Game Preview // K-State Continues Big 12 Play at 4/4 Baylor Tuesday - K-StateSports.com

GAME 19
KANSAS STATE (10-8, 2-5 Big 12) vs. 4/4 BAYLOR (17-2, 5-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 >> 7:01 p.m. CT >> Ferrell Center (10,284) >> Waco, Texas
 
TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ / ESPN App (Link)

• Lowell Galindo (play-by-play)
• Lance Blanks (analyst)
• John A. Wheat (producer)

 
RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 381
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 971 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]  
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
baylor.statbroadcast.com
 
TICKETS
www.baylorbears.com
(254) 710.1000
Single Game: $10 (GA)
 
COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 180-138/10th Year
Career Record: 493-293/24th Year
vs. Kansas: 9-11 [4-5 on the road]
 
Baylor: Scott Drew [Butler '93]
Record at Baylor: 387-217/19th Year
Career Record: 407-228/20th Year
vs. K-State: 16-16 [7-6 at home]
 
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tied 23-23
Big 12 era: Baylor leads 22-18 [20-15 in regular season]
Current Streak: Baylor, 5
In Waco: Baylor leads 10-8
At Ferrell Center: Baylor leads 10-8
Last Meeting: L, 68-74 [3/11/21 in Kansas City, Mo.]
Weber vs. Drew: 9-11 [4-5 on the road]
 
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (10-8, 2-5 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #3 Selton Miguel
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford
 
Baylor (17-2, 5-2 Big 12)
G: #10 Adam Flagler
G: #11 James Akinjo
F: #0 Flo Thamba
F: #2 Kendall Brown
F: #24 Matthew Mayer
 
K-STATE CONTINUES BIG 12 PLAY AT 4/4 BAYLOR TUESDAY

• Kansas State (10-8, 2-5 Big 12) begins a 2-game road swing this week, as the Wildcats wrap up the first half of Big 12 play with a visit to Waco, Texas to take on the defending national champion and No. 4/4 Baylor Bears (17-2, 5-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on the Big 12 Network. The Bears have won 5 in a row in the series, including all 3 meetings in 2020-21.
• K-State nearly secured a signature win and a third consecutive victory against a Top 25 opponent, leading No. 7/7 Kansas for almost 37 minutes before the Jayhawks rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit with a dominant second-half effort in the paint to earn a 78-75 win in the 296th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday.
• Tuesday's matchup concludes a gauntlet of 4 consecutive games against Top 25 opponents (vs. 19/19 Texas Tech, at 23/22 Texas, 7/7 Kansas and at 4/4 Baylor) to finish off the first half of Big 12 play.

 
OPENING TIP

• K-State dropped another heartbreaking game on Saturday afternoon, as in-state rival and No. 7/7 Kansas scored the game's last 9 points to complete its rally from a 17-point deficit to earn a 78-75 win at Bramlage Coliseum. The setback was yet another heartbreaker for the Wildcats in Big 12 play, where they have led or been tied in the second half in each of their 5 league losses. Four of the 5 Big 12 setbacks have been by a total of 11 points, including 2 points to Oklahoma (69-71) and 3 points to West Virginia (68-71), TCU (57-60) and Kansas.
• In total, 7 of the Wildcats' 8 losses have come by a total of 28 points, which include non-conference setbacks to No. 13/12 Arkansas (64-72) and No. 14/15 Illinois (64-72) by 8 points and Marquette (63-64) by 1 point. The lone loss by double figures came by 13 points to then No. 14/16 Texas on Jan. 4, in which, K-State played with just 7 scholarship players and without head coach Bruce Weber. The team is 0-6 when allowing 70 or more points.
• Kansas scored 26 of its 44 second-half points in the paint, including 10 second chance points on 10 offensive rebounds. For the game, the Jayhawks posted a 45-23 rebounding edge, which included 18 offensive boards that were converted into 19 second-chance points. The 45 total rebounds, 18 offensive rebounds, 19 second-chance points were all opponent highs. The Wildcats fell to 0-6 when being out-rebounded, while in contrast, they are 10-1 when winning the glass.
• The loss came on the heels of consecutive victories over No. 19/19 Texas Tech (62-51) and No. 23/22 Texas (66-65), in which, a fully healthy K-State won back-to-back games over ranked foes for the first time since winning 4 straight from Jan. 12-Feb. 5, 2019. The last 3 games are the first time all season that all 10 healthy scholarship players have been available.
• The comeback by Kansas overshadowed the near-legendary performance by sophomore Nijel Pack, in which, he scored a career-high 35 points, including 22 in the Wildcats' 50-point first half. He hit on 12-of-18 field goals, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 3-of-3 effort from the free throw line. His 35 points tied for the seventh-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game, while it tied for the fourth-most by a sophomore in school history. It was the most points by a Wildcat against the Jayhawks since Jacob Pullen had 38 in 2011.
• For his efforts, Pack was named the Phillips 6 Big 12 co-Player of the Week on Monday, along with Kansas' Ochai Agbaji, of which, the two combined for 64 points in Saturday's game. The 64 points were the second-most by opposing players in the 296-game rivalry and the most K-State's Mike Wroblewski (46) and Kansas' Nolen Ellison (25) combined for 71 points on Feb. 7, 1962.
• Junior Markquis Nowell, who had 16 points, 6 assists and 3 steals against Kansas, along with fellow transfers Ish Massoud and Mark Smith, continue to play a major role for the Wildcats. The trio have been responsible for 42 percent (521) of the team's scoring and 41 percent (261) of its rebounding. They are averaging 28.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 4.2 steals per game.
• So far in Big 12 play, K-State has made strides with its 3-point shooting and turnovers. The Wildcats rank second in the league in 3-point percentage (36.0) and 3-point makes per game (8.43), while they have the fewest turnovers (72).

