MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State Athletics has earned the Outstanding University Award for Diversity, Inclusion and Acceptance which will be presented at the Eighth Annual Compete Sports Diversity Awards, November 10, in Kansas City.

The 2017 “Petey” Awards recognizes deserving athletes and organizations that make a positive impact on sports diversity, inclusion and acceptance.

“We are so pleased to honor Kansas State University with the Outstanding University Award this year,” said Eric Carlyle, Compete CEO. “They continue to break barriers and build bridges to better the sports community through inclusion, equality, and acceptance.”

K-State Athletics prides itself on being a family and fostering an environment and atmosphere that upholds those values. Recently, the department initiated a comprehensiveDiversity and Inclusion plan for both student-athletes and K-State Athletics staff. Ultimately, it is meant to cultivate an atmosphere that embraces and celebrates diversity, while also intentionally promoting and practicing inclusion.

The heart of the plan lies in providing educational programming and training aimed at increasing the overall cultural competency of student-athletes and staff. Education training includes: workshops, guest speakers, diversity and inclusion curriculum in new staff trainings, summer bridge and freshmen experience classes for student-athletes.

“When I arrived as Athletics Director it was welcoming to see a department fully committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is truly an honor to see that commitment be recognized by Compete Magazine,” Athletics Director Gene Taylor said. “We want people to feel good about coming to work here, our student-athletes to feel welcome, and to ensure that everyone feels like they are a part of the K-State Family. We have some really good things taking place and look forward to it evolving even further.”

– k-statesports.com –

KENNY LANNOU
Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications and Public Relations | K-State Athletics

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior Matthew McCrane is one of 20 place kickers in the nation to be named a semifinalist for the 2017 Lou Groza Award, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Thursday.

 

McCrane, the lone Big 12 place kicker on the list, is the fifth Wildcat to be named a semifinalist for the award. Martin Gramatica was the 1997 winner and 1998 runner up, while Jamie Rheem was the runner up in both 1999 and 2000. Joe Rheem (2004) and Anthony Cantele (2012) were also semifinalists for the award.

 

A product of Brownwood, Texas, McCrane leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally with 15 field goals this season. His total includes three of at least 50 yards, including the two longest field goals in the Big 12 this season when he made a 54-yarder at Texas and a 53-yarder against Central Arkansas.

 

McCrane is threatening to break several school records, while he will leave K-State with several top-10 rankings. He is currently first in school history in career field-goal percentage (86.4; 51-59) and career extra-point percentage (.991; 114-115), while he is tied for the single-season and career (5) records for 50-yard field goals made.

 

A two-time All-Big 12 placekicker, McCrane also ranks second in career field goals made with 51, just three behind Gramatica for the record. His 267 career points rank fifth in school history overall and third among kickers. His 18 field goals in 2014 – a year he was named a Freshman All-American – are tied for fifth in school history, while this year’s total is 10^th.

 

Three finalists for the award will be announced on Tuesday, November 21, and be honored at the 26^th annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Awards Banquet on December 4. The winner of the 2017 Lou Groza Award will be announced live on ESPN at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, December 7.

 

Kansas State meets Texas Tech on Saturday, an 11 a.m., contest inside Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The game will be shown nationally on FS1.

– k-statesports.com –

 

RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

Friday, November 3, 2017  8:10 p.m. CTBramlage Coliseum (12,528)

 

 

COACHES

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

Overall: 413-223/20^th season

At K-State: 100-68/6^th season

1. Emporia State: 2-0

 

Emporia State: Shaun Vandiver (Colorado ‘02)

Overall: 78-93/7th season

At Emporia State: Same

1. Kansas State: 0-2

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (0-0)

G: #2 Cartier Diarra

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

 

Emporia State (0-0)

G: #0 Brian Morton

G: #5 Brandon Hall

G: #11 Grant Shell

F: #3 Hassan Thomas

F: #34 Garin Vandiver

 

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 3-0 [exhibition]

In Manhattan: K-State leads 3-0 [exhibition]

Last Meeting: W, 80-42 [10/30/2015 in Manhattan]

Weber vs. Vandiver: Weber leads 2-0

 

OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (0-0) concludes its brief exhibition season at 8 p.m., on Friday night, as the Wildcats play host to Division II foe Emporia State (0-0) at Bramlage Coliseum. The contest will be part of a basketball doubleheader, as the women’s team will play host to Emporia State at 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game to follow.
• K-State is 2-0 so far in exhibition play, following up its 78-62 win over Missouri State in a hurricane-relief fundraiser on Oct. 21 with a 79-56 victory over Fort Hays State on Oct. 29. The Wildcats enjoyed a balanced scoring effort with four players in double figures led by a game-high 18 points from sophomore Xavier Sneed. The team connected on 53.4 percent (31-of-58) from the field, including better than 50 percent in both halves, and held the Tigers to just 36 percent shooting.
• Through two exhibition games, the Wildcats are averaging 78.5 points on 50.4 percent shooting, including 39.4 percent from 3-point range, while holding the two opponents to 59.0 points on 34.9 percent shooting. Juniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Kamau Stokes pace five players in double figures at 13.0 points per game, while redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (12.5 ppg.), sophomore Xavier Sneed (12.0 ppg.) and junior Dean Wade (10.5 ppg.) are also averaging double digits.
• K-State is 65-20 (.765) all-time in exhibition play dating to 1964, including 50-9 (.847) at home. The Wildcats have a 44-9 (.830) record in exhibition play at Bramlage Coliseum, including 22 consecutive wins dating back to 2004.
• The Wildcats have three wins over the Hornets during their current 22-game win streak, including 79-75 in 2005, 81-51 in 2012 and 80-42 in 2015.
• K-State won its last exhibition with Emporia State, 80-42, on Oct. 30, 2015, as the Wildcats connected on 50.8 percent from the field, including 61.5 percent in the first half, while holding the Hornets to just 25 percent shooting. Wesley Iwundu scored a game-high 17 points to lead three players in double figures. Current juniors Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade each earned starts in that game.
• K-State has primarily played the Kansas members of the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) since switching to Division II teams in exhibition play in 2004, which includes six meetings with Washburn and now four each with Emporia State, Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State.
• The last home setback in exhibition play came to the EA Sports All-Stars, 79-67, on Nov. 6, 2003. Overall, the last loss in an exhibition came during the team’s tour of Italy and Switzerland last summer – an 85-74 setback to the Kosovo National Team on August 16, 2016. The Wildcats went 3-2 on the tour.
• K-State is 10-0 under Bruce Weber in exhibition play at home with wins over Washburn (81-61) and Emporia State (81-51) in 2012, Pittsburg State (75-54) in 2013, Washburn (68-56) in 2014, ESU and Fort Hays State (70-52) in 2015 and Pittsburg State (85-72) and Washburn (73-58) last season.

 

LAST TIME OUT

• A balanced scoring effort led by sophomore guard Xavier Sneed’s 18 points helped K-State knock off Fort Hays State, 79-56, on Oct. 29 in Bramlage Coliseum. It was the first previously-scheduled exhibition game after the team defeated Missouri State, 78-62, on Oct. 21 in a special exhibition for hurricane relief.
• Sneed was one of four Wildcats in double figures in the win over the Tigers, as he connected on 7-of-13 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, for his 18 points to go with game-tying 7 rebounds, 2 steals and one block in 22 minutes of action. Other players in double figures included juniors Dean Wade (15 points) and Barry Brown, Jr. (14) and redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (11).
• K-State connected on 53.4 percent (31-of-58) from the field in the game, including better than 50 percent in both halves, while holding Fort Hays State to 36 percent shooting (18-of-50), including 32 percent (8-of-25) after halftime. The Wildcats held the advantage in points in the paint (38-12), points off turnovers (27-14), second-chance points (15-5) and fast-break points (15-0).
• All 13 available Wildcats saw action in the contest with 10 playing double digit minutes. Eleven of the 13 players scored with all 11 registering at least one made field goal. Six newcomers saw action, including a start by sophomore community college transfer Makol Mawien, who posted 6 points (on 3-of-5 field goals) and 2 rebounds in 17 minutes. Diarra started in place of junior Kamau Stokes, who did not play due to having surgery on his wisdom tooth. Wade has now started all 6 career home exhibition games dating back to the 2015-16 season.
• Diarra, who scored in double figures for the second straight game after posting a team-high 14 points vs. Missouri State (10/21), was solid in his first start of any sort in his K-State career, posting 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting with a game-high 6 assists (on zero turnovers) and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes. Brown, who totaled 14 points on 5-of-9 field goals, added a game-high 7 rebounds, 5 assists and a game-best 3 steals in 29 minutes.
• In addition to Mawien’s start, five other newcomers saw action for second straight game, including Mike McGuirl (2 points/2 assists/3 steals), Mawdo Sallah (1 point/3 rebounds), Nigel Shadd (2 points/1 rebound), Levi Stockard III (4 points) and Amaad Wainright (4 points/4 rebounds).

