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Kansas State flashed its ceiling in a 60-point second half against UNC Greensboro. Now Jerome Tang wants that urgency from the opening tip as the Wildcats welcome Bellarmine to Bramlage Coliseum for a buy-game that doubles as an early growth test.
Match Facts
| Sport | Matchup | Venue | Date / Time (ET) | TV | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAAB | Bellarmine Knights vs Kansas State Wildcats | Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan KS | Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, 8:00 PM | ESPN+ | K-State -28.5 / BU +28.5 | K-State -65000 / BU +4000 | 171.5 |
For live movement and comparative pricing across the college hoops board, use the NCAAB scores and odds screen on ScoresAndStats via the main scores and odds basketball hub.
Line And Odds Movement
The opener posts Kansas State as an extreme favorite off a 29-point win and explosive second half, against a Bellarmine team smashed by Georgia and lacking proven scoring depth. The total at 171.5 clearly bakes in pace plus K-State’s perimeter heater.
Any meaningful shift toward Bellarmine will signal skepticism that K-State sustains Thursday’s three-point barrage or keeps starters engaged deep into the second half. Sharp support for the under would reflect expectations that Tang leans defense and bench minutes once control is established.
Matchup Breakdown
Kansas State’s opener was a tale of two halves that revealed both issues and upside. The Wildcats slogged to 33 points before halftime, then shredded UNC Greensboro with spacing, tempo, and shot-making after the break. PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson combined for 49, with Haggerty’s on-ball pressure and Johnson’s shot creation driving a 60-point half. Abdi Bashir’s shooting surge (part of a 9-for-11 second-half clip from three among the trio) showed that the perimeter core can punish any soft coverage.
The offensive profile: attack off the bounce, spread the floor, and let multiple ballhandlers trigger quick threes or rim pressure. Defensively, the length and activity bothered UNCG once K-State locked in; that same pressure should disrupt Bellarmine’s cutting and motion if the Wildcats bring focus from the start.
Bellarmine’s problem is scalability. Against Georgia, Jack Karasinski delivered 23 points and 8 rebounds, but help was nonexistent. The Knights’ system relies on spacing, cuts, and smart ball movement, but without multiple shot-creators, their half-court possessions bog down against athletic high-majors. Georgia’s long runs, early separation, and dominance through both halves provided a harsh preview of what happens if Bellarmine cannot generate quality looks early.
If Kansas State defends with discipline, runs shooters off the line, and controls the glass, Bellarmine’s offense has a narrow path. Their only realistic leverage is tempo control, turnover avoidance, and a hot shooting night from deep.
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Injury Reports
Bellarmine Knights
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| No significant injuries reported | – | – |
Kansas State Wildcats
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| No significant injuries reported | – | – |
Monitor any late changes through updated NCAAB team pages and injury tracking before locking in positions.
Bellarmine Recent Performance
Bellarmine’s 104-59 loss at Georgia exposed roster fragility. Karasinski did everything he could as a primary scorer and rebounder, but no second option emerged, and defensive resistance vanished under sustained SEC athleticism. The Knights surrendered multiple double-digit runs in the first half, lost the physical battle, and never dictated pace.
The Knights can still be annoying in league play with their pace, motion, and three-point volume, but early evidence suggests their current personnel is not built to trade punches athletically for 40 minutes against a top-half Big 12 roster. If they fall behind early at Kansas State, climbing back without elite shooting will be difficult.
Kansas State Recent Performance
Kansas State’s 93-64 win over UNC Greensboro was exactly the response Tang wanted after a disjointed first half. Adjustments at the break opened the floor for Haggerty, Johnson, and Bashir, and once shots fell, everything else followed: transition chances, better closeouts, cleaner switches.
Tang’s public stance is clear: he wants this team playing at its March level as soon as possible, not pacing development. That mindset usually translates into sustained pressure, fewer “relax” stretches, and less tolerance for sloppy possessions, even in mismatches like this. Depth scoring from multiple perimeter pieces, plus a willingness to let it fly from three, widens the blowout range if efficiency holds.
Betting Insights And Trends
Kansas State showed a high offensive ceiling and enough defensive length to overwhelm limited backcourts. At home, with Tang pushing urgency, this sets up as a script where the Wildcats can bury an overmatched opponent early and test rotations without fully throttling down.
Bellarmine’s reliance on Karasinski and three-point volume creates volatility, but their inability to generate multiple double-figure scorers against Georgia and the physical gap up front are red flags for any outright competitiveness. Their best-case angle is a late backdoor if Kansas State empties the bench and the Knights keep hunting threes.
Contextually, the spread and total sit in classic high-major vs buy-game territory. Use broader college basketball odds and market references on ScoresAndStats if you are pairing this with other NCAAB picks on the slate.
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Best Bets And Prediction
Projected score: Kansas State 97, Bellarmine 63 (total 160)
Spread: Lean Kansas State -28.5. The Wildcats’ perimeter creation, defensive edge, and stated intent to “get as good as we can, as early as we can” support a margin north of 30 if they avoid another flat opening half.
Total: Lean under 171.5. The projection lands below the number. For this to clear 171.5, Bellarmine likely needs sustained scoring against a locked-in K-State defense plus four full quarters of pedal-down offense from Tang. More plausible is Kansas State doing the heavy lifting, then the pace and efficiency cooling late.
Handicapper Section
From a numbers standpoint, Kansas State rates as a strong home favorite with matchup edges across usage, creation, and athleticism. Bellarmine’s narrow offensive channel and lack of secondary scoring make them a fragile underdog in this range.
Primary play: Kansas State -28.5 (standard stake).
Secondary lean: Under 171.5 (smaller position; edge is real but thin at current number).
Reassess Wildcats’ true offensive baseline and rotation patterns from this spot for future value in deeper nonconference tests and in broader college basketball championship odds and awards markets as tracked on ScoresAndStats.
