GAME 17
11/13 KANSAS STATE (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) AT 17/17 TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)
Saturday, January 14, 2023 >> 1:05 p.m. CT >> Schollmaier Arena (6,800) >> Fort Worth, Texas
TELEVISION
ESPN2 / WatchESPN (link here)
- Ted Emrich (play-by-play)
- King McClure (analyst)
- Jim Piscitelli (producer)
RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 385/975
Online: Varsity Network [free]/ www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]
- Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
- Stan Weber (analyst)
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
tcu.statbroadcast.com
TICKETS
www.gofrogs.com
COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ’07]
Record at K-State: 15-1/1st Year
Career Record: 17-1/1st Year+
vs. TCU: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]
TCU: Jamie Dixon [TCU ’87]
Record at TCU: 130-87/7th Year
Career Record: 458-210/20th Year
vs. K-State: 7-10 [6-10 at TCU]
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 20-10
Big 12 Era: K-State leads 17-8
In Fort Worth: K-State leads 8-3
At Schollmaier Arena: K-State leads 8-3
Active Streak: K-State, 1
Tang vs. TCU: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]
Tang vs. Jamie Dixon: 0-0 [0-0 at home]
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
11/13 Kansas State (15-1, 4-0 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin
C: #23 Abayomi Iyiola
17/17 TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)
G: #1 Mike Miles, Jr.
G: #10 Damion Baugh
F: #5 Chuck O’Bannon, Jr.
F: #2 Emanuel Miller
C: #4 Eddie Lampkin, Jr.
OPENING TIP
No. 11/13 Kansas State (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) returns to the road this weekend, as the Wildcats take on No. 17/17 TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., CT on ESPN2. It will pit two high-flying offensive teams (78.8 ppg. to 77.8 ppg.) in the first Top 25 matchup in series history. In a strange twist on home court advantage, the Wildcats have won 3 of the last 4 meetings in Fort Worth, including the last 2 games, while the Horned Frogs have won 3 of the last 4 in Manhattan, including each of the last 3 games.
KEY STORYLINES
- K-State continued its best start (15-1) since the 1958-59 season after knocking off Oklahoma State, 65-57, in its return to Bramlage Coliseum to extend its winning streak to 9 games. The Wildcats won their first game as a ranked team in nearly 4 seasons, as they proved their ability to win in a defensive slugfest after scoring a school-record 213 points in the wins over No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor last week. Although they connected on a season-low 35.6 percent from the field, the Wildcats were able to flex their defensive muscle, holding the Cowboys to their third-lowest point total on 33.3 percent shooting, while scoring 19 points off 16 turnovers.
- K-State’s 15-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history, surpassing the previous 14-2 starts by Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13). Tang’s 15-1 start ranks as the best by all current first-year coaches in Division I, just ahead of the 13-3 start by Missouri’s Dennis Gates.
- K-State has won 9 consecutive games since absorbing its first loss of the Jerome Tang era against Butler on Nov. 30, which ties Kansas and Providence for the third-longest active streak among Power 6 Conference schools, trailing UCLA (11) and Xavier (10). It is the sixth-longest overall streak in Division I with Charleston leading the way with 16 straight wins. The Wildcats have averaged 82 points per game during their current 9-game winning streak on 48.3 percent (262-of-543) shooting with 4 players averaging in double figures.
- For the first time K-State swept both Big 12 weekly Player of the Week honors, as senior Markquis Nowell was named the Player of the Week for the second time this season and senior Keyontae Johnson earned the Newcomer of the Week nod for the third time. The tandem combined to score 120 points at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor on 59.4 percent (38-of-64) shooting, which is the most points by 2 Wildcats over a 2-game span in the last 50 seasons.
- Nowell, who earned four National Player of the Week honors, continued his impressive play against Oklahoma State with a team-high 20 points and a game-high 7 assists. He is the only player in the last 25 seasons across all of Division I to post a 5-game stretch of 20 points per game on at least 50 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range to go with 10 assists per game. He continues to be one of the leaders nationally in assists. His 8.8 assists per game rank second nationally, while his 140 total assists place third.