 

EXHIBITION TO BENEFIT HURRICANE RELIEF

• K-State received a jump-start to the 2017-18 season on Oct. 21, as the WIldcats received a special waiver to play Missouri State in an exhibition to benefit the victims of the recent hurricanes. The department was able to raise just over $15,000 from the game to benefit the American Red Cross.
• The Wildcats used a balanced scoring effort to knock off the Bears, 78-62, as redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra registered a team-high 14 points in just 18 minutes off the bench, while juniors Kamau Stokes (13) and Barry Brown, Jr. (12) also posted double figures. Overall, the team connected on 47.4 percent (27-of-57) of their field goals, including 53.8 percent (14-of-26) in the first half, while holding MSU to 33.9 percent shooting.

 

NOTES ON THE HORNETS

• Emporia State returns six lettermen, including three starters (junior Brandon Hall, senior Brian Morton and senior Garin Vandiver), from a team that posted a 13-16 overall record, including a tie for ninth place in the MIAA with a 9-10 mark, in 2016-17. The team also receive a boost with six transfer, including three Division I transfers (junior guard Malik Hluchoweckyj of Bowling Green, junior forward Hassan Thomas of Illinois-Chicago and sophomore guard Grant Shell of Fresno State). Thomas and Shell are projected starters, along with Hall, Morton and Vandiver.
• The Hornets averaged 72.3 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from 3-point range, with 32.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 6.1 steals and 2.4 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 74.2 points on 49.3 percent shooting, including 38.2 percent from long range.
• Junior guard Brandon Hall led the Hornets in scoring (13.7 ppg.), assists (4.0 apg.), steals (1.1 spg.) and minutes (33.2 mpg.) in 2016-17, connecting on 40.2 percent from the field. Senior forward Garin Vandiver, the son of head coach Shaun Vandiver, paced the squad in rebounding at 5.0 boards per game a year ago to go with 8.3 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting in 29 games played with 14 starts. Senior guard Brian Morton, who started in 21 games, averaged 8.0 points on 38.8 percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
• Head coach Shaun Vandiver enters his seventh season with a 78-93 (.456) overall record at Emporia State.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker kicked five field goals, Marcus Peters returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the turnover-prone Denver Broncos 29-19 on Monday night.

Alex Smith threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, most of it going to tight end Travis Kelce , who hauled in seven balls for 133 yards and the score. The Chiefs (6-2) also intercepted Trevor Siemian three times and hopped on two fumbles to beat Denver (3-4) for the fourth straight time.

Siemian finished 19 of 36 for 198 yards and a touchdown, and has now thrown eight picks and only three TD passes in the past five games. The Broncos have lost all but one of them.

K-STATE TRAVELS TO LUBBOCK FOR MORNING BIG 12 BATTLE
Kansas State looks for its second Big 12 road win in as many weeks on Saturday as the Wildcats head to Lubbock, Texas, to battle the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Saturday’s game at Jones AT&T Stadium, which kicks at 11 a.m., will be shown nationally on FS1 with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Evan Moore (analyst) on the call. The game can also be heard across the 40-station K-State Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play), former K-State quarterback Stan Weber (analyst) and Matt Walters (sidelines) calling the action. Coverage will also be available on SiriusXM channels 132 and 199 in addition to the TuneIn app. Live stats are available atkstatesports.com, while Twitter updates (@ kstate_gameday, @KStateFB) will all be a part of the coverage.

