Kansas State vs. Colorado: NCAA Women’s Tournament Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about Kansas State and Colorado in our Wildcats vs. Buffaloes NCAA Women’s Tournament second-round preview.
No. 4 Kansas State (25-7) vs. No. 5 Colorado (23-9)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. Sunday, Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kan., ESPN
All-time series (Kansas State 35-31): Kansas State won the last meeting, 78-51, on Feb. 16, 2011, when Colorado was still in the Big 12.
NCAA Tournament results: Kansas State: def. Portland, 78-65 (first round); Colorado: def. Drake, 86-72 (first round).
Winner: Advances to the Sweet 16 in Albany, N.Y.
Projected starting lineups
Kansas State: C Ayoka Lee, G Brylee Glenn, G Serena Sundell, G Jaelyn Glenn, G Gabby Gregory
Colorado: G Jaylyn Sherrod, G Maddie Nolan, G Frida Formann, C Aaronette Vonleh, F Quay Miller.
Players to watch
C Ayoka Lee
Lee had to be thrilled to be back in the NCAA Tournament after missing all of last season due to knee surgery. She had a terrific outing against Portland, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds. She also logged 30 minutes, which is solid time considering she missed seven games in the middle of the season due to an injury. The All-Big 12 performer has averaged 20 points and 8.4 rebounds this season and if the Wildcats are hoping to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002, they’ll need Lee to have a big game on Sunday.
Colorado
C Aaronette Vonleh
She produced a double-double for the Buffaloes in their first-round victory over Drake, as she scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. It will be interesting to see if her rebounding can carry over into the second-round matchup with Kansas State. While the 6-foot-3 center averages more than 14 points per game, she only averages five rebounds per game. When it comes to rebounding, Quay Miller has been the team leader, averaging more than seven per game. Colorado will need Vonleh to produce on the boards on Sunday.
Key storylines
Kansas State
Lee’s return was the headline, but the progress her teammates made without her last season as she recovered from knee surgery put the Wildcats in position to become a Top 25 team. The Wildcats’ early victory over Iowa signaled they would be a contender in the Big 12 and they were until Lee was hurt again and missed seven games. The team looks full strength once again and they’ve landed in an interesting bracket where they could end up facing Iowa for a third time this season. But, first the Wildcats have to win one more at the Octagon of Doom, and a 22-point game from Gabby Gregory against Portland bodes well for Colorado not being able to focus just on Lee defensively.
Colorado
Everything old is new again, as they say. Colorado left the Big 12 after the 2011-12 season for the Pac-12, thinking it was headed for greener pastures. Well, after the Pac-12 imploded last year, Colorado along with three other schools opted to join the Big 12 starting this summer. In the meantime, the Buffaloes are one of the best programs in the country under coach JR Payne. The Buffaloes reached the Sweet 16 last year and are looking to make a second straight trip. First, they’ll have to beat Kansas State. And as the season series suggests, it’s been a pretty even rivalry from the old Big 8 and Big 12 days.
Prediction
Kansas State 73, Colorado 70. Give the slight edge to the home team as the former Big 8/12 rivals get ready to re-ignite their rivalry next season.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
