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The Kansas State Wildcats (17-5, 7-1) v. The Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-10, 3-5)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 @ 8:00 p.m.
ESPN 2
The Numbers:
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Keys to the Game:
- Oh Jeez, Who Guards Beasley: I'm pretty sure that the Red Raiders are going to be in somewhat of a pickle tomorrow night regarding who guards Beasley. Let's run down those options. It's not going to be Suljagic, right? Just doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with Beasley. If it's not Suljagic then we can pretty much rule out Cook, De Bem and Rizvic as well. Sorry guys. What about Singletary? Perhaps he's a better matchup for Walker. Zeno? Naw, just not enough bulk or height to keep up. There's not much left. If I had it my way, I'd probably put D'Walyn Roberts on Beasley, hope and pray he doesn't foul out and pray that Beasley announces he goes pro during halftime. Seriously, I think that Suljagic will start and Roberts and Cook, although Cook's defensive issues from Nebraska really worry me.
- Measuring Stick for Singletary: I've been really impressed with Singletary's play recently and couldn't help but think that tonight's matchup with Bill Walker will provide a really nice litmus test for Singletary. Will he be able to score down low against a player with similar size and weight? Will Singletary be able to keep Walker in check on the boards? This might be the most interesting match up of the game.
- Who's It Going to Be: The last two games have been fairly inconsistent, and understandably so. New coach, new concepts, quite a bit to install in a couple of games. Despite PK slowly taking control of the team and program, I think it's quite evident that there's just something missing from the starting lineup. When Voskuil starts he's always been hesitant and therefore frustrating. With Burgess starting there is certainly a lack of scoring that eventually catches up with the team, whether it be the first half or the second. Rather than completely leaning on Zeno and Singletary for all of the scoring I think that starting a more aggressive Voskuil should help some of the scoring woes (so long as he is making his shots).
Probable Starting Lineups:
| Texas Tech | Ht. | Wt. | Pos. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG |
| John Roberson | 5-11 | 165 | G | Fr. | 12.5 | 2.7 | 3.4 |
| Alan Voskuil | 6-3 | 175 | G | Jr. | 12.1 | 3.9 | 1.3 |
| Martin Zeno | 6-5 | 208 | G/F | Sr. | 16.0 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| Mike Singletary | 6-5 | 226 | F | Fr. | 8.1 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| Damir Suljagic | 6-8 | 245 | F | Jr. | 4.5 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Kansas State | Ht. | Wt. | Pos. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG |
| Jacob Pullen | 6-1 | 185 | G | Fr. | 10.0 | 1.6 | 3.5 |
| Blake Young | 6-2 | 195 | G | Sr. | 6.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 |
| Bill Walker | 6-6 | 220 | F | Fr. | 15.8 | 6.8 | 2.0 |
| Dominique Sutton | 6-5 | 220 | F | Fr. | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.7 |
| Michael Beasley | 6-19 | 235 | C | Fr. | 25.2 | 12.3 | 1.4 |
This is your open game day thread so feel free to sign up for a free account and leave all predictions, comments and thoughts about the game here.
GO RAIDERS . . .
*Stats can be found Ken Pomeroy, via Basketball Prospectus: K.P. Rank = the Ken Pomeroy Rank; Offensive Efficiency = the national rank in terms of points scored per 100 possessions; Defensive Efficiency = the national rank in terms of points allowed per 100 possession. Numbers in parentheses are national rank.