A LOOK AT K-STATE

• Guided by Hall of Famer Bill Snyder, who is in his 26th year at the helm, the Wildcats are looking to inch one step closer to bowl eligibilitySaturdayin Lubbock.
• The K-State offense has rushed for 470 yards and six touchdowns on the ground over the last two weeks against No. 9 Oklahoma and Kansas.
• The Wildcats, who have reached 200 rushing yards five times this season, enter the week second in the Big 12 in rushing at 199.5 yards per game, second in yards per carry (5.1) and third in rushing touchdowns (18).
• Running back Alex Barnes has topped 100 yards in each of the last two games, going for 108 yards and a touchdown against the Sooners, while he rushed for 128 yards and two scores against the Jayhawks.
• It marks the second time in his career Barnes has recorded consecutive 100-yard rushing games.
• Six different Cats have scored on the ground this year, while four different receivers have carded a touchdown catch, led by Dalton Schoen and Isaiah Zuber’s three.
• The K-State defense is led by a pair of linebackers in Trent Tanking (65 tackles) and Jayd Kirby (60 tackles), both of whom rank in the top 10 in the Big 12 in tackles.
• Kirby had five tackles, 4.0 TFLs, a sack, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup at Kansas.
• Kendall Adams and D.J. Reed have been ballhawks with a combined five interceptions, including three by Reed.
• Cornerback Duke Shelley is second in the Big 12 with eight passes defended, while Reed has 28 career passes defending in just his second season.
• Reed is the reigning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after combining for 189 return yards against KU.
• His day was featured by a 99-yard kickoff-return touchdown, extending K-State’s kick-return score streak to a nation-best 13 straight years.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES

• Texas Tech leads the all-time series 8-9.
• The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings, which includes a 41-34 win in Lubbock in 2011 and a 49-26 road triumph in 2013, the first time in the series the Wildcats won consecutive games in Lubbock.
• K-State is 3-7 all-time in games played in Lubbock.
• Bill Snyder is 8-5 all-time against Texas Tech, while he is 1-3 against Red Raider teams coached by Kliff Kingsbury.

 

RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Backed by 189 combined return yards that was featured by a 99-yard kickoff-return touchdown in the Wildcats’ 30-20 win at KU, Kansas State junior D.J. Reed was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

 

It was Reed’s second weekly conference accolade this season – the first being after the Central Arkansas game – as it marked the fourth-straight season a Wildcat earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors multiple times in a year. The Wildcats now have 47 player of the week honors since 2011, the second most in the Big 12, while 26 of those have been of the special teams variety, the most in the league.

 

Reed’s 189 combined return yards were the most in the Big 12 this season and tied for the ninth-most nationally. His kickoff-return score in the first quarter was the first of his career as he extended K-State’s nation-leading streak to 13-straight years with at least one kickoff-return touchdown. He later returned a kickoff 53 yards, returned a punt 37 yards and sealed the game with an interception on the final play.

 

Coupled with his punt-return touchdown against Central Arkansas, Reed is the first Wildcat with a kickoff-return touchdown and a non-blocked punt-return score in the same season since Terence Newman in 2002.

 

A product of Bakersfield, California, Reed enters play this week ranked in the top 10 nationally in kickoff-return average (2^nd; 36.4 yards/return), punt-return touchdowns (8^th; 1), combined return yards (9^th; 588) and kickoff-return touchdowns (10^th; 1).

 

K-State travels to Lubbock, Texas, this Saturday to take on Texas Tech at 11 a.m., inside Jones AT&T Stadium. The game will be shown nationally on FS1.

 

The Wildcats return home on November 11, when they face West Virginia, a game that serves as Fort Riley Day. Only scattered singles and standing-room only seating options remain for the game. Scattered singles are priced at $35 and can be purchased by clicking here. Standing-room only tickets are on sale for $65 and are available by clicking here, while a $149 Wildcat 4 Pack is available by clicking here.

 

RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Big 12 Conference and ABC/ESPN announced Monday morning that Kansas State’s November 11 home game against West Virginia – a contest that serves as Fort Riley Day – will kick off at 2:30 p.m., and be televised nationally by either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

 

It marks the second-straight year the matchup between the Wildcats and Mountaineers will be shown on an ESPN network as last year’s game was on ESPNU.

