PREVIEW: K-State Visits Oklahoma State Wednesday
Jan 17, 2017 | Men's Basketball
GAME PREVIEW
JAN 18, 8:05 PM CT
Gallagher-Iba Arena
Stillwater, OK
RV/RV
K-STATE
WILDCATS
13-4 (2-3 Big 12)
NR/NR
OKLAHOMA STATE
COWBOYS
10-7 (0-5 Big 12)
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TELEVISION
ESPNU
• Anish Shroff (play-by-play)
• Tim Welsh (analyst)
• Thomas Morrissey (producer)
RADIO
K-State Sports Network
• Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
• Stan Weber (analyst)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 134/XM 199 (Oklahoma State broadcast)
ONLINE/MOBILE
K-State Game Center at kstatesports.com
• Free audio stream available
WatchESPN.com
• Free video stream available
TICKETS
OKState.com
877.ALL.4.OSU
tickets@okstate.edu
$11 (bench/GA)
COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)
Overall: 405-213/19th season
At K-State: 92-58/5th season
vs. Oklahoma State: 7-4 (0-4 on the road)
Oklahoma State: Brad Underwood (Kansas State ‘86)
Overall: 99-21/4th season
At Oklahoma State: 10-7/1st season
vs. Kansas State: First meeting
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (13-4, 2-3 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes (11.3 ppg., 4.6 apg.)
G: #5 Barry Brown (12.1 ppg., 3.3 rpg.)
G: #25 Wesley Iwundu (11.9 ppg., 5.2 rpg.)
F: #32 Dean Wade (10.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg.)
F: #4 D.J. Johnson (12.0 ppg., 6.3 rpg.)
Oklahoma State (10-7, 0-5 Big 12)
G: #1 Jawun Evans (18.2 ppg., 5.3 rpg.)
G: #13 Phil Forte (13.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg.)
F: #23 Leyton Hammonds (7.5 ppg., 5.0 rpg.)
F: #30 Jeffrey Carroll (16.8 ppg., 7.0 rpg.)
F: #41 Mitchelll Soloman (4.9 ppg., 4.5 rpg.)
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: K-State leads 78-52 (series began in 1922)
In Big 12 era: Oklahoma State leads 17-11 (12-1 at home)
In Stillwater: Oklahoma State leads 33-24 (last meeting - 2/13/2016)
Current Streak: K-State, 1
Last Meeting: K-State, 75-71, in Kansas City, Mo., on 3/9/2016
Weber vs. Oklahoma State: 7-4 (0-4 on the road)
Weber vs. Underwood: First meeting
GAME 18 - QUICK HITTERS
• Kansas State (13-4, 2-3 Big 12) hits the road for another Big 12 mid-week matchup, as the Wildcats take on former player and assistant coach Brad Underwood and his Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-7, 0-5 Big 12) at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Anish Shroff and Tim?Welsh.
• Underwood played two seasons at K-State (1984-86) for the legendary Jack Hartman then returned in 2006 for a 6-year run on the coaching staffs of head coaches Bob Huggins and Frank Martin, where he helped the Wildcats to a 140-66 (.680) record and 6 postseason appearances.
• Underwood is one of 4 current Division I?head coaches (along with UTSA’s Steve Henson, SMU’s Tim Jankovich and Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger), who played at K-State, and one of 13 former Wildcat players or coaches who currently serve as a head coach at the Division I or II level.
• The contest begins a stretch of 3 road trips in a 4-game stretch for the Wildcats, which are 3-3 in contests away from home and 2-2 in true road games. The team is 0-2 on the road in Big 12 play, falling in the waning seconds at No. 3/2 Kansas (90-88) and Texas Tech (66-65).
• K-State owns a 78-52 advantage in the all-time series with Oklahoma State, but has found Gallagher-Iba Arena a difficult place to play losing 15 times in the last 16 meetings with the last win coming on Jan. 12, 2012.
• The Wildcats has dropped 3 of their last 4 games, including consecutive games for the first time this season, after falling 77-68 on Saturday to top-ranked Baylor. The 9-point loss was the largest of the season after losing the previous 3 by 4 points. The loss also snapped the team’s 11-game home court winning streak, including a 10-game streak at Bramlage Coliseum.
