Kansas State basketball vs Cincinnati: Score prediction, scouting report for Big 12 opener

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MANHATTAN — Kansas State’s basketball team will finally be back home at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday for its Big 12 opener against Cincinnati.

In the time since a record-breaking 120-73 blowout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 1, the Wildcats (6-5) have gone into a three-game tailspin with road losses to St. John’s (88-71) and Wichita State (84-65) sandwiched around 73-70 overtime heartbreaker against Drake in Kansas City.

No. 17-ranked Cincinnati, on the other hand, is tied for the best nonconference record in the Big 12 at 10-1 and has won four straight.

In both losses at St. John’s and most recently on Dec. 21 at Wichita State, the Wildcats led by four points at halftime, only to implode after intermission. Against Drake, in what technically counted as a home game at T-Mobile Center, they trailed by 20 in the first half before mounting a furious comeback.

Cincinnati’s only loss came on the road against Villanova (68-60) and the Bearcats have victories over Georgia Tech, Xavier and Dayton.

Here are three things to know, plus a prediction, for Monday’s game.

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Cincinnati guard Simas Lukosius (41) leads the Bearcats in scoring with 14.9 points per game. Kansas State plays host to Cincinnati in its Big 12 opener Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.

Not much of a history with Cincinnati

K-State and Cincinnati have played just nine times previously, with the Bearcats holding an 8-1 advantage. Last year’s 74-72 Cincinnati victory in Cincinnati marked the first time they met as conference foes.

The most recent meeting before that came in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in Sacramento, California, with Cincinnati also prevailing, 75-61. The rest of the matchups all took place between 1958 and ’68, including three in the NCAA Tournament.

K-State’s lone victory came in the first meeting, 83-80 in…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-state-basketball-vs-cincinnati-090546945.html

Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal

Publish date : 2024-12-30 09:05:00

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