MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman announced his inaugural signing class in Manhattan on Wednesday with the announcement of seven more student-athletes who plan on joining the K-State football program in 2019. With the seven signees on Wednesday, K-State’s current class comes to 23 players.

 

The 2019 K-State signing class features a pair of FBS transfers in former Ball State running back James Gilbert and New Mexico safety Marcus Hayes in addition to community-college transfersJonathan Alexander and Ty Zentner, while the remaining 19 are from the high school ranks. Of the 23 players, all four transfers and high school quarterback Jaren Lewis are currently enrolled at K-State and will participate in spring practices.

 

K-State’s Class of 2019 includes 12 players on offense and 10 on defense, while Zentner is a punter/kicker. The class is comprised of six defensive backs, four running backs, three defensive tackles, two apiece of offensive linemen, quarterbacks and wide receivers, and one linebacker, one fullback, one punter/kicker and one tight end.

 

In addition to signing five players from the state of Kansas and one from the Kansas City area (Clyde Price), the state with the highest amount of signees was Texas with six. The Wildcats also signed two from Illinois, two from Missouri, and one apiece from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

 

K-State continued its recent stretch of tapping into the state of Georgia with now 15 hailing from the Peach State over the last six signing classes. The Wildcats also sourced the high school ranks in Florida for the first time since 2009, while running back Joe Ervin became the first prep player from the state of South Carolina to ink with K-State since at least 1998.

 

K-STATE SIGNING DAY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Head Coach Chris Klieman

Opening Statement…

“Good afternoon everybody. Welcome to the second signing period. We are excited about adding seven players to the group of 16 that we had before. We hit a number of different areas. I think the biggest thing that we were looking for in the second half of the signing period was to continue to shore up our skill positions, as well as the defensive tackle position. As a staff this afternoon, we talked about the amount of speed that we have in this class. That was something that we went out and tried to make sure that we were able to hit those things, as far as getting the fast kids. Whether it is a running back or whether it is a DB or wide receiver, whatever it may be. They can play a lot of different things and they can be really versatile, to find the skill kids that can really run. We have a number of upperclassmen defensive linemen. Those are typically developmental guys, not that any of them could not come in here and play as a true freshman. We will give everybody that opportunity, but we need to develop some guys in the D-tackle position. Great job by our staff. We really hit the ground running in January after the convention. We had 10 days on the road without school, which really helped us to get into some people’s homes, go to schools, keep digging and finding players. Then, we had two recruiting weekends and those were big weekends for us, great weekends for us. We were able to get a few kids even in the last recruiting weekend, which typically is difficult to do because the last weekend a lot of times is set aside for either walk-ons only or late guys that maybe were additional. We were able to land a bunch of those on that last weekend, so the two weekends we had were really productive. I can’t thank the professors on campus, the campus community and the community as a whole enough, they did a great job with these young men and their families as they came in. President [Richard] Myers was even on a flight with a few of them and did a great job of selling Kansas State. He was an integral part of us getting a couple of kids, as well. The support that our staff has received, as well as the support that we have on campus when we bring these recruits in, I think is unmatched. With that being said, we will open up for questions.”

 

On West Coast recruiting and Mike Tuiasosopo…

“Moving forward it will be a part. We will stay on the West Coast. I think Coach [Mike] Tui has as good a name as there is in college football. When we interviewed him at the convention, he was a great football coach. We have a lot of great football coaches, but what I saw in Tui was a guy that could build relationships and had a ton of relationships on the West Coast. He was able to get in on some players that maybe we either did not have the opportunity or had not been in those specific schools’ locations. We told him, ‘Tui, hit the ground running.’ I do not know if there is a better recruiter out on the West Coast than Tui, and he was able to get a couple great ones.”

 

On defensive tackle Matthew Pola-Mao…

“Explosive. Relentless. Great motor. Really strong. Hungry kid. I so enjoyed having him and his parents here this past weekend. Matthew had a lot of opportunities and his parents did as well – going to see different places. They had a relationship with [Mike] Tui with their other son, and I think they felt really comfortable. Not only with Coach Tui, but once they came to K-State with all of us coaches. That was the thing that we tried to hit upon with every recruit that came here. You are not just going to get to know the position coach or the recruiting coach or the coordinator or the head coach. We are going to put you with everybody. All of us are going to spend the right amount of time with you so that you do build more relationships than just one or two guys. When you look at the guys that we were able to secure late, that was the thing that was the common theme that we had heard from the parents or the student athlete – ‘I felt comfortable with so many coaches on your staff and that is why I know my son is going to be in great shape’.”

 

On running back Thomas Grayson…

“He’s really fast – 10.7 hundred meter. A guy that, as a running back, he catches the ball out of the backfield, so in our system he can flex out and be a slot guy, he can be in the backfield, be a special teams guy, be a return guy. We’re excited as well. Jason Ray is from Tulsa, Jason’s our wide receivers coach, he’s from the Tulsa area and he has great ties down there. So, we are going to continue there but the Lockett name, it resonates with these kids and we are going to continue to utilize the Lockett name as well as many other names. But we’re really excited about Thomas.”

 

On where he sees Joshua Youngblood playing…

“I see Josh getting the football in his hands, however that is – receiving, running back, returns. Watch his highlight film. He is a special talent.”

 

On what defensive back Kenyon Reed brings…

“We think he will run a sub-10.6 this year in the 100 [meter dash]. He can flat fly. That’s something that you need to have at the corner position. We see him as a corner. He played a ton of wide receiver in high school, and I think a lot of people were recruiting him only as a wide receiver, but we needed corners, and we needed corners that could really run. That’s what excited him and that’s what enabled us to get him to come on the visit late. He had some really good offers, and we said we see him as a defensive player and that excited him and his folks. When you have the ability to run, one thing hard to change is speed and he has a great ability to run. And in this league, we need kids who can run to play corner.”

 

On if there was anything that still needs to be done…

“No, I like what we did. We were trying to find kids that can really run. That was the number one thing when you come into it. It’s difficult when you are going late to see how many kids you can flip and all those other things. We wanted to find guys that wanted to come to Kansas State. And when we would reach out to young men and we talked about Kansas State, if we could get them excited quickly, then we were going to stay in on them. If we couldn’t get them excited quickly, then in my mind they probably weren’t going to be a good fit anyway. So, when we found those guys, we attacked those guys with a number of coaches and it just happened to be the fact that the defensive tackle position was able to get enhanced. Then it was neat when a lot of those kids that were really excited could really run.”

 

On the approach to the redshirt rule…

“I hope all of them play four games. That’s the plan. All of them have an opportunity at some time. The great thing about me saying that is, does that mean you are going to have all 23 of these kids on an opening day lineup running down on kickoff and being on special teams? There will be a number of kids that mentally and physically aren’t ready to do that. [That] doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be ready to do that on October 1st or November 1st. That’s something that we are all kind of new to that process [from] last year. The experience that I received coaching for 15 games, I could see the benefit of it. It didn’t matter when you played that young man, if there was always that carrot that the more you learn and the more you understood, the more gameplan-wise, offense and defense, you could understand as well as the more your body matured, you were going to have a chance to play. It doesn’t matter when that is, those kids just want the opportunity. So, I will never put on it and say, ‘Boy, you are going to play the first four or the mid four or the last four’. We’ll see where they are at, but a lot of these kids are going to have an opportunity.”

