GAME 18
13/15 KANSAS STATE (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) vs. 2/2 KANSAS (16-1, 5-0 Big 12)
DILLONS SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 >> 6:02 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPN / WatchESPN (link here)

  • Jon Sciambi (play-by-play)
  • Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
  • Kris Budden (sideline reporter)
  • Scott Gustafson (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 84/84
Online: Varsity Network [free]/ www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

  • Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
  • Stan Weber (analyst)

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
Sold out

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ’07]
Record at K-State: 15-2/1st Year
Career Record: 17-2/1st Year+
vs. Kansas: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]

Kansas: Bill Self [Oklahoma State ’85]
Record at Kansas: 572-125/20th Year
Career Record: 779-230/30th Year
vs. K-State: 39-6 [38-6 at Kansas]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Kansas leads 203-94
Big 12 Era: Kansas leads 56-6
In Manhattan: K-State leads 81-48
At Bramlage Coliseum: Kansas leads 29-5
Active Streak: Kansas, 7
Tang vs. Kansas: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]
Tang vs. Bill Self : 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
13/15 Kansas State (15-2, 4-1 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin
C: #23 Abayomi Iyiola

2/2 Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12)
G: #3 Dajuan Harris, Jr.
G: #4 Gradey Dick
G: #15 Kevin McCullar, Jr.
F: #10 Jalen Wilson
F: #24 KJ Adams, Jr.

OPENING TIP
No. 13/15 K-State (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) renews one of the oldest rivalries in college basketball on Tuesday night when the Wildcats welcome defending national champion and No. 2/2 Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) to Bramlage Coliseum for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 6 p.m., CT on ESPN. It is the sixth-most played rivalry (297) in Division I men’s basketball history with the teams meeting at least once every year since 1907. The Jayhawks, who riding a 10-game winning streak, have won 9 of the last 10 matchups, including each of the last 7, with the last Wildcat win coming at home in 2019. It is the series’ first Top 15 matchup since No. 4 Kansas defeated No. 10 K-State, 83-62, at home on Feb. 11, 2013.

KEY STORYLINES

  • K-State saw its 9-game winning streak end at No. 17/17 TCU on Saturday, as the Horned Frogs turned defense into offense, forcing the Wildcats into a near season-high 20 turnovers while scoring 26 points off those miscues in an 82-68 victory. Despite the loss, the Wildcats are still off to their best start (15-2) in more than a decade (2012-13), while they are 9-0 in home games, including 8-0 at Bramlage Coliseum, for their best home start since 2012-13.
  • K-State’s 15-2 start under head coach Jerome Tang ties for the best by a first-year coach in school history, equaling the 15-2 starts by Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13). Tang’s 15-2 start also ranks among the very best by all first-year coaches in Division I, just ahead of Missouri’s Dennis Gates (13-4).
  • The 9-game winning streak was the longest by K-State in nearly a decade (since 2013-14) and tied for the third-longest streak (joining Kansas and Providence) among Power 6 Conference schools, trailing UCLA (12) and Xavier (11). The Wildcats averaged 82 points per game during the streak on 48.3 percent (262-of-543) shooting with 4 players averaging in double figures.
  • Senior Keyontae Johnson (18 points) and Markquis Nowell (16) combined for nearly half of the Wildcats’ points in the loss at No. 17/17 TCU, as the duo are combining to average 45.4 points in Big 12 play. Last week, the tandem became the first Wildcats to sweep the Big 12 weekly honors, as Nowell was named the Player of the Week for the second time and Johnson earned his third Newcomer of the Week nod. The tandem combined to score 120 points in the wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor on 59.4 percent (38-of-64) shooting, which is the most points by 2 Wildcats over a 2-game span in the last 50 seasons.
  • Nowell continues to be one of the leaders nationally in assists. He ranks second nationally in both assists per game (8.5 apg.) and total assists (144), while he is 20th in assist/turnover ratio (2.88) with 144 assists to 50 turnovers. He is one of 2 active Division I player with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals, while his 230 career steals are first among active players.
  • The Wildcats have quite the dynamic 1-2-3 scoring punch with Johnson (18.4 ppg.) and Nowell (17.1 ppg.) and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin (10.9 ppg.) combining to average 46.4 points per game on 48.1 percent (270-of-561) shooting. They are the second-best scoring trio in the Big 12 after Baylor’s Adam Flagler, Keyonte George and L.J. Cryer (47.6 ppg.) and just ahead of Kansas’ Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick and Kevin McCullar (45.2 ppg.).

