GAME 17

1/1 BAYLOR (15-1, 3-1 Big 12)

AT 25/rv KANSAS STATE (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)

Saturday, January 14, 2017 >> 3:30 p.m. >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS

kstatesports.com

$25 (bench), $50 (chairbacks)

Wildcat 4-Pack: $75 (4 bench/GA)

Bramlage Bundle: $30 | $15 (12+group)

 

COACHES

Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)

Overall: 405-212/19^th season

At K-State: 92-57/5^th season

1. Baylor: 3-5 (2-2 at home)

 

Baylor: Scott Drew (Butler ‘93)

Overall: 285-184/15th season

At Baylor: 265-173/14th season

1. Kansas State: 10-10 (4-6 on the road)

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

25/rv Kansas State (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes (11.4 ppg., 4.6 apg.)

G: #5 Barry Brown (12.1 ppg., 3.2 rpg.)

G: #25 Wesley Iwundu (12.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg.)

F: #32 Dean Wade (10.6 ppg., 5.4 rpg.)

F: #4 D.J. Johnson (11.5 ppg., 6.4 rpg.)

 

1/1 Baylor (15-1, 3-1 Big 12)

G: #20 Manu Lecomte (11.5 ppg,. 4.8 apg.)

G: #24 Ishmail Wainwright (5.6 ppg., 5.4 rpg.)

G: #25 Al Freeman (11.1 ppg., 2.4 rpg.)

F: #5 Johnathan Motley (15.3 ppg., 9.1 rpg.)

F: #0 Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. (10.8 ppg., 7.4 rpg.)

 

INSIDE THE SERIES

Overall: Tied 17-17 (series began in 1948)

In Big 12 era: Baylor leads 15-13 (7-6 on the road)

In Manhattan: K-State leads 10-7 (last meeting – 2/10/2016)

Current Streak: Baylor, 3

Last Meeting: Baylor, 82-72, in Manhattan, Kan., on 2/10/2016

Weber vs. Baylor: 3-5 (2-2 at home)

Weber vs. Drew: 3-5 (2-2 at home)

 

GAME 17 – QUICK HITTERS

• No. 25 Kansas State (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) returns home to take on the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday afternoon, as top-ranked Baylor (15-1, 3-1 Big 12) visits Bramlage Coliseum at 3:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
• K-State will host the AP No. 1 team for the second consecutive season at Bramlage Coliseum and the 8th time overall. The list includes Oklahoma in 1989, Missouri in 1990, Kansas in 1993, 1997 and 2011, Texas in 2010 and Oklahoma in 2016. Overall, the Wildcats are 5-13 vs. No. 1 with 4 of the 5 wins coming at Bramlage Coliseum (Missouri, 65-58, in 1990, Texas, 71-62, in 2010, Kansas, 84-68, in 2011 and Oklahoma, 80-69, in 2016).
• K-State jumped into the rankings for the first time since 2014, as the Wildcats registered a tie with USC for 25th place in the AP poll released Monday. It is the 16th time that the team has been ranked under head coach Bruce Weber and the first time since placing 22nd in Jan. 20, 2014.
• K-State is 257-101 (.720) all-time as a ranked team, including an 8-3 (.800) mark as the nation’s No. 25 team. The Wildcats are 19-10 when ranked under head coach Bruce Weber, including 4-2 as the No. 25 team.
• K-State has won 11 straight at home venues (including 10 in a row at Bramlage Coliseum) dating back to last season with the last loss coming to Texas, 71-70, on Feb. 22, 2016. The Wildcats went unbeaten at home (8-0) in non-conference play for the second consecutive season.
• K-State has won its 10 home games by an average of 16.2 points per game, while averaging 74.4 points on 48.7 percent shooting and holding opponents to just 58.2 points on 38.7 percent shooting. Sophomore Barry Brown (13.0 ppg.) is one of 4 players averaging in double figures at home.
• Despite shooting 50 percent or better from the field (50.0) for the eighth time this season, K-State dropped its third game by a combined 4 points at Texas Tech on Tuesday, as the Red Raiders rallied from a 7-point second-half deficit. The 13-3 start is still the best since 2012-13.
• When including the Kansas (50.8) and Oklahoma games (54.8), K-State has shot better than 50 percent in each of its last 3 Big 12 contests for the first time in the Big 12 era and the first time overall since 2009. The team is averaging 73.2 points on 48 percentshooting in Big 12 play.
• K-State is the only Big 12 team to have all 5 starters averaging in double figures and the lone school with 5 double-digit scorers. In all, the Wildcats have had 6 different leading scorers with 5 of those players tallying at least 10 double-figure scoring games led by sophomore Barry Brown’s 12.