 

On what K-State and Manhattan meant to recruiting…

“The people. It’s still the same thing. When we have these young men and their families on campus or I’m in a home or school visiting, you have to come and see the people. It doesn’t take much to see how great the people are here. I’ve not been here very long, but whether I’m on campus or off campus, people have been overwhelmingly supportive of myself and the staff, and that is what you are trying to sell. When we take a family to a restaurant or we are on campus or wherever we may be, how much they are welcomed, those people see it. The families see it. I pulled into a gas station – ‘Welcome to Manhattan, hope you enjoy your visit at Kansas State.’ Not only that, they all know who these kids are. That’s pretty special, too, when a kid comes in and says, ‘Oh, you’re the running back they are talking about.’ How’d you hear that? Word travels pretty quickly and there is social media that Wildcat nation is on and I love it. Those kids come in on a Friday and say, ‘Hey, I stopped at this gas station and a bunch of people knew who I was’. That’s Kansas State, that’s Wildcat football and that’s what I’m excited about and now you put on top of that the relationships our staff have with these young men and are developing, and I think you have a home run.”

 

On the ideal defensive line depth…

“We would like to play as many as we can, in an upwards of eight. If there is 10 that can play, we’d play 10. But we want to make sure that we have a young man as fresh in the first quarter as he is in the fourth quarter. If that means we play a kid for 40 plays and another for 60 plays, if you are able to give them a blow and give them a break somewhere along the line, it’s going to make them better when the game is on the line. Let’s be honest, we have to win in the fourth quarter. Our hope is with our style of offense and style of defense that we play, we will eliminate some of the 90-100 play defensive games… and 80 plays is a lot. I get on Coach [Messingham] so often to say, ‘It’s okay. Three and half yards each pop is okay. We can get that first down, keep moving the chains, keep our defense rested and keep that offense on the sideline.’ We will see how things play out in the spring, but there’s great competition there. I love the depth we have right now in the defensive line, but a lot of those kids are upperclassmen. That’s why we need to bring these young kids in.”

 

On handling the defensive coordinator situation…

“Well, when you hire great football coaches, great coaches are going to have opportunities. Not only that, but I’m hiring people I know. People I’m really familiar with. When I hired Ted [Monachino], he was a great fit and excited and then he got an opportunity to go to the Chicago Bears. I respect Ted, I love Ted, and that was the best thing for him and his family. That’s what we are always look for as head coaches, to help your assistants continue to improve in the profession. Is it difficult to lose a coach? You bet. But I’m not going to stand in somebody’s way that he feels is a better fit for his family. And then I was able to call Scottie [Hazelton]. Scottie and I worked together, and Scottie is a tremendous coach and a tremendous person. Because the players haven’t been around yet and we hadn’t started game planning because we were in the recruiting process, it has been pretty seamless in my mind.”

 

On losing Blake Seiler…

“I know Blake very little, but I loved him when I was here. He was great. I told a couple people when I first got the job, there were three people who were in my ear all the time. One was Taylor Braet, which I didn’t like him in my ear all the time but he was all the time, and the other two were Collin [Klein] and Blake. That told me that those two coaches not only wanted to get hired and stay here, but they really cared about Kansas State. Obviously, you can see that because they both played. I know Blake struggled with the decision and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Blake. Blake is a great man and a great football coach, and once again I want what is best for people and their families, and if that is the best move for him and his family, I’m going to support him because that is what we do as head coaches, try to support our coaches.”

 

On running back Clyde Price…

“Obviously with Clyde, he is a bigger back, which is something we were looking for. It is hard to find big backs that can really run and when you get them right in your backyard, you need to try to keep them. We tried to get Clyde on the early signing period. I respected him wanting to go through the process and getting to know the coaches we were going to bring in. I so enjoyed his parents. His parents felt comfortable with their son at Kansas State. Collin Klein and Conor Riley did a phenomenal job recruiting him and staying on him. In the end, Kansas State was the best place for him as a running back and a big kid that is one of the many in our offense to have an opportunity to play four games, 12 games or 13 games.”

 

On strong 2020 class in Kansas…

“That turns to the focus right now obviously after that 2019 class. The 2020 class in Kansas and Missouri has some extremely good talent there. We will go out and attack those guys as soon as we can, and we’ll try to get some of them on campus here this winter.”

 

On looking for more tight ends…

“We looked at length. As you can imagine, when you look for tight ends, especially in the offense we run, you almost look for glorified offensive tackles. We receive a lot of tapes on guys flexed out, catching the ball and running around, which is great, but it does not really fit the skill set that we are looking for. Not many kids put a highlight tape together of them mauling somebody at the line of scrimmage. We are going to find that within the program and that is something that as coaches we enjoy doing. Whether that is at a defensive end position, an undersized offensive lineman or linebacker, it is something we feel we are going to have to get in our program this first year. Moving forward when we have the full cycle, we will find a few more of the type of guys that fit our system.”

 

On using social media to help recruiting efforts…

“It is tremendously important and Van [Malone] does a great job. It is fun to watch him on weekends. All of our guys are active on social media. It is a new wave and we all are going to be active. It is a way to keep in touch with guys. Maybe they don’t respond in one form, but they do in another form. It is just trying to find that niche of how you can get a hold of guys. I think Van and all of our staff does a tremendous job of reaching out to these kids and maintaining a constant dialogue. The important thing is building that relationship. I am still a big face-to-face conversation guy, but you only get so many opportunities. When they get on campus it is important to get them and their families in front of as many coaches as you can and giving them quality time. That is where I think we do an exceptional job.”

 

On running back James Gilbert…

“I haven’t been here enough because I have been on the road the past three weeks. The few workouts I have been able to attend, I have been really been impressed with his movement skills and his ability to burst. I do not expect James to come in and lead an offense. I expect him to stay humble, learn from the guys and how to do it the Kansas State way. I appreciate the people he is following right now. They are the right guys to follow. I am excited for his skill set to fit well in our system.”

 

On quarterback Skylar Thompson…

“The biggest thing is to get comfortable with our system. There is some new verbiage, new language and meshing with Coach [Courtney] Messingham, Coach [Conor] Riley and Coach [Collin] Klein. All three of those guys are going to work in tandems. Conor is really an integral part of our run offense, so he is really going to work with Skylar as well as Collin in the passing game. Skylar just needs to be Skylar. That is what excites me about him. I just enjoy being around him because he is a servant leader. He makes others around him better. He is a sponge. He comes up into the office and wants to watch film and learn more. He is trying a way to get my old buddy Easton Stick out here because nobody ran our system better. He was 49-3 and he thinks he can learn a thing or two. Skylar is excited about that. If we can just do little things like that to get him comfortable with our offense and system to make him better.”