 
NOTES ON 4/4 BAYLOR

• No. 4/4 Baylor (17-2, 5-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday's game on a 2-game winning streak after dropping back-to-back home games to Texas Tech (62-65) and Oklahoma State (54-61) at home that ended their perfect 15-0 start to the season. The Bears responded with impressive road victories at West Virginia (77-68) and Oklahoma (65-51) to close to within a half-game of Kansas for first place in the Big 12, along with Texas Tech. They are 9-2 at home.
• In their last outing, a 65-51 win at Oklahoma on Saturday, Baylor forced the Sooners into 25 turnovers, scoring 35 off those miscues. They were credited with 16 steals, including 2 players with 4 steals each.
• The Bears are averaging 78.9 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting, including 36.6 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 59.8 points on 41.7 percent shooting, including 29.9 percent from long range. The team leads the Big 12 in scoring margin (+19.11), 3-point field goals per game (8.84), assists (17.37), turnover margin (+4.63) and assist/turnover ratio (+1.34), while they are second in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounding offense (38.11) and steals (9.79).
• Baylor is still a potent offensive team despite losing 3 players to the NBA Draft after its magical national championship season in 2020-21 season. Five players are averaging nearly 10 points per game led by L.J. Cryer's 13.9 points per game on 48.8 percent shooting, including a team-best 47 made 3-pointers on 47.5 percent shooting. Arizona transfer James Akinjo is second in scoring at 13.2 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from long range, while he leads the team in both assists (101) and steals (39). Adam Flagers averages 12.4 points per game, including 39 makes from 3-point range on 37.9 percent shooting. Freshman Kendall Brown averages 10.1 points per game on a remarkable 64.8 percent shooting from the field. Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua averages a near double-double with 7.8 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game and has a team-best 19 blocked shots.
• Baylor is led by the Big 12's longest-tenured head coach in Scott Drew, who has posted a 387-217 (.641) record in his 19th season, which includes 9 NCAA Tournaments, 4 Sweet 16s, 3 Elite Eights and the 2021 NCAA Championship. Overall, he is 407-228 (.641) in his 20th season as a head coach.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Baylor will meet for the 46th time with the series tied at 23 wins each in a series that dates to 1948 with the Bears holding a 22-18 advantage in the Big 12 era. Baylor holds a 10-8 edge in games played in Waco, including a 107-59 win in the last meeting at the Ferrell Center on Jan. 27, 2021.
• K-State had won 6 consecutive games in the series before Baylor has won the last 5 meetings, including a series sweep in 2019-20 and 3-game sweep in 2020-21. The veteran Bears were dominant in their 2 regular-season meetings last season, posting a 100-69 win in Manhattan on Dec. 19, 2020, before a 107-59 victory at home on Jan. 27, 2021. The latter victory served as the largest margin of defeat in school history. The young Wildcats were more competitive in the third meeting in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, pushing the Bears before falling 74-68 in the last meeting on March 11, 2021.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 9-11 all-time against Baylor, including a 4-5 record on the road, while he is also 9-11 against head coach Scott Drew. Drew is 16-16 all-time against K-State, including a 7-6 mark at home.

