Kansas State Heads to Fort Worth on a Big 12 Clash with TCU
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The Kansas State Wildcats basketball team (10-12, 1-9) will go up against the TCU Horned Frogs (13-9, 3-6) on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, at 1 pm.
The Wildcats are entering this game on a three-game losing streak against a Big 12 opponent. Kansas State and TCU have met 35 times. The Wildcats lead the series 21-14. Kansas State also had success on the road in Fort Worth, posting an 8-5 record.
In their last meeting, the Wildcats fell short 63-63 on January 4th. It was a great competitive battle that came down to the final seconds of the game. Noah Reynolds made the game-winning basket for TCU when he scored on a layup with 12 seconds left.
The Wildcats must shoot well from the perimeter. Three-point shooting is the Wildcats’ bread and butter for success. Kansas State ranks second in the Big 12 with its three-point shooting. Guard PJ Haggerty is going to be on top of his game. He’s their best player and leading scorer. Haggerty ranks fourth in the country with 23 points per game.
If there’s any game that will give Haggerty enough motivation to perform and win, it's this one. Why? PJ played for TCU during the 2022-23 season. In sports, we have seen players deliver epic performances when they face their former team.
As interesting as this will be, Kansas State will need more than just Haggerty. Their role players have to score more points and dominate the glass. At least four or five Wildcats must finish this game in double figures.
Defense is crucial for the Wildcats to win this game. A couple of players the Wildcats must keep an eye on are Brock Harding, David Punch, and Xavier Edmonds.
Edmonds has been on fire lately. Kansas State needs to be careful with him because he’s a double-double machine. Edmonds has recorded four straight games in that department. Harding is a fabulous player. He’s a great facilitator. His decision-making led him to be one of the top five players in assists in the Big 12 conference. Harding is a solid defender as well.
TCU has itself a little big three heading into this game. Who will be Kansas State’s Big 3? That’s the question. There are games when the Wildcats play great offense, but then the team can go cold. Being a streaky offense won’t lead to positive outcomes. On Saturday, we’ll see which version of the Wildcats we will get.
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Miguel Mike Medina is a Writer and Freelance Sports Journalist who contributes to Kansas State On SI. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and a Minor in Journalism in 2014 from City College of New York.