Baylor at No. 10 Kansas State

WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m. Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.

•  TV/RADIO: ESPNU; WHB (810 AM)•  ABOUT BAYLOR (16-8, 7-4 Big 12): How tight is the race for a Big 12 championship? The Bears are a game back of first, but that wouldn’t be the case had they better managed a late possession against Oklahoma State. With time winding down in a tie game, Baylor had the chance to win on the final possession but lost the ball before it could get a shot off. The Cowboys grabbed the steal and scored before the buzzer. … Much like last season, the Bears rely on point guard Pierre Jackson to run the offense. He leads the Big 12 in scoring and assists. … Freshman Isaiah Austin can also be a handful inside. At 7 feet 1, he is one of the league’s top rebounders. … Baylor has been up-and-down, beating Kentucky on the road and losing to Charleston, but has played more consistently lately.

•  ABOUT KANSAS STATE (19-5, 8-3 Big 12): Wildcats coach Bruce Weber doesn’t know how many more victories K-State will need to win a conference championship, but he says it will need to win its remaining home games to have a shot. So a win over Baylor is vital to K-State’s championship hopes. … K-State was unable to control the tempo in an 83-62 loss at Kansas, and the game slipped away by halftime. Baylor also plays fast, but K-State will try to slow it down with a more patient offense. … K-State has won four of the last five against Baylor but by an average of only 4.6 points.

•  BOTTOM LINE: This is an important game for both teams. The loser will have considerable ground to make up in the Big 12 standings. With both teams giving it their all, home court should give K-State a slight edge.