COACHES

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

Overall: 367-182 (17^th year)

at K-State: 54-27 (3^rd year)

1. Oklahoma State: 4-2

Oklahoma State: Travis Ford (Kentucky ‘94)

Overall: 325-225 (18th year)

at Oklahoma State: 135-79 (7th year)

1. K-State: 5-7

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (7-6)

G – #23 Nigel Johnson (5.6 ppg., 2.4 apg.)

G – #2 Marcus Foster (14.0 ppg., 2.2 rpg.)

G – #25 Wesley Iwundu (5.2 ppg., 3.8 rpg.)

F – #11 Nino Williams (12.0 ppg., 4.8 rpg.)

F – #42 Thomas Gipson (11.8 ppg., 4.5 rpg.)

 

Oklahoma State (10-2)

G – #12 Anthony Hickey, Jr. (9.6 ppg., 3.2 apg.)

G – #13 Phil Forte III (17.1 ppg., 2.3 rpg.)

G – #22 Jeff Newberry (5.2 ppg., 1.8 rpg.)

F – #2 Le’Bryan Nash (17.9 ppg., 6.5 rpg.)

F – #20 Michael Cobbins (8.7 ppg., 6.2 rpg.)

 

INSIDE THE SERIES

Overall: K-State leads 75-50 (OSU leads 15-8 in Big 12 play)

In Manhattan: K-State leads 37-15 (W, 74-71, 1/4/2014)

In Stillwater: Oklahoma State leads 31-24 (W, 77-61, 3/3/2014)

Last Meeting: Oklahoma State, 77-61, 3/3/2014 (Stillwater, Okla.)

Weber vs. Oklahoma State: Weber leads 4-2 (0-2 on the road)

Ford vs. K-State: 5-7 (4-1 at home)

Weber vs. Ford: Weber leads 3-2 (0-2 on the road)

LAST GAME SUMMARY

Georgia 50, Kansas State 46

Game 13  *  Bramlage Coliseum  *  December 31, 2014

Kansas State saw its rally from a 15-point second half come up short, as Georgia held on to post a 50-46 win on New Year’s Eve before a sold-out crowd of 12,528 at Bramlage Coliseum. After the Wildcats had rallied to take a 46-43 lead with 2:49 to play, the Bulldogs scored the game’s final 7 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer from senior Nemanja Djurisic at 1:07 mark. The team went 3-of-4 from the free throw line to close out the game. K-State, which dropped consecutive non-conference home games for the first time in Bramlage Coliseum history, was led by senior Thomas Gipson, who posted game-highs of 19 points and 9 rebounds. The teams set 3 Bramlage Coliseum marks, including fewest combined points (96), fewest combined points in a half (32) and fewest points in a half (K-State/12). The 12 first-half points were the second-fewest in school history.

 

GAME 14 – QUICK HITTERS

• K-State (7-6) will tip off Big 12 play on Saturday, as the Wildcats travel to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State (10-2) at Gallagher-Iba Arena at 11 a.m. CT. The game will air nationally on ESPNU with Anish Shroff (play-by-play) and Reid Gettys (analyst) on the call.
• K-State is 50-51 all-time in conference openers dating back to Missouri Valley play in 1914, including 7-11 in the Big 12 era. The team is 16-32 when opening league play on the road, including 2-9 in the Big 12 era. The Wildcats have lost 3 in a row in Big 12 openers on the road with the last win coming in an 84-82 victory at Oklahoma on Jan. 12, 2008.
• K-State will open conference play vs. Oklahoma State for the 13th time with the Wildcats holding an 8-4 mark in those match-ups. Saturday’s game will mark the 4th time in the past 5 seasons that the 2 schools have opened Big 12 play with K-State holding a 2-1 record with the Wildcats winning at home in 2013 (73-67, 1/5/2013) and 2014 (74-71, 1/4/2014).
• The last time the 2 teams met in a Big 12 opener at Gallagher-Iba Arena, Oklahoma State knocked off No. 17 K-State, 76-62, on Jan. 8, 2011. The Wildcats have won just once in their last 14 trips to Stillwater since 1994 with the last win coming on Jan. 21, 2012 by a score of 66-58.
• Overall, K-State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 75-50, with the Cowboys owning a 31-24 mark at home. The 2 schools have met at least once every season since 1958.
• K-State enters Big 12 play on a 2-game losing streak after dropping non-conference home games to Texas Southern (58-56) and Georgia (50-46). It marked the 1st time that the Wildcats have lost back-to-back home game since February 13 & 25, 2012 (Kansas & Iowa State) and consecutive non-conference home games since December 8 & 17, 1987 (Missouri State and Southern Miss) in the final season of Ahearn Field House.
• K-State’s 7 wins in non-conference play are the fewest since the 2001-02 squad posted a 6-5 mark. The school had totaled at least 10 wins in non-conference play in each of the last 8 seasons.
• K-State is averaging 68.3 points on 46.9 percent shooting, including 37.6 percent from 3-point range, with 14.2 assists per game. The squad ranks in the Top 25 nationally in FT attempted (14th) and FT made (23rd).
• K-State is averaging 78.1 points on 54.6 percent shooting, including 46.6 percent from 3-point range, in its 7 wins and 56.8 points on 38.4 percent shooting, including 27.5 percent from long range, in its 6 losses.

