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Big 12 Basketball power rankings, Kansas, Kansas State on top ahead of clash

By Tristan Freeman

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 10: K.J. Adams Jr. #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates a basket by a teammate Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 10, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 10: K.J. Adams Jr. #24 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates a basket by a teammate Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 10, 2023 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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Big 12 Basketball Kansas State Wildcats guard Desi Sills Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Kansas State Wildcats – 15-2 (4-1)

In Jerome Tang’s first season as head coach, he’s turned Kansas State into a legitimate contender in Big 12 Basketball. They scored 116 and 97 points in road wins over Texas and Baylor in the week prior and split its last two games.

In the 65-57 win over Oklahoma State, the Wildcats’ offense wasn’t great, shooting 36% from the field overall. But they still got another good game from guard Markquis Nowell, going for 20 points and seven assists on 6/12 shooting. Keyontae Johnson (12) and Desi Sills (11) off the bench also was in double figures.

The nine-game win streak for Kansas State came to an end last weekend, falling 82-68 to TCU. Johnson had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the team, while Nowell had 16 points and four assists, which as of late are pedestrian numbers for his standards. At some point, the scorching-hot offense was going to cool off a bit, especially against the top defenses in the Big 12.

Kansas State looks to get back in the win column this week, with a major home game against rival Kansas. The Jayhawks are unbeaten in league play but have been close to losing multiple times. Can they slow down the Wildcats on Tuesday? After that, they’ll stay at home for a weekend matchup with Texas Tech.

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