Will Kansas State Basketball Win Their Most Important Non-Conference Games?
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Before Kansas State gets into Big 12 conference play, they have some premier non-conference games that they are looking to win.
Kansas State is not currently ranked in the top 25 of the AP poll, but it was picked to finish 8th in the Big 12 preseason poll. However, with some key non-conference wins, the Wildcats can easily move their way into the top 25.
*The Wildcats have won three of their last four meetings with the Golden Bears in the last four games of this series.
*Over the last eight meetings between the two teams, Kansas State has won seven of the last eight games in this series, while Cal has won only once.
*The leader of the series overall is Kansas State, which has a record of 7-1.
*The present winning streak for the Wildcats in this series is two straight victories.
The last time these two teams played each other was in 2022 in a low-scoring game that the Wildcats won on the road by a final score of 63-54. This is an ACC vs. Big 12 matchup, and this is a near must-win for Kansas State if they want to be a top 25-ranked team come late November. According to ESPN Analytics (BPI), K-State has a 75.6% chance of winning this game at this time.
Game Prediction: Kansas State 71, Cal 65
*The Bulldogs and Wildcats have been victorious in one game each in their last two games of this series.
*Over the four meetings between the two teams, Kansas State has won three of the last four games in this series, while Mississippi State has won only once.
*The leader of the series overall is the Wildcats, which has a record of 3-1 against the Bulldogs all-time.
*The present winning streak for Mississippi State in this series is one straight victory.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats last faced off against one another in 2019, when Mississippi defeated K-State in the Never Forget Tribute Classic. The Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to win the game by a final score of 67-61. According to ESPN Analytics, Mississippi State has a 66% chance of winning this game at this time.
Game Prediction: Kansas State 82, Mississippi State 81 OT
They will play Nebraska or New Mexico in their next game of the Hall of Fame Classic.
The prediction is that Kansas State makes it to the finals and plays Nebraska and takes home the Hall of Fame Classic tournament title.
*Indiana has won nine of their last ten meetings with Kansas State in the last ten games of this series.
*Over the last twenty meetings between the two teams, Indiana has won 13 of the last 20 games in this series, while K-State has won only seven times during this span of time.
*The leader of the series overall is Indiana, which has a record of 19-12.
*The present winning streak for the Hoosiers in this series is nine straight victories.
From 1980 to 1985, they played each other six times and since that time, they have only played each other once, and that was in the Maui Invitational in 1998, in which they lost by only one point. From the 1950-51 season, the Wildcats and Hoosiers played each other every season until the 1970-71 season. According to ESPN Analytics, Indiana has a 79.2% chance of winning this game at this time. It is great that these two teams have revised this basketball series this season.
Game Prediction: Kansas State 73, Indiana 77
This is the first meeting between Kansas State and Seton Hall, as this is a battle between the Big 12 and the Big East. According to ESPN Analytics, K-State has an 80.7% possibility of winning this game.
Game Prediction: Kansas State 88, Seton Hall 73
*Kansas State has won three of their last four meetings with Creighton in the last four games of this series.
*Over the last ten meetings between the two teams, the Wildcats have won seven of the last ten games in this series, while the Bluejays have won three times.
*Both teams have won eight games each in this series.
*The present winning streak for K-State in this series is three straight victories.
This game is the first meeting since they played each other in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. K-State defeated Creighton by a final score of 69-59 to advance to the round of 32. This game will be on the road for the Wildcats, and the Bluejays have a 66.5% chance of winning this game, according to ESPN Analytics.
Game Prediction: Kansas State 76, Creighton 75
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Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.