Colorado Buffaloes (12-4, 1-0) AT #20 Kansas State Wildcats (12-4, 0-1)
Bramlage Coliseum — Manhattan, Kan.
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 — 8 PM CST
ESPNU
OK, bounce-back time for the Cats. Normally, this would be a game we could point to as an easy win, but these ain't Jeff Bzdelik's Buffaloes.
Led by the Big 12's second-leading scorer, Alec Burks, and star guard Cory Higgins, Colorado has some bite this season.
But this is The Octagon of Doom, and it's been since before Thanksgiving that it has hosted an opponent worthy of bestirring all of the building's rage.
For those of you unlucky enough not to be at the game (like me), you'll be subjected to the manly tones of ESPN analyst Kara Lawson. Feel free to commiserate with me in the comments section.
You can read my preview of Colorado here or visit with Buffalo fans at The Ralphie Report.
Predictions:
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BracketCat: Kansas State 83, Colorado 73
Pomeroy: Kansas State 80, Colorado 72
RealTimeRPI: Kansas State 81, Colorado 67
Sagarin: Kansas State 88, Colorado 80
From the K-State Sports Information Department:
No. 20 Kansas State (12-4, 0-1 Big 12) opens the Big 12 portion of its home schedule Wednesday night, when the Wildcats will host the surging Colorado Buffaloes (12-4, 1-0 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum at 8 p.m.
The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play) and Kara Lawson (analyst) on the call, and it also will be available on ESPN Full Court and ESPN3.com.
K-State leads the all-time series with Colorado — which dates back to 1933 — 96-44.
The Wildcats have won nine consecutive games against the Buffaloes, including five in a row at home, which is the longest winning streak in the series since the team won 14 straight from 1977 to 1983.
It will be the last meeting between the schools in Manhattan as conference foes — Colorado will head to the Pac-12 in 2011-12.
It will snap a stretch of 62 consecutive years that the schools have played, which dates to the 1947-48 season.
The Wildcats are 54-9 at home, including a 15-7 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
The two teams have been nearly even since the start of Big 12 play, with K-State holding a slight 16-14 edge.
The Wildcats have won three of their last four home conference openers, including an 88-65 win over Texas A&M last season.
The team will be looking to win its home conference opener, after dropping its league-lifter on the road for the second consecutive season, having also lost at Missouri and then coming home to defeat the Aggies last season.
It will mark the earliest meeting between the two schools since 1979.