The lone game around college basketball feature a pair of power conference teams features LSU of the SEC visiting Kansas State of the Big 12 with the Wildcats as 5-point favorites on the NCAAB odds.
LSU at Kansas State: 2024 NCAAB Expert Analysis in Week 2
| Opening NCAAB Lines Subject to Change: Kansas State -7.5 (total 149.5) Expert Prediction: Kansas State 74, LSU 70 |
LSU Tigers NCAAB Line +238
LSU (2-0) comes off a 74-61 win over Alabama State on Sunday and this will be the Tigers’ first road game. Alabama State led by six at the half as it made 12-of-30 field goal attempts before the break, while LSU only had eight total makes and was outrebounded, 24-15.
Still down four, 51-47, with 8:40 to go, Derek Fountain’s layup and three free throws by Jordan Sears gave LSU the lead for good at 52-51 with 7:23 to play. Cam Carter hit a three off a turnover to make it 55-51. Carter would then add two more free throws on the ensuing possession to make it 57-51 and Dji Bailey added two more free throws of his own to advance the margin to eight at 59-51 with 5:51 to go. LSU’s 13-point final margin was the Tigers biggest lead of the game.
Alabama State struggled from the arc (1-of-20, 5.0 percent) was the first time an LSU opponent posted a shooting percentage less than 10 since Dec. 21, 2013 when UAB was 1-of-16 from distance (6.3 percent). It marked the ninth time in 36 games of the Matt McMahon era that LSU has come back to win.
Matt McMahon
“As far as on the ball, we played with a lot more pride and keeping our man in front and not getting whipped off the dribble” McMahon said of second-half defensive adjustments around the rim. “But then just as important our team defense was much better. We were in the right positions, loaded to the ball, shrinking some of those driving lanes that were wide open in the first half. We forced them to take some late threes in the shot clock. We gave up too many offensive rebounds, but the numbers were in our favor with them going 1-for-20 from three.”
Jordan Sears
Sears hit 9-of-11 free throws in an 18-point effort with five assists and just one turnover, with all of his points coming in the final 20 minutes. Bailey, who had nine first half points, finished with 15 to go with four assists and just one turnover.
Cam Carter
This game will be a homecoming of sorts for Carter, who transferred to LSU in the offseason. He played 2 seasons at K-State, averaging 10.4 points on 38.8 percent shooting with 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 30.7 minutes per game in starting all 70 games in his career. He is currently averaging a team-best 21.0 points per game for the Tigers on 52.2 percent shooting, including 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from 3-point range.
LSU was 3-7 on the road a year ago, with road wins at Texas A&M, No. 11 South Carolina and at Vanderbilt. Overall the Tigers are 3-16 in the McMahon era on opponents’ home court. LSU’s last non-conference win on an opponent’s court was in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 25, 2020 when LSU won in Austin against Texas, 69-67.
^Kansas State Wildcats NCAAB Line -303
The Wildcats are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2022-23 and off a 77-64 home win over Cleveland State on Saturday. K-State controlled the first 10 minutes of the second half and took its largest lead of 23 points with 11:12 remaining and that was really that. Cleveland State held the edge on the glass, out-rebounding the Wildcats 31-25, including grabbing 18 offensive rebounds.
K-State never trailed in the contest as the Wildcats connected on 57.8 percent (26-of-45) from the field, including 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from 3-point range, with 16 assists on 26 made field goals. Thanks to Brendan Hausen’s 6 triples, the team registered double-digit 3-point field goals (10) for the second consecutive game.
Jerome Tang
“I said I thought we played about 15 minutes the way we’re capable of (in the opener), and the goal was to stretch it to 20,” Coach Tang said. “I thought we played about 20 minutes the way we’re capable of playing, and then we kind of relaxed and showed some immaturity that has a team we have to grow.”
Brendan Hausen
Hausen followed up his 17-point effort in the season-opening win over New Orleans with his first career 20-point game on Saturday with a career-high 22. He became the first Wildcat with 6 made 3-point field goals since Tylor Perry did so against Cincinnati on March 3, 2024. He is now shooting 60 percent (12-of-20) from the field, including 55.6 percent (10-of-18) from 3-point range, after 2 games.
Hausen was joined in double figures by seniors Coleman Hawkins (12 points), David N’Guessan (12 points) and Max Jones (11 points). Hawkins tied a career-high with 4 blocked shots to go with 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds in 31 minutes. N’Guessan went 6-of-6 from the field. Junior guard Dug McDaniel was responsible for 5 of the team’s 12 steals, becoming the first Wildcat since Marquis Nowell to post 5 or more steals in a game. Nowell had 5 steals against Florida Atlantic in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
If there is one concern so far, it’s defensive rebounding. In their 89-65 blowout victory over New Orleans, the Privateers had 14 offensive rebounds, and Cleveland State had 10 in the first half alone and 18 overall, leading to 18 second-chance points.
Coleman Hawkins
“I know we’ll rebound better in the future,” said Hawkins, who only had two against Cleveland State but still averages 5.5 per game, second only to N’Guessan’s 9.0. “We have good size, good athletes. I don’t think it will be a concern in the future.”
K-State is now 183-56 in non-conference play since 2006-07, including 144-16 at home and 128-13 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have been impressive at Bramlage Coliseum under Tang, posting a 31-4 mark with just one non-conference loss (Nebraska in 2023) in that span. Last season, the team went 15-3 at home (14-3 at Bramlage Coliseum) with losses to the Huskers, Oklahoma and TCU.
^How to Bet LSU at Kansas State Odds NCAA Basketball
When: Thursday, 9 PM ET
Where: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kansas
TV: None national
Stream: ESPN+
LSU vs Kansas State Series History
K-State will play LSU for the third consecutive season. The Wildcats have won both of the first two meetings – 61-59 in the finals of 2022 Cayman Islands Classic; and, last season 75-60, in Baton Rouge. This will be the first visit to Manhattan by an SEC school since Florida in 2023.
^POLL ALERT: Kansas stays No. 1 in AP Top 25 men's basketball poll, Alabama, UConn, Gonzaga, Auburn next and St. John's is back in the rankings.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) November 11, 2024
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/LmUuA9DIsx
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