• Senior D.J. Johnson, who leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 62.8 percent, collected his 5th career 20-point game, including his 3rd this season, with 20 points against the Bears on 9-of-13 field goals. He has scored in double figures in 6 of the last 7 games.
• K-State is the only Big 12 team to have all 5 starters averaging in double figures and the lone school with 5 double-digit scorers. In all, the Wildcats have had 6 different leading scorers with 5 of those players tallying at least 10 double-figure scoring games led by sophomore Barry Brown’s 13.
• K-State ranks among the national leaders in steals (8.2 spg./32nd) and turnovers forced (15.8/34th). The Wildcats have helped force double-digit turnovers in 15 games, including 10 or more steals 5 times, and have scored at least 14 points off those turnovers in 16 games. The team is averaging 17.5 points off of turnovers, including 14.2 points in Big 12 play.
THE OPPONENT: OKLAHOMA STATE (10-7, 0-5 Big 12)
• Oklahoma State enters Wednesday’s game with a 10-7 overall record and a 0-5 mark in Big 12 play after falling 87-80 at No. 2/3 Kansas on last week... The Cowboys have faced a difficult slate to start Big 12 play with 3 of their first 5 games on the road.
• The Cowboys are averaging 88.1 points on 45.7 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range, on the season with 38.4 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 9.0 steals and 3.7 blocks per game... They are allowing foes 79.2 points per game on 46.6 percent shooting, including 36 percent from beyond the arc... The team is shooting a Big 12-best 74.6 percent from the free throw line.
• OSU possess 3 of the Top 15 scorers in the Big 12, including sophomore Jawun Evans (18.2 ppg.), junior Jeffrey Carroll (16.8 ppg.) and senior Phil Forte (13.8 ppg.)... Evans ranks second, Carroll fourth and Forte 11th, while Forte leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (2.6) and free throw percentage (96.2)... Carroll is connecting on a team-best 57.8 percent from the field to go with a team-best 7.0 rebounds, while Evans is tops in assists (5.3 apg.) and steals (2.1 spg.).
• Oklahoma State is led by first-year head coach Brad Underwood, who has a 99-21 overall record in his 4th season... He led Stephen F. Austin to an impressive 89-14 record and 3 consecutive NCAA?Tournament appearances from 2013-16.
BREAKING?DOWN?THE?SERIES
• This will be the 131st meeting between the two schools with K-State holding a 78-52 advantage in a series that dates to 1922.
• OSU leads the series, 17-11, in the Big 12 era, including 17-8 mark in regular-season meetings.
• OSU has a 33-24 record at home in the series, including wins in 15 of the last 16 meetings.
• K-State has not won at Gallagher-Iba Arena since a 66-58 win on Jan. 12, 2012.
• K-State won 2 of the 3 meetings in 2016, including an 89-73 victory at home on Jan. 23 and a 75-71 victory in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on March 9.
LAST SEASON VS. OKLAHOMA STATE
• K-State won 2 of 3 meetings in 2016, but did drop a 58-55 overtime decision to Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Feb. 13.
• Sophomore Tavarius Shine scored 5 of Oklahoma State’s 6 points in overtime, as the Cowboys held on for a 58-55 victory over K-State in the last meeting at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Feb. 13, 2016... Justin Edwards led the Wildcats with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while D.J. Johnson (11)?and Barry Brown (10) also registered double figures.
• In the first meeting of 2016, K-State scored its most points in a Big 12 game in more than 5 seasons with an 89-73 victory over Oklahoma State at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 23, as the Wildcats connected on 57.7 percent (30-of-52) from the field and 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from 3-point range... Edwards and Kamau Stokes each tallied 13 points.
• Dean Wade scored a career-high 20 points, including a pair of critical free throws with 5 seconds left, as K-State defeated OSU, 75-71, in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on March 9 to end the Travis Ford era.
• Among those returning, Dean?Wade averaged 13 points on 54.5 percent shooting in 3 starts with Oklahoma State in 2016, including his first career 20-point game, while Kamau Stokes also averaged 13 points on 50 percent shooting in his 1 meeting.
