.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
No. 1 Baylor looking for redemption vs. K-State (Jan 14, 2017)
Two teams looking to rebound from disappointing performances in their last games will match up Saturday in Manhattan, as No. 1 Baylor travels to No. 25 Kansas State. The game is set for a 4:30 ET tip.
Baylor is coming off its first loss of the season, an 89-68 drubbing on the road Tuesday at West Virginia. The Mountaineers caused 29 Baylor turnovers, the most in a Big 12 game in school history. It was two turnovers short of the school record in all games, set against Arkansas' pressing team in 1991.
"Top to bottom, we didn't do a good job handling (the press)," sophomore guard Jake Lindsey said. "You've got to punish the press. You've got to go at them. You can't let them press you relentlessly without making them pay for it, or else it wears you down."
Kansas State's loss was much closer, but no less heart-breaking. The Wildcats fell to Texas Tech, 66-65 Tuesday in Lubbock. Head coach Bruce Weber noted during this week's radio show that his team is four points away from being undefeated. "There's such a thin margin of victory in this league," he said. "You've got great balance and great depth in this league."
Tuesday night, the Wildcats held the lead for most of the game before giving it up in the final minute. The Wildcats had a chance to retake the lead with eight seconds remaining. Barry Brown drove to the basket and missed a layup. Niem Stevenson rebounded and was fouled.
Weber and the entire K-State sideline thought Brown was fouled. Weber complained so vehemently that he was assessed a technical foul. Tech's Aaron Ross hit both free throws, then Stevenson hit one of two to go up by four points. Brown's three-pointer at the buzzer left the Cats a point short.
"I don't know what the technical was called for," Weber said. "I thought that Barry Brown got fouled, and I raised up my hands. Maybe that was a little out there on the court, but it's the end of the game. It's emotional. I don't cuss. I don't cuss at the officials. I treat them right. Everyone tells me that I am professional, but I don't know if that does any good. Maybe I should try the other way."
Baylor coach Scott Drew had pretty much the same approach. After being named the No. 1 team for the first time in program history on Monday, the Bears were blown out. It was the worst loss by a No. 1-ranked team since Duke lost 90-63 at Miami in 2013.
"If you would have said before the game that you're going to have 29 turnovers, I wouldn't have believed you, even knowing how good their pressure is," Drew said. "They just took us out of everything. They make you feel uneasy, uncomfortable."
Both teams must regroup, and quickly. Baylor still sits near the top of the Big 12 Conference and a road win versus a ranked opponent will right the ship quickly. Jonathan Motley averages 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and more than one block per game. He is joined on the front line by Jo Lual-Acuil, who is averaging 10.6 and 7.4 boards per game. The Bears are outrebounding their opponents by more than eight boards per game.
Kansas State is looking to defeat the No. 1-ranked team in Manhattan for the fifth time in school history, and the first time since Feb. 5, 2016 (Oklahoma).
K-State must figure out a way to score against the Bears' long front line. The Wildcats will depend on their balanced offensive attack. All five starters average in double-figures, led by Wesley Iwundu at 12.3 points per game, down to Dean Wade at 10.6.