 

THE OPPONENT: OKLAHOMA STATE (10-2)

• Oklahoma State enters Saturday’s game with a 10-2 record after rebounding from its first home loss of the season to Maryland with a 74-72 overtime win against Missouri at Kansas City’s Sprint Center… The Cowboys have won 3 of their last 4 games and are 6-1 at home this season… Prior to the loss to Maryland, the team was winning its home games by an average of 26.8 points.
• The Cowboys are averaging 73.7 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range, on the season with 37.2 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 4.9 blocks per game… They are allowing opponent 59.2 points per game on 36.9 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from beyond the arc… The team is shooting 70.0 percent from the free throw line.
• Oklahoma State is led by the 1-2 scoring punch of senior Le’Bryan Nash (17.9 ppg.) and junior Phil Forte (17.1 ppg.), who rank No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring in the Big 12… Nash is also averaging a team-best 6.5 rebounds per outing to go with a Big 12-bests in free throws made (82) and attempted (106), while Forte is tops in field goals (58), 3-point field goals (32), free throw percentage (82.6), steals (3.0 spg.) and minutes (32.3 mpg.)… LSU transfer and point guard Anthony Hickey averages 9.6 points and a team-best 3.2 assists per game, while senior Michael Cobbins, who was injuried most of 2013-14, averages 8.7 points on a team-high 71.1 percent shooting with 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
• Oklahoma State returns 8 lettermen, including 2 starter, from a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14.

The KSU pep rally at the Alamo Bowl was held Thursday at Freeman Coliseum.

Some of those in attendance include former Wildcat quarterback Michael Bishop, Retired Air Force General Richard B. Meyers, KSU Athletics Director John Currie, Head Coach Bill Snyder, and of course the Wildcat football team. ( Pictures courtesy of Rick Dykstra ).

The Valero Alamo Bowl kickoff luncheon was held in San Antonio Thursday. ( Pictures courtesy of Rick Dykstra ).

The two head coaches for the football teams in Friday night’s Alamo Bowl Bill Snyder and Jim Mora were asked about their coaching futures during a press conference Thursday in San Antonio.

Snyder was asked how many more years he plans on being the head coach at Kansas State? The coach responded by saying he had no idea.

Mora was asked if he had been contacted by the San Francisco 49ers about their head coaching opening, and if so would it be of interest to him to listen to them about what they might offer.  “I prefer to concentrate on this game tomorrow night at 5:50 against Kansas State University. I think that you do everyone a disservice that’s put so much into this season and gotten to this point if you think about anything other than the task at hand. And the task at hand  is kicking off and playing well against a great Kansas State team tomorrow.”

K-State and UCLA play in the Valero Alamo Bowl Friday night.

The Rudy’s Bar-B-Q Pep Rally on the Riverwalk in San Antonio was one of the highlights on Wednesday for K-State and UCLA fans attending the Valero Alamo Bowl football game between Kansas State and UCLA. The pictures below are from that pep rally.

The K-State Alamo Bowl pep rally is Thursday at 2 p.m. at Freeman Coliseum, 3201 East Houston Street  in San Antonio.

Kansas State Co-offensive Coordinator Dana Dimel told a Valero Alamo Bowl press conference Wednesday what the Wildcats do more than anything is look at the big picure, and most of all how can they keep the defense off the field.

“We’re very similar to UCLA when you start looking at efficiency stats and what we do in yards per attempt in the passing game. We’re really one of the most prolific passing teams in the country when you really start studying the efficiency of what we do throwing the football, and we’re really proud of that, and then we’re also the leading team in the country.

