WACO, Texas – Juniors Barry Brown Jr., and Dean Wade combined for 58 points, as Kansas State led from wire-to-wire for the second consecutive Big 12 game in a 90-83 victory over Baylor on Monday night at the Ferrell Center.

The Wildcats (15-5, 5-3 Big 12) have now four of their last five games, including three in a row in Big 12 play.

Brown scored a game-high 34 points of 9-of-16 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and went a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. It was the best shooting performance from the line by a Wildcat since Denis Clemente also went 12-of-12 from the line in a win at Texas on Jan. 31, 2009. He has now scored in double figures in nine consecutive games, while registering his second career 30-point outing.

Paired with Brown to combine for 58 K-State points, Wade added his fourth consecutive 20-point game with 24 points on 9-of-12 field goals and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Earlier in the day, Wade was named the Citizen Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week and the Phillips Big 12 Player of the Week.

Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (11 points) and sophomore Makol Mawien (10 points) gave K-State four double-digit scorers for the fifth consecutive game and the ninth time this season. The Wildcats connected on 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field, marking the 11^th time this season the team has connected on 50 percent or better in a game, including the third consecutive game.

K-State’s 90-point effort was the most points allowed by Baylor all season, and the third time K-State scored 90 or more points this season.

Baylor (12-8, 2-6 Big 12) was led by senior guard Manu Lecomte, who scored a team-high 16 points. The Bears were held to 46.6 percent (28-of-60) shooting in the game, while turning the ball over 15 times.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After back-to-back conference wins at home, K-State did not skip a beat on the Baylor hardwood on Monday, as they led through the entirety of the game, including a game-high 19-point lead in the second half.

Tasked with the Baylor 1-3-1 zone early on in the game, the Wildcats scored with ease by jumping out to a 10-4 opening run. Wade scored 11 of the first 22 K-State points on 4-4 shooting, while outscoring the entire Baylor team through the first eight minutes of play.

Paired with Wade, sophomore forward Makol Mawien added a confident presence to the Wildcat frontcourt following a career-high 18 points against TCU on Saturday, by adding 9 points in the first half. Mawien connected on his first 4-of-5 shots, as K-State jumped out to a 29-15 lead through at 8:07.

Despite the early lead and shooting over 50 percent from the field in the half, the Bears were able to claw back to draw the lead to just five at the 1:34 mark, as Baylor made an 8-0 run.

With only six seconds remaining before the half, Baylor’s Loul-Acuil Jr. made it a five-point game after hitting just his fourth 3-pointer of the season. K-State led at the break, 45-40, behind 58 percent (15-of-26) shooting from the field, and 55 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the 3-point line, while holding Baylor to 43 percent (13-of-30) from the field. The 58 percent from the field marks the ninth time this season the Wildcats shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half.

Brown led the Wildcats with 13 points at the half, and was joined in double figures by Wade, who added 11. Wade also led the team with 3 rebounds at the break.

Straight out of the half-time break, K-State ran a perfectly scripted alley-oop to open the half in scoring, as redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra found Wade rolling to the basket following a screen.

However, K-State ran into foul trouble early on in the second half, when freshman big-man Levi Stockard III fouled out just three minutes into the second half, and Mawien accumulating three fouls. With Baylor lingering, the Wildcats went to their leading scorer.

In double figures for his ninth-straight game, Brown went on to score 8-straight points for the Wildcats in the second half to bring their lead to 8 points with 13:51 remaining. That’s when the Wildcat backcourt took over the game.

On the ensuing Wildcat possession, Diarra drove the lane and connected on a jumper surrounding by the Baylor bigs. On the other end, Diarra swiped the ball from the Bears, before passing it down the court to junior guard Amaad Wainwright who flushed a dunk over a Baylor defender. Brown would feed Wade for another dunk to bring the lead to 62-49 with 11:46 remaining.

Leading by 18, Baylor was able to string together an 11-point run to cut the K-State lead to just seven points with 6:16 remaining.