 
LAST TIME OUT:
7/7 KANSAS 78, K-STATE 75

• No. 7/7 Kansas scored the last 9 points to complete its rally from a 17-point deficit, as the Jayhawks earned a 78-75 victory over Kansas State in the 296th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday afternoon before a season-best crowd of 9,737 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
• Senior Ochai Agbaji scored the game's last 6 points for Kansas, including the game-winner on a driving layup with 8 seconds left, as sophomore Nijel Pack's 3-pointer was off the mark and Agbaji grabbed the rebound before being fouled for the final 2 points from the free throw line. Agbaji led the 4 Jayhawks in double figures with 29 points.
• K-State, which dropped to 1-5 in games decided by 3 points or less this season, led for nearly 37 minutes, including by as many as 17 early in the second half, before Kansas used a dominate second-half performance in the paint to secure its sixth straight win in the series.
• Kansas scored 26 of their 44 second-half points in the paint, including 10 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds. For the game, the Jayhawks posted a 45-23 rebounding advantage, which included 18 offensive boards that were converted into 19 second-chance points. The 45 rebounds, 18 offensive boards, 19 second-chance points and 40 paint points were all opponent highs.
• After erupting for 50 points in the opening half on near 60 percent shooting, K-State cooled off in the second half, managing just 25 points on 29.6 percent (8-of-27) shooting, including 25 percent (3-of-12) from 3-point range.
• The comeback by Kansas overshadowed a near-legendary performance by Wildcat sophomore guard Nijel Pack, who scored a career-high 35 points on 12-of-18 field goals, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 3-of-3 effort from the free throw line. The 35 points tied for the seventh-most in a Big 12 game by a Wildcat, while it tied for the fourth-most by a sophomore in school history. It was the most points by a Wildcat against Kansas since Jacob Pullen's 38-point performance on January 14, 2011.
• Pack was joined in double figures by junior Markquis Nowell, who finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 field goals to go with a game-high 6 assists and a game-tying 3 steals in 34 minutes, while sophomore Selton Miguel added 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting with 3 rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes. 

 
LEADING WITH DEFENSE

• K-State has developed a strong reputation as defensive team under head coach Bruce Weber, ranking among the top-60 nationally in opponent points per game 6 times in the 9 seasons. The Wildcats ranked fourth in scoring defense (59.6 ppg.) during its Big 12 Championship season in 2018-19, while they placed 36th (60.4 ppg.) in 2012-13 and 46th (67.0 ppg.) in 2017-18.
• K-State has held 220 opponents (out of 318 total) under 70 points during Bruce Weber's tenure, including a program-best 31 in 2012-13. The Wildcats have also held 110 opponents under 60 points in that span, while 29 have scored less than 50 points in his tenure.
• In addition to its scoring defense, K-State has ranked among the top-40 in opponent 3-point field goal percentage 3 times (2013-14, 2015-16 and 2018-19) and among the top-50 in steals on 5 occasions (every season from 2015-16 to 2019-20) in the Bruce Weber era. Twice (2016-17 and 2019-20) the school has ranked the top-45 in opponent turnovers.
• K-State struggled mightily across the board during the 2020-21 season, but no more than on defensive end, allowing 80 or more points 7 times in the first 21 games, including allowing 100 or more points in both regular-season games with eventual national champion Baylor. The Wildcats were able to win 4 of their last 7 games in 2020-21 due to their improved defense, as they held 5 of those 7 opponents under 60 points, allowing just 59.3 points per game in that span.
• K-State has started the season off where they left off at the end of the 2020-21 season, as the defense is allowing 62.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting, including 26.3 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-35 in 3 defensive categories, including third in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 28th in scoring defense and 32nd in field goal percentage defense.
• After allowing 70 or more points in the first 3 Big 12 games, K-State had been better in the 3 league contests before Kansas, allowing just 58.7 points on 40.5 percent shooting, including 25.9 percent from long range. The Wildcats held the Red Raiders to one of their worst offensive performances on Jan. 15, allowing their second-fewest points (51) and forcing 18 turnovers. It marked the 100th win under Weber when holding an opponent below 60 points (100-10).