 

On community-college transfer Jonathan Alexander…

“The biggest benefit of not starting school until January 22 is being able to land Jonathan a week later. He was able to get in school here and not miss any classes. He is a wonderful athlete. A lot of times kids come in to winter workouts here to get into shape, and he is in phenomenal shape. He is a specimen. He is 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and not an ounce of fat on him. He can really run and change directions. The learning curve will be big for him. How quickly can he pick up Coach [Scottie] Hazelton’s defense? The good thing is he is going to be on the same level as everybody else in Coach Hazelton’s defense. You know the guys already in Big 12 football are going to have the advantages because they are used to game plans and things. I have been impressed with him.”

 

On running back Tyler Burns…

“Collin [Klein] kind of set me up with Tyler. We just visited with him and he understands the need at the running back position. I visited with him and his father and wanted him to have the opportunity to come back. I heard nothing but great things about him. I asked the leaders of the team and they really enjoyed him. He is back and will have an opportunity to compete at the running back position.”

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics

 

 

 

The St. Xavier High School boys basketball team defeated Flint Hills Christian in the homecoming game at the Bradley Gym Tuesday night 70-46.

The St. Xavier Middle School boys basketball teams defeated Heritage Christian at Heritage Christian Tuesday night. The girls team won 23-11 and the boys team won 37-22.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kamau Stokes trailed Cartier Diarra all the way to the basket, the senior guard watching right along with every Kansas State fan that squeezed into Bramlage Coliseum to see its showdown with Kansas.

He knew the springy sophomore guard would do something special.

With nobody else around him, Diarra elevated for an NBA-style windmill dunk, putting a highlight exclamation point on a 74-67 victory over the No. 13 Jayhawks on Tuesday night — one that snapped an eight-game skid against Kansas and consolidated the Wildcats’ lead atop the Big 12.

“I mean, this is our first time beating Kansas since we’ve been here,” Stokes said with a broad grin, “so it definitely means a lot for us. Staying first in the Big 12, that means a lot. So we just have to keep this momentum going.”

Barry Brown scored 18 points, Xavier Sneed added 14 and Dean Wade had 12 for the Wildcats (17-5, 7-2), who dropped the Jayhawks (17-6, 6-4) to 1-6 in true road games this season.

“Just a big-time win for us, the seniors,” Brown said, “and our teammates. It was a game we knew we wanted to win, not just for our seniors but for everyone — our fans, ourselves.”

Dedric Lawson led the Jayhawks with 18 points and nine rebounds, but the league’s leading scorer was just 6 of 15 from the floor. He also took such a physical beating in the old-school Big 12 showdown that he limped to the bench at one point in the second half.

Devon Dotson added 13 points before fouling out. The freshman also committed four of the Jayhawks 23 turnovers, continuing what has been a season-long issue with ball-handling on the road.

They’re averaging 17 per game in their six losses.

“People think there’s a common theme: turnovers,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “It’s leadership. It’s toughness. It’s inexperience. There are a lot of things that go into it. We could have come over here and played great tonight and still lost. They have a great team.”

Buoyed by an electric home crowd, Kansas State raced to a 14-6 lead in the opening minutes, using their league-best defense to create turnovers and breaking down the Jayhawks’ man-to-man defense.

That’s when Self, generally reluctant to switch defenses, went to a 2-3 zone.

It immediately slowed down the Wildcats, just as it did when Texas A&M used it so successfully in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge. Kansas slowly chipped into its deficit, then embarked on a 13-0 charge late in the first half, when the Wildcats went nearly 8 minutes without scoring a point.

Kansas eventually carried a 33-30 edge into halftime.

It didn’t last long.

The Wildcats turned once again to a defense that has held 13 opponents to 60 points or fewer this season, then turned another bushel of turnovers into easy run-outs. By the time Wade scored with 10:37 to go, the Wildcats had not only regained the lead but stretch it to eight.

Kansas chipped away again, and it looked as though Lagerald Vick would finally heat up when he buried a 3 with about 6 minutes to go. But the Wildcats finally started to make a couple free throws, and a 3 by Diarra and transition layup by Brown made it 63-56 with 3:52 left.

Vick answered with a 3 a few minutes later, and Dotson’s driving layup got Kansas within 64-61 with 1:38 to go. But the veteran Wildcats maintained their poise — Sneed buried his 3 in front of his own bench, and Diarra’s windmill dunk in transition put an exclamation mark on the win.

“I knew there was a great chance they’d get a little rhythm. We were hoping they wouldn’t but I knew,” Self said. “Give them credit. Their defense was so much better than our offense it was comical.”

The American Legion Post 45 in Junction City will host a fundraiser breakfast on Saturday to benefit the American Legion baseball team.

This is scheduled from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Post Home at 201 East 4th Street. The menu will include biscuits & gravy, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, juice and coffee.

The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children 10 and under. Tickets are available through the American Legion Post 45 Lounge. Donations will also be accepted. Call 785-238-2432 or Brian Field at 785-210-5188 and the American Legion Baseball team.

The meal is open to the public. Make all checks payable to American Legion Baseball.

KANSAS STATE (16-5, 6-2 Big 12) vs. 13/14 KANSAS (17-5, 6-3 Big 12)

Tuesday, February 5, 2019 >> 8:05 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

290^th Dillons Sunflower Showdown

 

TELEVISION

ESPN / ESPN3

College Basketball/NBA Crossover

• Jon Sciambi (play-by-play)
• Stan Van Gundy (analyst)
• Chauncey Billups (analyst)
• Joe McCoy (producer)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

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

 

 

COACHES

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

Overall: 454-240/21^st season

At K-State: 141-85/7^th season

1. Kansas: 2-14 (2-4 at home)

 

Kansas: Bill Self (Oklahoma State ’85)

Overall: 671-206/26^th season

At Kansas: 464-101/16^th season

1. Kansas State: 28-5 (11-4 on the road)

 

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (16-5, 6-2 Big 12)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

 

13/14 Kansas (17-5, 6-3 Big 12)

G: #5 Quentin Grimes

G: #11 Devon Dotson

G: #24 Lagerald Vick

G: #30 Ochai Agbaji

F: #1 Dedric Lawson

 

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Kansas leads 196-93

Current Streak: Kansas, 8

In Manhattan: Kansas leads 78-47

At Bramlage Coliseum: Kansas leads 26-4

Last Meeting: L, 67-83, 3/9/18

Weber vs. Self: 3-15 (3-4 at home)

 

OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (16-5, 6-2 Big 12) renews one of the oldest rivalries in the sport on Tuesday, as the Wildcats welcome archrival and No. 13/14 Kansas (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) to Bramlage Coliseum in the 290th edition of the Dillon Sunflower Showdown. The game will tip at 8:05 p.m., CT on ESPN with Jon Sciambi (play-by-play), Stan Van Gundy (analyst) and Chauncey Billups (analyst) on the call in the college basketball/NBA Crossover game.
• K-State enters Tuesday’s game in a 2-way tie for first place in the Big 12 with a hot Baylor squad, which has won 7 of its last 8 games, as both sit just a half-game ahead of No. 13/14 Kansas and No. 17/16 Iowa State (17-5, 6-3 Big 12). Not far from the pack is No. 18/18 Texas Tech (17-5, 5-4 Big 12) and Texas (12-10, 4-5 Big 12).
• K-State extended its winning streak to 6 games in Big 12 play with an all-around impressive performance at Oklahoma State on Saturday, as the Wildcats hit on 16 3-point field goals — the second-most triples in school history — to propel themselves to a 75-57 victory at Gallagher-Iba. The 16 made 3-point field goals were the most-ever in a conference game and the most since the Wildcats connected on a school-record 23 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994. Eight different Wildcats has at least one 3-pointer, including a career-tying 5 by senior Barry Brown, Jr.
• K-State were stellar on both ends of the court, scoring a Big 12-high 75 points on 53.1 percent (26-of-49) shooting, including 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from 3-point range, while holding OSU to 57 points, including 38 with 5:32 remaining in the game, on 40.7 percent shooting. The Wildcats have now held 13 of 21 opponents and 82 under head coach Bruce Weber to 60 points or less this season.
• Kansas enters Tuesday’s game with strong momentum after knocking off No. 16/15 Texas Tech, 79-63, at home on Saturday to snap a 2-game skid. The Jayhawks are led by Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Dedric Lawson, who leads the Big 12 in scoring (19.5 ppg.) and rebounding (10.5 rpg.). One of the Big 12’s most efficient offenses, the team has 6 players averaging better than 7 points per game, including double-digit scorers Lagerald Vick (14.5 ppg.) and Devon Dotson (11.1 ppg.).
• One of the oldest rivalries in college basketball, K-State and Kansas will meet for the 290th time on Tuesday in a series that dates all the way back to 1907. It is the sixth-most played series (289) and eighth-most consecutive games played (112). The Jayhawks hold a 196-93 all-time lead in the series, including a 49-5 advantage since the start of Big 12 play. The Wildcats have lost 8 straight in the series with the last win coming, 70-63, on Feb. 23, 2015 at home.
• Defense has been the constant for K-State this season, as the Wildcats rank among the nation’s best in several defensive categories, including fourth in scoring defense (58.7 ppg.), 41st in turnover margin (+3.0) and 45th in field goal percentage defense (40.8). The Wildcats have now held 13 foes to 60 points or less, while 3 of the last 6 opponents (Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech) have been held to its season-low in points.

 

NOTES ON 13/14 KANSAS

• No. 13/14 Kansas (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) ended a 2-game losing streak with an impressive 79-63 win over No. 16/15 Texas Tech on Saturday, as Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Dedric Lawson paced four Jayhawks in double figures with a game-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds.
• Kansas is averaging 76.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting, including 36.2 percent from 3-point range, to go with 37.5 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game, while allowing 70.0 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 67.7 percent from the free throw line. The Jayhawks rank second in the Big 12 in scoring offense and field goal percentage.
• Kansas is averaging 71.8 points in Big 12 play on 46.4 percent shooting, including 36.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 70.1 points on 41.2 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from 3-point range.
• The youthful Jayhawks, which has just 1 senior on its roster, are led by Lawson, who paces the Big 12 in both scoring (19.5 ppg.) and rebounding (10.9) and has a conference-leading 15 double-doubles. He is connecting on 51.3 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and has averages of 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Four others are averaging in double figures, including senior Lagerald Vick (14.5 ppg.), junior Udoka Azubuike (13.4 ppg.) and freshman Devon Dotson (11.1 ppg.). Vick has a Big 12-best 65 made 3-point field goals.
• Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has posted a 464-101 (.821) record in his 16th season, which includes the 2008 national title and 3 Final Fours. He is 671-206 (.765) in his 26th season as a head coach.

 

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Kansas will meet for the 290th time in their histories with the Jayhawks holding a 196-93 advantage in a series that dates to 1907. Kansas is 78-47 all-time in games played in Manhattan, including 26-4 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Jayhawks are 49-5 all-time in the Big 12 era.
• Kansas has won 8 consecutive games in the series, including 3 straight in Manhattan. K-State has not won in the series since a 70-63 victory at home on Feb. 23, 2015. Last season, the Jayhawks won all 3 meetings, including 73-72 at home on Jan. 13, 2018, 70-56 in Manhattan on Jan. 29, 2018 and 83-67 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship on March 9, 2018.
• Dean Wade has averaged 13.3 points on 49.3 percent shooting, including 45 percent from 3-point range, in 7 career starts against Kansas, while junior Makol Mawien has averaged 12 points on 53.6 percent shooting in 3 career games, while senior Kamau Stokes has averaged 10.3 points in 3 games. Wade has 20 or more points in each of the last 4 meetings with Kansas.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 2-14 all-time against Kansas, including a 2-4 mark at home, while he is 3-15 against head coach Bill Self.

 

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

• K-State has posted a 374-117 (.762) record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 374 wins are the second-most at a home venue, trailing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88).
• K-State has registered a 174-37 (.825) record at home over the past 13 seasons, including a 75-32 (.701) mark in Big 12 play. The 174 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 75 league victories at home rank third. In all, the program has earned double-digit victories in 25 of its 30 seasons in the arena, including a streak of 17 straight seasons.
• Head coach Bruce Weber has tallied a 90-21 (.811) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State. The 21 losses (18 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a total of 160 points or 7.6 points per game.

 

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 75, OKLAHOMA STATE 57

• K-State showed its vast potential from long range on Saturday evening, as the Wildcats connected on 16 3-point field goals – the second-most triples in school history – to propel themselves past Oklahoma State, 75-57.
• The 16 made 3-point field goals were the most-ever in a conference game and the most since the Wildcats connected on a school-record 23 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994. Eight different Wildcats had at least one 3-pointer, including a career-tying 5 by Barry Brown, Jr.
• The Wildcats were stellar on both ends of the court, connecting on 53.1 percent (26-of-49) from the field, including 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from 3-point range, while holding the Cowboys to 57 points, including 38 with 5:32 remaining in the contest, on 40.7 percent shooting (22-of-54). The squad has now held 13 of 21 opponents to 60 points or less this season.
• The 75 points were a high in Big 12 play, as K-State hit on 50 percent or better from the field for the fourth time this season, including the second time from 3-point range, and had 19 assists on 26 made field goals.
• The Wildcats broke open a tight game, which stood at just 30-27 with 3:17 left in the first half, with 19 consecutive points broken up by the two halves. The team ended the half on a 13-0 run capped by a fourth 3-pointer by Brown just before the buzzer then scored the first 6 points (all from senior Dean Wade) of the second half to take a commanding lead. The advantage grew to as many as 34 points (72-38) with 5:32 remaining.
• Wade (24 points) and Brown (18 points) combined for 42 of the Wildcats’ 75 points on 15-of-20 field goals, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range. Wade went a perfect 9-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks, as he became just the seventh player in school history to go 9-of-9 or better from the field and just the fourth to do so in a conference game.
• K-State has now won 3 consecutive games at Gallagher-Iba Arena for the first time in nearly 40 years and the first time since winning 3 in a row from 1979-81. The 18-point win was the largest in Stillwater in nearly 46 seasons since a 91-67 victory (24 points) on Feb. 26, 1973.

