Kansas State (9-5) at No. 1 Arizona (14-0) |Β McKale Center | 7 p.m. | FS1 | 1290-AM,Β 92.5-FM (Spanish)
Probable starters
ARIZONA
0 G Jaden Bradley (6-3 senior)
5 G Brayden Burries (6-4 freshman)
18 F Ivan Kharchenkov (6-7 freshman)
0 F Koa Peat (6-8 freshman)
13 C Motiejus Krivas (7-2 junior)
Key reserves
3 F Anthony DellβOrso (6-6 senior)
30 F Tobe Awaka (6-8 senior)
2 F Dwayne Aristode (6-8 freshman)
KANSAS STATE
34 G Nate Johnson (6-3 senior)
4 G PJ Haggerty (6-4 junior)
1 F Abdi Bashir (6-7 junior)
0 Elias Rapieque F 6-9 junior
21 C Khamari McGriff (6-9 senior)
Key reserves
10 G David Castillo (6-1 sophomore)
15 F Taj Manning (6-7 junior)
22 C Dorin Buca (7-2 junior)
14 F Mobi Ikegwuruka (6-6 junior)
How they match up
The series: Kansas State snapped a three-game losing streak to Arizona when it held off UA 73-70 on Feb. 11 last season at Bramlage Coliseum. The game gave K-State a 9-6 lead in the overall series. Before meeting in the Big 12, Arizona last played K-State between Elite Eight appearances in 2014 and 2015, beating the purple Wildcats 72-68 in the semifinals of the 2014-15 Maui Invitational. Arizona and Kansas State have not met at McKale Center since November 1999, when UA won 88-69.
Kansas State overview: After playing below expectations last season, despite the (reported) $2 million addition of Coleman Hawkins and an Elite Eight appearance in 2024, K-State has been on another roller-coaster ride so far this season.
Having loaded up with what 247 Sports ranked the No. 4 transfer portal class last spring, including All-American guard PJ Haggerty, K-State sandwiched its nine wins around a four-game losing streak in November and December that included losses to Nebraska in Kansas City, at Indiana and to Bowling Green and Seton Hall at home. Then, after beating Creighton and three mid- or low-major teams last month, they lost 83-73 to BYU in their Big 12 opener at home on Jan. 3.
K-State runs the 14th-fastest tempo in Division I and shoots 38.5% from 3-point range, though they turn the ball over on 17.3% of their possessions. Haggerty is an aggressive scorer who can get to the basket (55.2% from two-point range) and free-throw line (he draws 6.8 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 57th nationally and hits free throws at a 75.2% rate). Wing forward Abdi Bashir is the teamβs primary 3-point threat, ranking 46th nationally with an average of 47.3% from beyond the arc.
Arizona sent Kansas Stateβs point guard, Nate Johnson, to the free-throw line 12 times last seasonΒ β when he was playing for Akron in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Mid-American Conference Player of the Year last season, Johnson had 13 points against UA while hitting 11 of 12 free throws in that game, though he was just 1 of 9 from the field.
At center, Kansas State has received 74.7% two-point shooting and rim protection (a 7.1 block percentage) from big man Khamari McGriff, who has transitioned successfully to high-major ball after four seasons at UNC Wilmington. Returnee Taj Manning started at power forward against BYU while former German pro Elias Rapieque sat out with an undisclosed injury but K-State reported Tuesday evening that Rapieque is probable to play Wednesday.
Key players
KANSAS STATE
PJ Haggerty
Kansas State guard P.J. Haggerty, right, looks to pass around Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence during the first half of a game on Friday in Kansas City, Mo.Β
A second-team AP All-American last season at Memphis, where he finished third nationally in scoring (23.0), Haggerty is up to his old tricks at what is his fourth college team in four seasons. He's leading the Big 12 with the exact same scoring average and also ranks 14th in assists (4.6).Β
ARIZONA
Ivan Kharchenkov
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov shoots during the second half against Utah, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Salt Lake City.Β
The former German pro has shown defensive stopper potential so far this season, so it wouldnβt be a surprise to see if he gets asked to help slow down HaggartyΒ β or the 3-point shooting wizardry of Bashir.
Sidelines
Wildcats lose votes
Arizona held on to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the fourth straight time Monday, but it did so only by the slimmest of margins.
The Wildcats had just one more total point than Michigan from the 61 media voters, edging the Wolverines 1,494 to 1,493 (first-place votes count for 25 points, on down to one point for a 25th-place vote).
Arizona lost six first-place votes from the last poll on Dec. 22Β β it wasn't released last week because of the limited games over the holiday breakΒ β while Michigan gained 10.
Between Dec. 22 and MondayΒ β Michigan was scheduled to play at Penn State on TuesdayΒ β the Wolverines beat McNeese State (112-71) and USC (96-66) at home, while Arizona has beaten Bethune-Cookman (107-71) and South Dakota State (99-71) at home, and won at Utah (97-78).
One key difference: USC (12-2) was ranked 23rd at the time Michigan beat them; however, the Trojans fell out Monday. Also, third-ranked Iowa State lost its one first-place vote, and that voter switched to Michigan this week.
Shoe game
In advance of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Awareness Week, the Wildcats turned again to the Diamond Childrenβs Medical Center for help.
Specifically, they went to the βPlay Zoneβ of the facility and asked young patients to help decorate sneakers that the coaches and staff will be wearing for UAβs Jan. 24 game against West Virginia. The Coaches vs. Cancer Week officially runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, but the Wildcats will be away from home that week, playing at BYU on Jan. 26 and at ASU on Jan. 31.
The shoes will be auctioned off after the West Virginia game, with proceeds to benefit Diamond Children's Medical Center.
Optimist
While Arizonaβs Big 12 schedule appears to be mostly backloaded for the second time this season, the leagueβs other Wildcats are on a different course: K-State was asked to start by hosting BYU, then making a two-game road swing to UA and ASU before returning home to host streaking UCFΒ β and then playing another road game, at Oklahoma State on Jan. 17.
But after his Wildcats lost to BYU on Jan. 3, K-State coach Jerome Tang said he was looking forward to spending a little time in the desert.
βExcited about this road trip both because of the weather and because we get to spend a lot of time together,β Tang said. βThen the opportunity that's in front of us to go play the No. 1 team in the country on their home court... I'm excited about this.β
ESPN to carry TCU game
ESPN will televise UA's game at TCU on Saturday, after listings were kept open to have ESPN or ESPN2 cover it. The game will still tip as scheduled originally at 2 p.m. Arizona time.
Numbers game
15.0: Seconds in an average Kansas State possession, the 14th-shortest time in Division I.
15.7: Seconds in an average Arizona possession, the 39th-shortest time in Division I.
45: Years since two teams tied atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Oregon State and Virginia shared the No. 1 spot on Jan. 26, 1981, while UA and Michigan nearly tied this week.
βΒ Bruce Pascoe
