GAME 21

KANSAS STATE (15-5, 4-4 Big 12)

AT TENNESSEE (11-9, 4-4 SEC)

Saturday, January 28, 2017 >> 1 p.m. >> Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678) >> Knoxville, Tenn.

 COACHES

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

Overall: 407-214/19^th season

At K-State: 94-59/5^th season

1. Tennessee: 0-2 (0-1 on the road)

Tennessee: Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne ‘77)

Overall: 630-342/29th season

At Tennessee: 26-28/2nd season

1. Kansas State: 14-9 (7-4 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (15-5, 4-4 Big 12)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes (11.6 ppg., 4.6 apg.)

G: #5 Barry Brown (12.7 ppg., 3.5 rpg.)

G: #25 Wesley Iwundu (12.3 ppg., 5.6 rpg.)

F: #32 Dean Wade (9.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg.)

F: #4 D.J. Johnson (12.3 ppg., 6.4 rpg.)

Tennessee (11-9, 4-4 SEC)

G: #0 Jordan Bone (7.5 ppg., 2.7 apg.)

G: #3 Robert Hubbs III (15.2 ppg., 5.0 rpg.)

G: #23 Jordan Bowden (8.2 ppg., 2.8 rpg.)

F: #2 Grant Williams (11.0 ppg., 5.5 rpg.)

F: #11 Kyle Alexander (3.4 ppg., 3.6 rpg.)

INSIDE THE SERIES

Overall: Tennessee leads 1-0 (series dates to 2014)

In SEC/Big 12 Challenge: K-State leads 2-1 (0-1 on the road)

In Knoxville: Tennessee leads 1-0 (W, 65-64, 12/6/2014)

Current Streak: Tennessee, 1

Last Meeting: Tennessee won 65-64 in Knoxville, Tenn. (12/6/2014)

Weber vs. Tennessee: 0-2 (0-1 on the road)

Weber vs. Barnes: 4-5 (1-3 on the road)

GAME 21 – QUICK HITTERS

• Kansas State (15-5, 4-4 Big 12) continues a stretch of back-to-back road games on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on Rick Barnes and his Tennessee Volunteers (11-9, 4-4 SEC) in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge at 1 p.m. CT at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• This will the second time the two teams have met in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge with the Volunteers posting a 65-64 victory at home in the only meeting between the schools on Dec. 6, 2014.
• Overall, the Wildcats are 2-1 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge series with wins over Ole Miss at home in both 2013 (61-58) and 2016 (69-64).
• K-State will face Barnes for the 24th time in his career, including the first time at Tennessee, after he posted a 14-9 record against the Wildcats during his 17-year tenure at Texas (1999-2015).
• Saturday’s game will conclude the non-conference season, as K-State enters the contest with an 11-1 record, including a 3-1 mark away from home. The Wildcats won both true road games at Saint Louis and Colorado State. A victory would give the team 12 wins in non-conference play for the first time under head coach Bruce Weber (11 in 2012-13, 2015-16).
• K-State saw its modest 2-game winning streak in Big 12 play end in a 70-65 loss at Iowa State on Tuesday night. The Wildcats, who faced a 20-point deficit early in the second half, slowly chipped away at the deficit, using a 20-3 run to take a 58-57 lead with 5 minutes to play. However, the veteran Cyclones were able to make enough plays down the stretch to halt any further momentum and win their 6th straight at home in the series.
• Senior Wesley Iwundu led 5 Wildcats in double figures, including 4 starters, with a team-high 15 points. K-State has had 5 double-digit scorers in 5 of the last 7 games, including all 5 starters on 3 occasions. In all, the team has had 6 different leading scorers with those 6 players totaling at least 10 double-digit scoring games led by sophomore Barry Brown’s 16.
• K-State ranks among the national leaders in steals (8.5 spg./18th) and turnovers forced (16.3/24th). The Wildcats have helped force double-digit turnovers in 18 games, including 10 or more steals 7 times, and have scored at least 12 points off those turnovers in 19 games. The team is averaging 17.8 points off of turnovers, including 16.1 points in Big 12 play.
• K-State fell 3 spots in the NCAA RPI with the Iowa State loss to No. 42 and remains one of 7 Big 12 schools in the Top 45, while the ESPN BPI lists 8 of the 10 Big 12 schools in the Top 50 with the Wildcats at 31st.

