#1 Kansas @ Kansas State

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#1 Kansas: Wins By Double Digits

@ Kansas State: Wins or Single Digit Loss

Current odds:

#1 Kansas Jayhawks: (-670)

Kansas State Wildcats: (+475)

• The line for this game is Kansas by 11 points.

• The most recent edition of the Sunflower Showdown resulted in the usual (a Kansas victory) and the highly unusual (a game-ending brawl that resulted in the suspensions of four players). The top-ranked Jayhawks haven’t lost any of their 10 games since that fateful day last month and attempt to run their winning streak to 13 in a row Saturday when they visit arch-rival Kansas State. Kansas was trying to run out the clock of its eventual 81-60 win against the Wildcats when Silvio De Sousa reacted to a strip near mid-court by Kansas State’s DaJuan Gordon by blocking his shot and standing over him after Gordon fell to the floor, inciting a brawl that resulted in punches being thrown from both sides. De Sousa has two games remaining on the 12-game suspension he was handed, although the Jayhawks haven’t missed a beat during their reserve forward’s absence. One reason for that – at least recently – is the improved play of center Udoka Azubuike, who turned in a second dominant outing in as many contests with 19 points and 16 rebounds in Monday’s 83-58 rout of Oklahoma State.

• Kansas State appears destined for a last-place finish in the Big 12 one year after sharing the regular-season crown with Texas Tech and lost for the eighth straight time on Tuesday, dropping an 85-66 decision at No. 2 Baylor.

• Azubuike (13.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks), who became the 62nd player in school history to reach 1,000 career points Monday, is averaging 21 points, 17.5 boards and three blocks over the last two contests. “He is terrific. It would be hard to find a better National Player of the Year candidate. The way that he is playing now is special,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said after Azubuike became the fifth Jayhawk since 1996-97 to produce at least 40 points and 30 rebounds over the course of consecutive games. Reserve freshman sharpshooter Christian Braun (5.3 points) reached double figures for the second time in three games Monday and set season highs with six 3-pointers and 20 points last month against Kansas State.

• The Wildcats’ slim odds of beating the Bears on the road Tuesday took a serious hit after Xavier Sneed (team-high 14.0 points) played less than nine minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, and he managed to play only 23 minutes before fouling out. Cartier Diarra (13.1 points, 4.4 assists, 1.9 steals) stepped up with one of his best offensive games in Big 12 play, tallying a game-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting while adding six boards. Kansas State gave up 50 points in the first half to Baylor – the most points allowed in the opening 20 minutes by the Wildcats since Dec. 29, 2017 – while its 26-point halftime deficit was its largest since the 2000 Big 12 Championship.

• Kansas’ 12-game Big 12 winning streak is its best since reeling off 13 straight during the 2009-10 season.

• The Wildcats’ back-to-back games against Baylor and Kansas will mark only the fifth time since 1996-97 that one team will face the AP No. 1 and No. 2 teams in consecutive games.

• Azubuike’s eight offensive rebounds Monday are the most by a Jayhawk since Jeff Withey corralled nine on Jan. 16, 2012.