NBA Draft Watch: College Basketball Game of the Day, February 5th (#13 Kansas at Kansas State) Preview/Prospects of Note

Dedric Lawson, Kansas
(Photo Credit: Nick Krug)

An in-state rivalry in the Big 12 Conference is on tap for Tuesday night at 9 PM EST, when the 13th ranked Kansas Jayhawks makes the trip from Lawrence to Manhattan to take on the unranked Kansas State Wildcats.

Despite the disparity in rankings, each team is on relatively equal footing in a number of ways.

While currently unranked, Kansas State is actually tied atop the Big 12 Conference standings, with a 6-2 record against in-conference members. Meanwhile, Kansas is right there less than a game behind the Wildcats, accumulating a record of 6-3 thus far against Big 12 opponents.

Both teams bring a disciplined style of defense, holding opponents between 40-41 percent shooting from the field (Kansas allowing 40.2%, Kansas State 40.8%), though the Jayhawks allow 70.0 points per game, scoring 76.8 themselves, while the Wildcats opponents average just 58.7 points per game, 4th best in the country, as they put up 65.1 points per contest.

Entering tonight's contest at 17-5 on the season, Kansas has lost 3 of the last 5 games, though in their most recent result they defeated then 16th ranked Texas Tech last Saturday at home, by a score of 79-63.

Kansas State will come into the game against Kansas having won 6 of their last 7 contests, and an overall record of 16-5 during the 2018-2019 campaign. Having to wait a week to rebound from their loss to Texas A&M, the Wildcats clawed down Oklahoma State on the road Saturday, 75-57.

Combined between both schools from "The Sunflower State" there are 15 players currently on NBA rosters, with 54 players in total playing professionally.

Kansas, the winner of 14 consecutive Big 12 Conference regular season championships and one of the blue blood programs in college basketball, accounts for 12 of their former players playing in "the League".

Whereas counterpart Kansas State has 3 former players that are in the NBA, including current Laker Michael Beasley, and 17 players playing professionally across the globe.

Former Wildcat guard Jacob Pullen being one of them.

Competing on the court tonight will be a few players with an NBA and professional future of their own, highlighted by Dedric Lawson of Kansas.

Recently recognized as one of the 20 candidates under consideration for the Wooden Award, the redshirt junior is averaging a double-double on the season, to the tune of 19.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Also adding 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks.

Standing 6'9, 235 pounds Lawson plays with a more grounded, fundamental type of game as opposed to being a high-flying, athletic forward, though his length (7'2.5 inch wingspan), skill, and feel make him extremely effective around the basket (84-118, 71% on shots at the rim).

He is also more than capable of stepping outside the paint and sinking a shot (50 made 2-point jump shots), having recently been on a hot streak from beyond the arc draining 8 of his 14 3-point attempts on the season in the last four games — shooting 61.5 percent from range during that time.

Lawson looks the part of a prospect that will likely be taken in the top 40 picks during the upcoming NBA Draft and is certainly deserved of consideration as a potential first round pick.

Likely to encounter Dedric Lawson throughout the night on each end of the floor for Kansas State is their own quality option in Dean Wade.

Having sustained a slight tear to a tendon in his right foot early in the season, Wade returned to the court on January 12th after missing narrowly less than a month of play.

Scoring just two points in his first game back in action against Iowa State — though he grabbed nine rebounds — the 6'10, 228 pound senior has been better in the five games since then, averaging 18 points on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor.

Wade is a well-rounded big man in his own right, who can threaten the defense from all three levels of the floor.

With enough strength to play from the post and footwork to free himself from defenders, Wade can score effectively in the painted-area (28-37, 76% on shots at the rim), but also moves around to different parts of the court within the Wildcat offense.

Deployed as a pick and pop player (14-30, 47% on 3-point attempts) and sometimes situated at the the elbow, the Kansas State senior is one of the better shooting, legit bigs in the country being able to extend his range out beyond the paint.

For the season he is averaging 14.3 points, with a 54.3 FG% and 79.2 FT%, also adding 6.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

His injury may have impeded his progress in improving his draft stock, yet Dean Wade remains someone who should receive discussion from multiple teams as a second round selection, due to his combination of size and skill.