Needing to end the Baylor scoring run, Brown had the ball in his hands, and resorted to a step-back jumper from beyond the arc to bring the lead back to double-digits and to muster his second-career 30-point game.

In the closing minutes, Brown and the Wildcats made the best of the free-throw line, as Brown connected on 12-of-12 free throws in the game. Brown’s game-high 34 points led K-State to victory, beating Baylor 90-83.

K-State shot 57.1 percent (28-of-49) from the field and 47 percent (8-of-17) from beyond the arc, en route to their third scoring effort of 90 or more points this season. The 90 points was the most Baylor has allowed all season, as Baylor shot 46.6 percent (28-of-60) from the field while committing 15 turnovers.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Barry Brown Jr. – The go-to scorer for the Wildcats, Brown led the team in scoring heading into Monday’s matchup, and he left with his ninth-consecutive double-digit scoring effort and his second career 30+ point game. On Monday against the Bears, Brown scored 34 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line, while adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

STAT OF THE GAME

90 – K-State scored 90 or more points for the third time this season, by shooting 57.1 percent from the field and a combined 58 points from Brown and Wade. K-State scored a season-high 91 points earlier this season against Iowa State, and 90 points against Arizona State.

SEASON RECORD UPDATE

• K-State 15-5 (5-3 Big 12)
• Baylor 12-8 (2-6 Big 12)

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• K-State now has a 1,625-1,140 all-time record since basketball play began in 1903.
• K-State now leads the all-time series, 20-18, and have won back-to-back games at the Ferrell Center since posting consecutive wins in 2010 and 2012.

• K-State scored 90 points on 57.1 percent shooting (28-of-49), including 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from 3-point range, and connected on 78.8 percent (26-of-33) from the free throw line… It marked the third time scoring 90 or more points this season and the 10^th time with 80 or more points… It was the 10th time connecting on 50 percent or better from the field.
• K-State connected on 6 3-point field goals, which marked the 15^th time in 20 games with at least 6 treys.
• K-State scored 20 points off 15 Baylor turnovers, which marked the 19^th time that the Wildcats have had double digit points off opponent miscues.
• K-State had four players score in double figures for the ninth time this season, including five consecutive games for the first time this season.
• K-State led at halftime, 45-40, after leading by as many as 16 in the first half… It marked the 16^th time leading at the break and have now led at the half in three consecutive Big 12 games… The 45 points are the most at the half since scoring 53 in the first half at Iowa State (12/29/17).
• Junior Barry Brown, Jr., scored a game-high 34 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the line… It was his second career 30-point game, both in Big 12 play… It was his 12^th career 20-point game, including his eighth this season… He has now scored in double figures in 51 career games, including a team-high 17 this season.
• Junior Dean Wade scored 24 points on 9-of-12 field goals and 6-of-8 from the free throw line… It was 10^th career 20-point game, including his sixth this season… He has now scored in double figures in 50 career games, including 16 this season.
• Sophomore Makol Mawien scored 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals… He has now scored in double figures in five career games and the first time scoring double digits in consecutive Big 12 games.
• Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra scored 10 points on 3-of-5 field goals, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range, to go with a team-high 6 assists… He has now scored in double figures in seven games, including five in the last six games.
• Redshirt freshman James Love III scored his first career points with a free throw with 33 seconds left in first half.

WHAT’S NEXT

K-State takes a break from Big 12 play on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to Georgia (12-5, 3-3 SEC) at 1 p.m., CT on ESPNU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge presented by Sonic.

–www.kstatesports.com–

 
TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior forward Dean Wade earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday after collecting consecutive 20-point games in helping Kansas State to wins over No. 4/6 Oklahoma and No. 24/25 TCU last week.

