The Kansas State Wildcats held Kennesaw State to just 14 points in the second half enroute to a 56-41 men’s basketball victory in the K-State season opener at Bramlage Coliseum. The win came in the first round of the Paradise Jam tournament.

Wildcat coach Bruce Weber saw his team lead by just four points at halftime. “Got to give credit to Kennesaw State. Coach Skinner has been around a long time, he’s got a system, he believes in the system he works it, the kids execute, they made us guard it, they made us guard them. They grinded it out and we weren’t used to that.”

One bright spot was the play of newcomer Austin Trice, a junior from Chicago. He had 12 rebounds in the contest, six on offense and six on defense. Trice said rebounding is what he focuses on the most. “I just try to grab as many as possible and just live with the end result.” He brings energy to the court. “I take a lot of pride in energy. I try to be the loudest person on the bench if I’m not in the game, and then in the game I try to be the loudest person on the court.”

One player who is normally a starter, Xavier Sneed, did not play. Bruce Weber said that Sneed sprained an ankle on Thursday night so K-State rested him. Weber Sneed actually did it twice in the past week.

The Wildcats host Denver Monday night at 8 p.m.

12/11 KANSAS STATE (0-0) vs. KENNESAW STATE (0-0)

Friday, November 9, 2018 >> 7:07 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

$5 GA ticket available for those showing their K-State/Kansas football ticket

Advanced Single Game: $5 (bench/GA)

Gameday Single Game: $10 (bench/GA)/$20 (chairback)

Group (12+): $3

COACHES

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

Overall: 438-235/21^st season

At K-State: 125-80/7^th season

1. Kennesaw State: 0-0

Kennesaw State: Al Skinner (UMass ‘74)

Overall: 421-349/26^th season

At Kennesaw State: 36-58/4th season

1. Kansas State: 0-0

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (0-0)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

Kennesaw State (1-0)

G: #0 Bobby Parker

G: #4 Tyler Hooker

F: #5 Isaac Mbuyamba

F: #24 Bryson Lockley

F: #33 Kosta Jankovic

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 1-0

In Manhattan: K-State leads 1-0

Last Meeting: W, 82-54, 12/17/2006

Weber vs. Skinner: First Meeting

OPENING TIP

• No. 12/11 Kansas State (0-0) will officially open its 115th season on Friday night, as the Wildcats play host to Atlantic Sun member Kennesaw State (1-0) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The opener will be the first of two games in a three-day span for K-State, as the team hosts Summit League foe Denver (0-0) in the second game of the men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader at 8 p.m., CT on Monday.
• Friday’s opener represents the start of a Wildcat Weekend in the Little Apple, as K-State hosts Kansas in the Dillon’s Sunflower Showdown at 11 a.m., CT on Saturday followed by a volleyball match against Baylor at 6 p.m., CT. Fans can purchase a $5 general admission ticket for Friday’s game by showing their football ticket.
• K-State is 89-25 (.781) all-time in season openers dating back to the first season in 1903, including a 77-9 (.895) mark at home. The Wildcats have a 24-2 (.923) record in season openers played at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes a 16-game winning streak from 1995 to 2012. The two losses in that span have come to Southern Miss (74-60 on Nov. 27, 1993) and Northern Colorado (60-58 on Nov. 8, 2013). Overall, the team is 26-4 (.867) at Bramlage Coliseum in home openers.
• The Wildcats have won 23 consecutive games against non-conference opponents at Bramlage Coliseum since the start of the 2015-16 season. Overall, the school has an 95-6 (.941) record at home in non-conference play since 2006-07, including 93-5 (.950) in the regular season, and has won 84 of their last 89 non-conference home games. The team went 11-2 in non-conference action in 2017-18, including 8-1 at home venues. The lone home loss came to Tulsa, 61-54, on Dec. 9, 2017 in Wichita.
• K-State, which has won 14 of its last 15 home openers, earned an 83-45 win over American in last season’s opener on Nov. 10, as Dean Wade paced five Wildcats in double figures with a game-tying 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Cartier Diarra came off the bench to score 13 points with a career-best 4 treys, while Makol Mawien nearly recorded a double-double with 12 points and game-high 9 rebounds. The 45 points by American were the fewest in a home opener since 1986.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 18-2 (.900) in his 20-year head coaching career in season openers (Southern Illinois, Illinois and K-State), including an 18-1 (.947) mark in home openers. He is 5-1 (.833) in season openers at K-State.
• K-State played just one exhibition game, using a stellar defensive effort to defeat Pittsburg State, 79-39, on Nov. 2 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats held the Gorillas to 39 points on just 19.7 percent (13-of-66) shooting, including 17.2 percent (5-of-29) from 3-point range. The 39 points tied for the fewest allowed in an exhibition game in school history, matching the 39 points scored by the University of Windsor (Canada) on Nov. 29, 1979.
• Senior Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade led a balanced offensive attack in the exhibition win, scoring a game-tying 14 points in limited minutes, as 12 of the 13 available players connected on at least one field goal. Senior Barry Brown, Jr., did not play as a precautionary move due to injury.

