K-State Basketball Openers: Open Games Thread

Tonight we get the home openers for the women’s and men’s basketball teams. So, like last week, in honor of the double-header, you’re getting a double-header game thread to discuss all five hours of the basketball goodness. Be sure and check out Jon’s How to Watch post for all the important details on tuning in.

The women open their 2016-17 season, and tonight's action, at 5:30pm against the Cougars of Chicago State. The game will be available on K-StateHD.TV and streaming live online at K-StateSports.com. Jeff Mittie will look to improve to 3-0 in his K-State career in season openers, as the Mittie and the Cats look to inch towards some career and program-defining win total goals. Chicago State enters the 2016-17 season following a 4-25 campaign in 2015-16. The Cougars were selected for an eighth place finish in the 2016-17 Preseason WAC Coaches Poll.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State
F: #13 Eternati Willock
G: #21 Karyla Middlebrook
C: #22 Breanna Lewis
G: #24 Kindred Wesemann
F: #50 Shaelyn Martin

Washburn
G: #11 Konner Harris
F/C: #14 Sh’Toya Sanders
G: #20 Cailin Nix
G: #23 Kaylee Allen
G: #30 Jessica Cerda

The men will follow with their season opener at 8:10pm (or 30 minutes after the women’s game, whichever is later) against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois. Yes, the famed WIU squad that took down Wisconsin in Madison in last season’s opener. The game will be broadcast on FSN Kansas City (state of Kansas/Kansas City metro area) and ESPN3 (outside the state of Kansas), as well as available on K-StateHD.TV. Audio, as always, is available on the K-State Sports Network and streaming online at K-StateSports.com.

K-State will look to continue it’s undefeated streak over the Leathernecks, with an all-time record of 3-0. The big things to watch for in tonight’s game will be the full return of point guard Kamau Stokes from his season-ending injury, as well as the much-talked-about off-season improvements made by Barry Brown, Dean Wade, and Wesley Iwundu. Western Illinois enters the 2016-17 season after finishing after a 2015-16 season that started with a bang, starting with their surprising 69-67 win over Wisconsin, which was the first of 5 consecutive wins to start the season, but finished with a whimper as they lost 15 of their last 18 games, including a 11-game losing streak, to finish the season at 10-17.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown
G: #25 Wesley Iwundu
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #4 D.J. Johnson

Western Illinois
G: #1 Jabari Sandifer
G: #31 Garret Covington
G: #40 C.J. Duff
F: #15 Dalan Ancrum
F: #52 Brandon Gilbeck

Go Cats!!