'Cats, Tigers tangle Monday night

game information

kansas state vs. savannah state

Monday, January 7, 2008

Tipoff: 7:07 p.m. CT

Location: Manhattan, Kan.

Arena: Bramlage Coliseum (1988)

Capacity: 12,528

Series: Kansas State leads 1-0 (W, 92-51, 1/10/04)

Television: FSN Midwest

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)

Stan Weber (analyst)

Bryan Carter (producer)

Satellite Channels: DirecTV 648; Dish Network 444

Coordinates: Galaxy 28, Transponder 17 Slot A&B, KU Band

Radio: K-State Sports Network; Powercat Passport Internet Audio;

Yahoo! Internet Radio, Sirius Satellite 127

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)

Stan Weber (analyst)

Tickets: Tickets are available by calling (800) 221-CATS.

kansas state wildcats

Record: 9-4 (0-0 Big 12)

Ranking (AP/Coaches): nr/nr

Coach: Frank Martin

Alma Mater: Florida International, 93

Career Record: 9-4/1

School Record: 9-4/1

vs. Savannah State: First meeting

06-07 Record: 23-12 (10-6 Big 12)

Last game: Dec. 31, 2007

lost to Xavier, 103-77

SID: Tom Gilbert

Website: www.k-statesports.com

savannah state tigers

Record: 8-12 (0-0 Independent)

Ranking (AP/Coaches): nr/nr

Coach: Horace Broadnax

Alma Mater: Georgetown, 86

Career Record: 64-146/7

School Record: 22-58/3

vs. Kansas State: First meeting

06-07 Record: 12-18

Last game: Jan. 4, 2008

defeated Southern Miss, 61-56

SID: Opio Mashariki

Website: www.savstate.edu/athletics

projected starters

Kansas State (9-4)

G - #2 Blake Young (6.7 ppg., 2.8 rpg.)

G - #5 Clent Stewart (8.3 ppg., 3.4 rpg.)

F - #4 Andre Gilbert (5.4 ppg., 2.8 rpg.)

F - #12 Bill Walker (15.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg.)

F - #30 Michael Beasley (24.2 ppg., 13.5 rpg.)

Savannah State (8-12)

G - #3 Joseph Flegler (8.8 ppg., 1.9 rpg.)

G - #10 Patrick Hardy (4.7 ppg., 2.2 rpg.)

G - #13 Anthony Jones (8.3 ppg., 2.1 rpg.)

F - #14 Lazarius Coleman (7.6 ppg., 4.9 rpg.)

F - #24 Chris Linton (9.0 ppg., 5.9 rpg.)

game preview

Kansas State (9-4) concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule on Monday, as the Wildcats play their first game of the new year against Savannah State (8-12) at Bramlage Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m. CT. The team will look to win its first game of a new year for the third time in the last four seasons.

The squad will look to capture its 10th non-conference win of the season for the 18th time since 1972-73 season and for the third time in the last four seasons. K-State has already guaranteed itself a winning record in non-league play for the 36th straight season dating back to 1972-73. The team has won 37 of its last 49 games against non-conference foes, including a stellar 30-2 mark at home.

The Wildcats are coming off the worst defeat of the season to upstart Xavier, who earned their second straight win in the series with a 103-77 victory on Dec. 31. Despite shooting 57.1 percent in the second half, the team could never overcome an early 14-0 deficit in allowing their highest point total in nearly six seasons. The Musketeers recorded opponent highs in nine categories, including points (103), field goals (32) and field goal percentage (53.3). The 103 points were the most allowed since No. 1 Kansas scored 103 on Feb. 27, 2002.

Monday's contest will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Midwest (DirecTV 648, Dish Network 444) with Ben Boyle (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (analyst) calling the action. The viewing area is restricted to the state of Kansas and the Kansas City area by Big 12 Conference regulations. It will be the seventh of 10 appearances on the network and one of a school-record 29 televised contests. The team is 15-1 over the past two seasons on FSN Midwest.