 

THE OPPONENT: 1/1 BAYLOR (15-1, 3-1 Big 12)

• No. 1/1 Baylor enters Saturday’s game with a 15-1 overall record and 3-1 mark in Big 12 play after dropping its 1st game of the season at No. 10/9 West Virginia, 89-68, on Tuesday night… The Bears are 3-1 away from home this season.
• The Bears are averaging 76.6 points on 49.4 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, on the season with 38.6 rebounds, 17.1 assists, 5.8 steals and 5.8 blocks per game… They are allowing opponents 60.2 points per game on 38.1 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from beyond the arc… The team is shooting 72.2 percent from the free throw line.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (60.2 ppg.), FG percentage defense (38.1) and blocked shots (5.8).
• The Bears are led by junior forward Johnathan Motley, who paces the team in both scoring (15.3 ppg.) and rebounding (9.1 rpg.) and shots 52.1 percent from the field… Motley is one of 4 players averaging in double figures, along with juniors Manu Lecomte (11.5 ppg.), Al Freeman (11.1 ppg.) and Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. (10.8 ppg.)… Lual-Acuil, Jr. leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (63.1) and blocked shots (3.3 bpg.)… Lecomte dishes out a team-high 4.8 assists per game.
• Baylor is led by veteran head coach Scott Drew, who has a 265-173 record in his 14th season at the school and is 285-184 overall in 15 seasons… He has led the Bears to 6 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of Elite Eights (2010, 2012).

 

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES

• This will be the 35th meeting between the two schools with the series tied at 17-all.
• Baylor owns a 15-13 lead in the Big 12 era, including a 14-11 mark in regular-season meetings.
• K-State has a 10-7 record at home in the series, but it is tied 7-7 at Bramlage Coliseum.
• The Bears have won 5 of the last 6 games in the series, including a season sweep in 2016 with a 79-72 win in double overtime at home on Jan. 20 and an 82-72 victory in Manhattan on Feb. 10… The current 3-game skid ties for the longest in series history.
• The last K-State win in the series came at Bramlage Coliseum, 63-61, on Jan. 17, 2015.

 

LAST SEASON VS. BAYLOR

• K-State lost both meetings with Baylor in 2016, including an 82-72 loss at home on Feb. 10, 2016.
• Baylor won the last meeting at Bramlage Coliseum, 82-72, as the Bears connected on 48.9 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from 3-point range… D.J. Johnson scored a team-high 19 points, while Wesley Iwundu added 11 points and 9 assists.
• In the first meeting of 2016, No. 13/15 Baylor opened the second overtime with a 7-1 run to finally put away a feisty K-State team, 79-72, on Jan. 20… The loss spoiled an impressive effort by Kamau Stokes, who responded to his only game off the bench with a game-high 20 points, while Wesley Iwundu collected his fifth double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
• Among those returning, D.J. Johnson averaged team-bests in points (15.0 ppg.) and rebounding (7.5 rpg.) on 48 percent shooting in the 2 meetings with Baylor in 2016, while Wesley Iwundu averaged 10.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 2 starts.

 

HOME SWEET HOME

• K-State has a 149-28 (.842) record at Bramlage Coliseum over the past 10 seasons, including 64-23 (.736) mark in Big 12 play.
• K-State has a 350-108 record (.764) at Bramlage Coliseum, which are the 2nd-most wins behind the 378 at Ahearn Field House.
• The Wildcats need 1 more win to post double-digit wins at Bramlage Coliseum for the 16th consecutive season, including the 24th time of its 29 seasons in the arena… The Wildcats are 9-0 this season with 10 consecutive wins dating back to last season.
• K-State is 33-54 (.379) all-time against Top 25 foes at Bramlage Coliseum, including 18-14 (.563) since 2008.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 65-12 (.844) at Bramlage Coliseum, including 29-9 (.763) vs. Big 12 opponents.

 

CATS EFFICIENT ON OFFENSE

• K-State is averaging 75.6 points on 48.7 percent shooting (425-of-872) and 38.3 percent from 3-point range (124-of-324), through the first 16 games with assists on 61.9 percent of its made field goals (263/425)… The Wildcats are averaging 73.2 points in Big 12 play on 48 percent shooting, including 36.7 percent from long range, with assists on 63.2 percent of its field goals.
• The Wildcats may rank just 8th in the Big 12 in scoring offense, but they place in Top 5 in most offensive categories, including 4th in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goals made (7.8) and 5th in assists (16.4).
• K-State ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in assists per made field goals (0.619), trailing just TCU (0.629) and Baylor (0.622).
• K-State has shot 43 percent or better in 15 of 16 games, including 50 percent or higher 8 times (vs. Omaha (11/15), Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Saint Louis (12/3), Prairie View A&M (12/6), Kansas (1/3), Oklahoma (1/7) and Texas Tech (1/10).
• K-State has connected on at least 50 percent of its field goals in at least one half of 14 of 16 games this season, including hitting the mark in both halves against Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Prairie View A&M (12/6) and Oklahoma (1/7).
• K-State has totaled at least 15 assists in 12 of 16 games this season, including 20 or more 4 times… The Wildcats dished out 20 or more assists in 3 consecutive games (vs. Green Bay, Saint Louis and Prairie View A&M) for first time since 2010-11.