‘CATS FACE ANOTHER FORMER WILDCAT
• Oklahoma State head coach Brad Underwood is one of 9 former K-State players or coaches who currently serve as head coach at the Division I level (13 when including Division II) and one of 6 current head coach who played for the Wildcats.
• The list of Division I head coaches includes Oregon’s Dana Altman (assistant coach from 1986-89; head coach from 1990-94), UC Riverside’s Dennis Cutts (assistant from 2005-06), Georgia’s Mark Fox (assistant from 1994-2000), UTSA’s Steve Henson (player from 1986-90), West Virginia’s Bob Huggins (head coach from 2006-07), SMU’s Tim Jankovich (player from 1979-82; assistant from 1984-86), Oklahoma’s Lon Kruger (player from 1971-74; assistant from 1978-82; head coach from 1986-90) and South Carolina’s Frank Martin (assistant from 2006-07; head coach from 2007-12) and Underwood.
• Underwood is one of 4 current Division I coaches who played for K-State, along with Henson, Jankovich and Kruger.
• This is the second meeting with a former K-State player as the Wildcats knocked off Kruger and his Oklahoma Sooners, 75-64, on Jan. 7, while it will be the first of two meetings this week as K-State hosts Huggins and West Virginia on Saturday.
• Underwood’s staff also includes a number of K-State ties, including assistant Lamont Evans, who spent 4 years in a variety roles at K-State from 2008-12, and video coordinator Patrick Schulte, who was a 3-year manager at K-State from 2010-13.
CATS EFFICIENT ON OFFENSE
• K-State is averaging 75.2 points on 48.4 percent shooting (447-of-923) and 38.0 percent from 3-point range (132-of-347), through the first 17 games with assists on 63 percent of its made field goals (282/447)... The Wildcats are averaging 72.2 points in Big 12 play on 47 percent shooting, including 36.3 percent from long range, with assists on 67.5 percent of its field goals.
• The Wildcats may rank just 9th in the Big 12 in scoring offense, but they place in Top 5 in most offensive categories, including 4th in 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goals made (7.8) and 5th in field goal percentage and assists (16.6).
• K-State ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in assists per made field goals (0.63), trailing just TCU (0.637) and just ahead of Baylor (0.616).
• K-State has shot 43 percent or better in 16 of 17 games, including 50 percent or higher 8 times (vs. Omaha (11/15), Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Saint Louis (12/3), Prairie View A&M (12/6), Kansas (1/3), Oklahoma (1/7) and Texas Tech (1/10).
• K-State connected on 50 percent or better from the field in games against No. 3/2 Kansas (50.8), Oklahoma (54.2)?and Texas Tech (50.0) for the first time in 3 consecutive league games in the Big 12 era and the first time overall since Dec. 12-21, 2009.
• K-State has connected on at least 50 percent of its field goals in at least one half of 15 of 17 games this season, including hitting the mark in both halves against Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Prairie View A&M (12/6) and Oklahoma (1/7).
• K-State has totaled at least 15 assists in 13 of 17 games this season, including 20 or more 4 times... The Wildcats dished out 20 or more assists in 3 consecutive games (vs. Green Bay, Saint Louis and Prairie View A&M) for first time since 2010-11.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE HAS BEEN KEY
• All 5 starters are averaging in double figures led by sophomore Barry Brown (12.1 ppg.) and senior D.J. Johnson (12.0 ppg.), while 6 players are averaging 9 or more points... 6 different players have led the team in scoring, including a team-best 4 times by Johnson and sophomore Dean Wade and 3 times each by Brown and senior Wesley Iwundu.
• K-State is the only Big 12 team to have all 5 starters averaging double figures and the only one to have 5 double-digit scorers.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures against Oklahoma (1/7) for the 5th time under Bruce Weber, including the 3rd time this season and the second consecutive game, while a season-high 6 scored double digits in the win over Colorado State (12/17)... It marked the 3rd time under Weber that 6 players had double figures and the first time since Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures in consecutive Big 12 games for the first time since at least the 2005-06 season... Starters connected on 52.2 percent from the field against Kansas (1/3) and Oklahoma (1/7), including 39.3 percent from 3-point range.
