Texas Tech is finally on the road, as the Red Raiders travel to Manhattan, KS to face the Kansas St. Wildcats. Let's get to the breakdown:
The Numbers:
| Team | K.P. Rank | Off.Eff. | Def.Eff. | Points/Game | Points Allowed | Rebounds |
| Texas Tech | 53 | 34 | 86 | 75.1 | 67.1 | 32.2 |
| Kansas State | 70 | 132 | 42 | 72.5 | 65.4 | 38 |
Players to Watch:
| Player | Rebounds | Assists | Points |
| Cartier Martin | 3.7 | 1.5 | 15.3 |
| David Hoskins | 5.1 | 2.1 | 13.3 |
| Bill Walker | 5.4 | 1.0 | 13.2 |
Keys to the Game:
- Rebound, Rebound, Rebound. K-State is a very athletic team, and much like OU, they are not gifted offensively. That's not to say that they can't score, but they will fight you tooth and nail on the defensive end of the court. If I were Coach Knight, I'd follow the same game plan as I did against Oklahoma. Rebound the heck out of the ball, and emphasize that Tech has to block out. Their smallest starter is 6-4, so rebounding will be a collective effort.
- Defend the perimeter. Since K-State doesn't score particularly well, especially from the outside, there's no point in giving them any easy looks. Contest every 3-point shot and make them work for their buckets.
- Help defensively in the post. I imagine that Zeno and the very gifted freshman, Bill Walker, will go head-to-head on Monday night. Walker is very creative inside, much like Zeno, but if Tech can selectively double-team Walker and Cartier then I think that this will really throw K-State off offensively.
Probable Starting Lineups:
Kansas State and Texas Tech
David Hoskins, G-F, 6-5, Jr. / Martin Zeno, F, 6-5, Jr.
Bill Walker, F, 6-6, Fr. / Michael Prince, F, 6-7, So.
Cartier Martin, G-F, 6-8, Sr. / Damir Suljagic, F, 6-8, So.
Clent Stewart, G, 6-4, Jr. / Charlie Burgess, G, 6-1, Jr.
Akeem Wright, G, 6-6, Sr. / Jay Jackson, G, 6-1, Sr.