GAME 16
11/13 KANSAS STATE (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) vs. OKLAHOMA STATE (9-6, 1-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 >> 6:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPNU / WatchESPN (link here)

  • Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play)
  • King McClure (analyst)
  • Kevin Kremer (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 375/375
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
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $10, $15, $25 (limited quantities)

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ’07]
Record at K-State: 14-1/1st Year
Career Record: 16-1/1st Year+
vs. Oklahoma State: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]

Oklahoma State: Mike Boynton, Jr. [South Carolina ’03]
Record at OSU: 96-79/6th Year
Career Record: 96-79/6th Year
vs. K-State: 5-5 [5-5 at OSU]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 83-58
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma State leads 23-17
In Manhattan: K-State leads 41-18
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 14-12
Active Streak: Oklahoma State, 1
Tang vs. Oklahoma State: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]
Tang vs. Mike Boynton, Jr.: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
11/13 Kansas State (14-1, 3-0 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin
C: #23 Abayomi Iyiola

Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2 Big 12)
G: #0 Avery Anderson III
G: #51 John-Michael Wright
G: #1 Bryce Thompson
F: #22 Kalib Boone
F: #23 Tyreek Smith

OPENING TIP
No. 11/13 Kansas State (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) returns home to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats welcome Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2 Big 12) for a 6 p.m., tip on ESPNU. It will be a clash of styles, as K-State ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring offense (79.73), while OSU has the league’s second-best scoring defense (61.53). The Wildcats jumped into the Top 25 in both major polls on Monday afternoon for the first time in nearly 4 seasons, making the largest jump from unranked to ranked since Michigan in 2020.

KEY STORYLINES

  • K-State is off its best start (14-1) since the 1958-59 season after running its winning streak to 8 games with a 97-95 overtime win over No. 19/17 Baylor on Saturday. Seniors Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson combined for 56 points, but it was junior Ish Massoud who proved to be the difference, as his 3-pointer with 32 seconds in overtime lifted the Wildcats to their first win over the Bears since 2019. After wins over No. 24/24 West Virginia and No. 6/6 Texas, it marked the first time in school history that K-State had won 3 straight games over Top 25 opponents, including their first back-to-back road Top 25 victories since 2019. For their efforts, the Wildcats were named the ESPN.com National Team of the Week.
  • K-State’s 14-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history, surpassing the previous 13-2 starts by Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13). Tang’s 14-1 start ranks as the best by all current first-year coaches in Division I, just ahead of the 13-2 start by Missouri’s Dennis Gates.
  • K-State has won 8 consecutive games since absorbing its first loss of the Jerome Tang era against Butler on Nov. 30, which ties Kansas for the third-longest active streak among Power 6 conferences, trailing just UCLA (11), Providence (9) and Xavier (9). It is the 10th-longest overall streak in Division I with Charleston leading the way with 15 straight victories. The Wildcats have averaged 84.1 points per game during that 8-game winning streak on 49.8 percent (241-of-484) shooting with 4 players averaging in double figures.
  • For the first time in school history K-State swept both Big 12 weekly Player of the Week honors, as Nowell was named the Player of the Week for the second time this season and Johnson earned the Newcomer of the Week nod for the third time. The tandem combined to score 120 points in the 2 wins on a collective 59.4 percent (38-of-64) shooting from the field, which is the most combined points by 2 players over a 2-game span in the last 50 seasons.
  • Nowell continued his impressive week by posting the school’s first 30-point/10-assist game in the win over the Bears, scoring a game-high 32 points to go with a career-best 14 assists. He became the first Wildcat with back-to-back 30-point games since Michael Beasley did it in 4 consecutive games from Feb. 23-March 4, 2008. He continues to be one of the leaders nationally in assists. His 8.9 assists per game rank second nationally, while his 133 total assists place third.
  • The Wildcats have quite the dynamic 1-2-3 scoring punch with Johnson (18.8 ppg.) and Nowell (17.0 ppg.) and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin (11.4 ppg.) combining to average 47.2 points per game on 49 percent (239-of-488) shooting. They are the second-best scoring trio in the Big 12 after Baylor’s Adam Flagler, Keyonte George and L.J. Cryer (47.3 ppg.) and just ahead of Kansas’ Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick and Kevin McCullar (46.1 ppg.).