The game will also be broadcast on the 31-station K-State Sports Network (Powercat Passport Internet Audio; Yahoo! Internet Radio; Sirius Satellite 127) with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Matt Walters (analyst) calling the action.

the book on kansas state

Despite a poor defensive effort, there were several positives in the 103-77 loss to Xavier on New Year’s Eve. The Wildcats topped 75 or more point for the 11th time this season, which eclipsed the season totals of the past eight seasons, including the 10 recorded by the 2006-07 squad. After setting season-lows for points in a half (28) and field goal percentage in a half (28.6) in the first half, the team rallied to score 52 points on 57.1 percent shooting in the second half. It marked the fifth time this season that the squad has recorded 50 or more points in a half, including the third straight contest.

K-State was led by a pair of freshmen - Bill Walker and Fred Brown - who scored 56 of the team’s 77 points. Walker totaled 30 or more points for the second time this season with a career-high 31 points. Walker, who is averaging 20.6 points in the last five games with a pair of 30-point games, went a career-best 13-of-23 from the field against Xavier, including 2-of-7 from 3-point range, with six rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. Yet another freshman, Fred Brown, had a career night with 25 points - over 40 percent of his season total - on a team season-high 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the field, including 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from beyond the arc. Brown, who scored just 10 points in the first seven games, is averaging 12.8 points on 55.3 percent shooting in the last four games.

The team is averaging 80.9 points on 43.7 percent shooting with 44.7 rebounds, 17.2 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.3 blocks per game, while holding their foes to 70.2 points on 40.6 percent shooting. A pair of Wildcats are averaging in double figures led by Michael Beasley, who ranks sixth nationally in scoring at 24.2 points per game.

Beasley, who paces the nation in rebounding at 13.5 per game, is shooting 54.7 percent from the field, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range to go with 2.0 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.2 minutes per game. He has registered a double-double in 12 of 13 games and has posted 30 or more points on five occasions. Beasley leads the team in 10 categories, including scoring, field goals (117), free throws (69), rebounds, blocks and minutes. His 12 double-doubles tie Jack Parr (1957) and Willie Murrell (1963) for ninth place for double-doubles in a single-season.

The team’s hottest player since moving back to the interior five games ago, Bill Walker ranks second to Beasley in numerous categories, including scoring (15.5 ppg.), rebounding (6.8 rpg.), field goals (57), field goal attempts (130), blocks (10), double-digit scoring (eight), and double-doubles (three). He has now scored in double figures in 12 of 17 career games, including eight of 11 games this season.

A pair of backcourt mates - Jacob Pullen and Clent Stewart - have also continue to play well for the Wildcats. Pullen, who started the team’s first nine games at point guard, is first on the team in assists (3.2 apg.) and steals (1.4 spg.) and third in scoring (9.9 ppg.). The team’s most experienced player with 103 appearances and 77 starts, Stewart has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games, including five consecutive games. Stewart ranks second in minutes (27.7 mpg.) and assists (3.2 apg.), while he is fourth in scoring (8.3 ppg.), rebounding (3.4 rpg.) and steals (1.2 spg.).

ticket information

Season tickets are sold out for the season, however, there will be selected tickets that have unclaimed from the student allotment available for purchase on an individual-game basis. Less than 50 tickets remain for Sunday’s game, which are priced $20 for the general admission seating in student sections 19-25 in the arena, and are on sale at the Athletics Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum, by calling 1.800.221.CATS or online at www.k-statesports.com.

turning up the offense

Since posting a season-low 59 points against Notre Dame on Dec. 4, Kansas State has turned up its offense in the last five games. The squad is averaging 87.4 points on 45.3 percent shooting (146-of-322), including 33.7 percent from 3-point range (34-of-101), during that span after averaging 76.9 points on 42.6 percent shooting, including 25.9 from beyond the arc, in the first eight contests. Most notably, the team is taken better advantage of its opportunites from the free throw line, converting on 71.2 percent (111-of-156) in the last five games compared to 63.6 percent (119-of-187) in first eight.

turning up the offense, part 2

Kansas State has scored 75 or more points in five consecutive games for the first time since doing it in five straight games from December 2-17, 2006. Prior to last season, the team hadn’t scored 75 or more points in five consecutive games since the 1976-77 squad did it in seven straight contests to start the season. The team recorded 90 or more points in consecutive games against Winston-Salem State and Wagner for the first time in over 10 years since scoring 101 against Coastal Carolina on Dec. 6 and 90 at Wichita State on Dec. 10, 1997.