NOTES ON 2/2 KANSAS

  • No. 2/2 Kansas (16-1, 5-0 Big 12) enters Tuesday’s game with fifth-longest winning streak in the nation after earning a 62-60 win over No. 14/14 Iowa State on Saturday afternoon at home. The Jayhawks have some of the most impressive wins in the country, tying No. 3/3 Purdue for the most Quad 1 victories (6). The team’s lone loss came to No. 5/5 Tennessee at neutral site at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
  • Kansas is averaging 76.9 points on 47.1 percent shooting, including 37.6 percent from 3-point range, with 37.6 rebounds, 17.4 assists, 9.2 steals and 4.1 blocks per game, while allowing 65.2 points on 40.0 percent shooting, including 31.0 percent from 3-point range. The Jayhawks are connecting on 70.9 percent from the free throw line.
  • Kansas is one of the best at distributing the ball (15th in assists) and taking care of it (23rd in assist/turnover ratio), while the Jayhawks lead the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage and defensive rebounds (26.8) and are second in 3-pointers/game (7.8), assists, assist/turnover ratio and steals.
  • Four players are averaging in double figures led by the Big 12’s leading scorer – junior Jalen Wilson – who is averaging 19.8 points per game to go with a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game. Freshman phenom Gradey Dick is averaging 14.6 points, while senior Kevin McCullar Jr. (10.8 ppg.) and sophomore KJ Adams, Jr. (10.7) are also averaging double digits.
  • Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has a 572-125 record in his 20th season. Overall, he has a 779-230 record in his 30th season as a head coach. He is 39-6 all-time vs. K-State, including 15-5 on the road.

SERIES HISTORY

  • Kansas holds a 203-94 advantage in the series vs. K-State, including an 81-48 mark in Manhattan. The Jayhawks are 56-6 in the Big 12 era (46-6 in regular season) with a 29-5 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
  • Kansas has won 9 of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last 7 dating to February 2019. Last season, the Jayhawks swept the season series with a 78-75 come-from-behind win in Manhattan on Jan. 22, 2022 (rallying from 17 points down) before posting just the second 100-point game in the series with an 102-83 victory at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 22, 2022.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [1-9]
Date                    Rank     Result   Score                  Location
1/29/2018          —/7      L             56-70                  Manhattan
3/9/2018            —/9      L             67-83                  Kansas City
2/5/2019            —/13    W          74-67                  Manhattan
2/25/2019          16/15    L             49-64                  Lawrence
1/21/2020          —/3      L             61-80                  Lawrence
2/29/2020          —/1      L             58-62                  Manhattan
2/2/2021            —/23    L             51-74                  Lawrence
2/17/2021          —/23    L             41-59                  Manhattan
1/22/2022          —/7      L             75-78                  Manhattan
2/2/2022            —/5      L             83-102                Lawrence

LAST MEETING: 5/5 KANSAS 102, K-STATE 83

  • No. 5/5 Kansas connected on better than 60 percent from the field in both halves, as the Jayhawks captured the 297th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown with an 102-83 win in the last meeting between the schools on Feb. 22, 2022 at Allen Fieldhouse.
  • Kansas was simply spectacular on offense, connecting on 64.1 percent (41-of-64) from the field, including 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from 3-point range en route to posting just the second 100-point game in the series. The field goal percentage is the ninth-highest by an opponent in school history and the highest by an opponent since 2008.
  • Markquis Nowell led 5 Wildcats in double figures with 20 points.

