On Wednesday, the undefeated Kansas State Wildcats will take a trip to Indianapolis for a Big East-Big 12 battle with the Butler Bulldogs. K-State defeated LSU 61-59 last Wednesday for the Cayman Islands Classic championship. Butler tripped up against NC State in the Battle 4 Atlantis, losing 76-61 in the fifth-place game. The Wildcats are 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS, while the Bulldogs are 4-3 SU and 4-2-1 ATS.
Kansas State made it through the Cayman Islands Classic unscathed, defeating Rhode Island, Nevada, and LSU. The Wildcats' undefeated record will be challenged again in consecutive games this week, with a road game at Butler and a home matchup with Wichita State. Following a couple of tune-up games, K-State will then travel to Kansas City for the Wildcat Classic, which pits it against former conference rival Nebraska. It's crucial preparation for Kansas State before it takes on #2 Texas and #6 Baylor at the start of the new year.
The Wildcats are led by experienced upperclassmen, averaging 76.5 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting from the field. They have the 14th-highest free-throw percentage (79.4%) and average 17.7 assists per game, 19th-most in the country. K-State is led by star seniors Keyontae Johnson (17.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG) and Markquis Nowell (15.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG). Johnson is shooting 54 .1 percent from the floor and 50 percent from deep. Junior forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin (9.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG) and senior guard Desi Sills (9.0 points on 48.8% shooting) are two other players to watch against Butler.
The Wildcats' defense has been solid, ranking 39th nationally in defensive efficiency adjusted for strength of schedule, per KenPom. Their opponents are scoring 61.5 points per game and shooting 41.4 percent, including 29.7 percent from long-range. It will take more than that to beat K-State the way it distributes the rock to its shooters.
Business trip ?? Done deal#KStateMBB x @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/TUifrjeb0p
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) November 24, 2022