Iowa State Cyclones vs Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball: Five players to watch

Farmageddon gets an additional chapter this season as Iowa State and Kansas State meet in the opening quarterfinal of the Big 12 men’s basketball championship.

Mar 1, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Shane Southwell (1) blocks out Iowa State Cyclones forward Dustin Hogue (22) during the Wildcats

DeAndre Kane scored 24 points and was two rebounds and four assists short of a triple-double in the last meeting, but the Wildcats prevailed, 80-73. Here are some other players to watch, including who Kane will be up against again.

#1 Shane Southwell (KSU senior guard, 6-foot-7, 215 lbs.)

Coming off the bench in the home game against Iowa State, Southwell made 4-of-6 from the perimeter, his only offense besides making 1-of-2 free throw atttempts. He’s scored double digits in both games, and the Cyclones would love to get him out of the perimeter. By comparison, Southwell has made 2-of-11 from inside the arch.

#3 Melvin Ejim (ISU senior forward, 6-foot-6, 220 lbs.)

Ejim averages 18.2 points per game, but scored a total of 50 points against Kansas State this season. Along with 25 total rebounds, it’s clear that the Wildcats don’t have an answer for the reigning Big 12 player of the year. Expect another huge day from the senior.

#2 Marcus Foster (KSU freshman guard, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs.)

Foster owns a -5 assist-to-turnover ratio (3 AST, 8 TO), making it ideal for the Cyclones to force him to turn the ball over. He did score 20 points in the first meeting, including 3 3-point shots, but went just 1-of-4 from downtown and 2-of-6 from the field overall, finishing with just 11 points.

#22 Dustin Hogue (ISU junior forward, 6-foot-6, 215 lbs.)

Hogue picked up 12 boards in both games against the Wildcats — that’s in each game, not a total amount. That’s in complete contrast to his offensive game against them, although eight points is nothing to scoff at. He’s able to afford just paying attention to the glass as long as Georges Niang can provide the offense – Niang scored just eight points in the loss compared to 18 in the victory.

#42 Thomas Gipson (KSU junior forward, 6-foot-7, 265 lbs.)

It’s been since the home game against Kansas when Gipson last had a game under double-digits. The big man has been incredibly efficient with 55.9 percent field goal shooting and making 71.3 percent of his free throws.