Game Preview // K-State Takes On Arizona State on Thanksgiving

GAME #5
KANSAS STATE (4-0) vs ARIZONA STATE (4-0)
17^th Annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational
Thursday, November 23, 2017 >> 6:30 p.m. CT >> Orleans Arena (8,000) >> Las Vegas, Nev.

TELEVISION
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Rich Waltz (play-by-play)
Jim Jackson (analyst)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (analyst)

Listen Online: TuneIn.com [free] // www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]
Satellite Radio: None

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lasvegas.statbroadcast.com [media only]

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Single Game                       Available on gameday
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COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 417-223/20^th season
At K-State: 104-68/6^th season
vs. Arizona State: 1-0

Arizona State: Bobby Hurley (Duke '93)
Overall: 76-55/5^th season
At ASU: 34-35/3rd season
vs. Kansas State: 0-0

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (4-0)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Arizona State (4-0)
G: #0 Tra Holder
G: #11 Shannon Evans II
G: #44 Kodi Justice
F: #10 Vitaliy Shibel
F: #23 Romello White

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tied 4-4
In Las Vegas: First meeting
Neutral Sites: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: W, 84-80 (OT), 11/24/1998
Weber vs. Hurley: First meeting

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (4-0) makes its first road trip of the season, as the Wildcats travel west for the main draw of the 17th annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, Thursday-Friday, Nov. 23-24, at the Orleans Arena. K-State, which won its two home games of the tournament over UC Irvine (71-49) and Northern Arizona (80-58), opens the semifinals with a matchup against high-flying Pac-12 foe Arizona State (4-0) on Thanksgiving Day at 6:30 p.m. CT. The winner will face either George Washington (2-2) or No. 15/14 Xavier (4-0) for the tournament title on Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT. The consolation game is set for Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
This week's games will be the first on the road for the Wildcats, who began the season with seven consecutive home contests (three exhibitions and the first four regular-season games) in the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum. The team is in the midst of a playing six games in a 15-day stretch to start the season.
K-State is off to a 4-0 start for the third consecutive season and the 10th time in the last 15 seasons, after using a school-record tying 19 steals to dispatch of Northern Arizona in an 80-58 win on Monday night. In all, the Wildcats forced 31 turnovers against the Lumberjacks, converting them into 38 points for their 20th consecutive non-conference home victory. The 19 steals tied the school-record mark set initially in a home game against Tulane on Jan.10, 1976, while the 38 points off turnovers were the fourth-most since the stat began being recorded in 2000-01. The 31 turnovers tied for the fifth-most by an opponent and the most since 2008.
The Wildcats enter Thursday's contest with the Sun Devils among the national leaders in a number of defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense (30.8), third in scoring defense (50.8 ppg.), sixth in steals (11.5 spg.), eighth in total steals (46) and turnover margin (+8.5), 12th in turnovers forced (20.75) and 28th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.5). The team leads the Big 12 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and steals.
Those defensive rankings will be put to the ultimate test against an unbeaten Arizona State team, who enters the game averaging 95.0 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting, including 40.4 percent from 3-point range. The Sun Devils ranks 14th nationally in scoring offense, 16th in field goal percentage, 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.84) and 19th in assists (20.3 apg.) and turnover margin (+7.0). They have a pair of 20-point scorers in seniors Tra Holder (22.3 ppg.) and Shannon?Evans II (20.3 ppg.) and a freshman big man (Romello White) averaging a double-double.
This will be the ninth meeting between the two schools with the series all tied at 4-all. The Wildcats have won four of the last five meetings, including an 84-80 win in overtime in the last matchup in the second round of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 24, 1998.
This will mark K-State's second appearance in the Las Vegas Invitational and the first since going 0-2 in the 2008 event. The Wildcats lost to Kentucky, 74-72, in the semifinals on Nov. 28 before falling to Iowa, 65-63, in the consolation on?Nov. 29. Overall, the school is 3-2 all-time in Orleans Arena.