LAST TIME OUT: 17/17 TCU 82, 11/13 K-STATE 68

  • No. 11/13 K-State saw its 9-game winning streak end on Saturday afternoon, as No. 17/17 TCU used its stellar defensive pressure to harass the Wildcats into 20 turnovers, which the Horned Frogs converted into 26 points, en route to an 82-68 win before 5,884 fans at Schollmaier Arena.
  • TCU, which took control with a 10-0 run midway through the first half, led by 14 points at the half and by as many as 25 in the second half before K-State was able to cut the deficit to 12 on two occasions late. However, the Wildcats could go no closer, as they lost for the first time in nearly 7 weeks.
  • Senior Keyontae Johnson led three players in double figures with a near double-double of 18 points and 9 rebounds in 38 minutes, while senior Markquis Nowell finished with 16 points but with his second-fewest assists (4) on the season to go with 2 rebounds and 2 steals in nearly 38 minutes. Senior Tykei Greene provided a spark in the second half with a season-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin grabbed a season-best 10 boards and dished out a season-high 5 assists to go with his 8 points.
  • Four Horned Frogs scored in double figures led by senior Emanuel Miller’s game-high 23 points, while sophomore Eddie Lampkin was a force in the paint with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Mike Miles, Jr., notched a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 11 assists.
  • A motivated TCU team, which lost on a last-second shot to No. 25/25 Iowa State at home on Jan. 7 before losing an 18-point lead at No. 10/10 Texas on Wednesday, showed why they are the nation’s top-ranked transition team (21.4 points per game), using its 15 steals to post a 32-13 advantage in fast-break points. The 32 fast-break points are the most allowed to an opponent since the stat has been kept starting in 2000-01.
  • Neither team was particularly sharp to start, as the game was knotted at 6-all at the first media timeout at the 15:31 mark. K-State was able to use a 5-0 spurt, which included the game’s first 3-pointer from senior Desi Sills, to jump out to an 11-6 lead. However, TCU got things turned around on the defense end, as the Horned Frogs used turnovers to take a 18-13 lead at the midway point.
  • TCU led by 14 at the break then scored 12 of the first 16 points to start the second half to build a 55-33 lead and force Jerome Tang to call a timeout with 13:30 to play. The lead grew to 25 with nearly 11 minutes remaining before Nowell started a 12-3 run that cut the deficit to 74-61 with 3:10 left. He twice got the Wildcats to within 11 but could get no closer.
  • The Horned Frogs were efficient on the offensive end, connecting on 46.5 percent (33-of-71) from the field, while recording an opponent season-high 54 points in the paint. They had 22 assists, including a game-high 11 from Miles, with just 10 turnovers. They also were called for just 8 personal fouls.
  • The Wildcats finished at 43.1 percent (28-of-65) from the field, including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from 3-point range, while making 6 of its their 7 free throws.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

  • The loss ended K-State’s 9-game winning streak, which was the longest since a 10-game streak from Nov. 24, 2013, to Jan. 7, 2014.
  • Despite the loss, the 15-2 record is the best since opening the 2012-13 season with a 15-2 mark… The 4-1 Big 12 start is the best since 2014-15.
  • K-State is now 272-109 as a ranked team, including 7-6 as the No. 11 team.
  • K-State still leads the all-time series with TCU, 20-11, including 17-9 in the Big 12 era… The Wildcats are 8-4 all-time in Fort Worth and had won 3 of the last 4 meetings, including the last 2, before the loss.

TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH

  • First-year head coach Jerome Tang enjoyed a successful a debut, as the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win against UTRGV on Nov. 7, becoming the 24th man and the first full-time black head coach in school history. He followed with his first road victory at Cal to start his tenure off with a 2-0 record. He is the sixth minority men’s head coach in K-State Athletics history, including the third in men’s basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
  • K-State’s 15-2 start under Jerome Tang ties for the best by a first-year coach in school history with Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13) each starting at 15-2. The start is also the best by any current first-year Division I coach, ahead of Missouri’s Dennis Gates (13-4).
  • This is not Tang’s first time being a head coach, as he served as athletics director and head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas from 1993-2003, leading the school to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
  • In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to 4-0 record. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) during the 2012-13 season, while he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is only credited with the wins in 2013, moving his college head coaching record to 17-2.