 

‘CATS HAVE BEEN STELLAR ON DEFENSE UNDER WEBER

• K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under head coach Bruce Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the last 6 years (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13 and 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14).
• K-State is holding opponents to 58.7 points on 40.8 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 15.1 turnovers per game. The Wildcats rank 4th in scoring defense, 41st in turnover margin (+3.0), 45th in field goal percentage defense and 60th in 3-point field goal percentage defense. The team leads the Big 12 in rebounding defense (31.4) and steals (7.5), while is second in scoring defense and turnovers forced (15.1) and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
• K-State has held 13 of 21 opponents to 60 points or less this season with one eclipsing 70. The squad has now held 82 opponents to 60 points or less in Weber’s tenure, boasting a 74-8 mark in those contests.
• K-State has held its opponents to an average of 15.2 points per game under their scoring average, including 15.9 points in Big 12 play. Eight foes have been held to 20 or more points under their average, including Penn (35.3), Tulsa (28.8), Texas Tech (26.6), Southern Miss (26.2), Vanderbilt (25.6), TCU (25.4), Iowa State (24.3) and Eastern Kentucky (20.3).
• In Big 12 play, K-State is allowing a league-best 59.2 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting, including 37.1 percent from 3-point range, while forcing opponents into 14.1 turnovers per game and scoring an average of 16 points off those turnovers. The Wildcats have held four league foes (Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) to less 60 points.
• In the 58-45 win over No. 14/13 Texas Tech on Jan. 22, the Wildcat defense lived up to their billing, holding the Red Raiders to their lowest point total (45) under head coach Chris Beard and the lowest since scoring 44 in a loss against Loyola Chicago on Dec. 22, 2014. The team was held to a season-low 32.7 field goal percentage (16-of-49), including just 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from 3-point range.
• The 45 points were the fewest surrendered a conference opponent under Weber and the fewest since holding No. 23 Texas Tech to 44 points on January 11, 2003. The Wildcats have held 3 of the last 5 opponents (Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech) to its season-low in points.

 

POINTS OFF TURNOVERS

• More than a quarter of K-State’s total points (359/1367) this season have come off opponent turnovers, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.1 points off 15.1 opponent mistakes per game. The team ranks 41st nationally in turnover margin (+3.0), 67th in turnovers forced (15.1) and 71st in steals (7.5).
• The Wildcats scored 20 or more points off turnovers in 8 games, including a season-high 25 in the come-from-behind 71-69 win over West Virginia (1/9/19) and at Texas A&M (1/26/19). They have also put up 20 points or more off opponent turnovers against Kennesaw State (20), Denver (23), Eastern Kentucky (24), Penn (22), Marquette (22) and TCU (21).
• K-State has scored more than 3,000 points (3,459) off turnovers during Weber’s tenure, an average of 15.3 points per game. In 2017-18, the Wildcats averaged 17.3 points off turnovers, outscoring opponents, 639-423.
• A year ago, K-State ranked eighth nationally in total steals (294) and 18th in steals per game (7.9), while the school was one of just 5 nationally (Georgia State, Nicholls State, Purdue and Stephen F. Austin) with three players (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) with 40 or more steals.
• Led by all-time steals leader Barry Brown, Jr., who recently broke the record with 211st steal against Vanderbilt (12/22/18), the Wildcats have 3 other players with 100 or more steals, including Kamau Stokes (118), Xavier Sneed (118) and Dean Wade (110). Stokes and Sneed each rank seventh in career steals, while Wade could also join the career Top 10.
• Brown currently ranks seventh in Big 12 history with 231 career steals, which is 16 shy of Kansas’ Russell Robinson (2004-08) for sixth place.

 

IMPROVED REBOUNDING

• One of the big emphasis in the off-season was rebounding, as the Wildcats finished 10th in the Big 12 in every rebounding categories, including overall rebounding (30.7), offensive rebounds (8.2), defensive rebounds (22.5) and rebounding margin (-3.4). The 30.7 rebounding average was the lowest by a K-State team since averaging just 30.0 per game in 1984-85.
• K-State is averaging 34.7 rebounds per game, which ranks ninth in the Big 12, to go with averages of 9.5 offensive (eighth) and 25.2 defensive (eighth) rebounds per game. On the positive side, the Wildcats are allowing opponents a Big 12-low 31.4 rebounds per game and hold a Big 12-best 77.8 defensive rebounding percentage.
• K-State has out-rebounded 14 of 21 opponents, including 5 in 8 Big 12 games. In comparison, the Wildcats out-rebounded just 10 opponents in 2017-18 in 37 games, including 4 Big 12 foes.
• K-State added one of the top rebounders in the community college ranks in junior Austin Trice, as he is averaging 3.1 rebounds per game in just 8.6 minutes game. Trice ranked among the Top 10 in 4 rebounding categories in the community college ranks in 2017-18, including 4th in average (12.1 rpg.).
• In addition to Trice, the entire team has collectively elevated their efforts in rebounding this season, including Dean Wade (6.2 to 6.6 rpg.), Xavier Sneed (5.1 to 5.6 rpg.), Makol Mawien (3.4 to 4.3 rpg.), Barry Brown, Jr., (3.1 to 4.1 rpg.) and Cartier Diarra (2.5 to 3.3 rpg.).

 

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES

• K-State is averaging a Big 12-low 65.1 points on 42.6 percent shooting (495-of-1161), including 32.3 percent (139-of-430) from 3-point range, and 65 percent (238-of-366) from the free throw line. The Wildcats rank 329th among 351 Division I teams in scoring offense, 274th in field goal percentage, 278th in 3-point field goal percentage and 320th in free throw percentage.
• In the Big 12, K-State ranks ninth in field goal percentage and 10th in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
• The Wildcats have scored 70 or more points on just 7 occasions, including a season-high 95 points in the win over Eastern Kentucky (11/16/18), while they have only connected on 45 percent from the field in 9 games and 40 percent or better from the 3-point line on 5 occasions.
• In Big 12 play, K-State is averaging 63.1 points on 42.8 percent shooting (177-of-414), including 35.5 percent (60-of-169) from 3-point range, and 66.9 percent (91-of-136) from the free throw line. The Wildcats rank 10th in scoring offense and sixth in field goal and 3-point field goal percentage.
• The struggles from the 3 are particularly noticeable after a record-setting 2017-18 season from 3-point range, in which, the Wildcats set single-season marks for makes (254) and attempts (745). Five different players posted 30 or more 3-point field goals led by Xavier Sneed’s 65 makes.
• Stokes (176/7th) and Brown (158/8th) rank among the school’s career Top 10 in 3-point field goals made (and attempted), while Sneed (131) and Wade (119) also have 100 makes in their careers from long range.