- The Wildcats have quite the dynamic 1-2-3 scoring punch with Johnson (18.4 ppg.) and Nowell (17.2 ppg.) and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin (11.1 ppg.) combining to average 46.7 points per game on 48.3 percent (253-of-524) shooting. They are the second-best scoring trio in the Big 12 after Baylor’s Adam Flagler, Keyonte George and L.J. Cryer (48.4 ppg.) and just ahead of Kansas’ Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick and Kevin McCullar (45.3 ppg.).
NOTES ON 17/17 TCU
- No. 17/17 TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) enters Saturday’s game having lost back-to-back vs. Top 25 opponents, including a 69-67 last-second home loss to No. 25/25 Iowa State and a 79-75 setback at No. 10/10 Texas. The Horned Frogs had won 11 in a row prior to the 2-game skid, which included notable victories over California, Iowa, Providence, SMU, Utah, Texas Tech and Baylor.
- TCU is averaging 77.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 29.6 percent from 3-point range, with 37.9 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 8.6 steals and 5.3 blocks per game, while allowing 64.4 points on 40.7 percent shooting, including 29.6 percent from 3-point range. The Horned Frogs are connecting on 70.8 percent from the free throw line.
- TCU leads the nation in fastbreak points (21.4 ppg.), while ranking in the top-40 in several other categories, including 10th in turnover margin (+5.1), 26th in free throw attempts/game (22.4), 27th in assists/game (16.4), 33rd in assist/turnover margin (1.39) and free throws made/game (15.9).
- Three players led by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Mike Miles, Jr. are averaging in double figures, as he ranks second in the Big 12 at 19.5 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting, while seniors Emanuel Miller and Damion Baugh are averaging 14.1 and 12.3 points per game. Miller is tops in rebounding (6.1 rpg.), while Baugh has a team-high 55 assists.
- TCU is led by seventh-year head coach Jamie Dixon, who has a 130-87 record with 4 20-win seasons. Overall, he has a 458-210 record in his 20th season as a head coach. He is 7-10 all-time vs. K-State.
SERIES HISTORY
- K-State holds a 20-10 lead in the all-time series with TCU, including a 17-8 mark in the Big 12 era. The Wildcats have an 8-3 record in games played in Fort Worth, including wins in 3 of the last 4 visits (2019, 2021, 2022).
- K-State has a narrow 6-4 lead in the last 10 meetings with TCU, including a split of the home-and-home series in 2022. The Horned Frogs won for the third straight season in Manhattan with a 60-57 win on Jan. 12 before the Wildcats earned a 75-63 victory in Fort Worth on Feb. 5.
LAST 10 MEETINGS [6-4]
Date Rank Result Score Location
3/4/2019 18/— W 64-52 Fort Worth
3/14/2019 15/— W 70-61 Kansas City
1/7/2020 —/— L 57-59 Manhattan
2/15/2020 —/— L 57-68 Fort Worth
3/11/2020 —/— W 53-49 Kansas City
1/2/2021 —/— L 60-67 Manhattan
2/20/2021 —/— W 62-54 Fort Worth
3/10/2021 —/— W 71-50 Kansas City
1/12/2022 —/— L 57-60 Manhattan
2/5/2022 —/— W 75-63 Fort Worth
LAST MEETING: K-STATE 75, TCU 63
- Sophomore Nijel Pack paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 20 points, as K-State avenged its earlier loss to TCU with a near wire-to-wire 75-63 victory over the Horned Frogs in the last meeting between the schools on Feb. 5 in Fort Worth.
- K-State, which had its share of close games, finally jumped out on a Big 12 opponent and didn’t let up, leading a TCU squad that had won 3 of its last 4 games, for more than 38 minutes, including as much as 16 points.
- In addition to Pack’s 20 points, the Wildcats got double-digit scoring efforts from senior Mark Smith (16 points and 10 rebounds), junior Markquis Nowell (14 points) and senior Mike McGuirl (13 points).