• K-State narrowly missing having all 5 starters in double figures at Texas Tech (1/10), as Brown and Iwundu each finished with 9 points, while sophomore Kamau Stokes (17), Wade (12) and Johnson (11) posted double digits.
• At least 4 Wildcats have scored in double figures in 10 of 17 games, including at least 3 in 16 games... In all, 7 have at least 1 double-digit scoring game with 5 having at least 10 double-digit scoring games led by Brown’s 13 games of 10 or more points.
• Nine Wildcats are shooting 45 percent or better from the field, including 3 of 5 starters... The starters are shooting a combined 48.2 percent from the field (342-of-710), including 37.7 percent (90-of-239) from 3-point range, this season.
• In all, starters are responsible for 77 percent of the team’s 1,278 points and 447 made field goals, 68 percent of the 132 made 3-pointers and 80.5 percent of the 282 assists... They also own 56 of the 65 double-digit scoring games.
IMPROVEMENT FROM LONG RANGE
• One of the focal points for K-State in the offseason was to make improvement from 3-point range, where the Wildcats finished 10th in the Big 12 in both 3-point field goal percentage (30.0) and 3-point field goals made per game (5.30).
• K-State is shooting 38 percent (132-of-347) from 3-point range and is averaging 7.8 3-point field goals per game.
• K-State ranks 59th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage... The team is 4th in makes and percentage in the Big 12.
• K-State has at least 7 3-pointers in 13 games, including double digits vs. Western?Illinois (11/11), Hampton (11/15) and Prairie View A&M (12/6) and Texas Tech (1/10)... The Wildcats have at least 6 treys in 10 of their 13 wins this season.
• The Wildcats knocked down 10-of-14 3-point field goals vs. Western Illinois (11/11), including all 7 treys in the second half... K-State posted 12 triples vs. Hampton (11/20), which were the most since also hitting 12 vs. Tulane on?Dec. 28, 2013.
• 11 Wildcats have at least one 3-pointer this season, including a team-best 35-of-82 start by Kamau Stokes... Stokes has at least 1 3-pointer in 15 of 17 games, including at least 2 in 12 games... Five players have 10 or more 3-pointers.
• Seven?Wildcats had at least one 3-pointer at Colorado State (12/17) for the 2nd time this season and the 1st time since Green?Bay (11/30)... Before this season, the last time 7 Wildcats had a 3-pointer in a game was against Iowa State on Feb. 12, 2011.
• K-State has made at least one 3-pointer in 289 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.
GETTING?DEFENSIVE
• K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under head coach Bruce Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the past 5 seasons (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13; 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14).
• Since Weber’s arrival at K-State in 2012-13 (spanning 150 games), the Wildcats lead the Big 12 in scoring defense at 64.1 points per game (9,621)... The next closest team in that span is Baylor (64.9 ppg.) followed by Oklahoma State (65.3 ppg.).
• K-State ranks 16th nationally in scoring defense (62.4), 56th in FG percentage defense (40.4), 32nd in steals (8.2) and 34th in turnovers forced (15.8)... The Wildcats are 2nd in the Big 12 in scoring defense, 3rd in steals and 4th in?FG percentage defense.
• Five opponents have been held to 55 points or less, while 9 of 17 foes have been held to 40 percent shooting or less.
• 55 opponents have been held to 60 points or less in?Weber’s tenure with the Wildcats boasting a 49-6 mark in those contests (losses to Kansas in 2012, Northern Colorado & Kentucky in 2013, Texas Southern & Georgia in 2014 and Texas & OSU in 2016).
• K-State held Robert Morris to just 40 points on 22.8 percent shooting (13-of-57)... It was the fewest points allowed and the lowest field goal percentage since Long Beach?State scored 38 points on just 19.6 percent (11-of-56) on Nov. 24, 2013.
• K-State is 81-24 under Bruce Weber when holding an opponent to 69 points or less and 11-34 when allowing 70 or more.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TURNOVERS
• K-State ranks among the national leaders in steals (8.2 apg./32nd) and turnovers forced (15.8/34th).
