Halftime Report

Kansas State has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have jumped out to a quick 33-29 lead against Wichita State.

If Kansas State keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 7-4 in no time. On the other hand, Wichita State will have to make due with an 8-4 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Kansas State Wildcats @ Wichita State Shockers

Current Records: Kansas State 6-4, Wichita State 8-3

How To Watch

What to Know

Kansas State is 3-0 against Wichita State since December of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. The Kansas State Wildcats will be staying on the road to face off against the Wichita State Shockers at 7:00 p.m. ET at Charles Koch Arena. Both of these teams will be coming in off a loss in a game they were expected to win.

Kansas State fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Drake on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They lost 73-70 to the Bulldogs on a last-minute jump shot From Bennett Stirtz. The close game was extra heartbreaking for the Wildcats, who almost overcame a 20 point deficit.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Coleman Hawkins, who went 6 for 9 en route to 16 points plus five assists and five rebounds. He has been hot recently, having also posted three or more steals the last three times he's played. David N'Guessan was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.

Wichita State has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They took a 74-64 hit to the loss column at the hands of Kansas City on Tuesday. That makes it the first time this season the Shockers have let down their home crowd.

Despite the defeat, Wichita State had strong showings from Xavier Bell, who went 9 for 15 en route to 21 points plus five rebounds and two blocks, and Quincy Ballard, who had seven points plus 11 rebounds. Bell continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played.

Wichita State struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. They were smoked by their opponents in that department as Kansas City posted 16.

Kansas State's loss dropped their record down to 6-4. As for Wichita State, their defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 8-3.

Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday's match: Kansas State has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 37.2% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Wichita State, though, as they've only made 30.2% of their threes this season. Given Kansas State's sizable advantage in that area, Wichita State will need to find a way to close that gap.

As for their next game, Kansas State is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 2.5 points. This will be their first time playing as the favorites on the road this season.

Odds

Kansas State is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Wichita State, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 2.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 153 points.

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Series History

Kansas State has won all of the games they've played against Wichita State in the last 3 years.

  • Dec 21, 2023 - Kansas State 69 vs. Wichita State 60
  • Dec 03, 2022 - Kansas State 55 vs. Wichita State 50
  • Dec 05, 2021 - Kansas State 65 vs. Wichita State 59