LAST TIME OUT: 11/13 K-STATE 65, OKLAHOMA STATE 57
- Senior Markquis Nowell continued his impressive play with a team-high 20 points and game-high 7 assists, as No. 11/13 K-State won its first game as a ranked team in nearly 4 seasons with a gritty 65-57 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday night before a sold-out crowd of 11,000 at Bramlage Coliseum.
- K-State, which continued its best start to a season in more than 60 years, extended its winning streak to 9 games, which is the longest since a 10-game streak from Nov. 24, 2013, to Jan. 7, 2014. The team is also 4-0 to start Big 12 play for the first time since 2012-13.
- As expected, the Wildcats took the best shot of a long and athletic Oklahoma State team, which leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (61.5) and ranks third nationally in field goal percentage defense (36.4), 14th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.4) and 17th in blocked shots (5.5 bpg.).
- The Cowboys rode that elite defense to much as a 5-point lead in the first half, including 32-30 at halftime. However, the Wildcats scored 5 of the first 7 points out of halftime to take the lead for good on a trey by junior Ish Massoud at 35-34 and force a timeout by coach Mike Boynton, Jr., at the 17:17 mark.
- K-State twice built a 10-point lead, including 51-41, with just over 10 minutes remaining to cap a 9-0 run and 56-46 after a layup by junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin with just over 7 minutes left. However, OSU make a furious comeback with 9 straight points to cut the deficit to 56-55 right before the last media timeout with 3:10 to play.
- The Wildcats were able to make key plays down the stretch to end the game on a 9-2 run, which included a highlight alley-oop dunk by senior Keyontae Johnson from Nowell with 38 seconds left. This 9-2 ending included a pair of free throws from senior Abayomi Iyiola and Nowell, the dunk by Johnson and 3 free throws from reserve senior Desi Sills.
- Nowell was joined in double figures by Johnson, who kept his double-digit scoring streak alive at 16 games with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 2 assists, and Sills, who added 11 points on 3-of-8 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws to go with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
- After scoring 213 points in back-to-back wins over No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor last week, including a school-record 116 points vs. the Longhorns, K-State proved it can win in a variety of ways, including on defense. The Wildcats connected on a season-low 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from the field, including 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from 3-point range, but took advantage of 16 turnovers by the Cowboys to score 19 points.
- Oklahoma State was held to its third-lowest point total (57) of the season on 33.3 percent (22-of-66) shooting, including 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from 3-point range. After connecting on 45.7 percent (14-of-31) in the first half to lead 32-30 at the break, the Cowboys made just 22.9 percent (8-of-35) of their field goals in the second half, including 14.3 percent (2-of-14) beyond the arc.
POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES
- K-State won its first game as a ranked team since knocking off TCU, 70-61, in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals on March 14, 2019.
- K-State has now eclipsed its win total (14) from the 2021-22 campaign.
- K-State had 16 turnovers, including allowing an opponent-high 11 steals, but Oklahoma State scored just 10 points off those miscues, while scoring 19 points off 16 OSU turnovers.
- K-State held OSU to 57 points on 33.3 percent (22-of-66) shooting, including 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from 3-point range, while registering just 11 fouls.
TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH
- First-year head coach Jerome Tang enjoyed a successful a debut, as the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win against UTRGV on Nov. 7, becoming the 24th man and the first full-time black head coach in school history. He followed with his first road victory at Cal to start his tenure off with a 2-0 record. He is the sixth minority men’s head coach in K-State Athletics history, including the third in men’s basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
- K-State’s 15-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history with Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17) and Bruce Weber (2012-13) each starting their tenures at 14-2. Tang’s start is among the best by all first-year head coaches in Division I, just ahead of the 13-3 start by Missouri’s Dennis Gates.
- This is not Tang’s first time being a head coach, as he served as athletics director and head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas from 1993-2003, leading the school to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
- In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to 4-0 record. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) during the 2012-13 season, while he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is only credited with the wins in 2013, moving his college head coaching record to 17-1.