The Wildcats have scored at least 75 points in 11 of its 13 games this season. The 11 games of at least 75 points equals or surpasses the entire total from the past nine seasons, including the 10 in 2006-07.

The last time the school had more than 11 games of 75 or more points was the 1997-98 season, which produced 14 such contests.

the book on savannah state (8-12)

Savannah State (8-12) broke a two-game losing streak on Friday by posting an impressive 61-56 win over Conference USA member Southern Mississippi at home. The Tigers sprinted out to a 24-5 lead and an eventual 35-20 advantage at halftime behind 57.7 percent shooting in the first half. The Eagles roared back in the second half to close the gap, but the Tigers connected on 13-of-14 (92.9 percent) from the charity strip to clinch the win. Junior forward Chris Linton had 12 points and seven rebounds, while senior forward Lazarius Coleman added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Savannah State is averaging 58.3 points on 39.9 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range, with 33.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 9.2 steals and 3.5 blocks per game. The team is holding opponents to 66.5 points per game on 42.8 percent shooting from the field. A balanced squad, the Tigers have four starters averaging seven or more points on the season led by junior forward Chris Linton’s 9.0 points per game. Linton paces in rebounding (5.9 rpg.) and minutes (28.7 mpg.), while senior guard Joseph Flegler and freshman guard Anthony Jones average 8.8 and 8.3 points per game, respectively.

Savannah State returns 10 lettermen, including three starters, from a team that compiled a 12-18 overall record. The Tigers have made tremendous progress since completing a winless season just several years ago. The squad has already achieved wins over Florida A&M and South Carolina State in addition to its victory over Southern Miss. Monday’s game will be the 11th road game of the year for the team.

The team is led by head coach Horace Broadnax, who has a 64-146 record in seven years as a head coach and a 22-58 mark in three seasons at Savannah State. He spent five years as the head coach at Bethune-Cookman (1997-2002). The former attorney was a point guard for the legendary John Thompson at Georgetown (1982-86), guiding the Hoyas to a 115-24 overall record during his playing days. He was on the 1984 NCAA title and 1985 national runner-up squads.

series vs. savannah state

This will mark the just the second all-time meeting between Kansas State and Savannah State on the hardwood. The Wildcats earned a 92-51 win over the Tigers at home on Jan. 10, 2004. The team is 6-0 all-time against teams from the independent ranks.

xavier postgame notes

Xavier now leads the all-time series, 4-2, including a 3-0 mark in Cincinnati and 2-0 at U.S. Bank Arena. The Musketeers have won four of the last five meetings, including back-to-back seasons.

Kansas State scored 77 points on 44.4 percent shooting... It marked the fifth straight game that the Wildcats scored 75 or more points and the first time that they have accomplished that since Dec. 2-19, 2006... The team scored 52 points on 57.1 percent shooting in the second half... It marked the fifth time this season, including the third straight game, that the Cats have tallied 50 or more points in a half.

K-State set a season-high with nine 3-point field goals, including a individual player high of five by freshman Fred Brown... The five treys were the most by a Wildcat since Cartier Martin connected on 5 against Oklahoma on Senior Day on March 3, 2007... Brown also set an individual player high for 3-point percentage, connecting on 83.3 percent from beyond the arc... The team also tied a season-high with 25 3-point attempts, which they also did against UCF on Nov. 23.

The Wildcats set season-lows for rebounds (34) as well as points in a half (25) and field goal percentage in a half (28.6)... The 34 boards surpass the previous low of 37 against George Mason on Nov. 22.

Xavier set opponent highs in nine categories, including points (103), field goals (32), field goal percentage (53.3), 3-point field goals (nine), 3-point field goal percentage (52.9), free throws (30), free throws attempted (39), points in a half (59) and field goal percentage in a half (60.7)... The 103 points were the most allowed since No. 1 Kansas also scored 103 on the Wildcats on Feb. 27, 2002.

