Game Primer: How to Watch, Key Players and Important Information for Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State Wildcats

Everything you need to know for tonight's second edition of the Sunflower Showdown in 2023.

The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to get back to winning as they head on the road to take on the Kansas State Wildcats tonight. The Wildcats have struggled recently as well, and both teams are looking to build some momentum heading into the postseason.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series 78-50, including a 37-16 advantage in Manhattan. Kansas has won the last two games in the series, but Kansas State has won the last three games played in Manhattan.

Before today's important matchup, here are the essentials:

The Numbers

Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are provided by CBB Analytics. CBB Analytics is a new stats website in college hoops, covering both men and women's basketball in D-I, D-II and D-III. You can follow them on Twitter @CBBAnalytics

Kansas: 16-9 (6-8 Big 12): CBB Analytics Net Rating - 53rd overall, 64th offense, 60th defense

Kansas State: 15-12 (4-10 Big 12): Net Rating - 127th overall, 94th offense, 198th defense

Line: KU -1.5

O/U: 160.5

How to Watch

Wednesday, February 22nd, 6:30 p.m. CST

Manhattan, KS: Bramlage Coliseum

TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

- Brian Smoller (Play-by-Play), Missy Heidrick (Analyst), Jazsmin Halliburton (Sideline)

Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network

- Steven Davis (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst)

Webcast: Kansas Online Radio

Game Coverage

Follow along during the game for live updates on Twitter.

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Opponent Team Form

After losing to the Jayhawks, it has been a very up and down couple of weeks for Kansas State. They upset a depleted Iowa State team at home, with some big contributions from across the starting lineup. But then they suffered double digit losses to both Texas Tech in Lubbock and at home against Oklahoma. Any momentum from a double digit upset over the Baylor Bears was immediately undone when they went on the road to Fort Worth and lost convincingly to the Horned Frogs.

The Wildcats do a few things well offensively. They go to the line often, and they create a lot of fast break opportunities. They shoot well and get a lot of assists. But they do have a problem with turnovers. That's especially deadly when they speed themselves up too much. And they don't hit the offensive glass very well, which means that they have to hit shots on the first attempt to stay in the game.

Defensively, this team has been abysmal. They have had one of the worst performances in the nation in the last 5 games. They get steals at a decent clip, but nothing that is extraordinary. And they are a middle-of-the-road team when it comes to defensive rebounding. But they struggle inside and let their opponents take high percentage shots often.

Players to Watch

Gabby Gregory continues to be the spark plug for this team, as she averages 19.7 points per game on 40.9% shooting. On the perimeter there is plenty of help, with Serena Sundell being the main distributor, averaging 5.1 assist per game to go with her 12.5 points per game. And Jaelyn Glenn is still the main three-point threat, shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc. She also leads the team in steals with 2.4 per game.

The interior is the spot to worry about. The top-rated player is Sarah Shematsi, who averages just 6.0 points per game and 4.0 rebounds. It seems that most of the interior play is meant to open up lanes for the guards to find ways to slash and score.

Matchups to Watch

In the last game, Kansas got pretty much whatever they wanted offensively, with both Taiyanna Jackson and Wyvette Mayberry scoring 20+ points. Kansas will need to push that advantage, keep both of them out of foul trouble, and allow them to score often.

Chandler Prater was the least productive starter from a scoring standpoint, but she still had 8 points. Zakiyah Franklin fouled out in the last game, but she has been absolutely electric recently, including scoring 30 against Oklahoma on Sunday. And of course, Holly Kersgieter has been hot from outside the arc, something that served her well in the first matchup.

Prediction

The Jayhawks have been struggling for sure, but they have also been playing great competition closely with a very short bench. Foul trouble is definitely a concern, but assuming that Jackson and Mayberry can stay out of foul trouble, the Jayhawks will just have too much firepower for Kansas State to handle.

Kansas 81, Kansas State 68.

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