TL;DR
- Kansas State is 4-0, with David Castillo providing an offensive spark and clutch plays.
- Kansas State's offense pushes tempo, but rebounding is a weakness against physical teams.
- Mississippi State thrives on rebounding but struggles with turnovers, led by Josh Hubbard.
- The winner advances to face Nebraska or New Mexico in the Hall of Fame Classic.
Kansas State keeps finding different ways to win, and a big part of the early spark comes from sophomore guard David Castillo. The Wildcats are 4-0 and rolling into the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City with an offense that has been pushing the tempo and piling on points. Castillo is right in the middle of it, averaging 13.5 a night while looking like the confident scorer fans expected when he first arrived.
Keeps getting better
Monday’s game against Tulsa showed how far he has come. Castillo struggled from the floor most of the night, but with the Wildcats down one and under half a minute to go, he cut to the rim, took the feed, and finished the play that saved the game. His coach, Jerome Tang, did not sound surprised.
“David Castillo is a really good basketball player, and I’m not surprised by any of this,” Tang said after the escape. “There’s so much more for him. When he missed the open three earlier, he didn’t let it bother him. When we got the steal, he didn’t hesitate. He went and got it and made the finish.”
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Kansas State has been living on its offense, but rebounding remains the soft spot. The Wildcats sit outside the top 100 in rebounding margin, and this matchup brings a physical Mississippi State team that thrives on the glass. Chris Jans’ groups have always leaned on size, positioning, and second chances, and this roster is no different.
SEC strength
Mississippi State enters at 2-1 and owns an average rebounding edge of plus-11. The Bulldogs needed all of it last Saturday when they couldn’t quite shake Southeastern Louisiana in a 75-68 win. Turnovers have been the bigger issue. After coughing it up 26 times against Iowa State, the Bulldogs gave it away 16 more times in their last outing.
Jans did not hide his frustration.
“We get a couple of back-to-back turnovers and the lead shrinks,” he said. “Then the coaches are upset, the players are a little dejected, and it snowballed on us that way. We’re learning lessons, but we’ve got to apply them to the games.”
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State's top scorer, keeps leading the offense, and the Bulldogs' interior strength will serve as the response to Kansas State's faster tempo. The Wildcats, on the other hand, aim for a quick game, with Castillo and PJ Haggerty spearheading their efforts.
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- Nate Oats leads Alabama into a wild Chicago test against Illinois
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What's next
The victor will advance to compete against either Nebraska or New Mexico on Friday. Both squads recognize this tournament as an opportunity to enhance their résumés prior to the start of intense conference competition.