Wade, who twice won the league’s Newcomer of the Week award as a freshman in 2016, becomes the 13^th Wildcat to earn Player of the Week honors and the first sinceWesley Iwundu earned the accolade on Nov. 16, 2015. Overall, it marks the school’s 26th Player of the Week honor since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997, including the 10th under head coach Bruce Weber.

The 6-foot-10, 228-pound forward from St. John’s, Kansas, Wade averaged 20.5 points on 50.0 percent shooting (16-of-32), including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range, with 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 37.5 minutes per game in the wins over the Sooners and Horned Frogs. It marked the Wildcats’ first back-to-back home Top 25 victories since February 2015.

Wade, who enters the week fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.7 points per game in league games, opened the week by posting the first of two all-around efforts in the 87-69 win over No. 4/6 Oklahoma on Tuesday night. He scored 21 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range, against the Sooners to go with team-highs in both rebounds (7) and assists (7) in 36 minutes. He followed that up with yet another strong performance in the 73-68 win over No. 24/25 TCU on Saturday with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-9 from long range, to go with 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a career-best 39 minutes.

Wade has now scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.

For the season, Wade is averaging 15.6 points on 58.0 percent shooting, including 46.9 percent from 3-point range, to go 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. The leader in field goal percentage and rebounding, he ranks second on the team in scoring, double-digit scoring games (15), 20-point games (five), field goals made (109), steals and minutes. He ranks among the Big 12’s Top 15 in a number of categories, including third in 3-point field goal percentage, eighth in field goal percentage and 11^th in both scoring and rebounding.

Winners of three of the last four game, K-State (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) makes a quick turnaround on Monday night, as the Wildcats play Baylor (12-7, 2-5 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT at the Ferrell Center. The game will air nationally on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app with Matt Schick (play-by-play) and Dino Gaudio (analyst) on the call.

– www.k-statesports.com —

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

GAME #20

KANSAS STATE (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) at Baylor (12-7, 2-5 Big 12)

Monday, January 22, 2018 >> 8 p.m. CT >> Ferrell Center (10,284) >> Waco, Texas

 

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

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

Listen Online: TuneIn.com [free] // www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Satellite Radio: Sirius 83 // XM 83 // Internet 83

 COACHES

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

Overall: 427-228/20^th season

At K-State: 114-73/6^th season

1. Baylor: 5-6 (2-3 on the road)

Baylor: Scott Drew (Butler ’93)

Career Record: 309-198/16^th Year

Record at Baylor: 289-187/15th Year

1. Kansas State: 11-12 (5-4 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (14-5, 4-3 Big 12)

G: #2 Cartier Diarra

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

Baylor (12-7, 2-5 Big 12)

G: #20 Manu Lecomte

G: #22 King McClure

F: #11 Mark Vital

F: #25 Tristan Clark

F: #00 Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr.

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 19-18

Big 12 era: Baylor leads 17-14

In Waco: Baylor leads 8-6

In Manhattan: K-State leads 10-8

Active Streak: K-State, 2

Weber vs. Baylor: 5-6 (2-3 on the road)

Drew vs. K-State: 11-12 (5-4 at home)

Weber vs. Drew: 5-6 (2-3 on the road)

