Can the TangCats get back on track against the visiting Sun Devils?
For six games, the Kansas State Wildcats played as one of the best teams in the country. They played as a team, they played with tons of effort, the grabbed rebounds, they knocked off ranked opponents (including the third-straight win in Bramlage over KU for Jerome Tang), and they looked like a team poised to make a final push to make the NCAA Tournament.
And then the Cats went to Utah.
Not much went right in the Beehive State, as the Cats fell by 15 to BYU on Saturday before falling to the Utes by 5 on Monday night behind a freak performance from Utah at the free throw line. The Cats played like they had for much of December and January, not valuing effort, rebounding, or playing good team defense. The two straight losses put the Cats back at .500 overall and below .500 in Big 12 play at 13-13 overall and 7-8 in the Big 12, and firmly back in the “probably won’t make the Dance” category. The Cats needed to win out to feel comfortable before the trip to Utah, and now the Cats need to win out just to feel comfortable about making the NIT.
But the Cats have a great opportunity to get back on that path today, as the Sun Devils of Arizona State visit Bramlage today. The Cats and Sun Devils squared off about three weeks ago in Tempe, and despite a valiant effort from the home team, the Wildcats were able to squeak out a 71-70 win for the fourth win during the six-game streak. Conversely, that loss was the second in what has become a six-game skid for the Sun Devils. So both teams are a bit desperate to get off a losing streak, though for different reasons.
So can K-State get back on track towards a post-season opportunity? Or will Arizona State end their streak with a nifty road win? It really depends on which K-State teams shows up today.
Win-streak Cats could win this by 20. January Cats might loss, embarrassingly.
We’ve got a 3:01pm CT tipoff for the game this afternoon from Bramlage Coliseum, and you can catch the action on ESPN+ with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Tim Welsh (analyst) on the call.
If you can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across portions of the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be available online at K-Statesports.com and via the Varsity Network app, as well as on satellite radio on SiriusXM Ch. 388. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!