• The current 8.2 steals per game average is on pace to be the 4th-best average in school history and the highest since 1994-95.
• K-State posted double-digit steals for the 5th time with 10 at Kansas and has 40 steals through first 5 games (3rd in Big 12).
• The Wildcats have forced double figure turnovers in 15 of 17 games, including 20 or more turnovers 3 times, with a season-high 25 vs. Robert Morris (11/22)... The team has forced double-digit turnovers in 10 of the last 11 games.
• K-State is averaging 17.5 points per game off of turnovers, including 14.2 points per game in Big 12 play, and have outscored opponents, 298-210... The team has scored at least 14 points off turnovers in 16 games, including a season-high 26 vs. Omaha.
• Five times the team has scored 20 or more points off turnovers, including on 4 occasions during their 7-game winning streak.
• K-State has scored more than 2,000 points (2,218) off of turnovers under Bruce Weber, an average of 14.8 points per game.
MOMENTUM CHANGE
• K-State has been able to change the momentum by holding opponents without a field goal for stretches of 4 minutes or more in 10 of its 17 games... The Wildcats held Robert Morris without a field goal for two stretch of 6 minutes or more, including 6:13 of the first half (15:50 mark to the 9:37 mark) and a season-best 6:59 of the second half (16:44 mark to the 9:45 mark).
• It marked the third time this season that the Wildcats have held an opponent without a field goal for nearly 6 minutes in the first half, holding Western Illinois (11/11) for 5:57 to start the game and Omaha (11/15) for 6:49 stretch.
• K-State has 16 stretches of holding opponents without points for at least 4 minutes, including 6 in the last 5 games.
• K-State continued its strong defense vs. Texas (12/30), holding the Longhorns of droughts of 6:27 and 4:09 in the first half... The Wildcats turned in an 11-4 deficit into a 19-13 lead during the 6:27 drought, which included 13 straight missed field goals.
PLAYING HARD IS A SKILL
• One of the things that K-State has prided itself in under head coach Bruce Weber has been its ability to play harder than its opponents... Nothing is more valuable to Weber in this regard as the Wayne McClain Play Hart Chart, which is named in honor of the longtime Illinois high school coach and Wildcats’ former director of development who passed away on Oct. 15, 2014.
• The chart, which is kept for both teams by graduate assistants and team managers, is a point system based on the elements of playing hard, including deflections/blocks, steals, dives, loose balls, offensive rebounds and charges (+2).
• K-State has won the Play Hard Chart in 15 of 17 games by a combined score of 658-482.
• Senior D.J. Johnson leads the team with 118 points on the Play Hard Chart, while sophomore Dean Wade is not far behind with 108 points... Wade has won the individual game chart a team-high 7 times, while Johnson has done it on 6 occasions.
• Johnson has tallied 558 Play Hard points in his career, including a team-best 14 in the opener vs.?Western Illinois (11/11)... He owns the single-game, individual best for the chart since it was start in 2012-13 with 20 at Iowa State on Feb. 27, 2016.
IWUNDU MOVING UP THE CHARTS
• Senior Wesley Iwundu could be the first Wildcat in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals in a career... Currently, he is shy of the milestone by 4 points and 15 rebounds as he already has 300+ assists and 100+steals.
• Only Rolando Blackman recorded more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career, as steals were not kept.
• Iwundu currently ranks 2nd in rebounding (5.2 rpg.), assists (3.4 apg.) and steals (1.1 spg.) and 3rd in scoring (11.9 ppg.).
• Iwundu ranks among the Top 15 in 4 Big 12 categories, including free throw percentage (75.3/7th), assists (3.4/14th), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6/15th) and defensive rebounds (4.2/10th).
• Iwundu is the leader in points (996), rebounds (485), assists (303), steals (105), minutes (3,127), games (114) and starts (106).
• Iwundu became just the 7th Wildcat to dish out 300 assists with his season-high 6 assists vs. Baylor (1/14).
• Iwundu now ranks in the Top 10 in career starts (105/t-5th), assists (303/7th), minutes (3,127/8th) and steals (105/10th).
