While it is no surprise a team from the state of Kansas has the inside track on the Big 12 title race, the fact that it is the Kansas State Wildcats might be. The Jayhawks’ run of Big 12 regular-season conference championships was put in great peril with their loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, and this might be the end of their run.

These two teams hooked up on Feb. 5 in Manhattan. Kansas State got a 74-67 win and is looking to be the second team in the Bill Self era to earn a regular-season sweep of the Jayhawks.

For the month, Kansas State is making 42.4 percent of its 3s, a massive uptick from its season average of 30.7 percent entering the month. Along with that, the Wildcats are among the top 10 teams in offensive efficiency this month after ranking 285th among Division I teams entering February.

The return of Dean Wade from injury has been a large reason why, with the 6-foot-10 big man being Kansas State’s top rebounder with 6.3 per game and a marksman from deep making 44.2 percent of his outside shots.

Though Kansas has not lost at Phog Allen Fieldhouse to the Wildcats since 2006, this group lacks offensive flow. Kansas is 265th in assists per made field goal and are relying on made baskets in isolation against a team that is eighth in the country in defensive efficiency to carry the day.

In the first meeting, Kansas also had Lagerald Vick in the lineup, a 45.5 percent 3-point shooter, and still lost. With him out of the fold, it puts a lot of pressure on a team with only one player making over 37.2 percent of his 3s to step up.

Year after year, we’ve been wondering when this run of conference titles would end for the Jayhawks, and Monday might be the day it finally happens.

The play: Kansas State, +5.