OPENING TIP

• Winners of three of its last four games, Kansas State (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) makes a quick turnaround on Monday night, as the Wildcats travel to Waco, Texas to take on Baylor (12-7, 2-5 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT at the Ferrell Center. The Bears enter the game with losses in three of their last four outings, but have won back-to-back home games (Texas and Oklahoma State). The game will air nationally on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app with Matt Schick (play-by-play) and Dino Gaudio (analyst) on the call.
• K-State is 4-3 away from home this season, including 3-2 in true road games, which includes wins at Vanderbilt (84-79), Washington State (68-65) and Iowa State (91-75). The Wildcats are one of five Big 12 schools with at least three true road wins this season. However, the squad has lost back-to-back on the road at Texas Tech (58-74) and No. 12/12 Kansas (72-73) after opening league play with a win at ISU.
• K-State and Baylor will meet for the 28th time on the hardwood with the Wildcats holding a slight 19-18 edge in the series after consecutive wins last season for the first time since sweeping the season series in 2013. Baylor holds a 17-14 advantage since the start of Big 12 play with wins in six of the last nine meetings. The Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 56-54 upset of the second-ranked Bears last season at the Ferrell Center on a last-second block by D.J. Johnson before posting a 70-64 win in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City.
• K-State’s games with Baylor in Waco have been some of the Big 12’s most exciting contests with four of the last five meetings being decided in the closing moments, including a buzz-beater by the Wildcats in 2013, a pair of double-overtime wins by the Bears in 2014 and 2016 and Johnson’s shot block in 2017. Dating back to 2000, 10 of the last 12 games betwee the schools at the Ferrell Center have been decided by single-digits, including three points or less eight times.
• A balanced scoring effort led by a game-high 20 points from junior Dean Wade helped carry K-State to its second consecutive Top 25 win of the week on Saturdayin a 73-68 victory over No. 24/25 TCU before a season-best crowd of 11,194 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. It marked the first time the Wildcats have posted back-to-back victories at home over Top 25 teams since knocking off No. 8 Kansas (70-63) and No. 12 Iowa State (70-69) on February 23 and 28, 2015. The team now has 36 wins over Top 25 teams at Bramlage Coliseum, including 16 under head coach Bruce Weber.
• For the fourth consecutive game and eighth time this season, four Wildcats reached double figures in the win against TCU, including a game-high 20 points from Wade, and a career-best 18 points from sophomore Makol Mawien. Junior Barry Brown, Jr., scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime, while sophomore Xavier Sneed added 10 points. Brown, who nearly posted a double-double with a career-best nine assists, became the 28th Wildcat in school history to post 1,000 career points.
• Although K-State is averaging 79.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the last four games, the defense has been one of the most important aspects of the Wildcats’ recent success. During this stretch, the team has held Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma and TCU to an average of 73 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting, including 32.6 percent from 3-point range, while forcing an average of 14.5 turnovers per game.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 73, 24/25 TCU 68

• K-State still leads the all-time series with TCU, 12-5, including 9-3 in the Big 12 era… The Wildcats are now 7-2 at home in the series, including 5-1 since the start of Big 12 play.
• K-State is 36-57 all-time against Top 25 teams at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes 17 over teams ranked in the Top 10… The school is 33-54 against ranked Big 12 teams (since 1997), including a 21-17 mark since 2008… The Wildcats are 2-3 vs. ranked opponents this season (No. 6 West Virginia, No. 18 Texas Tech, No. 12 Kansas, No. 4 Oklahoma)… The team has now executed consecutive home Top 25 victories for the first time since defeating No. 8 Kansas (70-63) and No. 12 Iowa State (70-69) on Feb. 23 and Feb. 28, 2015.

• K-State scored 73 points on 52.9 percent shooting (27-of-51), including 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from 3-point range, and connected on 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the free throw line… It marked the 14^th time scoring 70 or more points as well as the 10th time connecting on 50 percent or better from the field.
• K-State connected on 8 3-point field goals, which marked the 14^th time in 19 games with at least 6 treys.
• K-State scored 14 points off 14 TCU turnovers, which marked the 18^th time that the Wildcats have had double digit points off opponent miscues.
• K-State had four players score in double figures for the eighth time this season, including four consecutive games for the first time this season.

• Junior Dean Wade scored 20 points on 7-of-16 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, grabbing six rebounds, six assists and two blocks… It marked his ninth career 20-point game, including his fifth this season… It marked the 15^th time leading the team in scoring… He has now scored in double figures in 49 career games, including 15 this season… He also added a team-high 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a career-best 39 minutes.
• Sophomore Makol Mawien scored 18 points on 8-of-11 field goals, nabbed 5 rebounds and 2 blocks… It marked the most points he has scored in a Big 12 game and the first time in double figures… He has now scored in double figures in four career games and the first time since Washington State (12/20/17).
• Junior Barry Brown, Jr., scored 15 points on 5-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range and added a career-high 9 assists… He scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half… He has now scored in double figures in 50 career games, including 16 this season… He also played a career-high 40 minutes.