 
'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

• The Wildcats are averaging 68.6 points on 43.2 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 71.3 percent from the free throw line through the first 18 games. The team is averaging 28.2 points in the paint, 17.7 points off the bench, 15.8 points off turnovers, 8.0 fast-break points and 9.2 points on second-chance opportunities.
• K-State's offensive numbers are slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the Wildcats are averaging 64.9 points on 41.4 percent shooting, including 36 percent from 3-point range, and 66.3 percent from the free throw line. The team is averaging 24.3 points in the paint, 10.0 points off the bench, 13.0 points off turnovers, 8.0 fast-break points and 9.3 points on second-chance opportunities.
• K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 71.7 points and 14.9 assists in their 10 wins compared to just 65.1 points and 11.8 assists in their 8 losses. The squad has scored 294 points (29.4 ppg.) in the paint in their 10 wins, including a season-high 46 vs. North Dakota, which were the most since scoring 50 vs. Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 16, 2018.

 
MARKED IMPROVEMENT FROM 3

• After ranking among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country in 2020-21, those numbers have improved in 2021-22. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal per game (8.00), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (34.6). In Big 12 play, the team ranks second in both 3-point makes (8.43) and 3-point percentage (36.0).
• Last season, K-State ranked eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (6.59) and 10th in 3-point field goals percentage (29.6). In league play, the team was 10th in both 3-point makes (5.67) and 3-point percentage (27.0). The Wildcats ranked 319th (out of 340) in 3-point field goal percentage, while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals (191) and 243rd in 3-pointers per game.
• The Wildcats' 3-point shooting plays a big part in wins and losses, as the team is averaging 8.6 3-point makes on 37.7 percent shooting in their 10 wins, while they are averaging 7.3 treys on just 30.9 percent shooting in their 8 losses.
• Sophomore Nijel Pack paces the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made/game (3.19), while he is third in 3-point field goal percentage (42.1). Junior Markquis Nowell is 13th in 3-point makes (1.44). Pack is also first in 3-point field goals/ game (3.71) in conference-only games, while he is fifth in percentage (40.6).

 
BUILDING BETTER DEPTH

• It has been well chronicled how young the Wildcats were during the 2020-21 season, as only 11 Division I schools were less experienced than K-State. The team ranked second nationally in true freshmen starts with Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack starting in 17 of the 29 games.
• The team has used at least 7 players in each game with 6 averaging nearly 6 points per game, including 3 double-digit scorers (Pack, Nowell and Smith).
• K-State is averaging nearly 17.7 points per game from its bench this season, including 28-point efforts against No. 13/12 Arkansas and No. 14/15 Illinois. The team is 8-2 this season when getting 20 or more points from the bench.
• The bench has played a significant factor in success in Big 12 play with the Wildcats combining for 38 bench points in the wins over No. 19/19 Texas Tech  (21) and No. 23/22 Texas (17), while just getting 32 combined points in the losses to Oklahoma (8), Texas (4), West Virginia (6), TCU (7) and Kansas (7).

 
MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

• K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.5 turnovers per game, including just 10.29 miscues per game in league play. The team has single-digit turnovers in 5 games, including twice in Big 12 play.
• The Wildcats rank fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.14) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.89). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are tops in assist/turnover ratio (+1.07) and third in turnover margin (+2.00).
• Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.15) and would be second in league-only games at +2.29 if he met the minimum after missing the first 2 Big 12 games due to health and safety protocols.
• These numbers will be put to the test on Tuesday night, as No. 4/4 Baylor ranks among the best in Big 12 in forcing turnovers at 17.63 per game.

 
TURNOVER LOW

• K-State turned the ball over just 4 times in the loss to No. 14/15 Illinois, which tied 5 others for the third-fewest in a game in school history and fewest since also registered 4 turnovers in a win over Gonzaga on Dec. 21, 2013. It tied the 2013 Gonzaga contest for the fewest turnovers in the Bruce Weber era.
• The Wildcats have also had 10 turnovers or less 5 times in the last 11 games, including 7 vs. Wichita State (12/1/21) and 6 vs. Texas (1/4/22) and Kansas (1/22/22).

 
PACK OFF TO STRONG START

• Sophomore Nijel Pack is off to an impressive start to the 2021-22 season, as he has led or have been tied for the team lead in scoring in 10 of 16 games played, including posting consecutive 20-point outings against No. 14/16 Texas (21) and West Virginia (20) for the first time in his career to go along with his career-high 35-point outburst vs. No. 7/7 Kansas.
• Pack is averaging a team-best 16.7 points on 45.9 percent (94-of-205) shooting, including 42.1 percent (51-of-121) from 3-point range, to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31.1 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (15), field goals (94) and 3-point field goals (51).
• Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including tops in 3-point field goals per game (3.19), third in both scoring (16.7 ppg.) and 3-point field goal percentage and fifth in field goal percentage. Through 7 Big 12 games, he is first in 3-point field goals per game (3.71) and third in scoring (19.0 ppg.).