A TEAM OF WINNERS
- Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on a number of occasions that he recruited a team ‘full of winners’ as exemplified by the number of championships that the collective group has won.
- There are a combined 8 state championships among the 15 players on the roster, including 2 each won by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister also won state titles during their senior seasons.
- In addition to the high school success, a number of players have been a part of winning college programs, including Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas’ Elite Eight team in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N’Guessan (Virginia Tech) being a part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.
- This championship mentality stretches to the staff, as associate head coach Urlic Maligi has been part of 5 NCAA Tournament and 5 conference title teams in his career. Assistant coach Jareem Dowling has been involved with teams that have won 4 conference titles and earned 4 postseason trips, while assistant coach Rodney Perry is coming off a 2021-22 year in which he led Link Academy to a national runner-up finish at the GEICO National Tournament before helping MOKAN Elite to its third Nike Peach Jam title.
1700 WINS AND COUNTING
- K-State’s overtime 96-87 win over Nevada in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in school history. The Wildcats are the 43rd Division I team to eclipse 1,700 wins, including the sixth Big 12 school.
- The Wildcats have a 1,710-1,214 (.586) all-time record as a program, which includes 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.
SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
- K-State has posted a 170-53 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 128-14 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 118-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
- The Nebraska win on Dec. 17 also gave K-State double-digit non-conference victories for the first time since going 10-3 in 2018-19. The Wildcats collected their 11th non-conference victory vs. Radford on Dec. 21, giving them their most since also winning 11 in 2017-18. The team earned 10 or more non-conference wins in 12 of 13 seasons from 2006-07 to 2018-19, but they had managed just a 19-16 record in non-conference action from 2019-22.
- K-State’s current 11-1 non-conference mark is the best since opening the 2016-17 season with a similar 11-1 record. The Wildcats won a program-best 13 non-conference games in 2009-10, while they won 12 in 2008-09 and 2010-11.
POTENT OFFENSIVE ATTACK
- K-State is averaging 78.8 points this season on 47.2 percent (447-of-948) shooting, including 35.6 percent (117-of-329) from 3-point range, while hitting on 73.7 percent (250-of-339) from the free throw line. The Wildcats lead the BIg 12 in assists (18.9 apg.), while they are third in scoring offense and free throw percentage, fourth in 3-point percentage and fifth in field goal percentage.
- K-State has scored 80 or more points 7 times, including 5 games of 90 or more points highlighted by the school-record 116-point effort in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which was the first 100-point game since 2011. It is the most games of 80 or more points since posting 11 in 2017-18 and most games of 90 or more points since also totaling 5 in 2009-10.
- The 93 points vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) were the fourth-most in a season opener in the last 25 seasons and the most since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah to open the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats also topped the 90-point barrier in a 96-87 overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic, while the squad fell 2 points short of their first 100-point game since 2010-11, totaling 98 vs. UIW (12/11/22) behind a school-record first 7 double-digit scorers.
- Twice this season the Wildcats have had 2 players (Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson) score 25 or more points in the same game, which hadn’t happened since 2010. Nowell (29) and Johnson (28) combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) before they went for 64 in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which ties for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and the most since Michael Beasley and Bill Walker at Baylor in 2008.
- K-State has connected on better than 50 percent of its field goals in 6 games, including back-to-back vs. Rhode Island (11/21/22) and Nevada (11/22/22) and ACU (12/6/22) and UIW (12/11/22). The team hit on a season-best 60 percent (36-of-60) vs. Texas (1/3/23), which included a season-high 13 3-pointers, and a school-record performance from the free throw line of 93.9 percent (31-of-33).
- A key to the K-State offense this season has been its ability to score in paint, as the Wildcats are averaging 37.3 points in the paint. The team has scored 30 or more points in the paint 12 times in 16 games, including 6 games of 40 or more points and one game of 50 points (a season-high 52 vs. ACU (12/6/22).