• Iwundu ranks 27th on the scoring list and needs 4 points to become 4th Wildcat under Bruce Weber to post 1,000 points.
JOHNSON A FORCE IN THE MIDDLE
• Senior D.J. Johnson has become a consistent force in the middle, averaging 12.0 points on a Big 12-best 62.8 percent shooting with team-bests in rebounding (6.3 rpg.) and blocks (1.6 bpg.)... He has double figures in 11 games, including 3 20-point games.
• Dating back to the win over No. 1 Oklahoma last season, Johnson is averaging 12.4 points on 60.7 percent shooting (130-of-214) in the last 28 games with 6.4 rebounds per game... He has 19 double-digit scoring in those games with 3 double-doubles.
• Johnson ranks among the Big 12’s Top 20 in 6 different categories, including field goal percentage (1st), blocked shots (5th), rebounding (11th), offensive rebounds (2.4/9th), defensive rebounds (3.9/12th) and scoring (20th).
• Johnson posted his 5th career 20-point game (3rd this year) with 20 points vs. No. 1/1 Baylor (1/14) on 9-of-13 field goals.
• Johnson joined unique company in the win over Gardner-Webb (12/21), becoming just the 10th Wildcat to go 8-of-8 or better from the field in school history and the 1st since Luis Colon went 9-of-9 vs. Southern Miss at the Sprint Center on Dec. 11, 2008.
• Johnson tallied his 3rd career double-double, including his 2nd this season, at Colorado State (12/17) with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 10 rebounds... All 3 career double-doubles have come on road (at Texas Tech (3/5/16 and at Saint Louis (12/6/16).
• Five of his 6 career double-digit rebounding efforts have come this year, including a career-best 12 vs. Western Illinois (11/11).
• His 28 blocked shots have nearly surpass his entire total from 2015-16 (29), while twice he has posted a career-best 4 blocks.
• His career 58.9 field goal percentage ranks 2nd in school history after shooting a school-record 60.8 percent as a junior.
WADE A BIG FACTOR
• Sophomore Dean Wade has broken out to become a major scoring factor for the Wildcats, registering double figures in 8 of the last 10 games... During that stretch, he has led the team in scoring 3 times, including a career-tying 20 points at Kansas (1/3).
• During this 10-game span, Wade is averaging 12.8 points on 56.4 percent shooting (44-of-78), including 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from 3-point range, and 82.4 percent (28-of-34) from the free throw line to go with 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals.
• Wade ranks 3rd in field goal percentage (60.0/24-of-40) and 17th in scoring (13.4 ppg.) in Big 12 play, registering double-digit points in 4 consecutive league games for just the 1st time in his career.
• Wade registered his 2nd career 20-point game at Kansas (1/3), going 6-of-12 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line... It was his 1st 20-point game of the season and his 1st since posting 20 vs. Oklahoma State in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
• Wade was also stellar in the Big 12 opener against Texas (12/30), scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 2 treys.
• Wade has scored in double figures in 26 career games (10 this season) with K-State posting a 21-5 mark in those contests.
STOKES ON POINT
• Sophomore Kamau?Stokes return from injury has been one of the biggest storylines to K-State’s 13-3 start to the season.
• After starting 20 of the first 21 games of his freshman season, Stokes went down with a season-ending knee injury against Ole Miss on Jan. 30, 2016, requiring him to miss the final 12 games of the season... At the time of his injury, he was averaging 9.4 points on 36.5 percent shooting with 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.9 minutes per game.
• Now fully healthy, Stokes has built on his success during the team’s European Tour this summer to start all 17 games and average 11.3 points per game to go with team-highs in assists (4.6 apg.), minutes (32.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
• Stokes ranks among the Big 12 leaders in 5 categories, including 4th in minutes (32.5), 5th in 3-point field goal percentage (42.7), 7th in assists (4.6), 9th in 3-point field goals per game (2.1) and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
• Stokes ranks 1st on the team in 3-point field goals (35), 3-point attempts (82) and percentage (42.7)... He has knocked down at least 2 treys in 12 games, including a season-high 5 at Texas Tech (1/10).