Three Wildcats scored in double figures led by career-highs by Bill Walker (31) and Fred Brown (25)... It marked the third time that two players scored 20 or more points, including the second straight game. Clent Stewart tallied double figures for fifth game in a row with 10.

cats solid in january

Kansas State is 352-302 (.538) all-time in the month of January, including wins in 14 of its last 23 games. The team has won six straight games in the month of January dating back to the 85-81 win over Missouri on Jan. 13, 2006. After losing games to Xavier, No. 11 Texas A&M and Texas Tech to start the month, the squad finished with wins over Missouri, baylor, Iowa State, Chicago State, Nebraska and Missouri. The 6-3 record last season was the highest for the month of since the Wildcats won seven in 1992-93. A win would give the team a win to start the new year for the third time in the last four years.

non-conference success

The win against Winston-Salem gave the Wildcats’ at least eight non-conference wins for the 23rd time in the last 27 seasons, including each of the last six seasons. The win also guaranteed the program a winning record in non-league play for the 36th straight season dating back to the 1972-73 season.

The team will be looking to capture its 10th non-conference win against Savannah State for the third time in the last four season and for the second consecutive year. The squad hasn’t won 10 or more non-conference games in consecutive seasons since the 1992-93 (10-2) and 1993-94 (13-1). K-State has won 37 of its last 49 games against non-conference foes, including a remarkable 30-2 mark at home. The Wildcats’ loss to Oregon on Nov. 29 was the team’s first to a home non-conference home opponent since 2004.

cats good inside the arc

Kansas State has proven to be better inside the 3-point arc this year, converting on 50.6 percent (294-of-581) of its 2-point field goals. The team has connected on 50 percent or better from inside the arc in eight of 13 games, including a season-high 57.7 percent (30-of-52) against Wagner (12/29). Four of the Wildcats’ top-6 scorers also prove to more effective inside the 3-point arc, including freshman forward Michael Beasley (58.3; 105-of-180), freshman guard Jacob Pullen (51.9, 27-of-52), senior guard Clent Stewart (49.0; 21-of-43) and freshman guard Fred Brown (51.7; 15-of-29).

taking advantage of the charity stripe

In recording 80 or more points in four of the last five games, Kansas State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line. The team averaged 24.8 points from the charity stripe (on an average of 35 attempts) during its four-game winning streak, while hitting on 72.3 percent of its opportunities. In comparison, the squad averaged just 14.9 points from the line in the first eight games on 23.4 attempts for just an 63.6 percentage. During its four-game winning streak, the team posted 20 or more free throws in four consecutive games for the first time in almost 20 years. The last time the Wildcats did it in three straight contests was during the 1991-92 season.

This season, the Wildcats have hit on 20 or more free throws in seven of 13 games, including a season-high 28 in their 82-75 win over previously unbeaten California on Dec. 9. The team is averaging 21.3 points (on 31.3 attempts) from the charity stripe in its nine wins and just 9.5 points (on 15.3 attempts) in its four losses.

beasley, walker among the best

Freshmen Michael Beasley and Bill Walker are starting to prove they are two of the best players in Big 12. The pair are the only two rookies to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding in the Big 12.

Beasley paces the league in four categories - scoring (24.2 ppg.), rebounding (13.5 rpg.), offensive rebounds (4.5 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (9.0 rpg.) - and is the top-12 in three others - blocked shots (second -2.0 bpg.), field goal percentage (sixth - 54.7) and free throw percentage (12th - 69.0). He is also owns the most double-doubles (12) and the most 30-point games (five).

Walker ranks eighth in the Big 12 in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and ninth (6.8 rpg.) in rebounding. He also places among the top-15 in four other categories, including fifth in offensive rebounds (3.0 rpg.), eighth in free throw percentage (75.8), 14th in field goal percentage (43.8) and 15th in defensive rebounds (3.8 rpg.).

The duo have helped K-State lead the league in rebounding (44.7) and offensive rebounds (17.46) and place fourth in scoring (80.9 ppg.).

more beasley and walker

Michael Beasley and Bill Walker became just the fourth duo in Kansas State history (the first freshman duo) to each score 30 or more points at least twice in the same season and the first in 30 years. The duo joins Bob Boozer (2) and Jack Parr (2) in 1956-57, Mike Evans (2) and Chuckie Williams (4) in 1975-76 and Mike Evans (3) and Curtis Redding (3) in 1977-78.