NOTES ON KENNESAW STATE

• Kennesaw State returns seven lettermen, including three starters (Tyler Hooker, Isaac Mbuyamba and Kyle Clarke, from a squad that posted a 10-20 overall record and finished sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference with an 8-6 mark in 2017-18. The Owls also welcome eight newcomers, including Division I transfers Danny Lewis (UCF) and Drew Romich (Longwood).
• Kennesaw State was picked seventh in the nine-team Preseason Atlantic Sun Conference coaches and media polls, ahead of Steton and North Alabama. Lipscomb was picked to win the league in both polls.
• Kennesaw State opened the season on Wednesday night with a 68-57 win over Division II Oglethorpe College at home. Junior guard Tyler Hooker scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-16 field goals to go with an 8-of-10 effort from the line, while Ugo Obineke and Kosta Jankovic added 17 and 17 and 12 points, respectively. The Owls won their only exhibition game, 81-78, over Clayton State on Nov. 1, as Hooker poured in a game-high 36 points.
• A season ago, the Owls averaged 72.7 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting, including 36.5 percent from 3-point range, with 32.9 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 77.6 points on 47.8 percent shooting, including 32.6 percent from long range. The team connected on 69 percent from the free throw line.
• Hooker is the lone returner to average double digits in 2017-18, averaging 10.8 points on 41.1 percent shooting to with 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.1 minutes per game. He led the Owls in free throws made (81) and attempted (114). Other returning starters – Clarke and Mbuyamba – averaged 4.2 and 3.1 points per game, while Jankovic averaged 7.0 points.
• Head coach Al Skinner enters his 26th season as a head coach with a 421-349 (.547) overall record, including a 36-58 (.383) mark in his fourth season at Kennesaw State. Skinner has also served as head coach at Rhode Island (1988-97) and Boston College (1997-2010), guiding the schools to 12 trips to the postseason, including nine NCAA Tournaments.
• Interestingly enough, Skinner has nearly as many wins (421) as Kennesaw State has in its entire basketball history (464), which started competition in 1985-86 and joined Division I in 2005-06. The Owls did win the Division II national championship with 35-4 record in 2004 under Tony Ingle.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Kennesaw State have met once in their respective histories with the Wildcats, earning an 82-54 victory on Dec. 17, 2006. The team raced out to a 55-19 halftime lead on 61.3 percent shooting and never led in the second half by fewer than 28 points.

• The game provides an interesting footnote to K-State history, as it served as the debut of freshman Bill Walker, who became eligible just two days prior to the game and scored 15 points off the bench in 22 minutes. David Hoskins led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Cartier Martin added 12 points.
• K-State is 8-0 all-time against teams from the Atlantic Sun Conference with all eight wins having come at Bramlage Coliseum. The wins include three over North Florida (2010, 2011, 2012), two over Lipscomb (2002, 2003) and USC Upstate (2012, 2017) and one over Kennesaw State (2006).