 

EVEN MORE EFFICIENT IN LAST 3 GAMES

• K-State has connected on 50 percent or better from the field in each of the last 3 games, connecting on 50.8 percent (31-of-61) at Kansas (1/3), 54.2 percent (26-of-48) at home to Oklahoma (1/7) and 50.0 percent (21-of-42) at Texas Tech (1/10).
• It marks the 1st time in the Big 12 era that K-State has hit on 50 percent or better from the field in 3 consecutive league games and 1st time overall since doing it against UNLV (57.1), Alabama (59.2) and UAPB (50.0) from Dec. 12-21, 2009.
• The Wildcats have connected on 50 percent or better in 4 of the last 6 halves, including in both halves vs. Oklahoma (1/7)… The team shot a season-high 65 percent (13-of-20) in the second half at Texas Tech (1/10).
• The 88 points scored against Kansas were the second-most scored by the Wildcats in Allen Fieldhouse and the most since posting 91 on Feb. 7, 1962…  It was the most in a Big 12 road game since scoring 92 in overtime at Iowa State on Feb. 28, 1996.

 

OFFENSIVE BALANCE HAS BEEN KEY

• All 5 starters are averaging in double figures led by senior Wesley Iwundu (12.3 ppg.) and sophomore Barry Brown (12.1 ppg.), while 6 players are averaging 8 or more points… 6 different players have led the team in scoring, including a team-best 4 times by sophomore Dean Wade and 3 times each by Brown, Iwundu and senior D.J. Johnson.
• K-State is the only Big 12 team to have all 5 starters averaging double figures and the only one to have 5 double-digit scorers.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures against Oklahoma (1/7) for the 5th time under Bruce Weber, including the 3rd time this season and the second consecutive game, while a season-high 6 scored double digits in the win over Colorado State (12/17)… It marked the 3rd time under Weber that 6 players had double figures and the first time since Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures in consecutive Big 12 games for the first time since at least the 2005-06 season… Starters connected on 52.2 percent from the field against Kansas (1/3) and Oklahoma (1/7), including 39.3 percent from 3-point range.
• K-State narrowly missing having all 5 starters in double figures at Texas Tech (1/10), as Brown and Iwundu each finished with 9 points, while sophomore Kamau Stokes (17), Wade (12) and Johnson (11) posted double digits.
• At least 4 Wildcats have scored in double figures in 9 of 16 games, including at least 3 in 15 games… In all, 7 have at least 1 double-digit scoring game with 5 having at least 10 double-digit scoring games led by Brown’s 12 games of 10 or more points.
• Nine Wildcats are shooting 45 percent or better from the field, including 3 of 5 starters… The starters are shooting a combined 48.7 percent from the field (325-of-668), including 38.2 percent (84-of-220) from 3-point range, this season.
• In all, starters are responsible for 76.5 percent of the team’s 1,210 points and 425 made field goals, 67.8 percent of the 124 made 3-pointers and 79.5 percent of the 263 assists… They also own 53 of the 61 double-digit scoring games.

 

IMPROVEMENT FROM LONG RANGE

• One of the focal points for K-State in the offseason was to make improvement from 3-point range, where the Wildcats finished 10th in the Big 12 in both 3-point field goal percentage (30.0) and 3-point field goals made per game (5.30).
• K-State is shooting 38.3 percent (124-of-324) from 3-point range and is averaging 7.8 3-point field goals per game.
• K-State ranks 62nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage… The team is 4th in makes and percentage in the Big 12.
• K-State has at least 7 3-pointers in 12 games, including double digits vs. Western Illinois (11/11), Hampton (11/15) and Prairie View A&M (12/6) and Texas Tech (1/10)… The Wildcats have at least 6 treys in 10 of their 13 wins this season.
• The Wildcats knocked down 10-of-14 3-point field goals vs. Western Illinois (11/11), including all 7 treys in the second half… K-State posted 12 triples vs. Hampton (11/20), which were the most since also hitting 12 vs. Tulane on Dec. 28, 2013.
• 11 Wildcats have at least one 3-pointer this season, including a team-best 33-of-75 start by Kamau Stokes… Stokes has at least 1 3-pointer in 14 of 16 games, including at least 2 in 11 games… Five players have 10 or more 3-pointers.
• Seven Wildcats had at least one 3-pointer at Colorado State (12/17) for the 2nd time this season and the 1st time since Green Bay (11/30)… Before this season, the last time 7 Wildcats had a 3-pointer in a game was against Iowa State on Feb. 12, 2011.
• K-State has made at least one 3-pointer in 288 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.