• Stokes has scored in double figures 12 times, including in 7 consecutive games, with a season-high 18 vs. Gardner-Webb.
• Stokes, who ranks in the Top 15 in the Big 12 in both assists (7th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (11th), has dished out 5 or more assists 10 times this season (after doing it 3 times in 21 games as a freshman), including a career-high 8 at Colorado State (12/17).
• Stokes ranks 1st on the team in scoring (13.6 ppg.), 3-pointers (13), assists (5.4 apg.) and minutes (35.6) in Big 12 play.
BROWN MORE THAN JUST A SCORING THREAT
• Sophomore Barry Brown has elevated his game to become more than just a scoring threat for the Wildcats, as he ranks among the national leaders in steals, placing 22nd nationally in steals per game (2.2) and 26th in total steals (37).
• Brown has at least 2 steals in 12 of 17 games, including a career-best 5 vs. Hampton (11/20)... He ranks 2nd in the Big 12.
• Brown’s 37 steals have nearly eclipsed his 40 from last season, which tied Jacob Pullen for the 4th-most ever by a freshman.
• Brown has also been a consistent scoring threat for the Wildcats, averaging 12.1 points on 42.9 percent (75-of-175) shooting.
• Brown leads all Wildcats with 13 double-figure scoring games, including each of the first 7 games.
• Brown has led the Wildcats in scoring 3 times, scoring a season-high 18 points with Western Illinois (11/11) to go with a game-high 15-point effort vs. Omaha (11/15)... He matched his season-high with 18 vs. Green Bay (11/30).
X-FACTOR
• Freshman?Xavier Sneed has provided a big boost from the bench this season, averaging 9.1 points on 51 percent shooting (53-of-104), including 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from 3-point range, to go with 3.4 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game.
• Sneed has scored in double figures 8 times, including 12 vs. No. 1/1 Baylor for the 1st time in Big 12 play.
• Sneed ranks 2nd on the team in both 3-point FG makes (24) and attempts (62) and has knocked down at least 2 treys in 8 games with a season-best 4 against both Western Illinois (11/11) and at Saint Louis (12/3).
WEBER TOPS 400 CAREER WINS
• Head coach Bruce Weber recently reached a coaching milestone, as he earned his 400th career win in the Wildcats’ victory over Prairie View A&M, 74-55, on Dec. 6... He became the 131st Division I head coach to accomplish the feat, including the 51st active coach... He is the 4th current Big 12 coach to win 400 games, joining Bob Huggins, Bill?Self and Lon Kruger.
• Weber currently ranks 5th on the school’s all-time wins list with 92 victories after passing Lon Kruger (81, 1986-90), Jim Wooldridge (83, 2000-06), Tom Asbury (85, 1994-2000) and Charles Corsaut (89, 1923-33) earlier this season... His 92 wins now trail all-time wins leader Jack Hartman (295), Tex Winter (261), Jack Gardner (146) and Frank Martin (117).
• Interesting note, Weber is one of several K-State head coaches to earn milestones this season...Football coach Bill Snyder won his 200th game (all at K-State) vs. Kansas on Nov. 26, while volleyball coach Suzie Fritz won her 300th match (all at K-State) vs. Mississippi State on Sept. 9 and women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie won his 500th game at Omaha on Dec. 4.
BEASLEY, McGRUDER MAKE NBA OPENING DAY ROSTERS
• K-State had two former players on opening day NBA rosters, as Michael Beasley (Milwaukee Bucks) and Rodney McGruder (Miami HEAT) debut for their respective teams on Oct. 26... McGruder earned his first career start vs. Atlanta on Nov. 15.
• K-State is one of six Big 12 teams with multiple NBA players, joining Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas... It marked the first time multiple Wildcats have been on NBA teams since Beasley (Miami), Bill Walker (Miami) and Cartier Martin (Detroit) all played in the league during the 2014-15 season.
• Beasley, who is entering his ninth NBA season, played the final 20 games of the 2015-16 season with the Houston Rockets after a stint with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association... He was traded to the Bucks in September.
