Oklahoma Sooners (12-13, 4-7) AT Kansas State Wildcats (17-9, 5-6)
Bramlage Coliseum — Manhattan, Kan.
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 — 3 PM CST
Big 12 Network | ESPN Full Court | ESPN3.com
Well, the Era Week of Good Feelings is drawing to a close, and now it's time for the rubber to hit the road.
In 2008, K-State won its first game ever against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bramlage Coliseum. And there was much rejoicing.
The young Cats promptly followed that up by blowing a large lead at Missouri and suffering their first conference loss of the season after a 5-0 start.
Last year, K-State won only its third game ever against a No. 1-ranked team, and only its second at Bramlage. And there was much rejoicing.
The not-so-young Cats promptly followed that up by sucking it up against Oklahoma State and losing their first home game of the season.
Do you see a pattern?
With a win today, K-State would be .500 in Big 12 play for the first time all season. Many of its goals still would be attainable. Most important, the Cats would sustain the momentum of a 3-out-of-4 winning streak that has led us here.
The unthinkable — a loss — would make us 0-2 in "blackout" games, losers of two of our last three, tied at 5-7 with an Oklahoma team that would hold the head-to-head advantage, and owners of our worst "bad loss" of the season.
Please don't lose, Cats.
You can read my preview of Oklahoma here or chat with Sooner fans at Crimson And Cream Machine.
Predictions:
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BracketCat: Kansas State 77, Oklahoma 63
GAMER: Kansas State 81, Oklahoma 64
Pomeroy: Kansas State 74, Oklahoma 61
Sagarin: Kansas State 75, Oklahoma 63
From the K-State Sports Information Department:
Kansas State (17-9, 5-6 Big 12) wraps up its brief two-game home stand this afternoon, when the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma (12-13, 4-7 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum at 3 p.m.
The squad will look to continue its momentum after knocking off No. 1 Kansas, 84-68, before a nationally televised crowd on ESPN’s Big Monday.
The team is 2-1 all-time in the game after beating the nation’s top-ranked squad, taking down Colorado, 93-65, on Feb. 10, 1990, and 71-65 on Jan. 22, 1994, before losing 73-69 to Oklahoma State on Jan. 23, 2010.
The contest will be broadcast regionally on the Big 12 Network, with Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) on the call.
Locally, the game will be available on KMCI-TV in Kansas City, KSAS-TV in Wichita, and KSNT-TV in the Manhattan and Topeka areas.
It also will be available nationally 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.
"K-State Proud," the university’s student philanthropic campaign, is back for the fifth year in a row and has designated the Oklahoma game as a "Blackout in Bramlage."
The organization is selling black T-shirts at any GTM location, including the K-State Super Store and Cats' Closet, and on the Bramlage Coliseum concourse, with $10 of every shirt purchase benefitting Student Opportunity Awards at K-State.
The campaign has raised more than $345,000 the past four years, creating two types of student awards, the K-State Hero and K-State Proud awards, and has a goal of $100,000 for 2011.
There will be a pre-game "K-State Proud" pep rally at 1:30 p.m. with a check presentation slated for the 12:00 mark of the first half.
To learn more about the "K-State Proud" campaign, please visit www.k-stateproud.org.
Today will be the 193rd meeting between K-State and Oklahoma in a series that dates back to 1920.
The two teams have met at least once every season since 1927, spanning five different conference affiliations — Missouri Valley, Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12.
The Sooners are one of only two schools to own an advantage in the all-time series with the Wildcats, posting a 102-90 edge since that first meeting 91 years ago.
K-State owns a 54-34 lead in games played in Manhattan since 1920.
However, Oklahoma is 7-8 all-time at Bramlage Coliseum, including wins in four of the last five meetings.
The Sooners earned a 61-53 victory in their last visit to Manhattan, while the Wildcats tallied an 83-68 win in Norman in the most recent match-up on Feb. 20, 2010.
In that last meeting, the squad shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 58.1 percent in the second half, to post its second straight win at Lloyd Noble Center.
Five players scored in double figures, led by senior Denis Clemente’s 27 points.
Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly each chipped in 14 points, while Jamar Samuels added 12 points off the bench.