 
NOWELL PROVIDES SPARK

• Junior Markquis Nowell returned to the lineup against West Virginia and provided an immediate spark to the Wildcat, collecting his third points/assists double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 assists in 32 minutes. He is believed to be the first Wildcat to accomplish the feat in his first league game.
• His 3 points/assists double-doubles are the most-ever by a Wildcat in both a single-season and career, as he also posted double-doubles against Marquette (11 points, 11 assists) and McNeese (18 points, 10 assists). He nearly tallied the school's first recorded triple-double vs. Marquette, as he added 8 rebounds to his 11 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes. He now has 8 such double-doubles in his college career, posting 5 during his 3-year stint at Little Rock (2018-21).
• Nowell leads in assists (86) and steals (40), while he is second in scoring (12.3 ppg.), while connecting on 40.6 percent from the field and 88.6 percent from the free throw line. He ranks sixth in the nation and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.5), while he is 27th nationally and second in the Big 12 in assists (5.4).

 
SMITH'S IMPRESSIVE NIGHT

• The loss at Oklahoma overshadowed a historic performance by senior Mark Smith, who became the first Wildcat in school history to post a game of at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists since assists became officially kept by the NCAA in 1976-77. He had career-highs in points (25), rebounds (16) and assists (5), while posting zero turnovers in 39 minutes. His 16 rebounds were the most since Michael Beasley registered 17 boards against Missouri on Feb. 16, 2008.
• For his efforts, Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, becoming the first Wildcat to earn the honor since Dean Wade in 2016.
• Smith, who is averaging a near double-double in Big 12 play (13.0 ppg., 8.3 rpg.), posted his second 20-point game in just his sixth Big 12 game in the win at No. 23/22 Texas with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-14 field goals, including 2-of-5 3-point range. He has 4 double-doubles this season (5 in his career).

 
MOVING TOWARDS 500

• Head coach Bruce Weber is working towards a coaching milestone, as he is 7 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters Tuesday's game with a 493-293 (.627) record in 24 years as a head coach at Southern Illinois (1998-2003), Illinois (2003-12) and K-State (2012-21).
• If Weber were to achieve the milestone in 2021-22, he would be among elite company as only 27 current Division I coaches have reached 500 wins in their career with Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) recently joining the club.

 
HOPING FOR BETTER INJURY LUCK

• K-State is hoping for better luck on the injury front in 2021-22 after injuries were a major factor in the 2020-21 season, as 9 players combined to miss 75 games, which caused head coach Bruce Weber to start 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) a combined 71 times, which ranked second nationally to Kentucky.
• Only one other Division I team (Long Beach State) had more players miss time due to injuries in 2020-21.
• Although that luck has been tested early with big man Seryee Lewis going down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, along with injuries slowing down the progress made by junior Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
• Although that luck has been tested early with big man Seryee Lewis going down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, along with injuries slowing down the progress made by junior Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
• The backcourt has been hit of late, as Pack missed 2 games against Wichita State and Marquette due to a concussion, while Markquis Nowell missed the first 2 Big 12 games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
• Seven players (Bradford, Edwards, Nowell, junior Kaosi Ezeagu, freshman Logan Landers and walk-ons Jordan Brooks and Trey Harris) plus head coach Bruce Weber missed the game vs. No. 14/16 Texas (1/4/22), while six players (Edwards, Ezeagu, Landers, Brooks, Harris and senior Mike McGuirl) and Weber missed the game at West Virginia (1/8/22) due to health protocols.
• K-State has played just 3 games with 10 healthy scholarship players.

 
McGUIRL UTILIZES EXTRA SEASON

• K-State received some good news on March 23 when senior Mike McGuirl announced that he was utilizing his extra season and returning to the Wildcats for the 2021-22 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA announced in October that they had agreed to grant players an additional year of eligibility.
• An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, McGuirl is coming off solid senior season in 2020-21, in which, he either led or was tied for the team lead in 12 categories, including points, field goals, 3-pointers, assists and steals. He was second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) to freshman teammate Nijel Pack.
• McGuirl's 20 double-digit scoring games doubled his entire career total (10) that he had entering the 2020-21 season. He opened the season with his first career 20-point game vs. Drake on November 25 with 22 points then equaled it against Fort Hays State on December 8, while he had a team-high 19 points in the upset of No. 7/8 Oklahoma on February 23. Of his 705 career points, 542 have come in the last two seasons in 58 games played with 49 starts (9.3 ppg.).
• The only player to start all 29 games, McGuirl showed his versatility by leading the Wildcats in scoring a team-best 11 times, while he also paced the team in rebounding 4 times, in assists 14 times and in steals on 10 occasions. He led the team in scoring (16), rebounding (9) and assists (5) in the win over TCU on February 20, a win which started the team's late surge to end the season (four wins in the last 6 games).

