The Wildcats and Bearcats square off for the second time this season.
In the battle of two irrelevant teams last Sunday, the Kansas State Wildcats managed to play well enough to put away a bad Colorado team and end their losing skid at four games.
The win also puts the TangCats in a position to be ever so slightly more relevant as the season winds to a close. K-State enters tonight’s game at 14-15 overall and 8-10 in Big 12 play. With two games remaining, the Cats could get back to .500 in the Big 12 and above .500 overall, with the actual possibility of finishing in 6th place in the Big 12 an above KU in the conference standings. Also, a finish above .500 overall leaves the door open for postseason action.
But don’t get your hopes up.
Cincinnati would love to get revenge for their 70-67 loss to K-State way back in late 2024 in Bramlage, and enter tonight’s game at 17-12 overall and 7-11 in Big 12 play. But more importantly, the Bearcats are actually still in position near enough the bubble to maybe squeak in to the NCAA Tournament in a couple weeks if they can win their last two, and pick up a win or two in Kansas City. So while K-State is playing for seeding and the dim glow of the NIT, Cincy can still see the bright lights of March Madness in their future.
The Bearcats are also playing better basketball over the past month. After a dismal 2-8 start to the Big 12 season (including that Big 12-opening loss to K-State), Cincy turned things on in the first week of February and have gone 5-3 down the stretch. Included in that stretch are wins over BYU, TCU, and Baylor, and a competitive loss to Houston last weekend.
K-State may get back the services of Coleman Hawkins, who has been fighting injury since the win over Arizona. Mobi Ikegwuruka may also be available. But will it be enough to beat a team with a pulse? Can K-State stay on the winning track and get back to postseason contention?
They can if they care to try. But with this squad that’s not guaranteed.
We’ve got a 6:00pm CT tipoff for the game this evening from Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, and you can catch the action on ESPN+ with Eric Rothman (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. 382. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!