12/11 Kansas State vs Pitt State: Exhibition Open Game Thread

Good evening Kansas State Wildcats fans, and welcome back to the Octogon of Doom. It’s time for some bouncy-hoops, and even though it’s only exhibition play, I think we’re all ready for the “distraction” of basketball after dealing with the tumultuous football season.

So the Cats are set to square off tonight, at 7:00pm CDT, against the Gorillas of Pittsburg State. This is the lone exhibition game for the Wildcats, who also had a “secret” scrimmage with Oregon last weekend, and marks the first time since 2014-15 that the Cats will play just one exhibition game. K-State and Pitt State last squared off two years ago, with the Wildcats picking up an 85-72 victory.

Pitt State posted at 17-13 record last season, going 9-10 in the MIAA for an 8th-place league finish. But they return six lettermen, were picked 5th in the league for 2018-19, and are coached by former Mizzou head man Kim Anderson, who is in his second season in Pittsburg. The Gorillas will not be on fresh legs for this game, as they were in Norman, OK last night to take on the Sooners in an exhibition match-up that OU took 92-58.

It’s a “shake the rust off” game for the Wildcats, and teams with high aspirations have been known to sleep-walk through these games, but this should basically be a calk-walk for the Wildcats. Expect to see Bruce Weber try to cycle through the bench, and don’t be surprised if there is some sloppy play, especially with the new guys on the court.

We won’t go too in depth, because Eric hit us with a major season primer the other day, and Luke also dropped in to temper our expectations, but it will be nice to see Dean Wade, Barry Brown Jr., Xavier Sneed, and all the rest back in action.

Also, if you are going to be at the arena, or driving near the K-State sports complex after the game, K-State Athletics and RCPD have announced a new post-game traffic plan for men’s basketball games to help improve traffic flow. Be sure and check it out!

Tonight’s game will be available on FOX Sports Kansas City with Ben Boyle (play-by-play), Stan Weber (analyst), and Bridget Howard (sideline reporter) on the call. You should also be able to access the game on the FoxSportsGo app, and the game will also be streamed on ESPN3 (at least according to the SID). The channel listings from the SID include DirecTV 671-5 [HD] / Dish 449 or 412-37 / AT&T U-Verse 750 or 1750 [HD].

You will also be able to listen to live audio across much of the K-State Sports Network with with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Matt Walters (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be available streaming for free online via the TuneIn app/TuneIn.com and at www.kstatesports.com/watch, but no satellite coverage is available. Live stats are available at k-statesports.com, and Twitter updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage from K-State Athletics.

Go Cats!