The resurgent Kansas State Wildcats are in the Lone Star State tonight for an ESPN Big Monday clash with the Texas Longhorns. The two Big 12 rivals are scheduled to take the court at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center at 9:00pm ET. College Basketball Odds have Texas listed as a -8.5 against the spread home favorite; the game total is set at 136.
Kansas State, which has failed to live up to 
preseason expectations, is hitting its stride at the right time. The Wildcats won their fourth straight ball game on Saturday, besting the Missouri Tigers, a team it lost to by 16 points earlier in the season, 80-70 in Manhattan.
Kansas State outrebounded the Tigers 34 to 21 and it shot a ridiculous 53.8 percent from three point range in the important win. Jacob Pullen, who has led the Wildcats rebound with a brilliant February, scored 24 points in 24 minutes of play as he hit 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
Frank Martin's squad, now a virtual lock to make the NCAA Tournament at 20-9, holds fifth place in the Big 12 standings with a 8-6 league record. Kansas State is in position to move past Missouri should it win out and the Tigers split their final two games. The Wildcats could also leap frog the third place Texas A&M Aggies, but they would need to win out and have the A&M lose its final two (at Kansas and home to Texas Tech).
Texas saw its tenuous Big 12 lead grow even weaker on Saturday as it lost for the second time in its last three games. The Longhorns (24-5 overall, 12-2 conference) were stunned 89-91 at Colorado, making their head to head win over Kansas the only thing seperating them from the Jayhawks in the conference standings.
No. 8 Texas, which got 21 points from both Jordan Hamilton and J'Covan Brown against the Buffaloes, could do nothing to contain Alex Burks. The sophomore guard scored a season high 33 points in the upset.
The Longhorns, who are 16-1 at home this season, have lost two of their last three games against the Wildcats. Texas is also 0-2 in its last two home games against K-State.
Kansas State vs Texas College Basketball Odds February 28th, 2011:
Kansas State Wildcats +8.5 (-110), Over 136 (-110), +370 (Moneyline)
Texas Longhorns -8.5 (-110), Under 136 (-110), -450 (Moneyline)