In addition to Wade, a couple of other key players for the Kansas State are Barry Brown, Jr. and Xavier Sneed.

A 6'3, 195 pound combo guard, Brown is a player who prefers to play off the bounce as opposed to as a spot-up shooter standing on the perimeter.

Equipped with shifty ball-handling ability, the senior is able to get defenders to slide their feet and slip past them in which he is most likely to find a way to get all the way to the basket and convert (60-93, 64.5% on shots at the rim, with 18 assisted).

Having been consistent in creating turnovers throughout his college career (231 total steals), Brown has shown an improvement as an overall defender in his final season for the Wildcats, increasing his on-ball defensive effectiveness (88.1 defensive rating, 4th in the Big 12), while remaining a threat to play the passing lanes (2.0 steals per game).

Surfacing on the scene last season, specifically during the NCAA Tournament, Xavier Sneed is a stout 6'5, 220 pound prospect whose physicality resembles that of his background as a former football recruit.

Having played wide receiver in high school, Sneed shows off his explosive, leaping ability that he used to high-point the pigskin in his past, now going up for a number of strong slams at the rim and serving as a sound rebounder for his size (5.6 rebounds per game).

The junior wing has been slightly less accurate with his shot this season (39 FG%, 33 3P%), which has resulted in his scoring taking a dip from his sophomore year (11.1 ppg in 17-18, 9.6 ppg in 18-19).

Though he has had his struggles in shooting the ball, Sneed remains a staunch defender on the wing (1.3 steals; 88.6 defensive rating, 5th in Big 12) along with Brown in stabilizing the firm Kansas State defense.

One player who Brown and Sneed will likely have circled on their scouting report is Kansas Lagerald Vick.

Having developed a reputation as a shooter throughout his career with the Jayhawks, Vick is sinking double the amount of the three point shots per game than he did last season (1.5 3-pointers per game 17-18, 3.0 in 18-19), with a 46.1 3P% and averaging 14.5 points per contest.

The 6'5, 190 pound senior wing will also step inside the arc and sink a shot from mid-range (22-54, 41% on 2-point jump shots, 4 coming off assists) as defenders are often quick to closeout to him whenever he catches the ball out on the perimeter.

He currently projects as a likely second round selection with his ability to fill the coveted '3 and D' profile, which presently permeates the NBA.

Also on the wing for Kansas that the Wildcats defense will have to contend with is Quentin Grimes.

A McDonald's All-American and consensus top 10 recruit coming into Kansas, Grimes got off to a great start to begin his Jayhawk career, scoring 21 points in his debut against Michigan State — shooting 7-14 from the floor and sinking 6-10 3-point attempts.

The 6'5, 210 pound wing has struggled to find the same success with his shot since then, scoring 8.1 points per game, while shooting 40.0/33.3/59.5 (field goal, 3-point, and free throw percentage) — having started in all 22 games.

Albeit having had inconsistencies in his ability to sink shots, Grimes has a maturely developed frame and game for a freshman at the college level.

Having the ability to create his own shot off the dribble on occasion and get to the basket or use his size to at the position to seek post-up opportunities.

Joining Grimes in the backcourt for Kansas is another well-regarded freshman in Devon Dotson.

Similar to some of the point guards of recent past to play for the Jayhawks, Doston brings a steady presence at the position for Kansas.

More so a crafty, calculated player with the ball in his hands rather than an athletic, dynamic type playmaker, Dotson is able to change speeds and directions effectively to get his way into the paint where he manufactures most of his points (52-86, 60% on shots at the rim, just 6 off teammate's assists).

The 6'2, 185 pound point plays with a maturity that resembles a seasoned college player, similar to Grimes, and is a competent catch and shoot option (19-45, 42.2% on 3-point shots, with 17 coming from assists) when playing off the ball.

Both Dotson and Grimes are likely to consider entering the draft following this their freshman season, but certainly could benefit from returning to school and improving their progress as a prospect — given how their overall game is constructed at the present moment.