• Sophomore Xavier Sneed scored 10 points on 3-of-5 field goals, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range… It marked his 24^th time scoring in double figures, including the 12^th time this season.

OFFENSE OFF TO A GOOD START

• K-State is averaging 76.9 points on 48.6 percent shooting, including 37 percent from 3-point range, to go with a solid 74 percent clip from the free throw line through 18 games. The Wildcats’ offensive numbers are slightly better since the start of Big 12 play with the team averaging 77.2 points on 49.2 percent shooting, including 42 percent from 3-point range, and 74.4 percent from the free throw line in Big 12 play. The squad has scored 80 or more points nine times, including a pair of 90-point efforts against Arizona State (11/23) and Iowa State (12/29), and have eclipsed the 75-point barrier nine times in the last 15 games. It is the most 90-point and 80-point games in the first 17 games since 2009-10 (which had 13 80-point and 4 90-point games), while the 1,384 points are the most points through 18 games since scoring 1,483 (82.4 ppg.) in the same span to start the 2009-10 season.
• The Wildcats scored a season-best 91 points at Iowa State (12/29) on 55.2 percent shooting (32-of-58), including 50 percent (13-of-26) from 3-point range. It was the most points in a Big 12 opener since scoring 97 at home against Nebraska on Jan. 8, 2000, while it was the most in a Big 12 opener on the road since scoring 92 at Colorado on Jan. 21, 1987. The 91 points were the most in a Big 12 road game overall since scoring 96 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 18, 2017. The Wildcats connected on 50 percent or better in both halves for the sixth time this season. The 13 3-point field goals tied for the ninth-most makes in school history and most in a Big 12 game since hitting 14 against the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 5, 2011.
• K-State also posted 90 points vs. Arizona State (11/23), which tied for the fourth-most points ever scored in a loss and the most since a 112-95 loss at No. 4 Oklahoma on Feb. 13, 1988. The 84 points at Vanderbilt (12/3) were the most in a non-conference road game since also scoring 84 at Saint Louis on Dec. 3, 2016. The squad also has 80-point efforts vs. American (11/10), NAU (11/20), USC Upstate (12/5), SE Missouri State (12/16), Oklahoma State (1/10) and Oklahoma (1/16). The 87 points against the Sooners were the most in a Big 12 home game since scoring 89 vs. OSU on Jan. 23, 2016. The Wildcats put up 53 points in the second half against the Cowboys and tied for the most in any half this season (SE Missouri and Iowa State).
• K-State has connected on better than 50 percent from the field in nine games, including a season-best 62.5 percent (35-of-56) in the win over SE Missouri State (12/16). The team has hit on 50 percent or better in both halves in six games (American, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, USC Upstate, SE Missouri State and Iowa State). The Wildcats tied a season-high for both field goals made (35) and attempted (62) against Oklahoma (1/16), while they registered season-highs for assists (25), points in the paint (44) and dunks (7) vs. SE Missouri State (12/16). It was the most assists in a game since dishing out 25 at Baylor on Feb. 15, 2014, while it was the most points in the paint since posting 46 in a win over Iowa State on Feb. 28, 2015.