With his 40-point performance against Winston-Salem State, Beasley now has notched five contests of 30 or more points this year, which ranks fourth all-time at Kansas State for a single-season. He now just trails Bob Boozer (7, 1958-59), Norris Coleman (7, 1985-86) and Mitch Richmond (6, 1987-88) for the most in a single season. Beasley also ties Askia Jones (1989-94), Dick Knostman (1950-53) and Curtis Redding (1976-78) for the fifth-most 30-point games in a career. Boozer is the all-time leader with 10 from 1956-59.

Walker, who has notched his two 30-point games in the last five games, ties seven other players including notable players Bob Boozer, Mike Evans, Steve Henson and Jack Parr for the 13th-most in a single season. He posted his first career 30-point game against California on Dec. 9 and then topped it with 31 points against Xavier.

newcomers a big part of success

One of the nation’s top recruiting classes has been a big success so far for Kansas State, as the newcomers have posted over 60 percent of the Wildcats’ points (640) and blocks (34) and over 50 percent of the rebounds (322), steals (54) and assists (105). Most of these have come from phenom Michael Beasley, who owns over 30 percent of the team’s points (315) and rebounds (176). In all, four of the top-6 scorers and two of the top-3 rebounders are either freshmen or first-year players in the program. If you include redshirt freshman Bill Walker, who played just six games last year, the totals increase to over 75 percent of the points (811) and blocks (45) and almost 70 percent of the rebounds (397) and steals (70).

okay, this guy’s pretty good

Freshman Michael Beasley earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season on Dec. 26 after posting a freshman school-record high 40 points in the win over Winston-Salem State on Dec. 22. He went 14-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, with 15 rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes. He scored 28 of his 40 points in the second half, including 24 of the team’s first 29 of the half. Beasley is the first Kansas State player to earn Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors twice in a season since David Hoskins did it twice during the 2005-06 season. He became the first Wildcat to win Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week accolades since 2005 on Nov. 12 when he averaged 31.0 points and 19.0 rebounds in wins over Sacramento State and Pittsburg State to start the season.

beasley breaks another one

Michael Beasley made history yet again with his 40-point effort against Winston-Salem State on Dec. 22, as he broke fellow rookie Norris Coleman’s mark of 39 points against Colorado on Jan. 18, 1986 for the most by a freshman. He now owns four school records, including for points by a freshman in a debut (32 vs. Sacramento State), most rebounds by a freshman (24 vs. Sacramento State) and most consecutive double-doubles by a freshman (12). The 40 points are the most by a Wildcat since Askia Jones tallied a school-record 62 points against Fresno State in the second round of the Postseason NIT on March 24, 1994. He is the ninth Wildcat in to record a 40-point game, while his 40-point effort ties Mike Evans (40 vs. Colorado, 1/15/77) for the eighth-highest scoring total in a game.

wildcats to score 40 or more points

62 by Askia Jones vs. Fresno State, 3/24/94

*47 by Chuckie Williams vs. Holy Cross, 12/5/75

*46 by Mike Wroblewski at Kansas, 2/7/62

*45 by Bob Boozer vs. Purdue, 12/1/58

*42 by Dick Knostman vs. Oklahoma, 2/14/53

41 by Steve Henson vs. Iowa State, 2/17/90

*41 by Mitch Richmond vs. Oklahoma, 2/13/88

40 by Mike Evans vs. Colorado, 1/15/77

40 by Michael Beasley vs. Winston-Salem State, 12/22/07

*Was named an All-American following season.

double-double

Michael Beasley will look to become just the sixth player in school history and the first since Gene Williams in 1968-69 to average a double-double for a single-season. He is averaging 24.2 points and 13.5 rebounds per game through 13 games with 12 double-doubles. He would join Bob Boozer (1956-59), Jack Parr (1955-58), Larry Comley (1960-61), Willie Murrell (1962-64) and Gene Williams (1968-69) to average a double-double for a season.

