Wins For K State and Mizzou Set up Big Game on Saturday

Wins by both Kansas State and Missouri on Wednesday sets up an intriguing match up this Saturday in Manhattan at the Octagon of Doom (still the world's stupidest nickname for an arena). Kansas State has been on fire of late winning 5 of their last 6 since being blown out in Lawrence - including an impressive victory over Kansas.

Mizzou has also won 5 of their last 6, but have just recently picked up their first Conference road win over an abysmal Iowa State team. The Tigers won the previous meeting between the two schools earlier this year in Columbia.

A Missouri victory this Saturday will strengthen their position in the top 4 of the Big 12 Standings and a first round bye in the Conference Tournament, and earn them more respect nationally with an impressive road win. A victory by K State, I think would almost assuredly earn them a spot in the NCAA tournament. Missouri is surely in at this point with 22 wins and a guaranteed Conference Record of at least .500 - not to mention undefeated at home (so far).

For Missouri to pull off the victory they will need great efforts by their big men. The three forwards (Ratliffe, Bowers, and Safford) combined for 40 points and 25 boards against Baylor Wednesday night. They will need a repeat performance to knock off K State on Saturday night.

Mizzou and Kansas State Both Seeking Needed Victories

The Kansas State Wildcats travel to Columbia to take on the Tigers in a rare Monday Matinee game today at 4:30. It should be a great game between two teams that came into the season with very high expectation in conference play. Missouri is 15-3, but has already lost two conference games to only one victory. Kansas State, also 1-2 in conference play, has been a disappointment so far this year having been ranked third in the country at one time, they have since dropped to 20th after losses to unranked Florida, Oklahoma State, and UNLV.

Both teams see this as a must win to keep their Conference Championship hopes alive - the loser of this game would likely have to run the table in the Big 12 to have a chance. Of course, that's assuming Kansas stops being the luckiest team in the history of sports and actually loses a few games.

The Tigers are awfully tough at home, and with Clemente sidelined for The Wildcats, Missouri should hold the edge in this one. But of course Missouri has let a couple of games slip away with bad mistakes at crunch time losing in overtime to Georgetown and Texas A&M. If Kansas State can stay close until the end, anything can happen. I'll say Missouri by 8.