 

‘CATS HAVE FIRST 6-GAME WIN STREAK IN BIG 12 PLAY SINCE 2013

• Since starting Big 12 play 0-2 for the first time since 2011, K-State has rattled off 6 consecutive victories, which started with the come-from-behind win over West Virginia (71-69) and includes back-to-back Top 25 road wins over No. 20/21 Iowa State (58-57) and No. 20/19 Oklahoma (74-61) and  wins over TCU (65-55), No. 14/13 Texas Tech (58-45) and Oklahoma State (75-57). It is just the Wildcats’ seventh winning streak of 5 or more games in Big 12 play and the first since winning 6 in a row from Feb. 18 to March 5, 2013.
• During the win streak, K-State is averaging 66.8 points on 46.2 percent (141-of-305) shooting, including 39.1 percent (50-of-128) from 3-point range, to go with 70.4 percent (69-of-98) from the line, while averaging 13.7 assists and just 10.5 turnovers per game. In losing the first 2 Big 12 games, the team averaged just 52 points on 33 percent (36-of-109), including 24.4 percent (10-of-41) from 3-point range, with 12.5 turnovers per game.
• On the defensive end, the Wildcats are allowing 57.3 points in the win streak on 41.6 percent (124-of-298) shooting, including 34.9 percent (45-of-129) from 3-point range, while averaging 16.5 points off 13.8 opponent turnovers. In those first 2 Big 12 games, the team allowed 65 points on 46.5 percent (40-of-86), including 43.5 percent (20-of-46) from 3-point range.
• During the win streak, senior Barry Brown, Jr., has averaged a team-best 20 points on 52.9 percent (46-of-87) shooting, which includes 3 straight 20-point performances, while fellow senior Dean Wade, who has played in 5 of the 6 games, is averaging 15 points on 58.1 percent (25-of-43) shooting. Four other players (Xavier Sneed, Kamau Stokes, Makol Mawien and Mike McGuirl) are averaging between 5.3 and 8.5 points per game. Brown averaged just 12.0 points in the first 2 Big 12 games.

 

BETTER WITH DEAN WADE

• It’s stating the obvious that K-State is a better team when the Wildcats have their Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Dean Wade on the floor. The team is 12-3 this season with Wade, who missed 6 games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 9 with a foot injury, in the lineup and just 4-2 with him out of it.
• K-State is averaging 67.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 32.8 percent from 3-point range, in the 15 games with Wade in the lineup, while the team is averaging just 59.7 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range, in the 6 games without him.
• Three Wildcats (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) are averaging in double figures in the 15 games with Wade in the lineup, while three other players (Kamau Stokes, Makol Mawien and Cartier Diarra) are averaging betwen 6.1 and 8.5 points per game. In comparison, only two Wildcats (Brown/15.3 ppg., and Stokes/13.8 ppg.) are averaging in double figures in the 6 games without Wade.

 

GAME OF RUNS

• K-State’s use of runs have been particularly effective this season, as the Wildcats have totaled 46 runs of at least 7 or more points, including 25 runs of 10 or more points. The team posted five such runs in the win over Georgia State (12/15/18), including runs of 8-0, 16-4, 13-2, 12-0 and 9-1, while they produced the biggest run (24-2) in the comeback win over Southern Miss (12/19/18), which was the largest comeback before the West Virginia game. The team had a 17-0 run to close the gap against the Mountaineers.
• The Paradise Jam was a tournament of runs for K-State, as the Wildcats put together decisive runs en route to victories against EKU (11/16/18), Penn (11/18/18) and Missouri (11/19/18) in the title game. The team had runs of 12-2 and 20-6 against EKU, while the Wildcats erupted for a 17-2 run against Penn. Against Missouri, the squad scored 20 of 22 points after a 27-all tie.
• K-State used a 21-7 to jump out ahead of Vanderbilt (12/22/18), while the Wildcats had 17-0 and 20-8 runs in the comeback against West Virginia (1/9/19) and ended the Iowa State (1/12/19) game on a 10-2 run. The team used a 19-0 run that spanned both halves to break open the game at OSU.

 

OFFENSIVE BALANCE KEY TO SUCCESS

• Much like 2017-18, balance has been key to K-State’s offensive success this season, as four players (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade, Xavier Sneed and Kamau Stokes) are averaging in double figures.
• Five different players (Wade, Brown, Sneed, Stokes and Makol Mawien) have led the Wildcats in scoring, while 7 players have at least one double-digit scoring game, including 17 by Brown, 13 by Wade, 11 by Stokes, 10 by Sneed, 6 by Mawien, 5 by Cartier Diarra and 1 by Mike McGuirl.
• Since Weber took over in 2012-13, K-State has posted a 58-19 (.750) record when four or more players score in double figures, including a 6-1 mark in 2018-19. The Wildcats are 12-4 when Mawien scores in double digits, while the team is 11-4 (8-2 in 2017-18) when Diarra reaches double-digits.

 

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS

• Although it ended in a loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 26, K-State enjoyed a success non-conference season, posting a 10-3 (.769) mark which included a 7-0 mark at home venues (Bramlage Coliseum and the Sprint Center. It marked the fourth consecutive season with at least 10 non-conference wins.
• K-State has posted a 140-36 (.795) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season, which includes a 105-6 (.946) mark at home venues. The team has registered double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 years, averaging 10.8 non-conference wins in that stretch, and went a program-best 13-1 in non-conference play during the 2009-10 season.
• Since going 7-6 in non-conference in 2014-15, which included back-to-back losses to Texas Southern and Georgia, the Wildcats has won double-digit non-conference games each of the past four seasons and is 40-9 (.816) in non-conference play since 2015-16.
• K-State has a 105-6 (.946) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the Sprint Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 96-5 (.950) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
• The Wildcats have won 92 of their last 96 non-conference home games, including a 29-game winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum. The last home non-conference loss came against Georgia, 50-46, on Dec. 31, 2014.