THE OPPONENT: TENNESSEE (11-9, 4-4 SEC)

• Tennessee enters Saturday’s game with an 11-9 record and a 4-4 mark in SEC play after an 82-80 win over No. 4 Kentucky at home on Tuesday… The Volunteers are 7-3 at home this season, including 5-1 in non-conference play.
• The Volunteers are averaging 78 points on 44.4 percent shooting, including 33.6 percent from 3-point range, on the season with 37.5 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game… They are allowing opponents 74.3 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from beyond the arc… The team is shooting 72.6 percent from the free throw line.
• The Volunteers are one of the youngest teams in the country with 10 of their 12 players either freshmen or sophomores… Senior Robert Hubbs III is the only senior in a lineup of three freshmen and one sophomore, as he paces the squad at 15.2 points per game on 52.1 percent shooting… Freshman Grant Williams (11.0 ppg.) also averages double figures to go with team-highs in rebounds (5.5 rpg.) and blocks (2.1 bpg.)…  Redshirt freshman Lamonte Turner is tops in assists (3.1 apg.).
• Tennessee is led by second-year coach Rick Barnes, who has a 630-342 record in his 30th season as a head coach and a 26-28 mark with the Volunteers… He has led teams at George Mason, Providence, Clemson and Texas to 20 NCAA Tournaments… He posted a 402-180 record during his 17-year tenure with the Longhorns, including 14-9 mark against K-State during that span.

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES

• This will be just the second meeting between the two schools with Tennessee leading 1-0.
• The Vols won the first and only meeting in the third SEC/Big 12 Challenge, posting a 65-64 win at home on Dec. 6, 2014.
• K-State has a 161-148 all-time records against SEC teams, including a 48-82 mark on the road… If you remove the meetings with former Big 12 foes Missouri (120-116) and Texas A&M (18-8), the Wildcats are 23-24 against the rest of the SEC.
• The Wildcats went 3-1 vs. SEC teams last season, defeating Missouri, 66-42, at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Nov. 23, 2015, winning at Georgia, 68-66, on Dec. 4, 2015 and posting a 69-64 win over Ole Miss on Jan. 30, 2016 at home in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to go with a 78-68 loss at Texas A&M on Dec. 12, 2015.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 0-2 all-time against Tennessee, losing 87-74 at the Puerto Rico Tipoff on Dec. 22, 1999 while at Southern Illinois and 65-64 on Dec. 6, 2014 in Knoxville… He is 4-5 all-time against Rick Barnes, including 1-3 on the road.

Kansas coach Bill Self says a police investigation of an alleged rape at his team’s dorm has given him no reason yet to discipline anyone as the second-ranked Jayhawks prepare to play at No. 4 Kentucky.

Self on Thursday publicly acknowledged the investigation of the alleged sexual attack last month of a 16-year-old girl at McCarthy Hall has become a “major distraction” heading into Saturday’s showdown.

No charges have been filed, and police have not publicly identified any suspects. Five of Self’s players are listed as witnesses on the police report.

Self is deferring to police in declining to publicly discuss what any of the players have confided in him about the matter he says he learned about from the athletics department the day it was reported Dec. 18.

The Kansas City Chiefs have hired Greg Lewis as their new wide receivers coach.

Lewis spent last season in the same role for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he began his NFL career in 2003 as a free agent under coach Andy Reid — now his new boss in Kansas City. He played eight seasons with the Eagles (2003-08) and Vikings (2009-10), playing in all four of Philadelphia’s NFC Championship games and catching a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Lewis was an assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 2015 after three seasons coaching in college.

