The most frustrating thing about this defeat for K-State is that the Wildcats played well enough to win for much of the afternoon. But they fell behind 14-0 in the opening moments and were unable to cut the deficit closer than six the rest of the way.

When the Jayhawks needed their stars to step up, Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. delivered, especially after recent struggles. Dickinson was dominant inside, scoring 25 points on 12-of-19 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. He set the tone early and kept Kansas steady throughout.

The Wildcats (7-9, 1-4 in Big 12) have looked much more comfortable on both ends of the court as the game has progressed. It’s the first edition of this rivalry this season. Follow along for updates from the game at Allen Fieldhouse: RELATED: Kansas basketball falls well short in opportunity for top-10 road win against Iowa State 2nd Half UPDATE: 1:51 p.

Jerome Tang and the Wildcats will catch a break without KJ Adams in the lineup as he recovers from an injury. But he is only averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds this season. KU can probably get by with a next-man-up approach in this game.

The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off a loss to arguably their biggest rival in the Big 12, only to face their in-state rival in the Kansas State Wildcats. But with the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse waiting, it's safe to say that they should be massive favorites in this one.

Kansas State travels to Lawrence for the first round of the 2025 Sunflower Showdown looking to end an 18-game drought at Allen Fieldhouse.