GAME 13
19/17 WEST VIRGINIA (11-1, 0-0 Big 12)
AT KANSAS STATE (10-2, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, January 2, 2016 >> 11:01 am CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.
COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)
Overall: 385-195/18th season
At K-State: 72-40/4th season
- West Virginia: 3-3
West Virginia: Bob Huggins (West Virginia ’77)
Overall: 776-313/34th season
At West Virginia: 186-102/9th season
- Kansas State: 4-3
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (10-2, 0-0 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes (9.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg.)
G: #14 Justin Edwards (13.0 ppg., 5.8 rpg.)
G: #25 Wesley Iwundu (13.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg.)
F: #32 Dean Wade (10.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg.)
F: #41 Stephen Hurt (7.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg.)
19/17 West Virginia (11-1, 0-0 Big 12)
G: #2 Jevon Carter (13.0 ppg., 2.8 rpg.)
G: #4 Daxter Miles, Jr. (12.2 ppg., 2.2 rpg.)
F: #1 Jonathan Holton (9.2 ppg., 7.5 rpg.)
F: #23 Esa Ahmad (5.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg.)
F: #41 Devin Williams (15.5 ppg., 9.1 rpg.)
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: Tied 4-4
In Manhattan: K-State leads 2-1 (last meeting – 1/27/2015)
Current Streak: West Virginia, 3
Last Meeting: West Virginia, 76-72, in Morgantown, on 2/11/2015
Weber vs. West Virginia: Tied 3-3 (2-1 at home)
Huggins vs. K-State: Huggins leads 4-3 (1-2 on the road)
Weber vs. Huggins: Weber leads 5-3 (2-1 at home)
QUICK HITTERS
- Kansas State (10-2) opens Big 12 play on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to No. 19/17 West Virginia (11-1) at Bramlage Coliseum at 11 a.m. CT. Saturday’s game ties for the earliest league opener in school history, as the Wildcats opened Big Six play on Jan. 2, 1945 (vs. Oklahoma) and 1946 (at Nebraska) and Big 12 play on Jan. 2, 1999 (at Oklahoma State).
- K-State is 50-52 all-time in conference openers dating back to Missouri Valley play in 1914, including 7-12 in the Big 12 era. The Wildcats are 35-18 when opening league at home, including 5-2 in the Big 12 era.
- K-State has won 5 of their last 6 Big 12 openers at home, including 3 of their last 4 when the Big 12 opponent is ranked (No. 23 Texas Tech in 2003, No. 22 Oklahoma State in 2013 and No. 6 OSU in 2014).
- Saturday’s game will be the 9th meeting between K-State and West Virginia with the series tied at 4-all, including 3 wins apiece in the Big 12 era. The schools have played 7 times since 2011 with the Mountaineers sweeping the season series for the 1st time a season ago.
- K-State is off to its best start since 2012-13 when the Wildcats also went 10-2 to open to the Bruce Weber era. The two losses have come to No. 9/8 North Carolina (70-80) and at No. 25 Texas A&M (68-78).
- Despite an 0-2 record vs. ranked foes this season, K-State is one of 10 schools to tally at least 11 wins vs. Top 25 teams the past 3 seasons, along with Iowa State (19), Kansas (17), Kentucky (15), Duke (14), North Carolina (14), Wisconsin (14), Baylor (13), Oklahoma (12) and Connecticut (11).
- K-State has won 14 of its last 19 home games vs. ranked opponents, including 9 of the last 11, dating back to 2010. Overall, the Wildcats are 32-49 vs. Top 25 foes at Bramlage Coliseum, including 17-9 since 2008.
- K-State is 8-0 in home venues this season, including 7-0 at Bramlage Coliseum, and have won 11 straight at home dating back to last season.
- K-State claimed its 10th non-conference win in Tuesday’s victory over Saint Louis, marking the 9th time in the last 10 seasons that the Wildcats have accomplished that feat, including the first time since 2013-14.
- The key to K-State’s successful start has been its balanced scoring, as 5 different players have led the team in scoring and 6 players have at least 3 double-figure scoring games. It marks the first time the Wildcats have started a season with five different leading scorers since 1998-99.
- K-State has used the same lineup in all 12 games and those starters are responsible for 73 percent (641) of the team’s scoring, 63 percent (295) of rebounding, 78 percent (132) of assists and 63 percent (55) of steals.