Kansas State Seeking Four in A Row Against West Virginia Preview

Another Big 12 matchup between Kansas State and West Virginia with two great offensive players.

Jan 24, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard P.J. Haggerty (4) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

The Kansas State Wildcats (10-10) will take on the West Virginia Mountaineers (13-7) on Tuesday night at WVU Coliseum, Morgantown. The tip-off begins at 7:30 pm CT. 

The Wildcats have been victorious against the Mountaineers lately. Kansas State has won the previous three meetings and is seeking to make it four in a row. Kansas State won the last matchup 73-60 on Jan 25, 2025. 

Five Wildcats scored in double figures. The team finished the game shooting 47.3 percent from the field, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats led as many as 26 in that game. 

Kansas State hasn’t been impressive this season in Big 12 conference play. The Wildcats are 1-6, but things can turn around with a win tonight. It’s going to be an epic battle between two great scorers. From the Wildcats side, we have P.J. Haggerty. From the Mountaineers' side, we have Honor Huff. Both players are very close to reaching 2,000 career points, especially Haggerty, who has 1,900. 

Kansas State and West Virginia will meet for the 30th time in their history. Both head coaches have done a great job with their programs so far. Jerome Tong has been a great leader for this Kansas State program. He has a 4-1 record against West Virginia in head-to-head matchups.

As for Ross Hodge, he’s enjoying his first season as a coach for West Virginia. He’s never coached against the Wildcats until tonight. Therefore, this makes this matchup much more compelling. It’s a heavyweight Big 12 battle. Tong vs Hodge in their first head coaching duel. The first of many more to come. 

The Wildcats will need guards David Castillo and Nate Johnson to score double figures against the Mountaineers. Castillo has shown his ability to impact the game when he's on a hot streak. He must bring that same magic tonight. The Wildcats have battled injuries all season long. Role players must step up and take advantage of their ability to shoot well from the free-throw line and from the perimeter. 

West Virginia leads the all-time series 16-13. In Morgantown, the Mountaineers tend to thrive. The Wildcats have been winning lately against them, but they have to prove that they can dominate them on the road. 

There's reason to believe that the Wildcats and Mountaineers will have a back-and-forth game, especially in the second half. It’s going to be a close one. Both teams have outstanding offense. Kansas State has scored more than 80 points numerous times this season. They should do that easily Tuesday night. 

Prediction: Kansas State wins 85-81

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