DISHING THE ROCK
- K-State ranks among the best in the country in sharing the basketball, as the Wildcats rank sixth nationally and first in the Big 12 with 18.9 assists per game. Among the 302 assists are 6 players with double-digit totals, including senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks third nationally with 140 total assists. He is second nationally in assists/game at 8.8 per game. He has posted double-digit assists in 6 games, including a career-high 14 at No. 19/17 Baylor.
- The Wildcats also rank in the top-5 nationally with a 67.6 assist percentage according to KenPom, which calculates the number of assists (302) to made field goals (447). Only Lafayette (70.9), Tennessee (68.8), Xavier (68.6) and Virginia (68.0) have a better percentage nationally.
- Although Nowell gets all the attention for his playmaking ability, the rest of the team has shown the ability to share the ball, as the Wildcats have had 3 or more players dish out at least 2 assists in 12 of 16 games. The team had 7 players with 2 or more assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), while 6 did it against Nebraska (12/17/22) and Baylor (1/3/23) and 5 vs. UIW (12/11/22) and Texas (1/3/23).
TEAM FULL OF SCORERS
- K-State is one of just 3 schools to have at least four 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,163 points), Keyontae Johnson (1,083 points), Markquis Nowell (1,583 points) and Desi Sills (1,249 points) have all reached the milestone in their Division I careers. Only Johnson, who did it against Radford (12/21/22), and Nowell have reached the mark while at K-State.
- K-State has now six 1,000-point scorers if you count senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 points in his 4-year career at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at Monroe (2019-20) and Chipola Colleges (2020-22).
- UAB has five 1,000-point scorers followed by K-State and Notre Dame (4), while 10 others have 3 such scorers, including Drake, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Southern Utah, Texas and Virginia.
BENCH PRODUCTION
- K-State is getting solid production from its bench through the first 15 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.6 points per game.
- The Wildcats got 41 points from its bench in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Massoud (10) and Sills (10) all posting double-digit points. As a group, the bench connected on 14-of-29 from the field, including a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
- Senior Desi Sills has been particularly impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 7 times, including 16 points in the win over LSU (11/23/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic Championship game and a season-high 17 points (all in second half) in the loss at Butler (11/30/22). He has also been among the team’s best playmakers, ranking second with 41 assists.
FORCING TURNOVERS
- K-State’s defense has forced 260 turnovers through the first 16 games, which includes 123 steals, while averaging 18.7 points per game off those miscues. The team ranks 17th in non-steal turnover percentage (12.0) by KenPom.
- The 16.3 turnovers forced per game ranks 36th nationally, while it places fifth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, Texas, TCU and Texas Tech. K-State ranks sixth in turnover margin (+2.9) and seventh in steals (7.7), while senior Markquis Nowell places 26th nationally and second in the Big 12 in steals (2.25 spg.).
- K-State has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 6 times with a season-high 31 points off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers in the opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ points off miscues in back-to-back games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 points) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 points) as well as ACU (12/6/22; 23 points), UIW (12/11/22; 28 points) and West Virginia (12/31/22; 22 points).
JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT
- Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball court on Nov. 7 in the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after suffering a medical emergency against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He finished the night with 13 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a team-high 26 minutes.
- Johnson continued his impressive play with a near double-double in the win at Cal, scoring a team-high 16 points while grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds to go with 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 block in a game-high 33 minutes.
- Johnson was named the March Madness National Player of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14, as he averaged 14.5 points on 47.6 percent (10-of-21) shooting, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Wildcats’ first 2 wins.
- Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent (15-of-28) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.
- Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season on Dec. 19 after his impressive performance in K-State’s win over Nebraska, as he posted game-highs in both points (23) and rebounds (11) to go with his career-tying 4 steals. It was his seventh career double-double with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, while it was his 11th career 20-point game.
- Johnson was selected for the Newcomer award for the third time on Monday after posting consecutive 20-point games in wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor while adding a game-high 9 rebounds in each contest.