A TEAM OF WINNERS

  • Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on a number of occasions that he recruited a team ‘full of winners’ as exemplified by the number of championships that the collective group has won.
  • There are a combined 8 state championships among the 15 players on the roster, including 2 each won by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister also won state titles during their senior seasons.
  • In addition to the high school success, a number of players have been a part of winning college programs, including Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas’ Elite Eight team in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N’Guessan (Virginia Tech) being a part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.
  • This championship mentality stretches to the staff, as associate head coach Urlic Maligi has been part of 5 NCAA Tournament and 5 conference title teams in his career. Assistant coach Jareem Dowling has been involved with teams that have won 4 conference titles and earned 4 postseason trips, while assistant coach Rodney Perry is coming off a 2021-22 year in which he led Link Academy to a national runner-up finish at the GEICO National Tournament before helping MOKAN Elite to its third Nike Peach Jam title.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

  • K-State’s overtime 96-87 win over Nevada in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in school history. The Wildcats are the 43rd Division I team to eclipse 1,700 wins, including the sixth Big 12 school.
  • The Wildcats have a 1,710-1,215 (.586) all-time record as a program, which includes 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

  • K-State has posted a 170-53 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 128-14 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 118-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
  • The Nebraska win on Dec. 17 also gave K-State double-digit non-conference victories for the first time since going 10-3 in 2018-19.  The Wildcats collected their 11th non-conference victory vs. Radford on Dec. 21, giving them their most since also winning 11 in 2017-18. The team earned 10 or more non-conference wins in 12 of 13 seasons from 2006-07 to 2018-19, but they had managed just a 19-16 record in non-conference action from 2019-22.
  • K-State’s current 11-1 non-conference mark is the best since opening the 2016-17 season with a similar 11-1 record. The Wildcats won a program-best 13 non-conference games in 2009-10, while they won 12 in 2008-09 and 2010-11.

POTENT OFFENSIVE ATTACK

  • K-State is averaging 78.2 points this season on 46.9 percent (475-of-1013) shooting, including 35.1 percent (123-of-350) from 3-point range, while hitting on 74 percent (256-of-346) from the free throw line. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 in assists (18.7 apg.) and free throw percentage, while they are third in scoring offense and fourth in 3-point field goals made/game (7.24).
  • K-State has scored 80 or more points 7 times, including 5 games of 90 or more points highlighted by the school-record 116-point effort in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which was the first 100-point game since 2011. It is the most games of 80 or more points since posting 11 in 2017-18 and most games of 90 or more points since also totaling 5 in 2009-10.
  • The 93 points vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) were the fourth-most in a season opener in the last 25 seasons and the most since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah to open the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats also topped the 90-point barrier in a 96-87 overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic, while the squad fell 2 points short of their first 100-point game since 2010-11, totaling 98 vs. UIW (12/11/22) behind a school-record first 7 double-digit scorers.
  • Twice this season the Wildcats have had 2 players (Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson) score 25 or more points in the same game, which hadn’t happened since 2010. Nowell (29) and Johnson (28) combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) before they went for 64 in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which ties for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and the most since Michael Beasley and Bill Walker at Baylor in 2008.
  • K-State has connected on better than 50 percent of its field goals in 6 games, including back-to-back vs. Rhode Island (11/21/22) and Nevada (11/22/22) and ACU (12/6/22) and UIW (12/11/22). The team hit on a season-best 60 percent (36-of-60) vs. Texas (1/3/23), which included a season-high 13 3-pointers, and a school-record performance from the free throw line of 93.9 percent (31-of-33).
  • A key to the K-State offense this season has been its ability to score in paint, as the Wildcats are averaging 37.4 points in the paint. The team has scored 30 or more points in the paint 13 times in 17 games, including 7 games of 40 or more points and one game of 50 points (a season-high 52 vs. ACU (12/6/22).

