Tuesday night in CBB will see the Baylor Bears travel to the Manhattan, Kansas to take on the Kansas State Wildcats. The game is scheduled for a 8:00 pm tipoff and will be televised live on ESPN3. Currently Kansas State is favored by 2.5 points with the total being set at 134 for this game. Fresh off their upset win over previously undefeated Missouri, the No. 18 Wildcats will try to take down yet another unbeaten when No. 4 Baylor visits.
Free Analysis: Kansas State's reward for knocking off one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in Division I is the chance to beat another one. The 18th-ranked Wildcats continue a grueling opening stretch of Big 12 play Tuesday night at home when they look to deal No. 4 Baylor its first loss in 16 games this season. It won't be easy tonight as the Bears have won 41 games on the road or at neutral courts over the last five years, and are 6-0 this year. Baylor is a much-improved team after finishing 18-13 last season. Balanced scoring and pressure defense have been the keys to Baylor's success thus far, as the top five scorers are separated by just 2.5 ppg, and foes are allowed to shoot just 36.2 percent from the floor while committing more than 16 turnovers per tilt. Perry Jones III leads the team with 13.0 ppg, and he is followed closely by Quincy Acy and Pierre Jackson with 12.1 ppg apiece. Both Jones III and Acy are averaging 7.2 rpg, helping the Bears corral nearly 40 loose balls per outing. Quincy Miller (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Brady Heslip (10.5 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for the Bears, who are hitting their field goals at a 48.4%, while scoring 77.8 ppg. Kansas State is enjoying a highly-successful campaign of its own, as it has won 12 of its first 14 games, the most recent of which being an impressive 75-59 home triumph over previously unbeaten and seventh-ranked Missouri this past Saturday. The Wildcats had lost their previous outing at rival Kansas (67-49), while it's only other loss was in double OT to West Virginia. Looking to stop the balanced Baylor offense is a KSU team that is coming off a strong defensive effort, limiting Missouri to 32.7 percent shooting after the Tigers entered with the nation's best mark at 52.2. The Wildcats goad the opposition into almost 17 turnovers per outing, and they own a +5.4 rebounding margin as well. Rodney McGruder (13.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 18 steals), Will Spradling (11.5 ppg, 2.8 apg, 14 steals), Jamar Samuels (11.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 11 blocks) and Thomas Gipson (9.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are KSU's top performers, and each has the ability to lead the team on a given night. Kansas State too has played well at both ends of the court this season, as it is averaging 75.0 ppg on 44.7 % field goal accuracy, while giving up a mere 61.9 ppg with foes hitting their shots just 37.1 % of the time, with their three-pointers falling at a rate of only 28.4 %. Kansas State owns a 13-10 lead in the all-time series with Baylor, and the Wildcats have won the last three meetings.
Free Pick: I know that KSU is off a huge upset win, but I'm not sure they will be able to get up totally for this one. Missouri plays a good pressure defense, but the Bears play their even better and they do have the size advantage on the inside. This is a very long team that makes it hard for teams to penetrate. The Bears, because of their length they have made teams try and beat them from long range and teams have hit 32.2% of those shots (98th), while overall they are 4th in defensive FG%, allowing just 36.3%. The Wildcats do score 75 ppg, but they are not a great shooting team at 44.7% (133rd) overall and 33.9% from long range (186th). This team does have a top 25 defense overall, but the Bears just have too many options for them to defend here. It is hard for College gets to be so emotionally up for BB games and after playing so well vs Missouri the other night I expect a bit of a let down here. Baylor has edges in all statistical categories, including FT's (67th to 273rd) and they are also dynamite from long range hitting 40.65 from beyond the Arc. Just too much to as for KSU to be as high for this one, as Baylor will move on still undefeated.