The #12 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, 14-2 and 3-1, travel to Manhattan, Kansas to play the Kansas State Wildcats in what should amount to a leisurely stroll or light workout. Kansas State, currently 7-9 and 0-4 in Big 12 Conference play, is appallingly, shockingly bad this season.
With wins against North Dakota State, UNLV, Monmouth, AR-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Alabama State and Tulsa, this team has not beaten anyone of any significance. The Wildcats have also lost to Pitt, Bradley, Marquette and Saint Louis. Currently ranked 153rd in the RPI rankings, this dreadful Kansas State team sits at the bottom of the Big 12 standings and will for the entire season.
According to Winners and Whiners, “the Wildcats have scored only 99.2 points per 100 possessions (198th in the NCAA) while turning the ball over 21.7 percent of the time on offense (297th in the NCAA). They also sport an effective field goal percentage of only 48.3 percent (216th in the NCAA) and have shot just 66.6 percent from the charity stripe as a team (281st in the NCAA) so far this year.”
Xavier Sneed, the Wildcats’ best player, is 6’5 Senior Forward, who averages 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, but is only shooting 39.5% from the field. Kansas State’s only real big man threat is 6’9 Makol Mawien, who averages 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds, but shoots only 43.8% from the field. With the Wildcats’ lackluster interior play, the Mountaineers will likely pound it down to big men Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver early and often. Kansas State simply does not have the talent or size to compete with West Virginia’s depth.
Only a 6.5 point favorite, the Mountaineers will not just cover this line, they will triple it. Expect an easy 20+ point win and Spencer Macke getting his first road appearance of his young college career in the blowout.
WVU 78
Kansas State 52