LAST TIME OUT

• K-State used a stellar defensive effort to win its lone exhibition game, 79-39 on Nov. 2, as the Wildcats held Division II Pittsburg State to 39 points on just 19.7 percent (13-of-66) shooting from the field, including 17.2 percent (5-of-29) from 3-point range. The school has won 24 consecutive exhibition games at Bramlage Coliseum dating back to 2004.

HISTORY IN SEASON OPENERS

• K-State is 89-25 (.781) all-time in season openers dating back to the first season in 1903. The Wildcats have a 77-9 (.895) record in season openers played at home, including 24-2 (.923) at Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State will open the season at home for the 16th consecutive season on Friday night with the Wildcats holding a 14-1 (.933) record in that span. The lone loss in that span came in a 60-58 loss to Northern Colorado on Nov. 8, 2013, which snapped the school’s 16-game winning streak in home openers. The last time K-State opened the season away from home came in 2002-03 when the squad played in the Paradise Jam, Nov. 23-25, 2002.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

• K-State has a 98-6 (.942) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage

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 will open 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 major polls since the 2010-11 campaign when the school opened at No. 3 in both 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.

NEXT UP: DENVER (1-0)

• K-State will make a quick turnaround from Friday’s game to play Denver (1-0) in the second game of men’s and women’s doubleheader on Monday. The Pioneers opened the season with a 63-50 win over Maine on Tuesday night at home, as Creighton transfer Ronnie Harrell, Jr., posted a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
• Denver returns six lettermen and three starters from a squad that posted a 15-15 overall record and finished third in the Summit League with an 8-6 record in 2017-18. The Pioneers were picked third in the preseason poll and earned one first-place vote, while senior Joe Rosga (15.3 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) was selected to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team.

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

There was an overall economic impact of  $518,080 into the local area as a result of the Junction City Brigade summer collegiate baseball team in 2018.

The numbers were unveiled during the Junction City Community Baseball Club appreciation night Wednesday evening at the C. L. Hoover Opera House. this past season attendance at Brigade games at Rathert Field totaled more than 3,500 people. Payroll for Brigade employees totaled approximately $21,000.

Sales tax paid in Junction City totaled $2,500 and the organization also gives money back by supporting the YMCA and different local fundraisers.

Brigade officials have calculated there were 141 visitors to Brigade games from out of town who spent a night in Junction City, resulting in an impact of $17,618 through such expenditures as gasoline, hotel and food expenditures.

Game day revenue totaled $29,775 and there were total purchases by the team calculated at $78,836.

The Brigade won the Cowdin Cup championship for the Mid Plains League in 2018, their third title since the inception of the league.  The team went 25-9 under the guidance of first-year head coach Derek Francis, who is returning in 2019.

Brigade General Manager Cecil Aska said in preparation for the 2019 season they will concentrate on promotions at the ballpark. Referring to the season schedule he noted, “When that schedule comes out we’re already going to have theme nights for every night. ”

There could be a possible change in the Brigade uniforms for 2019. Francis said he has talked withAska on this subject. “Kind of steering away from gray camo’s and getting back to a black and orange jersey. I think it’s something that is a really good look. I like black with an orange logo on it.”

Rathert Field will be spruced up for the 2019 season with a new artificial turf infield and foul areas and a new grass outfield. The 2019 schedule will come out in the spring.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder and select players met with members of the media Tuesday at the Vanier Family Football Complex to preview Saturday’s season opener against Central Arkansas. Selected comments from Snyder’s press conference (also streamed live and archived here) are posted below, along with a collection of comments from players.

