Preview // K-State Hosts Cincinnati Wednesday Night

Wednesday, February 11

Manhattan, Kan.

8 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

Cincinnati

Buy Tickets

Feb 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)Cincinnati Notes (.pdf)Watch (CBS Sports Network)Listen Live [K-State Sports Network]Live Stats

The Wildcats and Bearcats will be meeting for just the 12th time on the hardwood.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State (10-13, 1-9 Big 12) returns home on Wednesday night to host Cincinnati (12-12, 4-7 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 8:05 p.m., CT and will air on CBS Sports Network with Jordan Kent and Mike O'Donnell on the call.

K-State is off to its worst start ever in Big 12 play, tying the 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams, as the Wildcats have lost 4 straight overall with just one win since the calendar turned to 2026. Overall, the team is 47-15 at home under head coach Jerome Tang, including 22-11 vs. Big 12 competition.

Injuries and illness have plagued the Wildcats since their start to Big 12 play. The team did get some good news with the return of Khamari McGriff, who missed the previous 4 games due to injury, in Saturday's loss at TCU, but again played without regular starters Abdi Bashir Jr. (missed his fifth straight game) and Elias Rapieque (missed his seventh straight game) as well as reserve Andrej Kostic, who missed his first game after suffering an injury in practice last week. McGriff and juniors P.J. Haggerty and Dorin Buca all played the TCU game while battling flu-like symptoms.

Cincinnati snapped a 2-game losing streak with an emphatic 92-72 win over UCF on Sunday at home. The Bearcats are 12-3 at home, but are a combined 0-9 away from home, including 0-6 in true road games. The defensive-minded squad is holding opponents to just 67.3 points per game, which ranks 29th nationally and fourth in the Big 12. They are led by senior Baba Miller, who is averaging a double-double with 13.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

This will be just the 12th meeting between K-State and Cincinnati, including the fourth since the start of Big 12 play. The Wildcats have won the last 2 matchups, including 70-67 at home in 2024.

Haggerty is nearing a career milestone, as he is 31 points away from eclipsing 2,000 points. He could become just the fourth current Division I player to top the mark, joining Gonzaga's Graham Ike, Indiana's Tucker DeVries and Oklahoma's Nijel Pack. The nation's No. 2 scorer at 23.3 points per game, who also ranks second in points (536), field goals made (196) and attempted (403), posted his fourth 30-point game at TCU which is the most since Michael Beasley had 13 in 2007-08.

GAME 24
KANSAS STATE (10-13, 1-9 Big 12) vs. CINCINNATI (12-12, 4-7 Big 12)
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | 8:05 p.m. CT | Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) | Manhattan, Kan.
K-State Proud Game / Youth Team Game

TICKETS
Single-game tickets are available for $20.

There are a variety of mini-plan and group ticket packages available. These can be purchased online at kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling (800) 221.CATS or by visiting the Bramlage Coliseum Ticket Office, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.

EVENTS/PROMOTIONS
K-State Proud Game

Led by the K-State Student Foundation, the K-State Proud campaign has raised more than $2 million to help more than 1,100 students with hardships stay in school. Find out more about the campaign here.

Youth Team Game
Free admission to all registered youth teams

Upside Down 'Cats Hat to the first 1,200 students

TELEVISION
CBS Sports Network (online link)

Jordan Kent (play-by-play)
Mike O'Donnell (analyst)
Matt Kushner (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 385
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (lead analyst)

LIVE STATS
kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 71-55/4th Year
Career Record: 73-55*/4th Year+
vs. Cincinnati: 2-1 (1-0 at home)

Cincinnati: Wes Miller (North Carolina '07)
Record at Cincinnati: 94-71/5th Year
Career Record: 279-206/15th Year
vs. K-State: 1-2 (0-1 on the road)

LAST GAME STARTERS:
K-State (10-13, 1-9 Big 12)
G: #4 P.J. Haggerty
G: #10 David Castillo
G: #34 Nate Johnson
W: #15 Taj Manning
W: #21 Khamari McGriff

Cincinnati (12-12, 4-7 Big 12)
G: #1 Day Day Thomas
G: #2 Jizzle James
G: #32 Jalen Celestine
F: #18 Baba Miller
F: #52 Moustapha Thiam

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Cincinnati leads 8-3
Big 12 era: K-State leads 2-1 (2-1 in regular season)
In Manhattan: Cincinnati leads 2-1
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 1-0 (1-0 in Big 12)
Active Streak: K-State, 2
Last Meeting: K-State won 54-49 (3/5/2025)
Jerome Tang vs. Wes Miller: 2-1

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 4-game losing streak.
Extend its winning streak to 3 games vs. Cincinnati.
Represent the 450th at Bramlage Coliseum.
Make the Wildcats 228-288 all-time in Big 12 play.
Give the Wildcats a 1767-1269 all-time record.

LAST TIME OUT

Junior Xavier Edmonds scored 6 of the last 7 points, including the game-winning free throws with 6.7 seconds left, as TCU rallied from an 18-point first-half deficit to hand K-State an 84-82 loss on Saturday.
K-State (10-13, 1-9 Big 12) led 82-77 after a dunk by senior Khamari McGriff with 1:29 to play, but the Wildcats didn't score again as they turned the ball over on each of their last 3 possessions while the Horned Frogs (14-9, 4-6 Big 12) ended the game on a 7-0 run.
Edmonds paced TCU with 26 points on 9-of-10 field goals and 7-of-13 free throws and a game-high 10 rebounds in just over 30 minutes. He was joined in double figures by sophomore David Punch (14 points) and senior Jayden Pierre (10 points).
It marked the second consecutive matchup between the teams in Fort Worth that ended with TCU on a game-winning run as the Horned Frogs scored the last 6 points in a 63-62 win on Jan. 4, 2025. They have now won 6 of the last 8 meetings in the series, including 4 in a row.
The loss particularly stung as the short-handed Wildcats led for more than 39 minutes and 30 seconds in the game, including 42-24 with 5:31 to play in the first half and by double figures 3 times in the second half, including 78-68 with 5:26 remaining. The 18-point lead represents the third-largest blown in school history and the largest since 2001.
K-State now has 5 losses by 5 points or less, including 4 in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats shot better than 50 percent from the field for the ninth time this season, as they connected on 52.4 percent (33-of-63) from the field, including 11 made 3-pointers, while getting a game-high 30-point effort from junior P.J. Haggerty and a season-high 15 points from senior reserve Marcus Johnson, who made 5-of-6 3-point attempts.
Senior Nate Johnson added his second career double-double and first this season with 13 points and a career-high 11 assists to go with a career-best 6 steals in 37 minutes. Sophomore David Castillo gave the Wildcats a fourth double-digit scorer with 11 points.