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

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MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball is back home after a pair of disappointing road losses and faces a daunting task when red-hot Houston visits Bramlage Coliseum at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The Wildcats (7-7, 1-2 Big 12) dropped a 63-62 heartbreaker at TCU and then offered little resistance in a 79-66 loss at Oklahoma State on Tuesday after winning their conference opener against Cincinnati. No. 11-ranked Houston (11-3, 3-0), on the other hand, has hit its stride with seven straight victories.

K-State does have a 5-2 home record but has only lost once at Bramlage this season. They lost in overtime to Drake at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center in what was designated as a home game.

Houston has only played one true road game, beating Oklahoma State in its Big 12 opener, 60-47, with all three losses coming on neutral courts against Auburn and then in overtime to Alabama and San Diego State.

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

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Kansas State forward Coleman Hawkins (33) reacts during Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma State at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.

K-State needs to manufacture easy baskets

K-State has been inconsistent on offense this season, ranking 10th in the Big 12 in scoring at 75.5 points per game. That will be a difficult number to reach against a Houston team that leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 54 points.

The Wildcats can ill afford to turn the ball over or give up second-chance points, both of which have been issues to this point. Houston will make them pay.

Creating some transition opportunities will be critical, but difficult, against the Cougars, who turn the ball over less than 10 times a game and outrebound their opponents by an average of six per game.

A closer look at the Houston Cougars

Houston’s defense has been in lockdown mode since its two losses in…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-state-basketball-vs-houston-154446820.html

Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal

Publish date : 2025-01-10 15:44:00

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