Kansas State Wildcats vs Wichita State Shockers Prediction, 12/21/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas State Wildcats vs Wichita State Shockers

Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024

Location: Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS

TV: ESPN+

The Wichita State Shockers (8-3) are hosting the Kansas State Wildcats (6-4) at Charles Koch Arena on Saturday.

The Kansas State Wildcats stepped onto the hardwood against Drake and went home with a loss by a final score of 73-70 in their last game. With respect to personal fouls, the Wildcats ended up with 14 while Drake finished the game with 18 personal fouls. They converted 9 of their 16 shots from beyond the arc. Drake finished the game shooting 72.7% from the charity stripe by making 16 of 22 shots. In addition, Drake totaled 30 rebounds (8 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Drake earned 14 dimes and had 8 steals for this contest. With regard to defending, Kansas State allowed the other team to shoot 49.0% from the floor on 24 of 49 shooting. They also distributed 21 dimes in the matchup while forcing the opposition into 13 turnovers and earning 12 steals. In regard to grabbing rebounds, they earned 22 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Wildcats made 11 of 20 attempts for a percentage of 55.0%. Kansas State walked away from the contest with a 50.0% field goal percentage (26 of 52) and made 7 of 21 3-pointers.

Coleman Hawkins is one player who was a major factor for the matchup. He finished the game shooting 66.7% from the floor and also distributed 5 assists. He was on the court for 38 minutes played and also collected 5 rebounds. He finished with 16 points on 6 out of 9 shooting.

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Kansas State will play this game with a mark of 6-4 this season. They turn it over 12.5 times per game and as a squad are committing 15.1 fouls per contest. As a unit, Kansas State is pulling in 35.3 rebounds per game and has 174 dimes this year, which has them ranked 122nd in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. The Wildcats are shooting 37.2% from downtown (94 of 253) and 68.1% from the free throw line. They average 79.4 pts per game (99th in D-1) while going 47.4% from the field.

On defense, the Wildcats are able to force 14.3 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 16.9 fouls. They are ranked 107th in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 133 surrendered this season. The Wildcats defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 42.6% (251 of 589) and they surrender 33.0 boards per game as a team. They surrender 34.4% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 142nd in the country in PPG from their opponents (69.7).

The last time they took the court, the Wichita State Shockers took a loss by a score of 74-64 when they played UMKC. The Shockers pulled down 17 defensive boards and 12 offensive rebounds for a total of 29 for the matchup. They also turned it over 6 times, while recording 9 steals in the matchup. UMKC earned 16 fouls for the matchup which got the Shockers to the charity stripe for 24 attempts. They were able to bury 13 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 54.2%. When it comes to 3-point attempts, Wichita State knocked down 3 of 19 attempts (15.8%). In all, the Shockers ended up shooting 24 out of 62 from the field which gave them a rate of 38.7%. The Shockers permitted UMKC to convert 28 of 53 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 52.8% for this contest. They shot 36.4% from distance by going 8 of 22 and ended up going 10 out of 18 at the free throw line (55.6%). In regard to team rebounding, Wichita State allowed UMKC to get 38 in total (10 offensive).

Xavier Bell was important for the Shockers in this contest. He converted 9 out of 15 in the game for a rate of 60.0%, and had 5 rebounds. He racked up 21 points in his 33 minutes on the hardwood, but finished this game without an assist.

Wichita State has a mark of 8-3 for the year. On the offensive side of the court, the Shockers are shooting 44.9% from the floor, which is 198th in Division 1. Wichita State has scored 846 points on the campaign (76.9 per game) and they grab 37.5 rebounds per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 12.8 times per contest (268th in college) and they turn it over 10.1 times per contest. The Shockers are committing 15.0 fouls per game while shooting 72.3% from the charity stripe.

The Wichita State defense gives up 32.6% on three-point shots (99 of 304) and opponents are connecting on 59.7% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 16.1 assists and 38.8 total boards per game, which is 343rd and 333rd in those categories. The Shockers on defense are ranked 259th in college in points per game surrendered with 74.1. They are forcing 11.5 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 42.7% from the field (166th in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Wichita State

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