Kansas State Wildcats (16-8, 4-5) AT Colorado Buffaloes (15-10, 4-6)
Coors Events Center — Boulder, Colo.
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 — 8 PM CST
ESPNU | ESPN Full Court | ESPN3.com
If last Saturday's win at Iowa State was a season-saver, tonight appears to be a turning point — or a fork in the road.
With a win, K-State can knock Colorado from the top half of the conference standings, permanently eliminate the Buffaloes from the NCAA Tournament discussion and gain a small measure of revenge for its single loss at home.
With a loss, Colorado will sweep the season series, giving the Cats a pair of bad losses (the Buffs will fall below 100 in the RPI within two weeks, I predict, and as soon as tomorrow if they lose tonight) to blacken the ol' resume.
In other words, Jacob Pullen could start making alternate plans for the NIT. The only thing that can mitigate a loss tonight would be a subsequent win over Kansas, but that's just not likely to happen at all.
So, two paths diverged in a Rocky Mountain wood. Will the Cats choose the path less taken? And will it make a difference?
You can read my preview of Colorado here, revisit BOTC's anger during the first game here or chat with Buffalo fans at The Ralphie Report.
Predictions:
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BracketCat: Colorado 74, Kansas State 72
GAMER: Colorado 74, Kansas State 72
Pomeroy: Colorado 76, Kansas State 73
Sagarin: Colorado 73, Kansas State 71
From the K-State Sports Information Department:
Kansas State (16-8, 4-5 Big 12) will make its final conference road trip to Boulder, Colo., on Saturday night, when the Wildcats play Colorado (15-10, 4-6 Big 12) at Coors Events Center at 8 p.m.
The Wildcats and Buffaloes will meet for the 142nd and final time as league opponents in a series that dates back to 1933.
The teams have met twice annually since 1948, when Colorado became the seventh member of the Big Six Conference (to create the Big Seven Conference), and the rivalry has continued through the evolution of the Big Eight and Big 12 Conferences.
The school will leave the Big 12 in the coming months, when it joins Utah and the rest of the Pac-10 to form the new Pacific 12 Conference in 2011-12.
K-State has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including four consecutive games in Boulder.
However, Colorado snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 74-66 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 12.
The Buffaloes will try to sweep the regular-season series for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
The contest will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play) and Sean Farnham (analyst) on the call, and also will be available on ESPN Full Court, as well as on the Internet at ESPN3.com.
Fans can listen to the "Voice of the Wildcats," Wyatt Thompson, and analyst Stan Weber throughout the 33-station K-State Sports Network, as well as free of charge online at www.k-statesports.com.