After two tough losses to No. 4 Missouri and No. 7 Kansas last week, the Baylor Bears will try to stay in the top 10, and remain in the race for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, when they host the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday.
Kansas State, once ranked in the top 25, has struggled in the last few weeks, falling to 6-7 in Big 12 play while putting themselves back on the bubble for an at-large berth.
The Wildcats lost to the Bears 75-73 in Manhattan in early January, and a win over Baylor in Waco should be enough to guarantee them a spot in the Tournament.
Rodney McGruder, Kansas State's top scorer, lit up the Bears 1-3-1 zone in the two team's first meeting, getting 30 points on 10-14 shooting.
Baylor will need to mark him on the perimeter as well as do a better job controlling the defensive glass against a tough and athletic Wildcats front-line.
Perry Jones III had one of his best games of the year against Kansas State, scoring 17 points on 8-12 shooting while grabbing 8 rebounds, and Scott Drew will need a strong effort from their inconsistent star forward on Saturday.
The 12:45 PM game will be broadcast regionally on the Big 12 Network and streamed online at ESPN3.
For more on Baylor, head over to Our Daily Bears while Bring On The Cats has you covered for everything on Kansas State.