• McGruder, who is entering his first season in the NBA, signed a free-agent contract with the HEAT in July and was able to snag with the final spots on the team’s 15-man roster... He helped the HEAT’s D-League team (Sioux Falls Skyforce) to D-League title.
BOOZER NAMED TO COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
• Two-time All-American Bob Boozer was among 8 individuals announced on March 22 to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame... He was posthumously inducted on Friday, Nov. 18 as part of the CBE?Hall of Fame Classic at the Sprint Center.
• Considered one of the most decorated players in K-State history, Boozer was a first team All-American in both 1958 and 1959 and he averaged a double-double for his 77-game career with 21.9 points on 44 percent shooting with 10.7 rebounds per game. He is one of only two players (Willie Murrell) in school history to average 20 points and 10 rebounds in a career.
PAIR OF FRESHMEN TO MISS 2016-17 SEASON
• Freshmen Cartier Diarra and James Love III?are expected to miss the 2016-17 season after going down with injuries.
• Diarra went down with a knee injury in a practice in early July and underwent surgery on July 13.
• Love broke his foot in a practice in late October and underwent surgery on Nov. 5.
• Diarra averaged a double-double of 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game his senior season at West Florence High School en route to earning Class 4A All-State honors from the South Carolina Basketball?Coaches Association (SCBCA)... Love averaged 10 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a senior at American?Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla.
‘CATS ANNOUNCE THE SIGNINGS OF McGUIRL, SHADD &?STOCKARD
• Head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of high school standouts Mike McGuirl (Ellington, Conn./East Catholic), Nigel Shadd (Chandler, Ariz./Tri-City Christian Academy) and Levi Stockard III (St. Louis, Mo./Vashon) on Nov. 11.
• The trio went a combined 72-8 during their respective junior seasons in 2015-16 with two state titles… They have a combined four state championships in their careers.
• A 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard McGuirl averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in 2015-16… He was First Team Class L All-State and selected to FAB 15 All-Courant Team.
• A 6-foot-9, 238-pound forward Shadd averaged 18.5 points on 69.3 percent shooting with 14 rebounds and 3.9 blocks… Twice named to Canyon Athletic Association All-State Teams.
• A 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward Stockard averaged 10 points on 94.7 percent shooting with 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks… Named to Class 4 All-State Team as a junior.
‘CATS JUMP START SEASON WITH EUROPEAN TRIP
• K-State was able to get a jump start on its preparations for the 2016-17 with a 10-day trip to Italy and Switzerland from August 8-19... Aside from the cultural experience of visiting historic landmarks in both countries, the Wildcats were able to play five games against various club, select and national teams and posted a 3-2 record.
• K-State defeated BC Silute (97-80) on August 11, the Italian Select (90-55) on August 13 and BBC Lausanne (68-47) on August 18 with losses to LCC?University (75-82) on August 10 and the Kosovo National Team (74-85) on August 16.
• The Wildcats averaged 80.8 points on 43.6 percent shooting (152-of-349) with 45.4 rebounds, 11.8 steals and 11.6 assists per game... Sophomore Kamau Stokes led the way in scoring at 10.8 points per game to go with a team-best 3.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per outing... Stokes had a tour-high 20 points in the loss to the Kosovo National Team.
• Freshman Xavier Sneed, who scored in double figures in the first four contests, also averaged double figures at 10.4 points per game to go with 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game... Sophomore Dean Wade averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while senior D.J. Johnson led the way in rebounding at 6.8 per outing to go with an 8.0 points per game average on 69.6 percent shooting... Five other players averaged better than 5 points per game (Barry Brown (7.6 ppg.), Carlbe Ervin II (6.8 ppg.), Isaiah Maurice (6.2 ppg.), Brian Patrick (6.2 ppg.) and Wesley Iwundu (5.4 ppg.).
UP NEXT: 7/8 WEST VIRGINIA (15-2, 4-1 Big 12)
• K-State returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday afternoon to take on another former Wildcat coach – Bob Huggins – and his nationally-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Tickets are available for as low as $18.75 with the Wildcat 4-Pack at www.kstatesports.com or via phone at (800) 221.CATS.
