predicted the last game to be much closer than most. I'm thinking that won't be the case tonight. K-State wins, 84-56.

FLANDO: Securing the paint and playing better defense will be the key against Omaha. Kansas State's perimeter shooting was good against Florida A&M, but the buckets in the paint were much harder to come by for the Wildcats. If K-State can keep the turnovers at a minimum, show more progress on defense and limit second chance points, they should be set up to win, comfortably. Davion Bradford may see limited minutes again off the bench. I would really like to see Ismael Massoud receive more attention on offense. Putting together a clean and convincing performance will be pivotal before the tough competition they will face early next week in Kansas City. Give me Kansas State, 71-54.