Remarkably, Boozer and Parr averaged a double-double in three consecutive seasons, while Murrell accomplished it back-to-back seasons. At his current pace, Beasley could also top the school single-season scoring and rebounding averages held by Bob Boozer (25.6 ppg. in 1958-59) and Jack Parr (14.5 rpg. in 1956-57).

better in the second half

Michael Beasley tends to get better as the game goes on, averaging 14.0 points on 64 percent shooting to go with 5.7 rebounds per game in the second half this season. He has scored in double figures in nine of 13 second halves this season, including 23 points against Western Illinois (11/17) and 24 against George Mason (11/22) and 28 against Winston-Salem State (12/22). He had a double-double just in the second half against WIU with 12 rebounds to go with 23 points.

In contrast, he is averaging 9.8 points on 44 percent shooting with 7.5 rebounds per game in the first half. He has scored in double figures in just seven first halves this season, but he did have a double-double (16 points and 17 rebounds) in his first collegiate half in the opener against Sacramento State on Nov. 9.

historic beginning

Michael Beasley had a memorable first game as a Wildcat, he set three school records as well as two Big 12 marks in helping Kansas State to a season-opening victory over Sacramento State on Nov. 9. He posted 32 points on 12-of-20 field goals with 24 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals in 31 minutes.

Beasley is just the third player in school history to top 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single-game and the first since Bob Boozer (36 points, 23 rebounds) did it against Colorado in 1957. The 32 points were the most points by a freshman in a debut in both Kansas State and Big 12 history, while the 24 rebounds were the most by a freshman in a single-game and the third-most by a Wildcat in school history. The 24 rebounds also eclipsed the all-class Big 12 record of 23 held by Kevin Durant (2006) and Nick Collison (2003).

On Nov. 11, Beasley became just the third player in school history (and first freshman) to tally 30 points in back-to-back games in a win over Pittsburg State. He tallied 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes. He is the first player to top 30 points in consecutive games since Askia Jones did it against Colorado (32) and Oklahoma (31) in January 1994.

first with two 20-point/20-rebound games

Michael Beasley became the first player in Big 12 history to collect two 20-point/20-rebound performances in a single season with his 28-point, 22-rebounds effort against Western Illinois on Nov. 19. In the first 11 years of Big 12 competition, only nine players had posted 20-point/20-rebound games in their career and none had ever done it more than once in their respective careers. He is just the second player in school history to accomplish the feat twice in a season and the first since Jack Parr did it twice during the 1955-56 season.

Beasley turned in his first career 20-point/20-rebound game in the opener against Sacramento State with a freshman-debut high 32 points and 24 rebounds on Nov. 9.

walker back to full strength

The former high school All-American is finally healthy after playing in just six games as a true freshman in 2006-07 before going down with a season-ending ACL injury at Texas A&M in the first Big 12 contest.

Walker is second to Michael Beasley in both scoring (15.5 ppg.) and rebounding (6.8 rpg.), while he is second in steals (1.5 spg.) and free throw percentage (75.8). He has now scored in double figures in 12 of his 18 career games, including eight of 11 games this season. Walker might be playing the finest basketball of his young Wildcat career in the team’s last five games. In gaining the start in each of these contests, he is averaging 20.6 points on 48.5 percent shooting (33-of-68), including 44.4 percent shooting (8-of-18) from 3-point range, with 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. He has connected on 80.6 percent (29-of-36) from the free throw line during the current streak.

After battling through a variety injuries to start the season, Walker has played in eight straight games for the Wildcats, including a career-high 35 minutes of action against California on Dec. 9. He set or tied career-highs in nine categories against the Bears with 30 points on 7-of-22 field goals with 10 rebounds, two assists and four steals. He is coming off his second 30-point outing in the last five games (and third 20-point effort) with his career-best 31-point effort against Xavier (12/31). He went a career-high 13-of-23 from the field with six rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes.

After suffering through a variety of aliments to start the season, where he missed two of the first five games, Walker began to turn the corner on the final day of the Old Spice Classic. He posted his first career double-double against Rider on Nov. 25 with 14 points and a new career-high 10 rebounds. He continued his impressive play against Notre Dame with a season-tying 14 points on 6-of-11 field goals with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

walker named big 12 rookie of the week

Freshman forward Bill Walker earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 10 after averaging 22.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in games against Notre Dame and California.

