Game Day Essentials: Game #12 vs Kansas St

Kansas St Info

Head Coach: Jerome Tang
Location: Manhattan, KS
Conference: Big 12
Nickname: Wildcats

Mascot: Willie the Wildcat

Shirt not to wear: Purple, Thundercat

Last time out: Beat Incarnate Word
Line: Kansas St by 3
Typical Rotation Depth: 7+

KenPom rank: 69

A couple of Famous Alumni: Bob Boozer, Mitch Richmond

Other:  

• This is the 2nd game in a 3 game series with KSU. Nebraska lost the first game last year at home 67-58. KSU will host in 2023.
• Derrick Walker grew up in KC

KenPom Analysis:  Kansas St is generating a lot of turnovers with their length and aggression, which should generate some FTs for Nebraska. On the flipside, the Wildcats can get sloppy with the ball.

Player to watch: Keyonte Johnson

Johnson is known for suffering from a heart condition at Florida while on the court in the first game of the season in 2021. The former SEC pre-season player of the years is one of the few WIldcats shooting at a high percentage.

Player to watch: PG Markquis Nowell

The diminutive PG is one of the conference's best assist men and KSU's 2nd leading scorer.

Player to watch: F Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Tomlin is noticeable on court as the lanky forward can jump out of the gym and can handle the ball a bit. Not a great shooter.

KenPom most used lineup

Others to watch

• Cam Carter and Desi Sills are glue-guy guards; Sills the backup PG
• Dutch forward David N'Guessan has good touch and is a rim defender

Probable starters for Nebraska
5    Sam Griesel    G    6-7
25  Emmanuel Bandoumel    G    6-4

0   C.J. Wilcher    G    6-5

4   Juwan Gary  F  6-6

13  Derrick Walker    F    6-9

Bench

15   Blaise Keita C   6-11

30  Keisei Tominaga    G    6-2

32  Wilhelm Breidenbach    F    6-10

10  Jamarques Lawrence - G  6-3

12  Denim Dawson - F  6-6

33  Oleg Kojenets    F    7-0
12   Sam Hoiberg    G    6-0

31  Cale Jacobsen  G  6-4

35  Henry Burt  F  6-6

24  Jeffrey Grace III  G  6-3

Injured

3   Quaran McPherson   G   6-3 - Out for the Year

Hoiberg/Walker Presser

Expect Nebraska to bail on offensive rebounds to minimize transition baskets.

Hoiberg notes that Keisei plays off Derrick well; Derrick is able to find him in the offense.

Derrick excited to play in KC, has 30-40 people coming to see him.

The Skinny: 

Bruce Weber made a Final 4 with Kansas St in 2019 but 3 sub .500 seasons later the Wildcats went in a different direction by hiring longtime Baylor/Scott Drew assistant Jerome Tang.  Prior to the K-State job, Tang had been an assistant the entire time Drew had been there, starting in 2003. Thus, if you've watched Baylor play in the last decade you understand they type of style that Tang will deploy in Manhattan.  Expect the Wildcats to fly to the ball on defense with athleticism, transition whenever possible,  and for them to aggressively crash the offensive boards. 

Nebraska will likely follow the Creighton game plan in terms of giving up offensive rebounds to limit transition points for a K-State offense that will struggle in the half court. Defensively teams are attacking this K-State team in the paint, which lines up with what Nebraska wants to do offensively.

This should be an intense defensive battle with points at a premium.  The winner tonight will be the team that can do the little things like winning 50-50 balls or making FTs.

Prediction: Nebraska 63 - Kansas St 60