 

GETTING DEFENSIVE

• K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under head coach Bruce Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the past 5 seasons (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13; 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14).
• Since Weber’s arrival at K-State in 2012-13 (spanning 149 games), the Wildcats lead the Big 12 in scoring defense at 64.1 points per game (9,544)… The next closest team in that span is Baylor (64.9 ppg.) followed by Oklahoma State (65.3 ppg.).
• K-State ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense (61.5), 50th in FG percentage defense (39.9), 27th in steals (8.4) and 39th in turnovers forced (15.8)… The Wildcats are 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring defense and 3rd in FG percentage defense and steals.
• Five opponents have been held to 55 points or less, while 9 of 16 foes have been held to 40 percent shooting or less.
• 55 opponents have been held to 60 points or less in Weber’s tenure with the Wildcats boasting a 49-6 mark in those contests (losses to Kansas in 2012, Northern Colorado & Kentucky in 2013, Texas Southern & Georgia in 2014 and Texas & OSU in 2016).
• K-State held Robert Morris to just 40 points on 22.8 percent shooting (13-of-57)… It was the fewest points allowed and the lowest field goal percentage since Long Beach State scored 38 points on just 19.6 percent (11-of-56) on Nov. 24, 2013.
• K-State is 81-24 under Bruce Weber when holding an opponent to 69 points or less and 11-33 when allowing 70 or more.

 

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TURNOVERS

• K-State ranks among the national leaders in steals (8.4 apg./27th) and turnovers forced (15.8/39th).
• The current 8.4 steals per game average is on pace to be the 4th-best average in school history and the highest since 1994-95.
• K-State posted double-digit steals for the 5th time with 10 at Kansas and has 35 steals through first 4 games (2nd in Big 12).
• The Wildcats have forced double figure turnovers in 14 of 16 games, including 20 or more turnovers 3 times, with a season-high 25 vs. Robert Morris (11/22)… The team has forced double-digit turnovers in 9 of the last 10 games.
• K-State is averaging 17.6 points per game off of turnovers, including 13.8 points per game in Big 12 play, and have outscored opponents, 282-191… The team has scored at least 14 points off turnovers in 15 games, including a season-high 26 vs. Omaha.
• Five times the team has scored 20 or more points off turnovers, including on 4 occasions during their 7-game winning streak.
• K-State has scored more than 2,000 points (2,202) off of turnovers under Bruce Weber, an average of 14.8 points per game.

 

MOMENTUM CHANGE

• K-State has been able to change the momentum by holding opponents without a field goal for stretches of 4 minutes or more in 10 of its 16 games… The Wildcats held Robert Morris without a field goal for two stretch of 6 minutes or more, including 6:13 of the first half (15:50 mark to the 9:37 mark) and a season-best 6:59 of the second half (16:44 mark to the 9:45 mark).
• It marked the third time this season that the Wildcats have held an opponent without a field goal for nearly 6 minutes in the first half, holding Western Illinois (11/11) for 5:57 to start the game and Omaha (11/15) for 6:49 stretch.
• K-State has 16 stretches of holding opponents without points for at least 4 minutes, including 6 in the last 5 games.
• K-State continued its strong defense vs. Texas (12/30), holding the Longhorns of droughts of 6:27 and 4:09 in the first half… The Wildcats turned in an 11-4 deficit into a 19-13 lead during the 6:27 drought, which included 13 straight missed field goals.

 

PLAYING HARD IS A SKILL

• One of the things that K-State has prided itself in under head coach Bruce Weber has been its ability to play harder than its opponents… Nothing is more valuable to Weber in this regard as the Wayne McClain Play Hart Chart, which is named in honor of the longtime Illinois high school coach and Wildcats’ former director of development who passed away on Oct. 15, 2014.
• The chart, which is kept for both teams by graduate assistants and team managers, is a point system based on the elements of playing hard, including deflections/blocks, steals, dives, loose balls, offensive rebounds and charges (+2).
• K-State has won the Play Hard Chart in 14 of 16 games by a combined score of 621-446.
• Senior D.J. Johnson leads the team with 112 points on the Play Hard Chart, while sophomore Dean Wade is not far behind with 103 point