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For the third consecutive game, the Red Raiders face a Top 25 team. Texas Tech fell to the #3 Kansas Jayhawks 85-68 on Saturday in Lawrence to drop to 12-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Now they are facing another ranked team at home in #25 Kansas State, who cracked the rankings just this week. Chris Beard and the Red Raiders are looking for a bounce-back win at the United Supermarkets Arena tonight to stay afloat in the conference standings as they continue their path to the tournament.
The game will be televised on ESPN News at 8:15 CST.
Kansas State Key Players
| Category | Stat | Player |
| Points/Game | 12.5 | Wesley Iwundu, F |
| Rebounds/Game | 6.4 | D.J. Johnson, F |
| Assists/Game | 4.5 | Kamau Stokes, G |
| 3 pts Made | 28/68 | Kamau Stokes, G |
| Free Throw % | 1.000 | Dante Williams, F |
Kansas State seems like a well-rounded team. Senior forward Wesley Iwundu is the standout player for the Wildcats, leading the team in points per game and field goal percentage (.485). In addition to Iwundu, four other players are averaging double digit PPG numbers as well. They are G Barry Brown, F D.J. Johnson, G Kamau Stokes, and F Dean Wade. This team appears to be complete with guards and forwards who can give Tech a hard time.
Last 5 Games
| 12/17 vs. Colorado State | W 89-70 |
| 12/21 vs. Gardner-Webb | W 67-54 |
| 12/30 vs. Texas | W 65-62 |
| 1/03 @ Kansas | L 90-88 |
| 1/07 vs. Oklahoma | W 75-64 |
Kansas State started off the season hot, finishing 11-1 after non-conference play. Their only loss came in a 69-68 close game vs. Maryland. The Wildcats had a three-point win vs. Texas, but fell to #3 Kansas by two. They followed up that close loss with decisive 11-point win against the Oklahoma Sooners. Two of their first three conference games turned out to be challenging.
Prediction
Texas Tech 70-#25 Kansas State 68
I know it's still early in Big 12 play, but I think this is crucial game for Tech. It will be interesting to see if this team can bounce back after that double-digit loss to Kansas as they did against West Virginia after the Iowa State loss. Kansas State is good, but I don't think they are as good as West Virginia or Kansas. I can see the Red Raiders pulling this one out in the closing seconds.