NOTES ON ARIZONA STATE

Arizona State enters Thursday's game with a perfect 4-0 record after posting its fourth consecutive 90-point outing with a 99-78 victory over UC Irvine on Sunday. Senior guard Tra Holder scored a game-high 35 points in the convincing win against the Anteaters on 13-of-15 field goals, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range, while backcourt mate Shannon Evans II added 22 points with four treys. Freshman big man Romello White grabbed a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Sun Devils shot a blistering 61.2 percent (30-of-49) from the field, including 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from beyond the arc.
ASU opened the season with wins over Idaho?State (94-74) and San Diego?State (90-68) before the victories over Northern?Arizona (97-62) and UC?Irvine. The team was picked sixth in the preseason Pac-12 poll with 146 points in between fifth-place Stanford and seventh-place Utah. They return six lettermen and three starters from a team that posted a 15-18 overall record, including an 7-11 mark in Pac-12 play.
The Sun Devils are averaging 95.0 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting, including 40.4 percent from 3-point range, with 36.5 rebounds, 20.3 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 70.5 points on 39.8 percent shooting, including 36.4 percent from long range.
Holder (22.3 ppg.) and Evans (20.3 ppg.), who are both averaging better than 20 points per game and have combined for 49 of the team's 81 assists, have both scored more than 1,300 points in their respective careers. White is averaging a double-double of 18.3 points on 70.4 percent shooting with a team-high 10.7 rebounds per game. The trio is also joined in double figures by junior transfer De'Quon Lake (14.5 ppg., 7.8 rpg.) and graduate guard Kodi Justice (12.3 ppg.). Holder, Evans and Justice have combined to play in 287 games with 202 starts and scored 3,320 points.
Arizona State is led by former Duke standout Bobby Hurley, who enters his his third season in?Tempe with a 34-35 mark. He has a 76-55 overall record in his fifth season as a head coach, having led Buffalo to a 42-20 mark from 2013-15 and a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014-15.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the ninth meeting between K-State and Arizona State on the hardwood with the series knotted at 4-all. The Wildcats have won four of the last five games in the series, including an 84-80 win in the last meeting in the second round of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 24, 1998. The Sun?Devils won the first three matchups (1962, 1973 and 1974) then another meeting in?Tempe in 1980. The Wildcats' wins have come in Tempe (101-74) in 1977 and in Manhattan in 1979 (63-50) and 1982 (49-46). This will be the third meeting at neutral site (Lawrence in 1962 and Maui in 1998).
Head coach Bruce Weber is 1-0 all-time against Arizona State, posting a 77-54 win over the Sun?Devils at the 2007 Maui Invitational.
K-State is 139-77 all-time against teams from the Pac-12, including a 19-10 mark at neutral sites. The Wildcats have won five of their last seven meetings with Pac-12 foes, including three wins over Washington State (2009, 2010 and 2014).

NEXT UP: GEORGE WASHINGTON (2-2)/15/14 XAVIER (4-0)

George Washington enters the semifinal round with a 2-2 record after dropping a 67-65 decision at home to Rider on Monday, while No. 14/15 Xavier has rolled through its first four games by average of 31 points, dispatching off Hampton, 96-60, also on Monday.
K-State has history with both schools, recording victories over George Washington three times between 2011 and 2013, including a 72-55 win at home in the last meeting on Dec. 31, 2013, while posting a 4-4 mark against Xavier, including a 101-96 double-overtime victory to advance to the 2010 Elite Elite in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats and Musketeers met four times between 2007 and 2010 with each winning two.

HISTORY IN LAS VEGAS

K-State has played in seven previous games in Las Vegas, starting with UNLV/Budweiser Holiday?Classic on Dec. 27-28, 1984 at the Thomas and Center. The Wildcats have posted a 4-3 record in those previous five visits to Sin City, including a 3-2 mark in games played at the Orleans Arena.
K-State split two games in that first trip to Las Vegas, defeating Texas Rio Grande (then known as UTPA), 75-68, on Dec. 27, 1984 before losing to host school UNLV, 77-68, on Dec. 28. It took another 22 years before the Wildcats return to city when they played in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic on Dec. 22-23, 2006 where they knocked off USC, 68-55, and New Mexico, 72-56, in the Orleans Arena to claim the tournament championship.
K-State returned to Las Vegas just under two years later in 2008 where the Wildcats played in the Las Vegas Invitational for the first time, dropping back-to-back two-point games to Kentucky, 74-72, on Nov. 28 and Iowa, 65-63, on Nov. 29. The latest visit to Orleans Arena came in the first of two-game series with UNLV, as the Wildcats knocked off the No. 18 Runnin' Rebels under former K-State lettermen Lon Kruger, 95-80, on Dec. 12, 2009.

