<span class="subhead">No. 5 Kansas at Kansas State</p><p></span>&bull;&#xA0; <span class="bold">WHEN/WHERE: </span>8 tonight at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.</p><p>&bull;&#xA0; <span class="bold">TV/RADIO:</span> ESPN; KCSP (610 AM), WHB (810 AM)</p><p>&bull;&#xA0; <span class="bold">ABOUT KANSAS (20-5, 10-2 Big 12):</span> The Jayhawks, seventh in The Associated Press poll and 10th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, are likely to find themselves higher in the polls by tipoff. Kansas suffered its most lopsided defeat last season in Manhattan, by 16 points, when Jacob Pullen scored 38 points. After winning 24 straight in Manhattan, KU has lost two of its last four games in one of the loudest buildings in the Big 12.</p><p>&bull;&#xA0; <span class="bold">ABOUT KANSAS STATE (17-7, 6-6 Big 12): </span>The Wildcats are looking to pick up an important victory in front of a full house. K-State will surely look forward to playing at home. It has lost its last two games on the road despite leading by double digits in the second half, but it has won its last two home games and eight of 10 at Bramlage Coliseum this season. In K-State&#x92;s 18-point loss at Kansas on Jan. 4, Rodney McGruder led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points while Jamar Samuels scored 12.</p><p><span class="subhead">Frontcourt</span></p><p>Is there a better playing tandem in the nation right now than Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey? Robinson continues his quest for national player of the year with double-doubles in 17 games. Withey is coming off the week of his career with 25 points at Baylor and 18 points and 20 rebounds against Oklahoma State. The Wildcats will try to establish Thomas Gipson, and Jamar Samuels and wing Rodney McGruder will help lure one of the KU big men away from the basket. That won&#x92;t be the case when 6-foot-10 Adrian Diaz, coming off a season-best 11 points at Texas, and 6-11 Jordan Henriquez enter the game.</p><p> <span class="bold">Edge: </span>Kansas</p><p><span class="subhead">Backcourt</span></p><p>Tyshawn Taylor leads the way for Kansas, although he&#x92;s coming off his worst shooting game of the season &#x97; zero for five on three-pointers against Oklahoma State. But Elijah Johnson picked up the slack by hitting three of them. Travis Releford usually takes the opponent&#x92;s top wing scorer, so look for him to spend time checking McGruder. Kansas State&#x92;s Will Spradling has been in double figures each of the last three game and has recaptured his shooting stroke. Angel Rodriquez cracked the starting lineup a month ago, which has allowed Spradling to play more off guard.</p><p> <span class="bold">Edge:</span> Kansas</p><p><span class="subhead">Bench</span></p><p>The Wildcats are one of the deepest teams in the Big 12. Coach Frank Martin brings size off the bench in Henriquez and Diaz, playmaking ability in Martavious Irving and energy from Shane Southwell and Victor Ojeleye. Conner Teahan had a big game against the Wildcats in the conference season opener, knocking down two threes in helping the Jayhawks extend a second-half lead.</p><p> <span class="bold">Edge:</span> Kansas State</p><p><span class="subhead">Coaching/intangibles</span></p><p>There&#x92;s a mutual admiration society between Martin and Bill Self. Martin often speaks of the model quality of the Jayhawks&#x92; program, and Self holds up the Wildcats as the hardest-working team KU faces. In the Jan. 4 game, Self was dumbfounded at his team&#x92;s 50-26 rebounding advantage, and you better believe that will be a point of emphasis for Martin&#x92;s team tonight. Give Kansas the edge in coaching, and Kansas State a home-court edge. When Bramlage is juiced, as it will be tonight, it&#x92;s like playing inside a jet engine.</p><p> <span class="bold">Edge:</span> Push</p><p><span class="subhead">Bottom line</span></p><p>The game in Lawrence went to Kansas by 18, but the Wildcats cut it to three in the second half. Since Frank Martin has taken over, the rivalry has assumed the intensity previous generations understood. Both teams played a lousy second half on Saturday, but K-State&#x92;s poor play cost it a victory. How will the Wildcats respond? Kansas State took apart Missouri in Bramlage, and it needs that kind of effort tonight to spring the upset. The Jayhawks played well in its previous road games, at Missouri and Baylor, and got a split. Nothing less than that kind of performance will be required for a Kansas victory, which will happen by single digits.