For the week, Walker averaged 22.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting (13-of-33), including 33.3 percent (2-of-6), with 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 1.0 assist and 1.0 block in 34.0 minutes per game. He also connected on 88.9 percent (16-of-18) from the free throw line.

Walker played arguably his best game as a Wildcat in the team’s 82-75 win over previously unbeaten California on Dec. 9, as he set or tied career-highs in nine categories. He posted a career-high 30 points on 7-of-22 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, with a career tying 10 rebounds, a career-high four steals and two assists in 35 minutes of action. Walker also set then career-highs for field goals (7), field goal attempts (22), 3-point field goals (2), 3-point field goal attempts (5), free throws (14) and free throw attempts (16).

The performance followed a solid outing against Notre Dame on Dec. 4, as he tallied 14 points against the Fighting Irish on 6-of-11 field goals with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 33 minutes. He scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half on 5-of-8 shooting in playing all 20 minutes.

iron man

A team mainstay the past three seasons, senior guard Clent Stewart has become a guiding force for a young squad. He has been a steady force during a crucial stretch in the last seven games, averaging 10.7 points on 44.4 percent shooting with 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists against the likes of Oregon, Notre Dame and California. He has been even better in the last five games, scoring in double figures in all five games and averaging 12.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting with 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.8 minutes.

Stewart continues to move up the career charts in three categories (assists, minutes played and games started), in this, his last season at K-State. With two assists against Oregon on Nov. 29, he broke his second-place tie with Tyrone Adams (1979-82) for career assists with 318. With 339 assists, Stewart now trails just leader Steve Henson (582, 1987-90) on the all-time list.

He currently sits in sixth place all-time in minutes played with 2,753, passing former teammate Lance Harris (2,618; 2003-07) with a season-high 34 minutes against California. He needs just 12 minutes to pass Ayome May (2,764; 1996-99) for fifth place. At his current pace, he should finish in the top-3 behind only Steve Henson (4,474; 1987-90) and Askia Jones (3,547; 1990-94). In addition, he tied two others for seventh place on the games started list with the 75th start of his career against Wagner. He is also just 10 games from breaking into the top-10 for career games played (103).

what brown can do for you

Yet another talented freshman is starting to emerge from the bench, as rookie Fred Brown has posted solid efforts in the past four games. He is averaging 12.8 points on 55.3 percent shooting in that span with 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.8 assists in 18.0 minutes per game. Brown has scored 51 of his 61 season point total during this span.

He is coming off a career-night against Xavier (12/31) with a career-best 25 points on a team season-best 9-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, in a career-high 24 minutes. The 25 points were nearly triple his previous season high of nine against Florida A&M (12/17) and Winston-Salem State (12/22). His 81.8 percent shooting from the field is the best by a Wildcat with at least five field goals, while his five 3-point field goals are the most by a Wildcat since Cartier Martin had five against Oklahoma on March 3, 2007.

After playing a combined 16 minutes in the previous five games, Brown logged 16 minutes of action against Florida A&M with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and four rebounds. He followed with nine points against Winston-Salem. He continued his impressive play against Wagner, registering career-highs in rebounds (6) and steals (4) to go with eight points and two assists in 23 minutes.

young comes through in clutch

Senior Blake Young came through a pair of big 3-point field goals in the second half of the win over California. After missing his first field goal attempt, Young hit his first trey with 3:06 remaining to give the Wildcats’ a two-point lead then followed less than a minute later to break a 69-all tie and give the team the lead for good with 2:19 left. He finished the game with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes.

Young, who ranks fifth on the team in both scoring (6.7 ppg.) and rebounding (2.8 rpg.), elevated his play during the key three-game stretch against Oregon, Notre Dame and California. He averaged 9.3 points on 50 percent shooting, including 41.7 percent from 3-point range, with 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.7 minutes. He is one of just two players (Michael Beasley) to start all 13 games this season. He also has the longest active game streak on the team with 48 consecutive games played dating back to last season.

pullen shines at the point

Michael Beasley is not the only true freshman to shine so far this season, as rookie Jacob Pullen has played well in the point guard spot. The Maywood, Ill., native paces the squad in 3-point field goals (14), assists (3.2 apg.) and steals (1.4 spg), is third in scoring (9.9 ppg.) and fifth in minutes played (23.2 mpg.).