DISHING THE ROCK

  • K-State ranks among the best in the country in sharing the basketball, as the Wildcats rank fifth nationally and first in the Big 12 with 18.6 assists per game. Among the 317 assists are 6 players with double-digit totals, including senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks second nationally with 144 total assists. He is also second in assists/game at 8.5 per game. He has posted double-digit assists in 6 games, including a career-high 14 at No. 19/17 Baylor.
  • The Wildcats also rank in the top-10 nationally with a 67.6 assist percentage according to KenPom, which calculates the number of assists (317) to made field goals (475). Only Lafayette (70.6), Tennessee (69.1), Xavier (68.4), Air Force (67.1) and Virginia (66.8) have a better percentage nationally.
  • Although Nowell gets all the attention for his playmaking ability, the rest of the team has shown the ability to share the ball, as the Wildcats have had 3 or more players dish out at least 2 assists in 13 of 17 games. The team had 7 players with 2 or more assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), while 6 vs. Nebraska (12/17/22) and Baylor (1/3/23) and 5 vs. UIW (12/11/22), Texas (1/3/23) and TCU (1/14/23).

TEAM FULL OF SCORERS

  • K-State is one of just 3 schools to have at least four 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,174 points), Keyontae Johnson (1,101 points), Markquis Nowell (1,599 points) and Desi Sills (1,254 points) have all reached the milestone in their Division I careers. Only Johnson, who did it against Radford (12/21/22), and Nowell have reached the mark while at K-State.
  • K-State has now six 1,000-point scorers if you count senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 points in his 4-year career at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at Monroe (2019-20) and Chipola Colleges (2020-22).
  • UAB has five 1,000-point scorers followed by K-State and Notre Dame (4), while 10 others have 3 such scorers, including Drake, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Southern Utah, Texas and Virginia.

BENCH PRODUCTION

  • K-State is getting solid production from its bench through the first 16 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.8 points per game.
  • The Wildcats got 41 points from its bench in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Massoud (10) and Sills (10) all posting double-digit points. As a group, the bench connected on 14-of-29 from the field, including a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
  • Senior Desi Sills has been particularly impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 7 times, including 16 points in the win over LSU (11/23/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic Championship game and a season-high 17 points (all in second half) in the loss at Butler (11/30/22). He has also been among the team’s best playmakers, ranking second with 43 assists.

FORCING TURNOVERS

  • K-State’s defense has forced 270 turnovers through the first 17 games, which includes 131 steals, while averaging 18.1 points per game off those miscues. The team ranks 26th in non-steal turnover percentage (11.4) by KenPom.
  • The 15.9 turnovers forced per game ranks 40th nationally, while it places fifth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, Texas, TCU and Texas Tech. K-State ranks sixth in turnover margin (+2.12) and steals (7.71), while senior Markquis Nowell places 26th nationally and second in the Big 12 in steals (2.2 spg.).
  • K-State has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 6 times with a season-high 31 points off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers in the opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ points off miscues in back-to-back games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 points) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 points) as well as ACU (12/6/22; 23 points), UIW (12/11/22; 28 points) and West Virginia (12/31/22; 22 points).

JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT

  • Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball court on Nov. 7 in the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after suffering a medical emergency against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He finished the night with 13 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a team-high 26 minutes.
  • Johnson continued his impressive play with a near double-double in the win at Cal, scoring a team-high 16 points while grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds to go with 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 block in a game-high 33 minutes.
  • Johnson was named the March Madness National Player of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14, as he averaged 14.5 points on 47.6 percent (10-of-21) shooting, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Wildcats’ first 2 wins.
  • Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent (15-of-28) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.
  • Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season on Dec. 19 after his impressive performance in K-State’s win over Nebraska, as he posted game-highs in both points (23) and rebounds (11) to go with his career-tying 4 steals. It was his seventh career double-double with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, while it was his 11th career 20-point game.
  • Johnson was selected for the Newcomer award for the third time on Jan. 9 after posting consecutive 20-point games in wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor while adding a game-high 9 rebounds in each contest.
  • Johnson has scored in double figures in all 17 games, leading the Wildcats and ranking third in the Big 12 in scoring (18.4 ppg.). He is second in the league in field goal percentage (56.4), while he is in the top-10 in 5 other categories, including fourth in minutes (33.5 mpg.), sixth in rebounding and defensive rebounds (5.12) and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.00).

NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW

  • On a team with 13 new players and a new coaching staff, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell once again has demonstrated he is still the guy running the show for the Wildcats, as he leads the team in both assists (8.5 apg.) and steals (2.2 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (17.1 ppg.).
  • Nowell ranks second nationally in assists/game (8.5 apg.) and total assists (144), while he is 20th in assists/turnover ratio (2.9). He is one of 2 Division I players (Tennessee State’s Junior Clay) with 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. He also ranks first among all active Division I players with 230 career steals. He just eclipsed 1,500 points with his effort at No. 6/6 Texas.
  • Nowell was recognized for his MVP performance in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. It was his first weekly honor in the Big 12 and his fourth overall after winning it 3 times in the Sun Belt.
  • In the wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell became the first Wildcat to record double-digit assists in consecutive games, while he became the second player in school history and the first since 1989 to post a 25-point/10-assist game with his 29-point, 11-assist effort in the 96-87 overtime win over the Wolf Pack. His 12 assists vs. the Rams tied for the fourth-most in school history and the most since Steve Henson collected 12 vs. OSU on Feb. 25, 1989.
  • Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
  • Nowell matched his season-high (12) in assists in the win over ACU, while he earned his 12th career double-double, including his seventh as a Wildcat, with 23 points and 10 assists in the win over No. 24/24 West Virginia. It was just the sixth 20-point/10-assist double-double in school history, including the second such game by Nowell this season. It was his fifth double-digit assist game.
  • Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
  • Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
  • Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
  • Nowell capped his impressive week with the school’s first 30-point, 10-assist game in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor, scoring 32 points while dishing a career-best 14 assists. He became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 with consecutive 30-point games, while his 14 assists tied the record for most in a conference game in school history and were the most by any one Wildcat in more than 40 years. He earned his second Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 9.

AN INSTANT IMPACT

  • Junior transfer Nae’Qwan Tomlin has given K-State another scoring threat in the post, as the junior college All-American ranks third on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg.) while connecting 45.6 percent (72-of-158) from the field to go with 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 28.4 minutes per game. He is 10th in rebounding and sixth in blocks, while he is just outside the top-20 in scoring.
  • Tomlin was selected as the Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 27 after his near double-double performance in the win over Radford on Dec. 21. He led four Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 26 points, as he hit on 11-of-18 field goals, which included 4 dunks, a 3-pointer and all 3 free throws attempted, to go with a season-tying 9 rebounds in 33 minutes.
  • Tomlin saw his streak of double-digit scoring games end at 7 games after scoring 9 points in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor. The streak began with 14 points vs. Wichita State and was highlighted by 15-point efforts vs. UIW and Nebraska and a career-best 26 points vs. Radford. In the last 8 games, he is averaging 14.1 points on 54.2 percent (45-of-83) shooting to go with 6.5 rebounds.
  • Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.

SILLS OFF THE BENCH

  • Senior Desi Sills has provided a spark for the Wildcats off the bench, as he is averaging 8.5 points on 45.4 percent (54-of-119) shooting with 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28.1 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 7 times, including a season-high 17 points in the loss at Butler.
  • Sills scored in double figures in 2 of the first 3 games, including 10 in his first game as a Wildcat vs. UTRGV. He scored 16 points vs. LSU in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic, hitting on 6-of-9 field goals, before his season-high 17 at Butler, which all came in the second half. He has 8 or more points in 6 of the last 9 games, including 14 vs. UIW and 11 vs. Oklahoma State.
  • Although Sills went scoreless in the win over Wichita State (12/6/22), he had the play of the game with his block of Shammah Scott’s breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.

UP NEXT: TEXAS TECH (10-7, 0-5 Big 12)  

  • K-State concludes its brief 2-game homestand with visit from Texas Tech (10-7, 0-5 Big 12) at 1 p.m., CT on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.

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