 

K-State leads the all-time series against WVU, 5-2, including a 4-1 mark since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012. The Wildcats won their first home game over West Virginia, 35-12, in 2013 and clipped the Mountaineers, 24-23, two years ago in the season finale, a game that made the Wildcats bowl eligible.

 

Only scattered singles and standing-room only seating options remain for the contest against West Virginia. Scattered singles are priced at $35 and can be purchased by clicking here. Standing-room only tickets are on sale for $65 and are available by clicking here, while a $149 Wildcat 4 Pack is available by clicking here.

 

Fans are also encouraged to sign up for ReplyBuy for any game-week visiting team returns by clicking here. As always, fans looking for contiguous reserved ticket options can do so through Vivid Seats, the official secondary ticket partner of K-State Athletics, by clicking here.

 

The Wildcats face Texas Tech on Saturday inside Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. The game will kick off at 11 a.m., and be aired nationally on FS1.

 

Big 12 TV Selections for Saturday, November 11

Baylor vs. Texas Tech                      11 a.m.                 FSN

       AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas

West Virginia at K-State               2:30 p.m.             ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU

Kansas at Texas                                 5 p.m.                   Longhorn Network/Jayhawk TV

TCU at OU or OSU at ISU               7 p.m.                   FOX

TCU at OU or OSU at ISU               TBA                        ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU

– k-statesports.com –

 
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

Stats  |  Highlights  |  Postgame Press Conference 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Sophomore Xavier Sneed’s game-high 18 points paced four Wildcats in double figures, as the Wildcats eased past Fort Hays State, 79-56, in exhibition action on Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.

 

The Wildcats’ starting five accounted for 64 of the team’s 79 points scored on 58.5 percent shooting (24-of-41), including 50 percent (6-of-12) from 3-point range. Sneed was joined in double figures by juniors Dean Wade (15) and Barry Brown (14) and redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (11).

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Wildcats jumped out to an early advantage behind the strength of their shooting, including a 10-2 run out of the gate, spurred by back-to-back three-pointers from Sneed and Diarra on the opening possessions. Wade added a team-high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half, as the team shot just over 50 percent in the first half.

 

Much of the K-State scoring in the first half came in the paint, as the Wildcats scored 22 of their 37 first-half points in the paint, including two dunks from Sneed that came in the result of forced turnovers. The Wildcats forced 10 turnovers in the first half, and entered the half with a 37-30 lead.

 

In the second half, the Wildcats continued their successful day shooting, adding back-to-back threes from Sneed and Brown, as the team shot 6-of-14 from beyond the arc in the game. Junior Amaad Wainright added to the team’s dunk totals in the second half, as he collected a miss shot and threw it down. K-State outscored Fort Hays State 15-5 in second-chance points in the game.

 

Defensively, the Wildcats allowed only 12 points in the paint in the game, and forced 20 turnovers throughout the game. Brown and Mike McGuirl led K-State in steals, pick-pocketing the Tigers three times each in the game. The Wildcats added five blocks in the game, two of which came from Wade.

 

The smothering Wildcat defense held the Tigers to just 36 percent shooting (18-of-50), including 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from 3-point range. K-State also converted 20 FHSU turnovers into 27 points.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME

The leading scorer of the game, Xavier Sneed totaled 18 points in the game on 7-of-13 shooting, and added two three-pointers. He also grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds, including 2 offensive boards. Sneed only committed one turnover in the game.

 

STAT OF THE GAME

15 – The Wildcats scored 15 points in two separate categories, including second-chance points and fast-break points. K-State was able to outscore the Tigers 15-0 in fast break points in the game, and also took advantage of second chances, outscoring the Tigers 15-5 in second-chance points.

 

IN THEIR WORDS

K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber

On the game…

“I thought we did some very good things. I said all summer that our older guys should be some of the better players in the league. Xavier [Sneed] came back and really played at a high level. You can see that Dean [Wade] is much more confident and aggressive. We have to keep him growing and get him the ball. We wanted him to at least get 10-12 shots today and he got 10. I would have liked a few more I thought he passed up a few. Without Kamau [Stokes], Cartier [Diarra] has been pretty consistent… Barry [Brown] had some really good moments and forced a few things… We just have to get some other guys to figure out what they are good at and how they can help us. If we do that I think we will have a very very good team.”

