Pick and preview: Kansas City at Kansas State

FOUR FACTORS FOR KANSAS STATE

1. CREATING TURNOVERS: The Kansas State defense has forced a total of 48 turnovers through two games thanks to their length, athleticism and energy. It’s a strength of the team at this point. They had to rely on big defensive stops down the stretch against Cal while their shots were not falling. Until the halfcourt offense hits its stride, turning teams over will win K-State some games. Kansas City will have their hands full on offense and transition points will put the Kangaroos away early.

2. THREE HEADED MONSTER AT WING: Keyontae Johnson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin are bonafide studs in Manhattan. Having both in the starting lineup gives Kansas State two athletic and skilled wings to throw at the competition. The Wildcats have a third in Tykei Greene who has been a consistent spark off the bench. The trio has been the most consistent area of the frontcourt after a two-game sample.

3. POTENT POINT GUARD: Markquis Nowell has arguably been the best K-State basketball player through two contests. He has scored, facilitated and defended better than any other Wildcat. He is successfully balancing a patient and aggressive mind-set. That is what makes him such a potent scorer and playmaker for Kansas State. The Wildcats would not be the same team without him conducting the offense.

4. TEAM REBOUNDING: K-State hasn’t dominated on the glass. They out-rebounded UT-Rio Grande Valley by four and were knotted up in that category with Cal. The backcourt has actually been doing their part. Desi Sills is averaging 5.5 rebounds. The front court has been successful with offensive rebounds. While it certainly isn’t a problem area for Kansas State, I do think they have the potential to be much better than they have showed. It might take some time, but it also might come against Kansas City.

WHAT THE WILDCATS NEED TO LEARN

1. CONSISTENCY IN THE PAINT: David N’Guessan and Abayomi Iyiola did not play up to par in Berkeley. As a whole, K-State didn’t finish well at the rim. Against Cal, they made just 11 of their 26 lay-up attempts. They can get away with that versus lesser competition since they play exceptional defense, but they have to be more efficient from the floor against tougher foes. The easy ones in the paint are a good place to start.

2. OTHERS STEPPING UP: Nowell, Johnson and Tomlin have consistently played well through two games. But there was some drop-off against the Golden Bears from others like Iyiola Sills and Cam Carter. There needs to a fourth or fifth option that they can turn to on occasion. Greene is proving to be that early on, but I think Sills and Carter are more than capable of picking up the slack, too. Iyiola needs to prove why he might be the best piece that Kansas State has at the ‘5’. Right now, it is pretty even between he and N’Guessan.

3. PERIMETER SHOOTING: After a great shooting performance versus the Vaqueros, K-State lost their touch. They are just 26 percent from beyond the arc, and that won’t cut it. I would love to see some improvement in that department, specifically from the back court. Carter has shot it well in practice. His jumper should connect at some point. Sills has proven to be a good shooter in the past, but can he find a groove early in the season?

KANSAS STATE STARS

NAE’QWAN TOMLIN: Tomlin has been solid through two games. He’s a matchup nightmare for any opponent. I think Kansas City is about as good of a chance as any for him to have a monster performance. I could see a 15 points, 10 rebound kind of night for him with an efficient stroke from the perimeter.

DESI SILLS: I’m trying to be different today and not go with the default stars, Markquis Nowell or Keyontae Johnson. Sills has a strong opportunity to prove he is the player he’s been in the past with Arkansas and Arkansas State. If he can take control from a scoring or playmaking standpoint, it would go a long way to show the kind of player he could be for Kansas State later in the season.

FAN’S VIEW

K-State returns home to face Kansas City (formerly known as UMKC) in the Octagon of Doom. The Wildcats last played the Kangaroos in November of 2020, pulling out a tight 62-58 victory. Kansas State has 19 wins in 20 tries in a series that goes back to 1987.

Kansas City has a new coach in Marvin Menzies who previously had a three-year run at UNLV before being replaced by T.J. Otzelberger. Menzies was very successful at New Mexico State with a 198-111 record that included five trips to the NCAA tournament.

His best teams have been very good at crashing the offensive glass (seven top 35 offensive rebounding rates in the last eight seasons) and getting to the free throw line often (five free throw rates in the top 10 in the last eight seasons).

They have been solid at making twos (top 100 in two-point percentage in six of the last eight seasons) and generally don’t shoot a lot of threes.

Defensively, Menzies doesn’t want his teams to foul often (five of the last seven in the top 50 for free throw rate allowed), and they want to hold opponents to a low two-point percentage (four top 50 two-point percentage defenses in the last seven seasons).

Kansas City has losses to LSU (by 11), Illinois (by 38) and a Division II program in Lincoln, Missouri. Lincoln was 4-23 last season. The lone victory for the Kangaroos this season came against Calvary University, a program in the same league as Manhattan Christian College.

The Kangaroos are led by second-year guard Shemarri Allen. He is a former junior college transfer that averaged 4.8 points per game last year. Allen is scoring 15.3 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game and three assists per game. He leads Kansas City in shot rate and usage with an offensive rating of 1.01.

RayQuawndis Mitchell is a great transfer from Illinois-Chicago that is averaging 12.8 points per game. Mitchell attempts nearly six threes per game but is making only 21.7 percent. He is a solid rebounder from the guard spot with 4.5 per game.

Forward Allen David Mukeba averages 10.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 per game. The sophomore is a junior college transfer.

It is a bad Kansas City team that K-State should be soundly. The key will be the Wildcats maintaining focus and energy throughout the game, but the Kangaroos are a poor offensive team that doesn’t shoot it well or take care of the ball.

Look for Kansas State to have another high turnover rate game on defense and hopefully clean up the offense, particularly finishing on twos.

Kansas State 88 – Kansas City 52

FLANDO’S PREDICTION

I don’t have a lot to add.

The non conference schedule looks relatively weak and yet Kansas City might be the weakest of them all. It shouldn’t be very competitive from the jump. The Wildcats will force plenty of turnovers once again and find a way to shoot at a decent clip from the field.

I simply don’t see the Kangaroos having an answer on either end of the court versus K-State.

Kansas State 89 – UMKC 52