Dimel noted the Wildcats do not punt and don’t turn the ball over so if you don’t punt and turn the ball over you’re doing something else and that’s scoring, so I believe we’re No. 1 in the country in scoring efficiency.”

Wildcat wide receiver Tyler Lockett was asked about the Alamo Bowl record of 240 all-purpose yards. “I’m not worried about that. Honestly the main thing that’s on my mind is winning the game.”

Kansas State plays UCLA in the Alamo Bowl Friday at 5:45 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas.

The Wildcats’ center B. J. Finney noted the past couple of weeks practices have had a higher tempo than usual. He noted the attention to detail is always there. Finney added the entire game plan is in and the team has just been fine tuning. “We’ve had some good practices through this last week, so I’m pretty happy with it.

Both teams enter the game with records of 9-3.

The game can be heard on KJCK AM, ( 1420 ) The Talk of JC.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) – Charles Mann had 17 points and Marcus Thornton had 11 points as Georgia knocked off Kansas State 50-46 on Wednesday.

Mann led the Bulldogs in scoring for a second consecutive game and fourth time this season.

With the loss, Kansas State has dropped back-to-back non-conference home games for the first time since 1987. Thomas Gipson led Kansas State with 19 points, including a 7-of-10 performance from the free-throw line.

After falling behind by as many as 15 points, Kansas State built a 46-43 lead with 2:50 left.

However, a 3-pointer from Nemanja Djurisic thwarted its momentum, giving Georgia a 47-46 lead with 1:05 left.

The Bulldogs made three of their four final free throws and scored the game’s final seven points to clinch the road victory.

Kansas State’s 12 first-half points were the second fewest in school history.

ATLANTA (AP) – Gary Patterson knew just what to say when asked if TCU’s rout of Mississippi was a statement the Horned Frogs should have been in the four-team playoff.

“I don’t think I have to say anything,” Patterson said.

No need. The Horned Frogs said it all on the field.

Playing like a team motivated by the playoff snub, No. 6 TCU rode three touchdown passes from Trevone Boykin and a dominant defense to a 42-3 rout of No. 9 Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday.

Josh Doctson had two touchdown catches and Aaron Green ran for a score and added a touchdown reception for the Horned Frogs (12-1).

“We showed Atlanta, the crowd and everyone that we deserve to be in the playoffs competing for the national championship,” said receiver Kolby Listenbee, who threw a touchdown pass and had a scoring catch.

Added Doctson: “I think people around the nation will be talking about us for a while now.”

TCU fans also were thinking of the national championship they can’t win.

Late in the third quarter, when the lead was 42-0, TCU fans targeted the No. 1 seed in the playoff when they chanted “We want Bama!”

Ole Miss (9-4) lost four of its last six games. Bo Wallace threw three interceptions, including one caught in the Rebels end zone by defensive end James McFarland for a touchdown.

TCU looked like a championship contender to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

“TCU is a very good team,” Freeze said. “They deserved every mention they got this year to be in the hunt for one of the four. … I’m glad I’m not on that committee to pick the four. They certainly could compete with any of the four in it, there’s no question in my mind.”

The action was as lopsided as the score. TCU finished with 423 yards and allowed only 129 to Ole Miss. The Rebels were held to 9 yards rushing in the biggest margin of victory in Peach Bowl history.

TCU led 28-0 at halftime.

The Kansas State women’s basketball team defeated Samford 60-41 Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.

An 18-0 run to begin the second half lifted Kansas State to their ninth straight home court win. Freshman Shaelyn Martin led a balanced offensive attack with 10 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

The contest completed the regular season non-conference schedule for Kansas State.

Samford fell to 6-8 on the season.

LAWRENCE, Kansas (AP) — With all else failing on offense for Kansas, Kelly Oubre Jr. took control of the game.

Oubre scored 20 points and No. 13 Kansas beat Kent State 78-62 on Tuesday night.

“I just got into a rhythm early,” Oubre said. “I was just playing in the confines of the game.”

He started out hitting his first six shots, including all four of his 3-pointers.

“He absolutely carried us in the first 10 minutes of the game,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.

This was the second game in the last three where Oubre scored at least 20 points. He had 23 in Kansas’ win over Lafayette on Dec. 20. With the near back-to-back performances, Self said Oubre solidified his starting position.

“Oubre, who I know didn’t start early in the year, he was unbelievable in the first half,” Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said.” I’m sure he’s just scratching the surface.”