Marquette @ Kansas State preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2018 ) Kansas State 71, Marquette 83

Marquette hopes to have star guard Markus Howard on the court Saturday night when it pays a visit to Kansas State for a non-conference matchup. The senior sharpshooter, who scored 45 points in a win over the Wildcats at home last season, missed Wednesday's 75-56 victory over Jacksonville while in concussion protocol and it has yet to be determined if he will be ready for the visit to Manhattan.

"Obviously there's strict guidelines with that and so we just have to wait and see with the doctors and see what they say," Golden Eagles coach Steve Wojciechowski told reporters Wednesday. "So I don't know if he'll be available for Kansas State or not." To their credit, Kansas State players are hoping to get the best that Marquette has to offer and to get another chance to shut down the dynamic Howard, who entered Friday leading the nation with 26 points per game. "I want him out there," Wildcats junior guard Cartier Diarra told reporters. "I want to play teams when they are at their best. He is a really good player and we know he is the head of the snake. We want that redemption game and playing them or beating them wouldn't feel the same without him on the court." Kansas State dropped two straight games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off before bouncing back with a 76-58 win over Florida A&M on Monday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT MARQUETTE (6-2): With Howard sidelined against Jacksonville, others had the opportunity to step into a leading role and senior guard Sacar Anim did his best with 19 points. Junior forward Theo John chipped in a season-high 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals in just 17 minutes. Junior guard Koby McEwen sits behind Howard and Anim (11.8) on the team's scoring list with 10.6 per game, and he paces the squad in rebounds (5.3), assists (3.3) and steals (1.1).

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (5-2): Senior forward Xavier Sneed had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in Monday's victory and he leads the Wildcats with 15 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Diarra is the only other player averaging in double figures with 11.4 points per contest, and he ranked 12th nationally entering Friday with 6.9 assists per game. Junior guard Mike McGuirl posted a season-high 16 points against Florida A&M while making 4-of-6 from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. Diarra had five steals in Monday's win and entered Friday tied for ninth in the country with 2.86 per game.

2. Howard made all seven of his shots inside the arc and was 19-for-21 from the foul line in his 45-point effort against the Wildcats last season.

3. McGuirl is 10-for-21 from 3-point range, but his teammates are a woeful 35-for-132 (26.5 percent).

PREDICTION: Kansas State 76, Marquette 72