Oklahoma State @ Kansas State preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2019 ) Oklahoma State 46, Kansas State 85

The 1993 movie Groundhog Day was about a television weatherman who relives the same day over and over again; unfortunately for Kansas State coach Bruce Weber, he is starting to get the feeling his team is starring in the sequel. The Wildcats attempt to snap out of a prolonged stretch of slow starts in games and avoid falling into a last-place tie with Oklahoma State in the Big 12 on Tuesday when they host the Cowboys.

Kansas State missed its first 11 shots at Iowa State on Saturday to fall behind by 19 points less than eight minutes into the game - five days after No. 1 Baylor raced out to a 16-point lead in about the same amount of time - as the Wildcats dropped a 73-63 decision to the Cyclones. "It's just Groundhog Day time and time again. The problem is Bill Murray can change it. We can't change it. When you're scrambling back like that, you're exerting a lot of energy. That makes it tough," Weber told reporters after Kansas State fell behind early for the sixth time in the past nine games. Oklahoma State also probably feels as if it is caught in a time loop, losing all but one of its 10 games in Big 12 action. The Cowboys pushed Baylor for the second time in as many meetings Saturday, but coach Mike Boynton's consecutive technical fouls with nine seconds remaining contributed to a parade to the free-throw line in the closing seconds and provided the bulk of the final margin in the Bears' 78-70 victory.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (11-12, 1-9 Big 12): The root of Boynton's frustration near the end of Saturday's game came as a result of four Cowboys fouling out en route to a season-high 29 fouls. "Just a lot of frustration, I've got four guys foul out of the game, that's pretty hard to understand. The game was obviously pretty physical both ways. So that's about all I'll say about that," Boynton told reporters after the Cowboys became the first Big 12 team to score 70 points against the Bears. Sophomore guard Isaac Likekele (11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists) followed up his first career points/assists double-double in Wednesday's win over TCU with his first career points/rebounds double-double Saturday, finishing with 11 points and 10 boards.

ABOUT KANSAS STATE (9-14, 2-8): The Wildcats trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half against Iowa State but were able to close the gap to within four points twice down the stretch thanks to the inspired play of Cartier Diarra (13.2 points), who scored 24 points in his first start over the last four games. Leading scorer Xavier Sneed (14.5) accounted for only eight points while playing through a hip injury for the majority of the game Saturday, but he still managed to lead the team in rebounds (seven) and steals (three). Kansas State's only other double-digit scorer was freshman DaJuan Gordon (6.7), who tallied 10 points but is shooting 8-for-27 from the field over the last three games combined.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kansas State has swept the season series in each of the last two years.

2. Likekele is averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals over his last seven outings.

3. The Wildcats have scored at least 20 points off turnovers 10 times this season.

PREDICTION: Kansas State 62, Oklahoma State 57