 

HISTORIC COMEBACK

• K-State overcame its largest deficit ever when senior Barry Brown, Jr., laid in the go-ahead bucket with 29 seconds left to cap a 50-point second half by the Wildcats in a 71-69 defeat of West Virginia (1/9/19).
• K-State trailed by as many as 21 points a little more than a minute into the second half before a 17-0 run cut the deficit to 42-38 with 13:07 left. A 4-point play by junior Xavier Sneed gave the Wildcats their first lead with 2:30 remaining before the Mountaineers regained the advantage, 69-68, on a Lamont West free throw a minute later. In the final 60 seconds, Brown put the Wildcats ahead 70-69 with a layup with 29 seconds remaining.
• West Virginia missed a shot in the paint with 5 seconds and Sneed came down with the rebound and was sent to the line, where he hit one free throw. The Mountaineers were unable to get a final shot up at the buzzer.
• Brown led K-State behind a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 field goals and a 10-of-12 effort from the line to go with a career-tying 6 steals. It was his highest point total since scoring 34 points at Baylor on Jan. 22, 2018. In the process, he became the ninth Wildcat to eclipse 1,500 career points.
• Brown was joined in double figures by a career night from sophomore Mike McGuirl, who scored a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 field goals, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while senior Kamau Stokes and Xavier Sneed added 12 and 10 points, respectively. It was McGuirl’s second career double-digit scoring game and his first since the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• K-State scored its 50 points after halftime on 62.1 percent (18-of-29) shooting, including 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from 3-point range, compared to just 21 in the first half on 29.2 percent (7-of-24) shooting, including 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from long range. In addition, the Wildcats scored 25 points off 17 Mountaineers turnovers, while only turning the ball over 6 times.
• It marked the second time this season that K-State had rallied from a double-digit deficit at home, as the Wildcats came from 16 points down to defeat Southern Miss, 55-51, on Dec. 19 at home. Senior Kamau Stokes scored 16 of his season-high 18 points in the second half.
• K-State went on a 24-2 run over 8:08 in the second half to take over the game, as the Wildcats held the Golden Eagles scoreless for 5:24 during the span. The run came after scoring a season-low 19 points in the first half, the fewest points in any half since scoring 15 vs. TCU on Feb. 15, 2015.

 

BROWN, WADE BACK-TO-BACK BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• Seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade became the first Wildcats since 2013 to capture Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks, as the duo has helped the squad to 4 consecutive victories.
• Brown earned his first-ever Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Jan. 14, as he averaged 26 points on 52.9 percent shooting (18-of-34), including a pair of game-winners, in K-State’s victories over West Virginia and No. 20/21 Iowa State, while Wade averaged 18 points and 3.5 assists in the wins over No. 20/19 Oklahoma and TCU this past week.
• Brown helped K-State engineer a school-record 21-point comeback in the victory over the Mountaineers. He scored a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 field goals and 10-of-12 free throws to go with a career-tying 6 steals, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 rebound in 38 minutes. He scored a game-high 23 points in the win over the Cyclones, including game-winner with 4 seconds left.
• Just 2 games removed from missing 6 games due to injury, Wade earned just his second 20-point game of the season with 20 points on 8-of-14 field goals in the Wildcats’ first win at Oklahoma since 2015, while he added 16 points and a game-high 6 assists in the victory over TCU.

 

BROWN AMONG CAREER LEADERS

• Senior Barry Brown, Jr., registered a significant milestone in the win over Vanderbilt (12/22/18), becoming the school’s all-time steals leader with 3 against the Commodores to eclipse Jacob Pullen (210, 2007-11). Brown now has 231 career steals in 126 games played.
• Brown’s 231 career steals currently rank seventh in Big 12 history, trailing Kansas’ Russell Robinson (247; 2004-08) for sixth place by 16 steals. Brown also ranks fourth among active Division I players in career steals, trailing just Washington’s Matisse Thybulle (276), Oregon’s Ehab Amin (256) and Purdue Fort Wayne’s John Koncher (252).
• Brown places among several career offensive records, including 5th in field goals attempted (1,372), 6th in double-digit scoring games (80) and field goals (571), 7th in scoring (1,605) and 3-point field goals attempted (487), 8th in 3-point field goals made (158) and 9th in assists (308). He is also closing in on the Top 10 in free throw made (305) and attempted (435).
• Brown also ranks among the leaders in games played, as his streak of 126 consecutive game played is one shy of tying Steve Henson’s school record of 127 set from 1986-90, while his 103 straight starts ranks second (just 15 shy of Henson’s school record). He has a chance to top the school record of 135 games played, which is held by Jacob Pullen and Rodney McGruder.
• Brown ranks second in minutes played (3,996) in school history, needing 479 to pass Steve Henson (4,474; 1987-90). He needs just four minutes to become just the second Wildcat to eclipse 4,000 career minutes as well as the 19th player to do so since the start of the Big 12 in 1997.

 

SENIOR CLASS HAS 4,000+ POINTS

• With 20 points against George Mason (12/29/18), senior Kamau Stokes became the 30th player to post 1,000 points and joined fellow seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade in achieving the milestone. The trio became the first class in school history to each top 1,000 career points in a career.
• The trio have accounted for 4,082 points in their respective careers, which currently ranks fourth nationally among senior classes, trailing South Dakota State (4,544/Mike Daum, Sklyler Flatten and Tevin King), Lipscomb (4,500/Garrison Mathews, Rob Marberry and Nate Moran) and Marshall (4,386/Jon Elmore, C.J. Burks and Rondale Watson).
• Brown (1,605 points) and Wade (1,401 points) each eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as juniors and currently rank 7th and 10th, respectively, on the all-time scoring list, while Stokes ranks 23rd with 1,076 points.

 

STOKES AMONG THE BEST ALL-TIME IN ASSISTS

• Just like fellow seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes ranks among the all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including 4th in assists (375), 5th in 3-point field goals attempted (513), 7th in 3-point field goals made (176) and steals (118), while he is just outside the Top 10 in minutes played (3,162).
• Needing just 25 assists, Stokes could become just the third Wildcat in school history to eclipse 400 assists, joining all-time leader Steve Henson (582; 1986-90) and Jacob Pullen (455; 2007-11).

 

DON’T FORGET SNEED

• With all the attention paid to the three seniors, the accomplishments of junior Xavier Sneed have somehow been overlooked. The St. Louis native enjoyed a career best year in 2017-18, averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.4 minutes per game while starting all 37 games. He was named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament team after averaging 19 points and 7.5 rebounds in games against Kentucky and Loyola Chicago.
• Since missing the opener with Kennesaw State (11/9), Sneed has scored in double figures in 10 of the last 20 games, including a season-high 18 points on 6-of-9 field goals in the win over TCU (1/19).
• Sneed collected his second career double-double and first of the season at Tulsa (12/8/18), posting a team-best 13 points to go with 10 rebounds. He has grabbed 5 or more rebounds in 10 games, including double-digit boards twice with a season-high 14 vs. Southern Miss (12/19).