TRIPLE SCORING THREAT

• Even without junior Kamau Stokes, K-State still has a trio of scoring threats in juniors Barry Brown, Jr. (17.0 ppg.) and Dean Wade (15.3 ppg.) and sophomore Xavier Sneed (11.6 ppg.). They rank fifth, 14th and 26th in scoring in the Big 12, as the three are averaging 43.9 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from long range, and 77.6 percent from the free throw line. Since the injury to Stokes, the trio have averaged 51.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent from long range, and 81.4 percent from the free throw line.
• The trio of Brown, Wade and Sneed have all scored in double figures in 11 career games, including seven this season. The three have combined for 50 or more points three times this season, including 51 against No. 6/5 West Virginia (1/1) on 50 percent shooting, 59 against Oklahoma State (1/10) on 55.2 percent shooting and 58 against No. 4/6 Oklahoma (1/16) on 57.5 percent shooting (23-of-40). They combined for 48 points against No. 12/12 Kansas (1/13) on 46.2 percent shooting. They have combined for 40 double-digit scoring games, including Brown’s team-high 15 this season.
• Brown is averaging 22.2 points on 51.7 percent shooting (45-of-87) and 72.3 percent (34-of-47) from the free throw line, through the first six Big 12 games. His scoring average ranks second in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma’s Trae Young (30.8 ppg.). His 133 points are the second-most by a Wildcat though the first six Big 12 games since 2007-08, trailing the 157 scored by Michael Beasley in 2008. Brown’s career-best 38 points vs. Oklahoma State (1/10) were the most by a Wildcat since Jacob Pullen also scored 38 against Wisconsin on March 19, 2011 and the most in a home game since Pullen’s 38 against Kansas on Feb. 14, 2011. It was also the fifth-most by a junior in school history. Brown leads the Wildcats with 11 career 20-point games, including a team-best seven this season (with five in the last seven outings.
• Wade is not far behind Brown in Big 12 games, averaging 19.7 points on 62 percent shooting (44-of-71), including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from 3-point range, and 82.6 percent (19-of-23) from the free throw line to go with 6.7 rebounds through the first six league contests. The average ranks fourth in the league, while Wade is second in 3-point field goal percentage, third in field goal percentage, eighth in free throw percentage and 11th in rebounding. His 118 points are the fourth-most by a Wildcat through the first six Big 12 games. He scored a game-high 22 points against No. 12/12 Kansas (1/13), his third consecutive 20-point game against the Jayhawks, while he added 21 points against No. 4/6 Oklahoma (1/16).
• Brown (22.2 ppg.) and Wade (19.7 ppg.) have combined to score 251 points on 53.9 percent shooting through the first six Big 12 games, which is the most points by a duo since Michael Beasley (26.2 ppg.) and Bill Walker (17.0 ppg.) combined for 259 points in the first six league games in 2008.
• Sneed is starting to heat back up with four double-figure scoring games in the last five outings and has registered double-digit points 11 times this season, including three 20-point games (Vanderbilt, SE Missouri State and West Virginia). He is now the leader in 3-point field goals with Stokes out with 32, which includes a career-best 6-of-9 effort in the setback to the Mountaineers on New Year’s Day. He collected his first career double-double in the win over Oklahoma State (1/10) with a career-best 12 rebounds to go with 11 points.

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Dean Wade scored 20 points and Kansas State beat No. 24 TCU 73-68 on Saturday.

Sophomore Makol Mawien added a career-high 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting. He had totaled just 13 points in Big 12 play this season for the Wildcats (14-5, 4-3).

Coming off a win over No. 4 Oklahoma earlier in the week, the Wildcats raced to a 7-0 lead.

TCU coach Jamie Dixon was called for a technical foul later in the first half, then drew another tech in the second half and was ejected. The Kansas State crowd serenaded Dixon as he walked off, and TCU assistant David Patrick took over.

Vlad Brodziansky scored 15 points for the Horned Frogs (14-5, 2-5).

