Basketball Game Preview: Circle Thunderbirds vs. Buhler Crusaders

After both having extra time off, the Circle Thunderbirds and the Buhler Crusaders will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Back in December of 2024, Circle might have been a little too into the holiday spirit, gifting McPherson an easy 62-36 victory. While losing is never fun, the Thunderbirds can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Kansas basketball rankings (they are ranked 108th, while the Bullpups are ranked 13th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Buhler, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They managed a 62-57 win over Mulvane two weeks ago. The Crusaders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Circle better keep an eye on Isaiah Heredia. He was instrumental in Buhler's win, going 5 of 9 en route to 16 points along with five boards and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jared Miller, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds.

Buhler was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

With the victory, Buhler broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 2-3. As for Circle, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.

Everything went Circle's way against Buhler in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, as Circle made off with a 59-37 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Circle since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.