Kansas State Wildcats vs. Wichita St. Shockers Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang often says, "The distinction between a Christmas and a Merry Christmas is a victory."
In the final game before the holiday break for both squads, Kansas State will make the short trip down Interstate 135 to take on Wichita State on Saturday evening. Both teams will be aiming to make their break more joyful.
Neither team is likely feeling the festive spirit as they both ride two-game losing streaks. The Shockers (8-3) suffered defeats on the road against DePaul and at home against Missouri-Kansas City, while the Wildcats (6-4) fell to St. John's before losing in overtime to Drake in Kansas City.
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Wichita State had their worst shooting performance of the season against UMKC, only making 3 of 19 attempts from beyond the arc. They found themselves down by 23 points in the second half before a late rally brought the final score to 74-64.
Xavier Bell led the team with 21 points on a night where he reached the 1,000 career point milestone. Justin Hill also contributed 12 points.
Head coach Paul Mills is looking forward to facing his former colleague, Tang, who also served as an assistant coach at Baylor.
"I'm glad we get to play here," Mills stated. "I anticipate a strong turnout from the crowd. They have a talented basketball team. We're in for a tough battle on Saturday."
Kansas State found themselves in a 29-9 hole against Drake in front of a partisan crowd at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. However, they managed to trim the deficit to nine points by halftime and continued to fight in the second half, eventually taking the lead with just under nine minutes remaining.
The game remained close, with neither team leading by more than three points for the remainder of regulation. In overtime, the Wildcats found themselves trailing 70-64 with less than two minutes remaining before tying it up. However, Bennett Stirtz of Drake hit a game-winning 3-pointer to secure a 73-70 victory.
Kansas State received an exceptional performance from Coleman Hawkins, who led the team with 16 points, five assists, four steals, and two blocks, in addition to five rebounds. The Wildcats will be hoping for a similar performance from Hawkins when they take on the Shockers.
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"They're a well-coached team," Tang commented on the Shockers following the loss to Drake. "They get to play in front of their home crowd and they'll be fired up."