The MittieCats take on the Bluejays, followed by the TangCats facing the Tigers
After finishing the 2023-24 season with a NCAA Tournament second round loss to Colorado, the bulk of that Kansas State team, including All-American center Ayoka Lee, has returned this season with two big goals in mind: win the Big 12, and get to the second weekend. And really, as loaded as this squad is, those are reasonable expectations.
The MittieCats have opened the season at 2-0 with tough but easily winnable games against Green Bay (92-45, 53 NET) and Belmont (82-56, 71 NET). But things take a serious step up today against the Creighton Bluejays (23 NET), who also finished their 2023-24 season in the second round and also return a big core from that squad. And while the Bluejays are currently 1-1 and unranked, they did open the season ranked and their one loss is to now-ranked South Dakota State on the road, while their win is over Drake, who ended last season with a loss to Colorado in Bramlage.
K-State is still the favorite, but this will be a tough contest. Expect a close game, hard-fought, and the outcome to likely be in doubt until late. Or the Cats could come out on fire, looking like the title contender they expect to be, and put this one away early. Also expect to see heavy doses of Ayoka Lee for the first time this season, as the Big 12 Preseason PotY was held back in the first couple games to protect an ankle injury.
Regardless, you don’t want to miss this one.
We’ve got a 5:30pm CT tipoff for the game this evening from Bramlage Coliseum, and you can catch the action on ESPN2 (and online) with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) on the call.
If you don’t can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across portions of the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Brian Smoller (play-by-play) and Shaelyn Floyd (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. 138 or 198. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateWBB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!
The TangCats have also opened their season at 2-0, though solid but unspectacular wins over New Orleans (89-65, 340 NET) and Cleveland State (77-64, 196 NET) have not exactly inspired a lot of confidence in the early going. And though it’s clear that the team is still gelling, and that Jerome Tang is still working through lineups, there does appear to be something this squad has that last year’s team really didn’t: basketball players and shooters.
Max Jones is very good, Brendan Hausen can shoot the cover off the ball, and Coleman Hawkins draws double-teams but nearly leads the team in assists as a wing. Oh, and David N’Guessan still plays weak at times, but is averaging near a double-double. That’s a good start.
But like the MittieCats, there’s a significant step up in competition tonight. LSU is 2-0 as well, and while their wins are also a bit suspect (and their NET ranking of 94 is 24 spots worse than K-State’s 70), this is still a team from a power conference that K-State needs to beat if it wants to look at this season as successful. Heck, look no further than last year when K-State lost to USC to open the season and lost to Miami a few weeks later, and the Trojans and Hurricanes turned out to be awful. It helped weigh on the rest of the season like a boat anchor, and were definitely a part of the Wildcats not making the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats don’t need to win big tonight, but they do need to win. A loss at home in the non-conference is unacceptable, as the loss last season to Nebraska was (another boat-anchor loss, but at least the Cornhuskers turned out to be Not Bad). Jerome Tang needs to show that he can coach up this team of newcomers and win games against teams that people have heard of. Oh, and he needs to show that letting Cam Carter walk in the offseason was a good thing, because the two-year starter for the Cats currently leads LSU in scoring at 21 points per game.
Just win, Cats. Go 1-0. Don’t let us down.
We’ve got an (scheduled) 8:00pm CT tipoff for the game tonight from Bramlage Coliseum, and you can catch the action on Big 12 Now / WatchESPN with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) on the call.
If you don’t 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. 84. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.
Go Cats!