Abilene 52, Concordia 43

Andale 59, Augusta 50

Baxter Springs 48, Girard 43

Bishop Seabury Academy 75, Cair Paravel 45

Blue Valley 80, Gardner-Edgerton 59

Bonner Springs 57, Paola 45

Burlington 65, Chase County 39

BV Northwest 61, BV North 59

Central Burden 46, Argonia 43

Chanute 62, Parsons 50

Chase 59, Natoma 39

Cimarron 38, Johnson-Stanton County 24

Coffeyville 67, Labette County 52

Columbus 59, Southeast 40

Deerfield 56, Moscow 55

Derby 66, Maize South 65

Dighton 47, Otis-Bison 41

Ellis 77, Victoria 51

Erie 47, Fredonia 44

Eudora 59, Atchison 32

Frontenac 69, Galena 64

Garden City 62, Ulysses 52

Goddard-Eisenhower 69, Maize 48

Hanover 75, Centralia 49

Holton 42, Jefferson West 38

Hoxie 60, Hill City 48

Humboldt 63, Bluestem 51

Hutchinson Trinity 54, Smoky Valley 46

Independence 57, Fort Scott 56

Jayhawk Linn 43, Uniontown 40

Kapaun Mount Carmel 60, Wichita Heights 53

KC Harmon 71, KC Bishop Ward 41

LaCrosse 52, Ellinwood 50

Lakeside 52, Lincoln 42

Lawrence Free State 74, Lansing 42

Louisburg 56, DeSoto 40

Maranatha Academy 63, Immaculata 48

McPherson 65, Newton 53

Mission Valley 34, Northern Heights 31

Nemaha Central 53, Perry-Lecompton 48

Neodesha 50, Cherryvale 47

Northeast-Arma 54, Chetopa 43

Northern Valley 79, Stockton 77, OT

Norton 48, Trego 44

Olathe South 75, KC Wyandotte 61

Onaga 56, Valley Heights 47

Osage City 56, Lyndon 50

Osborne 56, Wilson 31

Oswego 47, Marmaton Valley 42

Pike Valley 58, Thunder Ridge 32

Plainville 44, Logan 30

Quinter 46, Golden Plains 26

Riverton 54, Quapaw, Okla. 35

Rock Hills 55, Tescott 29

Salina Sacred Heart 63, Beloit 51

Scott City 34, Lakin 33

Silver Lake 71, Santa Fe Trail 52

Smith Center 60, Russell 57

Solomon 66, Clifton-Clyde 51

Southwestern Hts. 56, Forgan, Okla. 55

St. Francis 72, Rawlins County 42

St. Mary’s Academy 90, Wichita Sunrise 63

Sylvan-Lucas 51, Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 31

Tonganoxie 53, Heritage Christian 52, OT

Troy 65, Doniphan West 45

Veritas Christian 69, Baldwin 65

Wamego 54, Council Grove 38

Washington County 72, Linn 42

Wichita Bishop Carroll 58, Wichita North 29

Wichita Home School 49, Oxford 38

Wichita Independent 62, Medicine Lodge 52

Wichita Northwest 68, Wichita West 44

Wichita South 83, Wichita Southeast 79

Hartford 75, Marais des Cygnes Valley 37

Southern Coffey 57, Olpe 43

Ashland 51, Minneola 38

Kiowa County 62, South Central 55

South Gray 77, Ingalls 36

Spearville 73, Pawnee Heights 33

Meade vs. Hooker, Okla., ccd.

Wray, Colo. vs. Goodland, ppd.

Atchison 56, Eudora 52

Beloit 57, Salina Sacred Heart 31

Blue Valley 45, Wakefield 27

BV North 62, BV Northwest 49

BV Randolph 45, Wakefield 27

Cair Paravel 43, Bishop Seabury Academy 22

Caney Valley 46, Eureka 22

Canton-Galva 47, Inman 45, OT

Chanute 26, Parsons 21

Chase 39, Natoma 36

Cherryvale 48, Neodesha 31

Cimarron 66, Johnson-Stanton County 45

Clifton-Clyde 38, Solomon 37

Columbus 44, Southeast 24

Concordia 55, Abilene 42

Council Grove 48, Wamego 31

Doniphan West 41, Troy 25

Ellinwood 43, LaCrosse 35

Ellis 68, Victoria 28

Fairfield 41, Belle Plaine 27

Galena 41, Frontenac 36

Girard 44, Baxter Springs 24

Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud 49, Sylvan-Lucas 41

Golden Plains 45, Quinter 36

Hanover 66, Centralia 64, OT

Hoxie 54, Hill City 42

Humboldt 56, Bluestem 32

Hutchinson Trinity 40, Smoky Valley 29

Independence 36, Fort Scott 26

Jefferson West 45, Holton 43

Lakeside 50, Lincoln 33

Lebo 50, Madison/Hamilton 46Lee’s Summit Community Christian, Mo. 37, KC Christian 32

