Kansas State 12-11 (5-5)
Kansas State women’s basketball had a shaky non-conference slate but has adjusted well in conference play so far, getting some marquee wins over ranked opponents, including an on-the-road thriller against then-unbeaten Texas Tech. The ‘Cats are a young squad that rosters six freshmen. Most of them have seen valuable minutes, which led to growth both individually and as a team over the season.
Nastja Claessens is coming off a great game against Arizona State, where she set season highs in minutes played, three-pointers made, rebounds and assists, finishing with an impressive stat line of 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Claessens is an overseas transfer and has provided good experience for K-State this season. The junior forward has good height and moves well, and when finding her shot, is tough to stop.
Jordan Speiser has continued to progress throughout the season and has become a dynamic scorer for the Wildcats. The five-star freshman has an ultra-quick release and can hit shots from anywhere. Speiser is also an underrated facilitator and finishes around the rim well when attacking. For K-State to be successful the rest of the season, she will be the X-factor.
BYU 16-6 (5-5)
BYU is very similar to K-State in both their 5-5 conference record and the fact that their marquee win on the season came over Texas Tech. The Cougars are a good offensive team and have a plethora of scorers who will threaten the Wildcats. BYU attacks the glass hard, averaging over 14 offensive rebounds per game, and K-State has struggled getting rebounds this season, so the Cougars could take advantage.
Delaney Gibb is the leading point scorer for BYU, averaging 16.7 points per game on the season. The sophomore guard is a 29% three point shooter on the season, but is not afraid to let it fly if she is left open. Last season, Gibb was the unanimous Big 12 freshman of the year and has not slowed down in her second year, making her the primary focus of the K-State scouting report.
Lara Rohkohl is the leading rebounder for the Cougars, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. While that number may seem low for the top rebounder on a good team, BYU rebounds by committee. Rohkohl does her best work on the offensive glass, grabbing 64 offensive boards so far on the season. Second-chance points can be a killer, so K-State will want to keep her off the glass.
Who to Watch:
KSU: F Nastja Claessens, G Jordan Speiser
BYU: PG Delaney Gibb, F Lara Rohkohl
Feb. 7 @ 4 p.m. on ESPN+
Prediction: Kansas State 69-65
K-State:
3 point %: 34.3
Points Per Game: 68.6.ppg
Rebounds per game: 35.0
BYU:
3 point %: 30.5
Points Per Game: 71.9 ppg
Rebounds per game: 41.9