K-State, which opens the season ranked No. 19 in the Preseason Amway Coaches’ Poll and No. 20 by the Associated Press, kicks off the 2017 season against the Bears with a 6:10 p.m., contest on Saturday, a game that will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and also available via the WatchESPN app. All contiguous seats for the season opener are sold out, but standing-room only tickets are available through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. Fans looking for additional reserved tickets for Saturday’s game can do so though Vivid Seats, the official secondary ticket partner of K-State Athletics, by clicking here.

K-State Football Weekly Press Conference Quotes
Head Coach Bill Snyder
On if preseason practices were different with multiple returning players…

“I do not think it has been tremendously different. I think there is a confidence level, but that is pretty consistent year in and year out. I have said so many times, my caution is not taking anything for granted. They have the experience and have been around for a while. A lot of guys have played a lot of minutes on the field, but every day is a new day. What we do today and what we did yesterday does not count much. It is not different at all. They have their hands full doing what they are doing and they go about their business. I have been pleased with how we are practicing. I think they are into it. They have been giving me the impression that they have not taken anything for granted. We are still working toward that daily improvement that we chat about all the time.”

On Denzel Goolsby earning a starting spot at safety…

“Number one, he is a very conscientious young man. Wherever you would play him, he would give you his best effort. He would do the extra thing you need to do in order to enhance your performance level. He has done that since he has been on the defensive side. We were looking for depth at the time, and he had the opportunity to move up the depth chart. I did not move him – I gave him the option if he wanted to move. I wanted him to do it, but again, I always let that be the decision of the player. He chose to do it and he did it for the right reasons. He thought he could help the football team and he was given what he might have felt was in his best interest. I think he realizes that it was a positive move for him.”

On center Reid Najvar being out for the season…

“It is never easy to lose a man. That is something that he loves and has been engrained in his life. All of a sudden to have it taken away from you is a difficult thing. For us, it is just a matter of moving on. It is the next man up and that is the nature of the game. If you have an injury on Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening then somebody has got to step up and go. It is not a matter of trying to figure out what can we do. It is just a matter of somebody has to step up and fill in and hold his own.”

On the depth at running back…

“Alex (Barnes) will be our starter, but all of them will play. I think there is a role for each and every one of them for the most part. That is probably the deepest position we have at this particular point in time. Justin (Silmon) has proven that he can play. We have seen some flashes with Dalvin Warmack, he has done a nice job. Mike McCoy has really come on as a young pup. He was on scout squad last year and he has really stepped up and proven that he can play and has the talent to do so. I think all of those youngsters will help us. All of them will have the opportunity to be on the field hopefully.”

On the backup quarterbacks …

“You know how I feel about Alex Delton; I have shared that with you a hundred times. He is a quality young man and a talented young player. We want to be able to utilize him and we will not just in the capacity where he lines up and runs the football. He can do more than that. (Skylar) Thompson and (Hunter) Hall are the next two in line. Both of them had pretty decent camps. There are still a few things that they have to do to become a little bit more knowledgeable about, as it relates to having the entire system at their hands. We will pick and choose what they do. Those are the things that we are comfortable with and that they are comfortable with.”

On having success running the ball…

“All of it is important. I do not think there is anything that we would attempt to do that is not significant or important in a ballgame. What is important to me is that we have the capacity to be able to have balance in our offense; that includes being able to run the ball well. I want people to be able to respect that we can run it when we can and we can throw it when we can. That being said, it makes it a little harder to defend against.”

On playing well in the first game of the season…

“We always want to play as well as we possibly can. Everybody talks about finishing, finishing, finishing, and I believe in that. You have to be well conditioned and physically strong enough and mentally tough enough to finish ballgames. It is equally as important to me that we start well. Coming out of the locker room – whether it is the special teams unit, kickoff return, kickoff, or defense – getting off to a good start is important. It is important to play extremely well, and obviously we want to play well all the way through. We talked to our players about the first five minutes of the first quarter and the second half is just as significant as the course of the ballgame.”