Lyndon 43, Osage City 36

Northeast-Arma 45, Chetopa 30

Norton 49, Trego 36

Oakley 43, Colby 35

Olathe East 41, Blue Valley 36

Olathe North 71, Barstow, Mo. 39

Oswego 40, Marmaton Valley 33

Otis-Bison 34, Dighton 33

Ottawa 41, Highland Park 34

Palco 47, Western Plains-Healy 37

Plainville 45, Logan 35

Riverton 29, Quapaw, Okla. 12

Russell 65, Smith Center 31

Scott City 63, Lakin 50

Sedgwick 61, Clearwater 42

Silver Lake 35, Santa Fe Trail 19

St. Francis 39, Rawlins County 36

Stockton 65, Northern Valley 27

Tescott 42, Rock Hills 20

Thunder Ridge 62, Pike Valley 24

Tonganoxie 47, Heritage Christian 38

Udall 43, Flinthills 38

Uniontown 42, Jayhawk Linn 33

Valley Heights 66, Onaga 42

Veritas Christian 58, Topeka Heritage Christian 31

Washington County 61, Linn 45

Wichita Independent 50, Chaparral 26

Wilson 50, Osborne 28

Yates Center 45, Pleasanton 37

Berean Academy 46, Douglass 21

Goessel 65, Stafford 16

Halstead 44, Wichita Trinity 34, OT

Hutchinson Central Christian 51, Burrton 20

Hiawatha 50, Falls City, Neb. 32

Horton 59, Marysville 48

Nemaha Central 59, Lansing JV 23

St. Mary’s 43, Jackson Heights 41

Moundridge 57, Ell-Saline 40

Wichita Life Prep 66, Macksville 39

Ness City 56, Little River 44

Jefferson North 47, Atchison County 22

Pleasant Ridge 54, Cornerstone Family 44

Rossville 60, Oskaloosa 37

Valley Falls 54, Perry-Lecompton 40

KC Bishop Ward 72, KC Northeast, Mo. 33

KC Turner 66, KC Harmon 15

KC Washington 56, East (Kansas City), Mo. 40

Lebo 50, Madison/Hamilton 46

Olpe 75, Marais des Cygnes Valley 14

Arkansas City 32, Mulvane 27

Wichita West 62, Wichita Campus 38

Cunningham 56, Pretty Prairie 35

Medicine Lodge 40, Attica 30

Norwich 54, Pratt Skyline 37

South Barber 61, Kinsley 55

KC Piper 56, Anderson County 36

Spring Hill 59, Louisburg 57

Baldwin 67, Lansing 37

Goodland vs. Wray, Colo., ppd.

Meade vs. Hooker, Okla., ccd.

Senior Matt Thomas scored a career-high 25 points and Iowa State held off a furious Kansas State rally to win 70-65 on Tuesday night for its fourth victory in six games.

Naz Mitrou-Long had 13 and Monte Morris scored 12 for the Cyclones (13-6, 5-3 Big 12), who blew a 46-26 lead but survived after Mitrou-Long’s steal and free throws with 21 seconds left.

Thomas, who entered averaging 11 points per outing, scored 20 points in a blistering first half as Iowa State jumped ahead 43-26. Thomas opened the second half with a 3-pointer to make it a 20-point game.

It seemed over — until K-State (15-5, 4-4) answered with a stunning 32-11 run that gave it a 58-57 lead with just over five minutes left.

Morris scored on back-to-back possessions to give Iowa State the lead back, and Deonte Burton’s layup with 39 seconds to go gave the Cyclones a cushion that proved crucial in the closing moments.

Wesley Iwundu had 15 points for the Wildcats. Their three road losses in the Big 12 have come by a total of eight points.

Markis McDuffie scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds as Wichita State routed Southern Illinois 87-45 on Tuesday night to win their third straight.

Darral Willis Jr. had 15 points and Shaquille Morris 10 for the Shockers (18-4, 8-1 Missouri Valley), who haven’t lost at home to the Salukis since Feb. 8, 2011.

Willis’ layup put the Shockers up for good, 10-8, and sparked a 13-2 run capped by Rauno Nurger’s 3-pointer. Zach Brown’s free throw capped a 17-4 run and Wichita State led 39-22 at halftime after shooting 53.8 percent from the floor.

Esa Ahmad broke out of a shooting slump with a career-high 27 points to lead No. 18 West Virginia to an 85-69 victory over No. 2 Kansas on Tuesday night.

The Mountaineers (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) beat Kansas (18-2, 7-1) for the fourth straight time in Morgantown and snapped the Jayhawks’ 18-game winning streak.

Ahmad led West Virginia in scoring over the first two months of the season but entered Tuesday’s game with four straight games in single digits. He scored West Virginia’s first eight points against Kansas and finished 10 of 17 from the field.

West Virginia blew a double-digit lead after halftime for the third straight game. Svi Mykhailiuk’s 3-pointer put the Jayhawks ahead 59-58 midway through the second half. But that was their last lead.