He has scored in double figures in eight of the team’s first 13 games, including tying his career-high with 19 points in back-to-back wins over UCF and Rider at the Old Spice Classic. He combined to go 6-of-14 from 3-point range in those victories, including a season-high four treys against the Knights. He has also been stellar from the free throw line, going 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) at the Old Spice Classic to rank second on the team at 70.3 percent for the season. He opened the season with 18 points against Sacramento State in his first collegian game on 7-of-11 shooting to go with a team-high five assists and two steals. He made it double figures in two of his first three games, scoring 10 points against Western Illinois on Nov. 17.

gilbert not just one-game wonder

Junior college transfer Andre Gilbert broke out against Rider on Nov. 25 and even outshined fellow newcomer Michael Beasley. The transfer from Mount San Jacinto College in California, nearly doubled his season total for points against the Broncs with a team-high 22 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, with five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 28 minutes of action. He followed this performance with yet another stellar effort against Oregon (11/29), posting 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and four assists in a season-high 32 minutes. He averaged 19.0 points on 52.0 percent shooting, including 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, with 4.5 rebounds in those two games. Gilbert came into the Rider game with a total of 13 points in the first five games with a previous high of seven against Pitt State on Nov. 11. The 22 points broke his previous high of 17 against Manhattan on Dec. 20, 2005 when he was redshirt freshman at South Dakota State.

samuels, sutton join squad

K-State head coach Frank Martin received a pair of belated holiday gifts on Dec. 26 when high school recruits Jamar Samuels and Dominique Sutton were cleared to begin competing for the Wildcats.

Both Samuels and Sutton come to Kansas State after playing at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C., for head coach Chris Chaney. The duo played a major role in helping the Bulldogs to a 36-4 overall record and a No. 3 national prep school ranking in 2006-07. The squad advanced to the inaugural Prep School National Championship, where they lost in the semifinals to the eventual national champions Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep, led by future teammate Michael Beasley.

Sutton averaged 15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and a team-leading 3.0 steals per game as a senior, while Samuels was the first players off the bench for the Bulldogs. Both players starred on the AAU circuit with the DC Assault alongside Beasley and Ron Anderson.

A 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Washington, D.C., Samuels played just one season at The Patterson School after a stellar playing career at Archibishop Carroll High School. He averaged 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game as a junior, while he averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as a sophomore.

A 6-foot-5, 220-pound shooting guard from Durham, N.C., Sutton was rated among the top players in the country in 2006, including the No. 57 overall prospect by Scout.com and No. 131 prospect in the Rivals150 by Rivals.com. He was also ranked among the top-50 at his position by a number of outlets, including No. 11 by Scout.com, No. 21 by High School Hoops magazine and No. 39 by Rivals.com. In addition, he was rated the No. 2 in North Carolina by Rivals.com.

Sutton played two year for The Patterson School after transferring from Durham Jordan High School. As a sophomore, he averaged 19.7 points in guiding the Falcons to a 19-8 overall record and the 4-A Western Regional semifinals. He was named to AP All-State second team and was the Durham Sun-Herald Player of the Year.

anderson a monster on boards

Another true freshman making an immediate impact for the Wildcats is Ron Anderson, who ranks first on the team in field goal percentage (58.1) and third in rebounding (5.1 rpg.). After scoring just 13 points in the previous six games, Anderson had a career day shooting the ball against Wagner (12/29). He posted a season-high 14 points in the game on 5-of-6 field goals with six rebounds in 22 minutes.

A late addition to the squad in August, he has already performed well during the season, averaging 7.0 points on 75 percent shooting with 6.0 rebounds in 20.7 minutes at the Old Spice Classic. He nearly posted his first double-double against UCF on Nov. 23 with 11 points and eight rebounds to go with three assists after turning in six points and nine rebounds against George Mason. The rookie has registered eight or more rebounds in four games this year, including a career-high 12 against Pitt State on Nov. 11.

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