Sophomore Offensive Lineman Adam Holtorf
On playing center…

“I have been playing center since I arrived here. My first summer it was my primary position. Coach (Charlie) Dickey put me there and I have been working there predominately.”

On the toughest part of playing center…

“The mental aspect of it. The game plan in and out each week, you get a new defense that plays dramatically different. So, you have to be able to adjust and learn how we are going to block each defense a little bit differently.”

Junior Defensive Back D.J. Reed
On the potential of the defense…

“We can be really good. We have a lot of talent and depth. We just have to have fun, run to the ball, make plays and do everything within the defense scheme.”

On Central Arkansas’ offense…

“They are a good balanced team; they run the ball and also pass the ball. Their quarterback likes to scramble and make plays with his feet. They look pretty solid on film, so we cannot come in sleeping on them.”

On Denzel Goolsby earning a starting spot at safety…

“Denzel is another consistent person. He has been grinding with me since January. He deserves it. He’s been working very hard throughout the off season and camp.”

Junior Tight End Dayton Valentine
On Adam Holtorf taking over the starting center role…

“It was apparent he was the next guy up no matter what position it would be at on the line; if one of those guys went down, he would step right in there. He has prepared himself for that role.”

On the excitement for first game…

“We are just extremely excited for that first game. This year, it being a home game, we are excited to actually go out there and play in front of our fans.”

Senior Defensive Back Brogan Barry

On how he received the news of being put on scholarship…

“It was during a punt-return drill and I actually had a bad rep and kind of screwed it up, so I was kind of nervous. Then I hear Coach Sean Snyder call me over. He had told me, ‘If you haven’t already, you need to go down and fill out some paperwork for a scholarship.’ I said, ‘Are you serious?’ and he said, ‘Yes.’ I hugged him and I jumped up in the air. I had a bunch of guys around me and they hugged me and celebrated with me. It is a feeling you really cannot describe.”

On how gratifying he felt when receiving a scholarship…

“It really felt like my experience had come full circle. As a walk-on, it is that moment you always dream about and are working for every day.”

On his role models on the team…

“There is so many. If you go way back, Ty Zimmerman was a great guy that I looked up to as a freshman. Guys like Weston Hiebert, another walk-on that ended earning a scholarship. My roommate, Trent Tanking, has been another role model that I always looked up to. There are so many great people in this program, and I am sure I am leaving a bunch of people out.”

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

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior forward Dean Wade was named a Preseason Top 50 candidate for the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s in an announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club today (November 6).

The Wooden list, which reflects the early frontrunners for one of the premier Player of the Year awards, was chosen in a poll of national college basketball experts. Players not on the list are still eligible for the Wooden Award midseason and late-season lists and the National Ballot.

Wade was one of five Big 12 players on the watch list, along with Kansas’ Quentin Grimes and Dedric Lawson, Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton and West Virginia’s Sagaba Konate.

Wade is the first K-State player to be a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award since Rodney McGruder in 2012. Jacob Pullen, who was also a preseason candidate in 2010, was the last Wildcat to earn recognition to the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, while Michael Beasley was the last Wildcat finalist for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award in 2008.

The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with the winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award presented during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Wade has already been named to the preseason watch lists for several other Player of the Year awards, including the Citizen Naismith Player of the Year (along with teammate Barry Brown, Jr.), the NABC Player of the Year Presented by ShotTracker as well as the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. In addition, he was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches and a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection.

A 6-foot-10, 228-pound forward from St. John, Kansas, Wade is coming off a stellar junior season in 2017-18, in which, he became just the 15^th player in the Big 12 era to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a single season, as he averaged 16.2 points on 55 percent shooting, including 44 percent from 3-point range, to go with 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 32.8 minutes per game.

No. 12/11 K-State officially opens the season on Friday, November 9 when the Wildcats play host to Kennesaw State (0-0) at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $5 for advanced single-game bench and general admission with $3 tickets available for groups of 12 or more.

Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets and in-person at the Athletics Ticket Office located in Bramlage Coliseum.

–www.kstatesports.com–

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

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The accolades continued to grow for Kansas State senior Dean Wade, who was among 20 players selected to the preseason watch list for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Player of the Year Award Presented by ShotTracker, as announced today (November 5) by the organization.

Wade was one of just Big 12 players on the watch list, along with Kansas’ Dedric Lawson.

The 2019 NABC Division I Player of the Year Award will be announced on Sunday, April 7 at the NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, site of this year’s Final Four.

Earlier in the day, Wade and teammate Barry Brown, Jr., were among 50 players chosen for the watch list for the Citizen Naismith Trophy of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. In addition, Wade was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches and a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, while he was selected to the watch list for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

A 6-foot-10, 228-pound forward from St. John, Kansas, Wade is coming off a stellar junior season in 2017-18, in which, he became just the 15^th player in the Big 12 era to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a single season, as he averaged 16.2 points on 55 percent shooting, including 44 percent from 3-point range, to go with 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 32.8 minutes per game.

Wade nearly grabbed a double-double in Friday’s exhibition with Pittsburg State, scoring a game-tying 14 points (6-of-9 field goals) to go with 9 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.

No. 12/11 K-State officially opens the season on Friday, November 9 when the Wildcats play host to Kennesaw State (0-0) at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $5 for advanced single-game bench and general admission with $3 tickets available for groups of 12 or more.

Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets and in-person at the Athletics Ticket Office located in Bramlage Coliseum.

–www.kstatesports.com–

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

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade were among 50 players selected to the watch list for the Citizen Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club today (November 5).

The preseason watch list will be trimmed to 30 on February 13, 2019 with the release of the midseason 30 team followed by 10 national semifinalists on March 4, 2019 and four finalists on March 19, 2019. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 7, 2019 at the Final Four.

K-State was among 10 schools nationally to have at least two players on the 50-man watch list, joining Duke (3), Gonzaga (2), Indiana (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Nevada (2), North Carolina (2), Tennessee (2) and Virginia (2). In addition, Brown and Wade were among six Big 12 players selected to the list, including Kansas’ Quentin Grimes and Dedric Lawson, Iowa State’s Lindell Wiggintonand West Virginia’s Sagaba Konate.

The Naismith Awards, which are administered by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball. The Naismith Awards recognize the top men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches as well as the men’s and women’s college defensive players of the year.

A 6-foot-10, 228-pound forward from St. John, Kansas, Wade is coming off a stellar junior season in 2017-18, in which, he became just the 15^th player in the Big 12 era to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a single season, joining the likes of Iowa State’s Curtis Stinson, Oklahoma State’s Tony Allen, Texas’ P.J. Tucker and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart. He was one of only three Big 12 players to accomplish the feat since 2012-13, joining Smart (2012-13 and 2013-14) and Kansas’ Josh Jackson (2016-17).

A 6-foot-3, 195-pound three-year lettermen from St. Petersburg, Florida, Brown enjoyed a career-best season as a junior in 2017-18, averaging 15.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting (203-of-453), including 31.8 percent (42-of-132) from 3-point range, to go with 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 34.7 minutes per game. The team leader in double-digit scoring games (29), 20-point games (11), assists (120) and steals (67), he became the first Wildcat to post 500 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists and 50 steals in a single season.

Brown and Wade’s inclusion on the list adds to an already long list of preseason accolades, as each were selected to their respective positional player of the year lists (Brown for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year and Wade for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year). Wade became just the second Wildcat to ever be selected as the coaches’ Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, while both were named to Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

No. 12/11 K-State officially opens the season on Friday, November 9 when the Wildcats play host to Kennesaw State (0-0) at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $5 for advanced single-game bench and general admission with $3 tickets available for groups of 12 or more. Fans can purchase tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), online atwww.kstatesports.com/tickets and in-person at the Athletics Ticket Office located in Bramlage Coliseum.

–www.kstatesports.com–

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