K-State Wildcats vs. KU Jayhawks: Sunflower Showdown game time, TV, odds and pick
The Kansas State men’s basketball team will try to defeat its Sunflower Showdown rival at home for the third consecutive season when the Wildcats play host to the Jayhawks at 1 p.m. Saturday inside Bramlage Coliseum.
Here’s everything you need to know before tipoff, including a score prediction:
When: 1 p.m. on Saturday
Where: Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan
TV: ESPN
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM and 97.5 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: Kansas by 4.5
Over/under: 140.5.
About Kansas (16-6, 7-4 Big 12)
The Jayhawks are coming off a 69-52 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones that felt like a get-right game for Kansas. Bill Self’s team struggled mightily to close out games against Houston and Baylor and suffered a pair of embarrassing losses. But KU got some momentum back with that win. Kansas is expected to be at full strength in this game with Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams back in the starting lineup. The Jayhawks beat the Wildcats when they played last month at Allen Fieldhouse thanks to 25 points from Hunter Dickinson and 24 from Zeke Mayo.
About Kansas State (11-11, 5-6 Big 12)
The Wildcats have won four straight games to even their record at .500. K-State is coming off a dramatic win over Arizona State. Now it can add a signature victory to its resume against rival Kansas. Jerome Tang’s team has benefited from balanced scoring in recent games, as all five starters are averaging at least 9.9 points per game. Dug McDaniel and Coleman Hawkins have led a mid-season turnaround for K-State with their improved play. The Wildcats fell behind the Jayhawks 14-0 in their first meeting in Lawrence, but played them competitively the rest of the way before losing 84-74.
K-State game prediction
The Wildcats have been waiting for this game.
Sure, it was fun for them to win recent contests against Arizona State, West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Yes, it was validating for them to go on the road and beat Iowa State by 19. But none of those games happened in front of a packed home crowd. There was no grand party for them after any of those victories.
Things will be different if K-State wins its Sunflower Showdown rematch against Kansas on Saturday. Bramlage Coliseum will be sold out, and the fan base will rejoice if the Wildcats come out on top.
Coach Jerome Tang likes to say that his K-State team benefits from a home-court advantage of 10 points when the Octagon of Doom is rocking. He might be right about that on Saturday.
Momentum and home court will be on K-State’s side.
What about the rest of the matchup?
The Jayhawks have several advantages there, especially when it comes to 3-point defense. The Wildcats have been unconscious from beyond the arc during their recent winning streak, but they may cool off against a KU defense that is holding opponents to 29% shooting from 3-point range.
It isn’t easy to score inside against KU, either, as the Jayhawks are holding opponents to 44.1% shooting from within the arc. Their defense figures to be at full strength with Adams and Harris in the starting lineup.
But the Jayhawks are not a juggernaut on offense. Even if the Wildcats miss a few shots they have been making recently, it is unlikely that Kansas will run away and hide with a big lead. It couldn’t even do that in Lawrence.
I expect K-State to get off to a strong start and feed off the home crowd as the game goes along. That will put the Wildcats in position to win a close game late with Coleman Hawkins and David N’Guessan making clutch shots the way they have in recent games.
Tang won his first two home meetings against KU. Here’s guessing he pushes that streak to three on Saturday.
K-State 75, Kansas 70
Last game prediction: K-State 73, Arizona State 67
Actual score: K-State 71, Arizona State 70
Season record: 15-7
Season record ATS: 10-12
Season record O/U: 10-12
This story was originally published February 8, 2025 at 6:15 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. KU Jayhawks: Sunflower Showdown game time, TV, odds and pick."