Kentucky vs. Kansas State: Numbers You Need to Know

The No. 6 seed Kentucky Wildcats are 3-point favorites over the No. 3 seed, the third-place finisher in the Big 12, Kansas State. With a trip to the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden on the line, here are all of the facts, stats and numbers you need to know about the blue and purple Wildcats.

3 — Times Kentucky and Kansas State previously met in the NCAA Tournament. UK won the NCAA Championship Game in 1951, they started a run to the title game with a first round win in 2014, but fell to K-State in the 2018 Sweet 16. It’s Kansas State’s only win in 10 games against Kentucky.

16.9 — Kansas State assists per game are the 10th-most in college basketball.

19 — Ranked KenPom defense deployed by Kansas State will face Kentucky’s 15th-ranked offense.

25 — Rebounds by Oscar Tshiebwe against Providence are the most ever by a Kentucky Wildcat in the NCAA Tournament. The nation’s leading rebounder has 934 in two seasons at Kentucky and is nine away from moving ahead of Kenny Walker into sixth place in the UK record books.

27 — Points per game by Antonio Reeves over the last three, tallying 22 back-to-back after ending the regular season with 37 points at Arkansas. His five made threes against Providence were the most by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game since Doron Lamb in 2012.

30 — Three-point shooting percentage by Kansas State opponents. The Wildcats’ three-point shooting defense ranks No. 15 nationally.

34.5 — Points per game by Kansas State’s All-American duo, Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson, the fourth-most by a power conference combo.

38.9 — Offensive rebounding percentage by Kentucky is the second-best in college basketball.

58.2 — Field goal percentage by Kansas State in their opening round win over Montana State. They hit 65.4% of their shots in the second half to maintain a comfortable lead.

61.7 — Percent chance Kentucky will win according to ESPN’s BPI. Every other analytical tool calls for a toss-up, but BPI is bullish on UK.

76.9 — Free throw hooting percentage by Kentucky against Providence, knocking down 10-of-13 attempts.

Numbers You Need to Know