HISTORY OF STRONG STARTS

K-State is looking to continue a history of strong starts to season on Thursday, as the Wildcats have jumped out to a 5-0 record or better five times in the last 14 years, including the 2004-05, 2008-09, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons. After Monday's win over Northern?Arizona, the team has now been at least 4-0 10 times in the last 15 seasons, including the third consecutive season.
The Wildcats have started 2-0 (2014-15), 4-0 (2015-16) and 5-0 (2016-17) in each of the last three seasons after dropping their opener to Northern Colorado in 2013. The 5-0 start last season was the best since the 2012-13 season. The squad has started 5-0 five times in the last 15 seasons, including 2004-05 (8-0), 2008-09 (5-0), 2011-12 (5-0), 2012-13 (5-0) and 2016-17 (5-0).
The best start in the last 15 seasons came in 2004-05 when K-State won each of its first eight games en route to a 10-1 start to the season. The best-ever start to a season came in 1918-19 when the squad opened the year 17-0 before losing their last two games to finish 17-2 and win the Missouri Valley Conference title under head coach Zora Clevenger for the second time in three seasons.
Other impressive starts to a season include 7-0 in 1915-16, 10-0 in 1947-48, 9-0 in 1957-58, 7-0 in 1961-62, 8-0 in 1979-80 and 9-0 in 1997-98.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS

K-State has impressed on defense to start the season, allowing a Big 12-best 50.8 points through the first four games while holding its opposition to 30.8 percent shooting (62-of-201), including 25.5 percent (25-of-98) from long range. The team ranks first in the Big 12 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and steals and is second in turnover margin (+8.5).
The Wildcats rank among the Top 10 in six defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense, third in scoring defense, sixth in steals per game (11.5 spg.), eighth in total steals (46) and turnover margin (+8.5) and 10th in turnovers forced (20.75). The squad is also 28th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.5).
The 203 points are the fewest points through the first four games since allowing 188 through the first three games of the 2012-13 season, which included holding Alabama-Huntsville to just 26 points. The 96 points through the first two games were the fewest since the introduction of the shot clock and fewest since allowing 94 to start the 1981-82 season.
Only five times in the modern era (since 1953-54) has a K-State team allowed 60 points or less to each of its first four opponents, as the 2017-18 squad joins the 1981-82 (195), 1984-85 (226), 2005-06 (227) and 2012-13 teams (188 points) to accomplish the feat.
The Wildcats have held their first three opponents 45, 51, 49 and 58 points, respectively, as they have now held 62 opponents to 60 points or less under head coach Bruce Weber's direction with the squad boasting a 55-7 (.885) mark in those contests (losses to Kansas in 2012, Northern Colorado and Kentucky in 2013, Texas Southern and Georgia in 2014, Texas and Oklahoma State in 2016 and West Virginia in 2017).
The 45 points by American (11/10/17) were the fewest points allowed in an opener since holding South Dakota to 45 points in a 50-point win on Nov. 29, 1986, while the 38 points was the largest margin of victory since also winning by the same margin against Loyola Chicago on Nov. 13, 2009. UMKC, which scored 100 points twice in four games so far, was held to just 51 points on 26 percent shooting (13-of-50), including 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from 3-point range. It was the fewest points scored by the uptempo Kangaroos since scoring 43 at Oklahoma State on Dec. 29, 2015.
K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the past five seasons (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13 and 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14). Since his arrival in 2012-13, the Wildcats are allowing opponents just 64.8 points per game (11,142 points) on 42.4 percent shooting (3854-9090), including 32.3 percent (981-3040) from 3-point range.
Under Weber's direction, K-State has an 89-25 (.777) record when holding an opponent to 69 points or less since 2012-13 and a 15-43 (.259) mark when allowing an opponent to score 70 or more points.