NOTES ON OKLAHOMA STATE

  • Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday’s game coming off a 56-46 loss to No. 6/6 Texas at home on Saturday afternoon. The Cowboys rallied from a deficit to tie the game at 44-all before the Longhorns ended the game on 12-2 run. OSU nearly knocked off Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in the Big 12 opener, losing 69-67, before defeating West Virginia at home on Jan. 2.
  • Oklahoma State is averaging 69.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range, with 38.1 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 6.3 steals and 5.5 blocks per game, while allowing just 61.5 points on 36.4 percent shooting, including 28.4 percent from 3-point range. The Cowboys are connecting on 71.2 percent from the free throw line.
  • Oklahoma State is one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking third nationally in field goal percentage defense, 14th in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 17th in blocked shots/game and 28th in scoring defense. They are first in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense, defensive rebounds/game (27.1) and blocked shots/game.
  • Two players – junior Bryce Thompson (12.1 ppg.) and senior Avery Anderson III – each are averaging in double figures, while Thompson is tops in 3-point field goals (30) and Anderson paces the team in both assists (45) and steals (29). Junior Moussa Cisse averages a Big 12-best 9.9 rebounds.
  • Oklahoma State is led by sixth-year head coach Mike Boynton, Jr., who has a 96-79 record. He is 5-5 all-time vs. K-State.

SERIES HISTORY

  • K-State holds an 83-58 lead in the all-time series which dates all the way back to 1922 and includes an 41-18 mark at home. Oklahoma State has a 23-17 advantage in the Big 12 era, including 23-14 in the regular season.
  • The teams have split the last 10 meetings, including last season, when each beat the other with 3-pointer near the end of the game. Sophomore Nijel Pack hit a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation to help K-State earn a 71-68 win at home on Feb. 2, while sophomore Avery Anderson III’s 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds in overtime lifted OSU to an 82-79 win at home.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]
Date                    Rank     Result   Score                  Location
1/10/2018          —/—     W          86-82                  Manhattan
2/14/2018          —/—     W          82-72                  Stillwater
2/2/2019            —/—     W          75-57                  Stillwater
2/23/2019          23/—    W          85-46                  Manhattan
2/11/2020          —/—     L             59-64                  Manhattan
3/4/2020            —/—     L             63-69                  Stillwater
1/9/2021            —/rv     L             54-70                  Manhattan
2/13/2021          —/23    L             60-67                  Stillwater
2/2/2022            —/—     W          71-68                  Manhattan
2/19/2022          —/—     L             79-82 (OT)          Stillwater

LAST MEETING: OKLAHOMA STATE 82, K-STATE 79 [OT]

  • Sophomore Avery Anderson III’s 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds proved to be difference in overtime, as Oklahoma State returned serve after losing a similar game at K-State earlier in the month with an 82-79 win over the Wildcats on Feb. 19, 2022 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
  • K-State scored 7 of the last 8 points to tie the game at 66-all with 1:05 left but was unable to score on the last possession. In overtime, sophomore Nijel Pack was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all 3 free throws to tie the game at 79-all with 12 seconds left before Anderson’s game-winner.
  • Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by 16 points from Pack and Markquis Nowell, while Mark Smith had a double-double.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 97, 19/17 BAYLOR 95 [OT]

  • On a night when Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson combined for 56 points, it was reserve Ish Massoud who proved to be the difference in overtime, as his 3-pointer with 32 seconds lifted K-State to a thrilling 97-95 win over No. 19/17 Baylor on Saturday night before 9,211 fans at Ferrell Center.
  • Baylor’s Adam Flagler turned the ball over with 5.3 seconds left and Nowell was fouled immediately, making the first free throw before missing the second – snapping a streak of 29 straight makes – to allow the Bears’ one more chance to either win it or force a second overtime, but junior Caleb Lohner’s 3-pointer was off the mark, setting off a wild celebration on the Wildcat bench.
  • K-State, which is off to its best start to a season in more than 60 years (1958-59), collected its school-record third consecutive Top 25 victory, including its second in a row over a Top 20 on the road. Although the Wildcats have won as many as 4 straight games over Top 25 opponents, including as recently as the 2018-19 season, no team had ever done it in 3 straight games before Saturday.
  • A game after combining for 64 points in the win over No. 6/6 Texas in Austin, the tandem of Nowell (32 points) and Johnson (24 points) collectively scored their 56 points on 19-of-35 field goals, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
  • Nowell starred yet again, posting the first 30-point/10-assist game in school history, dishing out a career-best 14 assists to go with his 32 points. Johnson, who has now scored in double figures in all 15 games, had a near double-double with 24 points and a game-high 9 rebounds in a career-best 43 minutes.