 

WELCOME GOODNEWS

• K-State got some unexpected “good news” on New Year’s Eve when recent signee Goodnews Kpegeol joined the team and filled the 13th and final scholarship for the reminder of the 2018-19 season.
• An NCAA qualifier prior to enrolling at TaylorMade Academy in Pensacola, Florida for the 2018-19, Kpegeol is immediately eligible after enrolling for the spring semester and has been cleared to play by the NCAA. He is expected to redshirt the reminder of the season.
• A 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard from St. Paul, Minnesota, Kpegeol spent the first half of the 2018-19 season as a postgraduate at TaylorMade after finishing his four-year prep career at North High School. He led the Polars to the Class 4A State Tournament for the first time in 17 years as a sophomore in 2015-16 before the school to a 22-5 record with a 15-1 mark in conference play as a senior in 2017-18. He averaged a team-best 18.2 points in 19 games played as a senior, which included nine 20-point games.

 

K-STATE WINS PARADISE JAM; FIRST TITLE SINCE 2011

• Included in K-State’s 6-0 start to the season was a 3-game sweep to win the 19^th annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., Nov. 16-19, as the Wildcats knocked off Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67).
• The tournament championship marked the 14^th in school history and the first since winning the 2011 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i. It was also the sixth career tournament title for head coach Bruce Weber and his first with the Wildcats.
• Senior Dean Wade was named the tournament’s most valuable player after averaging 17.3 points on 61.8 percent (21-of-34) shooting with 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games, including a team-high 21 points in the title game against the Tigers, while fellow senior Barry Brown, Jr., was one of five players selected as Paradise Jam Tournament All-Stars.

 

MORE ABOUT K-STATE

• The Wildcats return 10 lettermen, including six players (Barry Brown, Jr., Cartier Diarra, Makol Mawien, Xavier Sneed, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade) that combined to start all 37 games a season ago, for a team that posted a 25-12 overall record (10-8 in Big 12 play) and advanced to the Elite Eight for the 12th time in school history and the first time since 2010.
• It marked just the sixth 25-win campaign in school history, including the second under head coach Bruce Weber, while the school advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons and 30th time overall.
• K-State returns 185 combined starts from 2017-18, which is the most of any Division I team in the country, and ahead of other schools which return all of its starts, including George Mason (165), Iowa (165), Lipscomb (165) and North Florida (165).
• K-State returns 93.2 percent (2,452 of 2,630 points) of its offense from 2017-18, which ranks 11th among Division I teams (trailing George Mason, Harvard, Wofford, Washington, Brown, Iowa, Wisconsin, UC Irvine, Syracuse and St. Francis). The Wildcats also returns more than 90 percent of their field goals made (869/92.7%), 3-point field goals made (232/91.3%), free throws made (482/96%), assists (476/93.3%) and steals (266/90.5%) as well as 80 or better percent of their minutes (6,558/85%), rebounds (905/80%) and blocks (98/89%).
• K-State returns seven of its top-8 scorers from last season, including three with double-digit averages [Wade (16.2 ppg.), Brown (15.9 ppg.) and Sneed (11.1 ppg.). Other returners include Kamau Stokes (9.0 ppg.), Cartier Diarra (7.1 ppg.), Makol Mawien (6.8 ppg.) and Mike McGuirl (3.3 ppg.). The Wildcats return their individual leader in scoring (Wade), rebounding (Wade), assists (Brown), steals (Brown) and blocks (Mawien).

 

‘CATS EARN PRESEASON RANKINGS

• K-State opened the 2018-19 season in the Top 15 in both major polls, as the Wildcats earned a No. 11 ranking in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll to go with a No. 12 ranking in the preseason Associated Press poll.
• It marks the first time that K-State has started with preseason rankings in both polls since the 2010-11 campaign when the school opened at No. 3 in the AP and USA Today Coaches polls.
• K-State appeared in the Preseason AP poll for the 17th time in school history, while it was the highest preseason ranking since starting the 2010-11 campaign at No. 3. It was also the 12th time debuting in the AP Top 15 (1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1975-76 and 2010-11).
• The Wildcats have received several preseason rankings, including No. 11 by NBCSports.com, Yahoo! Sports, Street & Smith’s, Lindy’s and Athlon, No. 12 by ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Stadium, No. 13 by The Athletic, Blue Ribbon Yearbook and No. 14 by SI.com.
• K-State was one of four Big 12 teams to place in both Top 25 polls, as Kansas was the unanimous No. 1 team. West Virginia was No. 13 in both polls, while TCU was ranked No. 20 (Coaches) and No. 21 (AP), respectively.

 

‘CATS PICKED SECOND IN BIG 12 PLAY; WADE NAMED PRESEASON POY

• K-State was picked to finish second by the league coaches in the annual Big 12 Preseason poll released on Oct. 19, as the Wildcats received 72 points and two first-place votes. Kansas was selected first, while West Virginia, TCU and Texas rounded out the Top 5.
• The second-place selection was the second-highest by a K-State team in the history of the poll, following the 2010-11 team which was picked to finish first with 119 points. In fact, the Wildcats have been picked to finish fifth or better on just six other occasions in the poll, including fourth in 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2014-15 and fifth in 2006-07, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
• Senior Dean Wade became just the second Wildcat to ever be selected the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches, while Wade and Barry Brown, Jr., were both named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. The duo was joined on the team by Kansas’ Dedric Lawson, Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton and West Virginia’s Sagaba Konate.
• Wade’s selection marked the second time that a K-State player has been named the preseason Player of the Year and the first since Jacob Pullen in 2010-11. It also was just the second time that two Wildcats appeared on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, following Pullen and Curtis Kelly in 2010-11. Wade and Brown are just the sixth and seventh players in school history to earn recognition to the Preseason All-Big 12 (since 1996-97), following Manny Dies in 1998-99, Kelly and Pullen in 2010-11, Rodney McGruder in 2012-13 and Marcus Foster in 2014-15.

 

NEXT UP: AT BAYLOR (15-6, 6-2 Big 12)

• K-State begins a daunting 2-game road stretch with a trip to Waco, Texas to take on a surging Baylor (15-6, 6-2 Big 12) squad that has won 6 in a row after starting league play 0-2 at 5 p.m., CT on Saturday at the Ferrell Center.

TOM GILBERT
Director for Men’s Basketball Communications | K-State Athletics

 

 

 

ATLANTA (AP) — Graying but still gritty, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots came to the Super Bowl intending to stave off, for at least one more game, the inevitable onslaught of the NFL’s future.

Job well done.

Pro football never looked flatter, older and more stuck in the days of the VCR than it did Sunday.

In a Super Bowl only New England could love, the Patriots won their sixth title by lumbering their way to a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams — that young, brash, high-flying team with the 33-year-old coach and the 24-year-old quarterback who were, we thought, changing football before our very eyes.

If only we could’ve kept them open.

Among the Super Bowl records set: Fewest points by both teams (16); fewest points by the winning team (13); fewest combined points through three quarters (6); most consecutive drives ending with a punt (8 by the Rams); longest punt (65 yards).

The St. Xavier High School boys basketball team finished third in the Hoops Encounter tournament in Salina over the weekend.

Principal Shawn Augustine reported that the Rams defeated Independence 47-44, lost to Lincoln 74-47 and defeated Smoky Valley Home Educators 51-44.