NIGHT TO REMEMBER

K-State enjoyed quite the memorable night on defensive end against Northern?Arizona (11/20), as the Wildcats tied the school record with 19 steals while forcing 31 total turnovers and enjoying a 38-15 edge in points off turnovers in the convincing 80-58 win. The 19 steals tied the original school mark set against Tulane on Jan. 10, 1976 at Ahearn Field House. The 31 turnovers tied for the fifth-most by an opponent and were the most since also forcing 31 against Kentucky (at Orleans Arena) on Nov. 28, 2008. The 38 points off of turnovers were the fourth-most since the stat began being recorded in 2000-01 and the most since totaling 39 against Washington State on Dec. 5, 2009.
In all, five different Wildcats had at least two steals, including a career-best 6 by junior Barry?Brown, Jr., and 5 by junior Dean?Wade. The 6 steals by Brown tied nine other players for the eighth-most steals in a game. He now has 133 in his career, which ties him for third-place with Askia Jones (1989-94) on the all-time list. Junior Kamau Stokes also had 3 steals, while sophomore Xavier Sneed and freshman Cartier Diarra had two each.
A year ago, K-State ranked 21st nationally in total steals (271) and 31st in steals per game (7.7), while was 41st in turnovers forced (14.94) and 49th in turnover margin (+2.0). The 271 steals were the fourth-most in school history and the most since the 2009-10 season. The 7.74 steals average ranked fifth in school history and was the highest average since the 1994-95 season (8.44).
Brown set the single-season record with 82 steals in 2016-17, while his 2.34 per game placed third for a single-season. He ranked second in the Big 12 in overall steals, while his 45 in league play led all players. He ranked seventh nationally in total steals and 11th in average.

OFFENSIVE BALANCE CONTINUES

One of the hallmarks of the 2016-17 NCAA?Tournament team was its offensive balance, as four of five starters averaged in double figures led by Wesley Iwundu (13.0 ppg.), Kamau Stokes (11.7 ppg.), Barry Brown (11.7 ppg.) and D.J. Johnson (11.3 ppg.). The last time K-State saw four players average in double digits was 2009-10, while you would have to go all the way back to 1980-81 to find four Wildcat starters in double figures.
That balance continued to start the 2017-18 season as four of the team's five starters tallied double figures in the Wildcats' 83-45 win over American (11/10). In all, five players registered double figures as 10 posted at least one made field goal. Junior Dean Wade led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-7 field goals, while redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (13 points), sophomore Makol Mawien (12) and juniors Barry Brown, Jr. (10) and Kamau Stokes (10) each tallied double digits. The other starter - Xavier Sneed - nearly recorded double figures, finishing with 8 points.
K-State saw four players scored in double figures in the win over UMKC (11/14), as Brown scored a game-high 14 points followed by Sneed's first double-digit outing of the year with 13 points to go with 11-point efforts from Wade and junior Mawdo Sallah. Three players registered double figures against UC?Irvine on Friday night led by Stokes' game-high 14 points, joining Sneed (12) and Diarra (10).
Just like the opener, four of the five starters tallied double figures in the win over Northern Arizona (11/20) with Brown recording his fifth career 20-point game on 9-of-13 field goals, while Stokes (16 points), Wade (15) and Sneed (12) also registered double-digit points.
In all, the Wildcats have seen seven players total 16 double-digit scoring games this season with 12 different players registered at least one made field goal. Brown, Diarra, Sneed, Stokes and Wade have each posted double-figure scoring games three times in four games.
At least four Wildcats scored in double figures in 19 of 35 games in 2016-17, including at least three in 28 games. In all, nine players had at least one double-digit scoring game with six having at least 12 double-digit scoring games led by Iwundu's 26. The other four starters had at least 17 double-figure scoring games. In all, starters were responsible for 78 percent of the team's 2,523 points and 848 made field goals.

SOLID DEBUTS FOR NEWCOMERS

Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra and transfers Makol Mawien and Mawdo Sallah have each been impressive to start the season.
Diarra and Mawien each posted double figures in their debuts against American (11/10), as Diarra scored 13 points off the bench on 4-of-5 field goals, including all four 3-pointers to go with 4 assists, while Mawien nearly totaled a double-double with 12 points on 5-of-7 field goals and game-highs with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.
It was Sallah's turn against UMKC (11/14), as he came off the bench to miss a double-double by one rebound with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting with a game-high 9 rebounds.
Diarra turned in his second double-digit scoring games with 10 points against UC?Irvine on Friday.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