 

On Xavier needs growth since last season…

“Some of it is confidence and experience… When we had our meeting when we got back from Sacramento Xavier said I understand now coach. I understand what it is about and how hard you have to work… I also thought Belize really helped him when he made that trip. I don’t know what happened. His maturity and perspective on life and basketball was so much better. He has been one of our best players if not our best player on a day to day basis.”

 

On having four guys in double figures…

“Based off that and thinking of Kamau [Stokes] you have a pretty good group of five. Then the only question now is what is the rest and how can they help us… I told them to just do the things you can do and gain confidence… It is slowly but truly figuring out things and gaining confidence. I figure our depth is a big plus for us but we just have to wait and see.”

 

K-State Forward Xavier Sneed

On his focuses going into the game…

“Playing aggressive, doing things we do in practice every day, and exploiting the defense, and some of the things they did wrong we were able to capitalize on them.”

 

On his main motivation from the summer and coming into a new season…

“Consistency, and having a better year of course, and having better production, and to improve every aspect of my game.”

 

On his confidence…

“It is a lot higher, coming through the summer and having a year of experience is really good for me, so I will know what to look for throughout the whole year, and it just really has helped me out as far as my consistency.”

 

K-State Forward Dean Wade

On why Fort Hays State was able to cut the lead to seven at the end of the first half…

“I think it was more us than them, we got a little lackadaisical on defense, and we kind of just got lazy. We started off the game hot, Xavier [Sneed] was in the passing lane, everything started on defense for us, but we just kind of got a little lazy on defense.”

 

On the lift that Xavier Sneed brings to the team…

“That’s one more person the defense has to worry about. If they help in, kick it out to Xavier, and that’s three. He is always in the passing lanes, there are always cautious about that. He is athletic, his steals are easy points for him, and he just takes it and dunks it. Playing against him, I feel like he is always on your mind, and casual passes he is taking it the other way.

 

Fort Hays State Head Coach Mark Johnson

On the game…

“I am proud of our guys. We really had to open up the floor and play a little bit to alleviate the pressure they put on us defensively. I thought that was the biggest thing. And then we made some shots. I think we had a stretch in the first half where we made 4-of-6 threes. When you make shots it makes you look like you are running better offense.”

 

On turnovers…

“We did fine rebounding. The biggest key to the game was that we turned it over 20 times. They had like 27 points off our turnovers. They did a good job pressuring us and we just could not handle the pressure and turned it over too much. We had a hard time getting our offense going and having good possessions.”

 

On how playing K-State prepares you going forward…

“We did not put a lot of preparation in to this game. We were more worried about what we need to keep working on. It is a great experience for our guys and we are definitely appreciative that they allow us to come here and play.”

 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• K-State is now 65-20 all-time in exhibition play, including 50-9 in home exhibition games… The Wildcats are now 44-9 in exhibition games at Bramlage Coliseum with 22 consecutive wins dating back to 2003… Overall, the team has now won 5 straight in exhibition play since 2016.
• K-State used a starting lineup of redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra, junior Barry Brown Jr., sophomore Xavier Sneed, junior Dean Wade and junior transfer Makol Mawien… Senior Mason Schoen (ankle) and junior Kamau Stokes (wisdom tooth) did not play.
• The starting five were responsible for 64 of the team’s 79 points on 58.5 percent (24-of-41) shooting, as four registered double figures led by Sneed’s game-high 18 points.
• Diarra, who earned the start in place of Stokes, again posted double-figure points (11) to go with a game-high 6 assists (with zero turnovers) and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes.
• All 13 available players saw action, as Brown led all players with 29 minutes of action.

 

WHAT’S NEXT

K-State concludes the exhibition play on Friday, Nov. 3, as the Wildcats play host to MIAA member Emporia State in a women’s and men’s doubleheader that begins at 5:30 p.m.Tickets for both games start at just $10 with a Wildcat 4 Pack (four general admission tickets) available for just $30. The men’s game, which will tip at 8 p.m., will be broadcast on FOX Sports Kansas City, K-StateHD.TV as well as ESPN3.

 

–www.kstatesports.com–

 

Kansas State University, the nation’s first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation’s best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America’s No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).

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