Kansas State vs Baylor: Open Game Thread

The SS EMAW has hit more rough water.

After a three game win streak in mid-February to break out of a 1-3 funk, the Kansas State Wildcats were right back in the think of the Big 12 race. They were even in a position that if some other things could have fallen in place, the Cats had an outside chance at a least a piece of the conference crown. And then the Wildcats walked in to a road game against a one-night-resurgent Oklahoma Sooners squad, and then couldn’t get out of their own way in a sloppy game against the TCU Horned Frogs in Ft. Worth.

And those two losses have put the Wildcats right back teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Life is fragile when your non-conference S.O.S. is “turrible”.

The Wildcats have one more chance to make a statement in the regular season, and lock-up their first Big 12 season above .500 for the first time since 2013-14. But it’s going to be tough, because today’s opponent, the Baylor Bears, are trending upwards. Also, in a fun twist, the last time that K-State lost on senior night was against Baylor at the end of that 2014 season.

It’s time to find out if these Wildcats have one more “A” performance left in them for the regular season. We’ve certainly seen enough “C” games this season. Welcome to Weberville.

This afternoon’s game, scheduled for a 1 p.m. CST tip-off, will be on ESPN/ESPN3 with Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Bryndon Manzer (analyst) on the call.

It’s Senior Day in Manhattan. Walk-ons Mason Schoen and Kade Kinnamon, as well as senior manager Josh Burk, will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

The game can be heard over-the-air on the K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (analyst) on the call (you can also listen online for free at TuneIn.com or at KStateSports.com). Satellite radio is available on Sirius 132, XM 199, and “Internet” 953.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (20-10, 9-8 Big 12)

G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G: #5 Barry Brown Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Baylor (18-12, 8-9 Big 12)
G: #3 Jake Lindsey
G: #20 Manu Lecomte
F: #21 Nuni Omot
F: #31 Terry Maston
F: #00 Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.