K-State has a 93-5 (.949) record at home venues (includes both home games played at Bramlage Coliseum and the Sprint Center) in non-conference game dating back to the 2006-07 season, including an 86-5 (.944) mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won 80 of their last 83 non-conference home games, including their current 20-game winning streak in home non-conference games.
K-State went 8-0 in non-conference games played at home venues in 2016-17 (7-0 at Bramlage Coliseum and 1-0 at the Sprint Center) with an average margin of victory of 19.1 points per game. The last home non-conference loss came in a 50-46 loss to Georgia on Dec. 31, 2014.
Overall, the Wildcats went 11-2 in non-conference play in 2016-17, which included a pair of road victories at Saint Louis (84-53) and Colorado State (89-70). The two setbacks came to No. 23 Maryland (69-68) on Nov. 26, 2016 at the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., and at Tennessee (70-58) in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, 2017. The team has won double-digit non-conference games each of the past two seasons (23 total/23-5 record) since posting a 7-6 record in 2014-15.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 356-113 (.758) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 356 victories are the second-most at a home venue for the Wildcats, trailing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88).
K-State has collected a 155-33 (.822) record at home over the past 12 seasons, including a 66-28 (.702) mark in Big 12 play. The 155 wins rank fourth among Big 12 schools in that span, while the 66 league victories at home are only surpassed by Kansas and Texas. In all, the school has earned double-digit victories in 24 of its 29 seasons in the arena, including a current streak of 16 consecutive seasons.
The Wildcats have a 216-56 (.792) record at home, including a 128-10 (.926) mark in non-conference action, since the 2001-02 season for an average of just over 13 home wins (13.3) per season. Last season, the team went 11-5 at home, including 7-0 in non-conference play.
Head coach Bruce Weber has a 71-17 (.800) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State in 2012-13 with non-conference home losses to Northern Colorado (2013), Texas Southern (2014) and Georgia (2014). The 17 losses (14 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a grand total of 99 points or just 5.8 points per game. Among the 71 victories are 12 over ranked teams, including top-ranked Oklahoma in 2016.

RECAPPING EXHIBITION PLAY

K-State posted a 3-0 mark in exhibition play, beginning with a 78-62 win over Missouri State in a charity game on Oct. 21 followed by victories over Fort Hays State (79-56) on Oct. 29 and Emporia State (77-44) on Nov. 3.
With the wins, K-State is now 66-20 all-time in exhibition play, including 51-9 in home exhibition games. The Wildcats are 45-9 in exhibition games at Bramlage Coliseum with 23 consecutive wins dating back to 2003. Overall, the team has now won six straight in exhibition play since 2016.
The Wildcats averaged 78.0 points in exhibition play on 51.8 percent shooting (88-of-170), including 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from 3-point range, to go with 36.7 rebounds, 16.7 assists, 11.0 steals and 3.3 blocks per game. They hold their three opponents to 54 points on 33.1 percent shooting (52-of-157), including 31 percent (22-of-71) from 3-point range. The team forced their opponents into 55 turnovers (with 33 steals) and scored 77 points off those miscues.
K-State held advantages in points in the paint (34.7 to 17.3 per game), points off turnovers (25.7 to 14.3 per game), second-chance points (12.0 to 6.3 per game), fast-break points (13 to 4.0 per game) and bench points (28.0 to 23.1 per game).
Junior Dean Wade paced five players in double figures with a team-high 13.7 points per game average on 64 percent shooting (16-of-25) to go with a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Xavier Sneed was second in both scoring (12.3 ppg.) and rebounding (5.3 rpg.), while juniors Barry Brown, Jr. (10.7 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 3.7 apg.) and Kamau Stokes (10.5 ppg., 3.5 apg.) and redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (10.0 ppg., 3.7 apg.) also averaged double figures.

ONE OF THE YOUNGEST TEAMS

K-State is one of 15 schools nationally (Auburn, American, Bowling Green, UC Irvine, The Citadel, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Marquette, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Toledo and Wofford) to have one or fewer seniors on its roster in 2017-18, while the Wildcats' nine freshmen (true and redshirt) and sophomores ranks nine nationally and are only surpassed by the 12 at Auburn and Kentucky, 11 by UC Irvine, 10 each by American, The Citadel, Tennessee, Toledo and Wofford.

K-STATE WELCOMES SHAUN WILLIAMS

Head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of Shaun Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) on the first day of the National Signing Period Wednesday.
A 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard, Williams led Hazelwood Central in 12 categories en route to helping the Hawks to a 17-11 record and a trip to the Class 5, District 3 Championship Game. He averaged a team-best 18.6 points on 47.4 percent shooting (155-of-237), including 35.2 percent (38-of-108) from 3-point range, to go with 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He connected on a team-best 83.8 percent (98-of-117) from the free throw line. He was a First Team Class 5 All-State selection by the Missouri Basketball?Coaches Association as a junior.

Game Preview // K-State Takes On Arizona State on Thanksgiving

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Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Makol Mawien

Mawdo Sallah

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Takes On Arizona State on Thanksgiving

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Makol Mawien

Mawdo Sallah

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

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