- Johnson has scored in double figures in all 16 games, leading the Wildcats and ranking third in the Big 12 in scoring (18.4 ppg.). He is second in the league in field goal percentage (57.4), while he is in the top-15 in 6 other categories, including fourth in minutes (33.2 mpg.), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.1), seventh in rebounding (7.0 rpg.) and 11th in free throw percentage (72.5).
NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW
- On a team with 13 new players and a new coaching staff, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell once again has demonstrated he is still the guy running the show for the Wildcats, as he leads the team in both assists (8.8 apg.) and steals (2.3 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (17.2 ppg.).
- Nowell ranks second nationally in assists per game (8.8 apg.) and third in total assists (140), while he is 13th in assists/turnover ratio (3.18). He is one of 2 active Division I players (Tennessee State’s Junior Clay) with 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. He also ranks first among all active Division I players with 228 career steals. He just eclipsed 1,500 points with his effort at No. 6/6 Texas.
- Nowell was recognized for his MVP performance in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. It was his first weekly honor in the Big 12 and his fourth overall after winning it 3 times in the Sun Belt.
- In the wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell became the first Wildcat to record double-digit assists in consecutive games, while he became the second player in school history and the first since 1989 to post a 25-point/10-assist game with his 29-point, 11-assist effort in the 96-87 overtime win over the Wolf Pack. His 12 assists vs. the Rams tied for the fourth-most in school history and the most since Steve Henson collected 12 vs. OSU on Feb. 25, 1989.
- Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
- Nowell matched his season-high (12) in assists in the win over ACU, while he earned his 12th career double-double, including his seventh as a Wildcat, with 23 points and 10 assists in the win over No. 24/24 West Virginia. It was just the sixth 20-point/10-assist double-double in school history, including the second such game by Nowell this season. It was his fifth double-digit assist game.
- Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
- Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
- Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
- Nowell capped his impressive week with the school’s first 30-point, 10-assist game in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor, scoring 32 points while dishing a career-best 14 assists. He became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 with consecutive 30-point games, while his 14 assists tied the record for most in a conference game in school history and were the most by any one Wildcat in more than 40 years. He earned his second Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday.
AN INSTANT IMPACT
- Junior transfer Nae’Qwan Tomlin has given K-State another scoring threat in the post, as the junior college All-American ranks third on the team in scoring (11.1 ppg.) while connecting 45 percent (68-of-151) from the field to go with 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game. He is 11th in rebounding and fourth in blocks, while he is just outside the top-20 in scoring.
- Tomlin was selected as the Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 27 after his near double-double performance in the win over Radford on Dec. 21. He led four Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 26 points, as he hit on 11-of-18 field goals, which included 4 dunks, a 3-pointer and all 3 free throws attempted, to go with a season-tying 9 rebounds in 33 minutes.
- Tomlin saw his streak of double-digit scoring games end at 7 games after scoring 9 points in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor. The streak began with 14 points vs. Wichita State and was highlighted by 15-point efforts vs. UIW and Nebraska and a career-best 26 points vs. Radford. In that 7-game stretch, he averaged 14.9 points on 55.4 percent (41-of-74) shooting to go with 6.3 rebounds.
- Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.
SILLS OFF THE BENCH
- Senior Desi Sills has provided a spark for the Wildcats off the bench, as he is averaging 8.7 points on 44.8 percent (52-of-116) shooting with 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 7 times, including a season-high 17 points in the loss at Butler.
- Sills scored in double figures in 2 of the first 3 games, including 10 in his first game as a Wildcat vs. UTRGV. He scored 16 points vs. LSU in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic, hitting on 6-of-9 field goals, before his season-high 17 at Butler, which all came in the second half. He has 8 or more points in 6 of the last 8 games, including 14 vs. UIW and 11 vs. Oklahoma State.
- Although Sills went scoreless in the win over Wichita State (12/6/22), he had the play of the game with his block of Shammah Scott’s breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.
UP NEXT: 2/2 KANSAS (15-1, 4-0 Big 12)
- K-State returns home on Tuesday night to take on No. 2/2 Kansas (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN in a renewal of the Dillon’s Sunflower Showdown.
