Preview: Kansas State vs Oklahoma State

Following a solid win against Coach Mike Boynton’s alma mater, the Cowboys get back to conference play against Kansas State. The Cowboys are still 2nd to last in the Big 12, but moved to only two games under .500 overall following the win. Kansas State comes into the game tied for first in the conference with... Baylor??

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Who: Kansas State (15-5, 5-2 Big 12)

Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, Oklahoma

When: Saturday Feb. 2, 2019 - 5:00 p.m. CST

TV: ESPNU

Web Stream: WatchESPN

Radio: Cowboy Radio Network / TuneIn

Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com

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Injury Report:

Oklahoma State:

Trey Reeves: Out for season (Foot)

Kansas State:

None

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Projected Starters:

Oklahoma State:

Kansas State:

G Barry Brown Jr. (Sr), G Kamau Stokes (Sr), F Makol Mawien (Jr), F Dean Wade (Sr), F Xavier Sneed (Jr)

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The Opponent:

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State (KenPom No. 44) came into the season with high expectations but a fair share of doubters. While they returned basically their whole team, they didn’t play as well throughout the past season as they did during their scorching hot run into the Elite Eight.

Bruce Weber is in his seventh season with Kansas State, and has been to the tournament in four of those seasons. Kansas State returns a veteran team laden with experienced talent. They are led in scoring by three seniors in Barry Brown (15.2 ppg), Dean Wade (13.6 ppg), and Kamau Stokes (10.2 ppg).

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Statistics:

ESPN

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Three Things to Watch For:

1. Back to the grind:

After a number of close games where the Cowboys have run out of gas or lacked the experience to close, the Cowboys find themselves at 2-5 in the conference. As we approach the midpoint of the conference season, the Cowboys will need to find ways to win with their shorthanded lineup if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive.

2. Kansas State for real?:

After losing their first two conference games, Kansas State won five straight until they ran into a wall out of conference in College Station. Oklahoma State has struggled against Kansas State in recent years but they’ll need to reverse that trend if they want to prove that Kansas State doesn’t belong at the top of the conference.

3. Offensive rhythm:

Kansas State has the fourth best defense in D1 according to KenPom, but the 206th ranked offense. Oklahoma State has more balance at 84th and 101st, but they’ve had their share of offensive struggles in stretches. The Cowboys will need to avoid those droughts as much as possible if they want reverse their recent struggles against Kansas State.