 

  • Massoud joined the tandem in double figures with a season-high 13 points on 3-of-4 field goals (all from 3) and a perfect 4-of-4 effort from the line.
  • After scoring a career-best 36 points against the Longhorns, Nowell became the first Wildcat with consecutive 30-point games since Michael Beasley did it in 4 consecutive games from Feb. 23-March 4, 2008. Nowell’s 14 dimes tied the school record for assists in a conference game, while they tied for the second-most in school history and were the most by any Wildcat in the last 40 years.
  • Nowell’s 30-point/10-assist game is just the second in Division I in the last 10 seasons, joining Oklahoma’s Trae Young who did it against TCU in 2017.
  • After setting the school record for points in a 116-103 win over the Longhorns, the 213 points are the most combined points over a 2-game stretch in school history. The Wildcats posted a 50/40/80 line as a team, connecting on 53.1 percent (34-of-64) from the field, including 44 percent (11-of-25) from 3-point range, while hitting on 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the free throw line.
  • The game marked the return of Jerome Tang to the Ferrell Center, where he spent 19 seasons as an assistant coach (2003-17) and associate head coach (2017-22) for head coach Scott Drew. He was presented with his 2022 Big 12 Championship ring in pregame, along with a short tribute video.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

  • The 97 points tied for the ninth-most points in a road game, including the second-most in a Big 12 road game… The 213 points in the last 2 games are the most in a 2-game stretch in school history.
  • The Wildcats made 11 made 3-pointers, including 5 players hitting on at least one trey… It marks the fifth time this season with double-digit 3-pointers.
  • K-State had an assist on 24 of its 34 made field goals, including 6 players with 2 or more assists led by Markquis Nowell’s career-best 14 dimes.
  • The win snapped a 7-game skid to Baylor and was the first since a 66-60 at home on March 2, 2019, and the first at the Ferrell Center since Feb. 9, 2019.

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 14-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history with Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13) each starting their tenures at 13-2. Tang’s start is among the best by all first-year head coaches in Division I, just ahead of the 13-2 start by Missouri’s Dennis Gates.
  • 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 16-1.

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 1,709-1,214 (.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 79.7 points this season on 47.9 percent (426-of-889) shooting, including 35.8 percent (108-of-302) from 3-point range, while hitting on 73.8 percent (236-of-320) from the free throw line. The Wildcats do lead the league in assists (19.1 apg.) and free throw percentage, while they are third in scoring offense and fourth in field goal percentage.
  • 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 38.4 points in the paint. The team has scored 30 or more points in the paint 12 times in 15 games, including 6 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 19.1 assists per game. Among the 287 assists are 6 players with double-digit totals, including senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks third nationally with 133 total assists. He is second nationally in assists/game at 8.9 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-5 nationally with a 67.4 assist percentage according to KenPom, which calculates the number of assists (287) to made field goals (426). Only Lafayette (70.5), Virginia (69.6), Xavier (68.9) and Tennessee (68.6) 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 11 of 15 games. The team had 7 players with 2 or more assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), while 6 did it against Nebraska (12/17/22) and Baylor (1/3/23) and 5 vs. UIW (12/11/22) and Texas (1/3/23).

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 (1,163 points), Keyontae Johnson (1,071 points), Markquis Nowell (1,563 points) and Desi Sills (1,238 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 15 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.6 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 6 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 39 assists.

FORCING TURNOVERS

  • K-State’s defense has forced 244 turnovers through the first 15 games, which includes 117 steals, while averaging 18.8 points per game off those miscues. The team ranks 19th in non-steal turnover percentage (11.8) by KenPom.
  • The 16.3 turnovers forced per game ranks 36th nationally, while it places fifth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, Texas, TCU and Texas Tech. K-State ranks sixth in turnover margin (+3.1) and seventh in steals (7.8), while senior Markquis Nowell places 21st nationally and second in the Big 12 in steals (2.27 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 Monday 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 15 games, leading the Wildcats and ranking third in the Big 12 in scoring (18.8 ppg.). He leads the league in field goal percentage (58.2), while he is in the top-10 in 5 other categories, including fifth in minutes (33.0 mpg.), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.1), seventh in rebounding (7.1 rpg.) and ninth in free throw percentage (75.7).

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 (8.9 apg.) and steals (2.3 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (17.0 ppg.).
  • Nowell ranks second nationally in assists per game (8.9 apg.) and third in total assists (133), while he is 11th in assists/turnover ratio (3.32). He is one of 2 active 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 226 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 Monday.

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 (11.4 ppg.) while connecting 47.1 percent (65-of-138) from the field to go with 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game. He ranks 20th in the Big 12 in scoring, 13th in rebounding and sixth in blocks.
  • 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 (49-of-108) shooting with 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 6 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 5 of the last 7 games, including 14 vs. UIW.
  • 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: AT 17/17 TCU (13-2, 2-1 Big 12)  

  • K-State hits the road this weekend for a trip to Fort Worth, Texas to take No. 17/17 TCU (13-2, 2-1 Big 12) at 1 p.m., CT on Saturday on ESPN2.

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