 GAME #19

KANSAS STATE (13-5, 3-3 Big 12) vs. 24/25 TCU (14-4, 2-4 Big 12)

Saturday, January 20, 2018 >> 3 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

COACHES

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

Overall: 426-228/20^th season

At K-State: 113-73/6^th season

1. TCU: 8-3 (4-1 at home)

TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU ’87)

Career Record: 366-142/15^th Year

Record at TCU: 38-19/2^nd Year

1. Kansas State: 2-1 (1-0 on the road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (13-5, 3-3 Big 12)

G: #2 Cartier Diarra

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

24/25 TCU (14-4, 2-4 Big 12)

G: #25 Alex Robinson

G: #1 Desmond Bane

G: #34 Kenrich Williams

F: #15 J.D. Miller

F: #10 Vlad Brodziansky

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 11-5

Big 12 era: K-State leads 8-3

In Manhattan: K-State leads 6-2

In Fort Worth: K-State leads 5-1

Active Streak: K-State, 1

Weber vs. TCU: 8-3 (4-1 at home)

Dixon vs. K-State: 2-1 (1-0 on the road)

Weber vs. Dixon: 1-2 (0-1 at home)

OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (13-5, 3-3 Big 12) will conclude a two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to their second consecutive ranked opponent with a visit from No. 24/25 TCU (14-4, 2-4 Big 12) to Bramlage Coliseum at 3 p.m. CT.  The Horned Frogs’ four Big 12 losses have come by 11 points, including two overtime setbacks to Top 10 Oklahoma. The game will air nationally on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app with Mitch Holthus (play-by-play) and Reid Gettys (analyst) on the call.
• K-State is currently in the midst of playing four home games in a five-game stretch, including back-to-back Big 12 home games for the first time since 2016, after navigating four road games in a six-game stretch to start conference play. The contest against No. 24/25 TCU will mark the third of three consecutive games against Top 25 opponents, which started at No. 12/12 Kansas Jan. 13 and continued in Tuesday’s 87-69 win over No. 4/6 Oklahoma. It marks the first time since February 2017 that the Wildcats have played three straight ranked foes.
• Saturday’s contest will be Throwback Day at Bramlage Coliseum, as K-State will wear special two-tone lavender throwback uniforms, which were worn from 1973 to 1982 and made famous by the Purple Pop-Gun tandem of Mike Evans and Chuckie Williams during the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons and commemorated by Rolando Blackman on the cover of Sports Illustrated after the 1981 upset of No. 1 Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Wildcats posted an 186-81 (.697) record during the period of the uniform (1973-82), including an 85-41 mark in Big Eight play, winning the 1977 Big Eight regular-season title and the 1977 and 1980 Big Eight Tournament crowns to go with five NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Paced by 20-point efforts from juniors Barry Brown, Jr. (24 points), and Dean Wade (21 points), K-State put together one of its most complete performances of the season in an 87-69 win over No. 4/6 Oklahoma on Tuesday night. The Wildcats have now defeated at least one Top 25 opponent in a school-record 12 consecutive seasons, including a school-best eight straight seasons with a victory over a Top 10 opponent. K-State has now beaten a ranked Oklahoma squad four times in the last six games at home, including twice when ranked in the Top 5.
• K-State and TCU will meet for the 17th time on the hardwood with the Wildcats holding a 11-5 overall lead, including an 8-3 mark in the Big 12 era. Since dropping the first five Big 12 meetings, the Frogs have split the last six matchups with the Wildcats, including an 86-80 overtime win in their last visit to Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 1, 2017. This will be K-State’s first meeting with a ranked TCU squad.
• K-State is 35-57 (.380) all-time against Top 25 teams at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes 17 Top 10 victories. The school is 32-54 (.372) against ranked Big 12 teams (since 1997), including a 20-17 (.540) mark since 2008. The Wildcats are looking for consecutive home Top 25 victories for the first time since February 2015.

