Oklahoma St. vs. Kansas St. Preview
MANHATTAN, KS (AP) – A three-game suspension didn’t seem to affect Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen, who responded in his return with the most accurate shooting game of his college career.
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His team may need a similar performance to end its losing streak in Stillwater.
The senior leads the No. 17 Wildcats into their Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State on Saturday as they try for their first road victory in the series in 18 years.
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGlobal.com have made Oklahoma State 1.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against Kansas State. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 67% of more than 134 bets for this game have been placed on Kansas State +1.5.
Pullen was suspended three games by the NCAA last month for receiving impermissible benefits in the form of clothing at a local department store. Teammate Curtis Kelly was given a six-game suspension for the same infraction.
Pullen, averaging a team-high 17.2 points, returned Monday and scored 19 of his 24 in the first half of a 92-61 victory over Savannah State. He shot 9 of 11 and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
“I could tell by the way he has practiced since he got back from Christmas that he’s pretty zoned in,” coach Frank Martin said. “He took good shots, passed the basketball. He kept the game simple.”
Martin hopes Pullen can help the Wildcats avoid a third straight loss in conference openers. Kansas State is 2-7 when opening Big 12 play on the road, including a 74-68 loss to Missouri on Jan. 9 during which it was ranked 11th.
Starting league play at Oklahoma State should make that task considerably tougher. The Cowboys have dominated the series over the last two decades, winning 24 of the last 31 meetings and 10 straight in Stillwater since Kansas State’s 75-62 overtime win in 1993.
Pullen scored a team-high 19 points in the Wildcats’ 83-64 victory over Oklahoma State in the conference tournament last season. He’ll probably need plenty of help, though, for Kansas State to stop its road slide in the series.
Jamar Samuels is one Wildcats player that could provide it. The junior forward had 11 points Monday, one game after scoring a season-high 26. He is averaging 10.0 points.
“When you have a bunch of good players, you have to get them to understand the idea of playing within a team concept, and it takes time,” Martin said. “These guys continue to work and understand that to win games and to play well it has got to be a collective effort.”
Oklahoma State (12-2) begins its conference schedule with its first game against a ranked opponent this season.
The Cowboys bounced back from a disheartening 73-52 loss at Gonzaga last Friday with a 79-63 victory over UTSA on Monday.
Jean-Paul Olukemi scored 16 points to lead six Oklahoma State players in double figures. The Cowboys shot 60.9 percent overall, but only led by five at the break after allowing the Roadrunners to hit seven of their first 10 3-pointers. UTSA finished 11 of 20 from beyond the arc.
“We scored when we needed to,” coach Travis Ford said, “but I was still very upset with our intensity. I thought we would come out a little better and defend a little bit better than we did after a very poor performance the other night.”
Oklahoma State trailed Gonzaga 40-26 at halftime.
Olukemi, the Cowboys’ third-leading scorer at 10.1 points per game, has scored in double figures in the last five contests, averaging 14.0 points and 73.3 percent shooting.
Oklahoma State is 7-0 at home.
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