 
THE 'CATS INK 3 HIGH-PROFILE TRANSFERS

• K-State got an infusion of experience with the addition of 3 high-profile Division I transfers in fifth-year Mark Smith (Missouri), junior Markquis Nowell and sophomore Ismael (Ish) Massoud (Wake Forest). All 3 took advantage of the new transfer rules and are immediately eligible in 2021-22.
• Like McGuirl, Smith earned a second senior season due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and will bring 100 games of experience to the court after playing at Illinois (2017-18) and Missouri (2018-21). Nowell, who was a Lou Henson All-American at Little Rock, averaged double figures in each of his three seasons as a Trojan. Massoud played in all 53 games of his Wake Forest career, averaging 8.3 points per game as a sophomore in 2020-21.
• The transfers presumably fill the Wildcats' greatest need from the 2020-21 season, which was a lack of production from the 3-point line. The team ranked 319th (out of 340 teams) in 3-point field goal percentage (29.6), while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals made (191) and 243rd in 3-point field goals per game (6.6). The trio have combined for nearly 450 triples (449) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
• The trio have made their impact in the first 18 games with Smith starting every game, while Massoud and Nowell have 14 and 10 starts, respectively. They have combined for 521 points (28.9 ppg.) on 41.3 percent (181-of-438) shooting with 261 rebounds (14.5 rpg.), 128 assists (7.1 apg.) and 75 steals (4.2 spg). Nowell has scored in double figures in 11 games, including 3 points/assists double-doubles, while Massoud has 7 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 4 double-doubles and is second in the Big 12 in rebounding (8.1 rpg.).

 
A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

• K-State returns 9 lettermen, including 4 players (Davion Bradford, Mike McGuirl, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) who registered starts during its COVID-19 challenging 2020-21 campaign, which resulted in the Wildcats' second consecutive non-winning season at 9-20 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play. In addition to these 4 players, the team will get back the services of several key lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis and walk-on Drew Honas.
• The biggest headliner from the returners might be McGuirl, who opted to return for an extra season in 2021-22 after his senior season was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2020-21 after leading the Wildcats in 12 categories, including points (342), double-digit scoring games (20), field goals (112), 3-point field goals (60), assists (103), steals (30) and minutes (34.3).
• The freshmen trio of Bradford, Miguel and Pack had to grow up fast in their first season, starting together in 17 games with 12 of those coming in Big 12 play. The 71 combined starts by the three true freshmen in 2020-21 ranked second nationally only to Kentucky (72). The three combined to average 25.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 2020-21, as Pack (12.7 ppg.) became the first true freshman to lead the Wildcats in scoring since 2013-14. Bradford (7.7 ppg.) and Miguel (7.2 ppg.) were fourth and fifth in scoring.  
• Ezeagu started early on for K-State before an injury forced him to miss 10 games. He returned in mid-January as mostly a reserve, averaging 5.2 points on 67.7 percent (21-of-31) in his last 10 games. Linguard and Lewis each showed flashes in their first seasons, playing in 17 and 18 games, respectively, while Kasubke recovered from a preseason injury that forced him to miss the first 13 games to be a key contributor in the final 16 games.

 
UP NEXT: AT OLE MISS (10-9, 2-5 SEC)

• K-State continues its 2-game road swing with its final non-conference matchup of the season with a trip to Oxford, Miss., to take on SEC foe Ole Miss (10-9, 2-5 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT on Saturday afternoon. The Rebels lead the all-time series, 3-2, including a 60-46 victory in the first and only meeting at home. The Wildcats have won the last 2 meetings, both in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, with K-State taking a 69-64 victory in the matchup on Jan. 30, 2016.
• K-State is 3-5 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, including 0-5 on the road.
• Ole Miss is averaging 68.0 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 66.1 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting, including 28.5 percent from long range. The Rebels have 3 players averaging in double figures led by Jarkel Joiner (13.6 ppg.) and Daeshun Ruffin (11.9 ppg.).

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2022-01-25 04:43:50Z
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