NOTES ON 24/25 TCU

• No. 24/25 TCU enters Saturday’s game with a 14-4 overall record and a 2-4 mark in Big 12 play after snapping a three-game skid with an impressive 96-73 win over Iowa State at home on Wednesday. The Horned Frogs connected on 60.3 percent from the field, including 48 percent from 3-point range, while dishing out 29 assists on 38 made field goals, including 12 from long range. Seniors Vlad Brodziansky and J.D. Miller each collected 20-point efforts to pace four players in double figures, while junior Alex Robinson dished out a school-record 17 assists. Senior Kenrich Williams also tallied a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• K-State will face a Top 10 scoring offense for the third consecutive game, as TCU ranks fifth nationally with a scoring average of 88.6 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting, including 41.4 percent from 3-point range, and 71.8 percent from the free throw line. The Horned Frogs rank in the Top 5 in six offensive categories, including second in assists (20.4 apg.), third in assist-turnover ratio (1.68), fifth in total assists (367), 10th in field goal percentage and 11th in 3-point field goal percentage. The team averages 9.3 3-point goals per game with six players registering double-digit treys led by sophomore Desmond Bane’s team-high 37. Defensively, TCU allows 77.8 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 37.3 rebounds, 7.1 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.
• The Horned Frogs are one of the most balanced teams in the country with five players averaging in double figures led by Preseason First Team All-Big 12 selection Vlad Brodziansky, who is averaging 15.4 points on 61.9 percent shooting, including 42.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Fellow senior Kenrich Williams nearly averages a double-double with 14.9 points on 50.3 percent shooting to go with a team-high 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals per outing. Sophomore Jaylen Fisher (12.3 ppg.), sophomore Desmond Bane (11.9 ppg.) and senior J.D. Miller (10.8 ppg.) also average double figures. Fisher and junior Alex Robinson both average a team-best 5.7 assists per game, while freshman Kouat Noi (9.4 ppg.) and Robinson (7.4) average better than 7 points per game.
• TCU is led by head coach Jamie Dixon, who has a 38-19 (.667) record in his second season at his alma mater. Overall, he is 366-142 (.720) in his 15th season as a head coach, which includes a 13-year stint at Pittsburgh (2003-16) where he led the Panthers to 11 NCAA Tournaments.

K-STATE/TCU CONNECTIONS

• K-State’s Makol Mawien and TCU’s Shawn Olden both played at New Mexico Junior College during the 2016-17 season, where the duo helped the Thunderbirds to a 19-11 overall record. Mawien averaged 8.7 points on 49.2 percent shooting, including 41.2 percent from 3-point range, with 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in averaging 14.8 minutes per game, while Olden averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
• K-State associate head coach Chris Lowery and TCU head coach Jamie Dixon worked together at USA Basketball, where Lowery served as an assistant to Dixon for the U-19 team who won gold at the 2009 World Championships and included Gordon Heyward and Klay Thompson.

SERIES HISTORY

• This will be 17th meeting between Kansas State and TCU on the hardwood, including the 12th in the Big 12 era, with the Wildcats holding an 11-5 advantage in a series that dates to 1947. Among the five meetings between the schools prior to the start of the Big 12 era was a 77-72 win by the Horned Frogs in the 1968 NCAA Tournament. K-State won the first five matchups in Big 12 play by average of 11.8 points per game, but TCU has split the last six meetings in the series, including an 86-80 overtime win at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 1, 2017.
• TCU used a 7-1 run to start overtime to help propel the Horned Frogs to an 86-80 win over K-State in the teams’ last meeting at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 1, 2017. TCU rallied from a 70-65 deficit with 2:19 remaining to force overtime then took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by guard Kenrich Williams with 3:56 to play. K-State closed to within 83-80 on a free throw by guard Wesley Iwundu with 25 seconds remaining, but guard Alex Robinson hit two free throws with just 15 seconds left to close the game out.
• A clutch 3-pointer by forward Dean Wade and six consecutive free throws helped K-State hold off a late TCU rally, 75-74, in the teams’ latest meeting at Schollmaier Arena on March 1, 2017. Clinging to a 66-65 lead with less than 2 minutes to play, the Wildcats got a huge play from Wade with the shot clock winding down, as he canned his fourth triple with 1:22 remaining. Wade finished with a then career-tying 20 points.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-3 all-time against TCU, including 4-1 at home

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics