Game Preview // K-State Hosts 7/7 West Virginia on New Year's Day

GAME #14
KANSAS STATE (11-2, 1-0 Big 12) vs. 7/7 WEST VIRGINIA (12-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Monday, January 1, 2018 >> 4:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPNU // ESPN3

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Kevin Shank (producer)

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: Sirius 134 // XM 199 // Internet 953

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]

Single Game                       $15 (bench & GA)/$35 (chairback)
Bramlage Bundle              $20 (GA ticket/voucher/souvenir)
Wildcat 4 Pack                   $50 (4 GA tickets)
Group (12+)                        $10

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 424-225/20^th season
At K-State: 111-70/6^th season
vs. West Virginia: 4-7 (3-2 at home)

West Virginia: Bob Huggins (West Virginia '77)
Career Record: 831-331/36^th Year
Record at WVU: 241-120/11^th Year
vs. Kansas State: 8-4 (2-3 on road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (11-2)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

West Virginia (12-1)
G: #2 Jevon Carter
G: #4 Daxter Miles, Jr.
F: #15 Lamont West
F: #21 Wesley Harris
F: #50 Sagaba Konate

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: West Virginia leads 8-5
In Manhattan: K-State leads 3-2
In Morgantown: West Virginia leads 4-2
Big 12 era: West Virginia leads 7-4
Active Streak: West Virginia, 2
Weber vs. West Virginia: 4-7 (3-2 at home)
Huggins vs. K-State: 8-4 (2-3 on the road)
Weber vs. Huggins: 6-7 (3-2 at home)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (11-2, 1-0 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum to open the 2018 calendar year on Monday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to No. 7/7 West Virginia (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) in the home Big 12 opener at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on?ESPNU with Mark Neely and Bryndon Manzer on the call. It will be just the second New Year's Day game in school history (and the first-ever at home) and the first since a 53-26 loss at Kentucky on Jan. 1, 1940.
K-State is 10-11 all-time in Big 12 home openers, including seven wins in the last 10 matchups. The Wildcats, who have five wins in their last 6 Big 12 home openers, last lost a home Big 12 opener when West Virginia earned an 87-83 victory in double overtime on Jan. 2, 2016. Overall, the school is 5-4 against ranked Big 12 teams in home openers, including 3-2 against squads ranked in the Top 10.
K-State is 34-56 (.378) all-time against Top 25 teams at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes 16 over teams ranked in the Top 10. The school is 31-53 (.369) against ranked Big 12 teams (since 1997), including a 19-16 (.543) mark since 2008. Since winning 10 of 13 matchups against Top 25 teams at home from 2013 to 2015, the Wildcats have just two victories (No. 1 Oklahoma in 2016 and No. 7 West Virginia in 2017) in their last nine meetings with ranked teams at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State and West Virginia will meet for the 14th time on Monday, including the 12th time as members of the Big 12. The Mountaineers own an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series and have won seven of the last eight meetings since dropping their first three conference meetings with the Wildcats. The lone K-State win in that stretch came at home last season on Jan. 21, as guard Barry Brown used a strong second half (scoring all 15 of his points after halftime) in the narrow 79-75 victory.
K-State will be playing at home for the first time in 16 days after winning back-to-back road games at Washington?State (68-65) and Iowa State (91-75). The Wildcats have won 22 consecutive non-conference home games at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes a 7-0 mark this season, but have struggled the past two seasons in Big 12 play, posting an 8-10 mark after going 15-3 from 2013-15. The team has consecutive sub .500 seasons (4-5) for the first time since the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons.
K-State opened Big 12 play with an exclamation point on Friday, as juniors Dean Wade (34), Kamau Stokes (23) and Barry Brown, Jr. (21) combined for 78 points in an impressive 91-75 victory over Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum. The win, which was the first in a Big 12 opener on the road since 2008, also snapped a four-game losing streak to the Cyclones and was the first at Hilton Coliseum since 2011. The 91 points were the most in a Big 12 opener since 2000 and the most in a Big 12 road opener since 1987. It also marked just the second time in school history and the first time since 1975 that the Wildcats had a 30-point scorer and two 20-point scorers in the same game. The 78 combined points by three players were the most since 2008.

NOTES ON WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia enters Monday's contest with a 12-1 overall record and a 1-0 in Big 12 play after an 85-79 victory at Oklahoma State on Friday in the first of a two-game road trip to start league play. The Mountaineers have won 12 in a row since opening the season with an 88-65 loss to Texas A&M at the Armed Forces Classic at Ramstein Air Force base in Germany. Among the 12 straight wins are victories over Missouri (83-79), Virginia (68-61) and Pittsburgh (69-60).
The Mountaineers rank among Top 35 in both scoring offense (84.8) and scoring defense (64.6), as they connect on 43.2 percent from the field, including 33.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 40.8 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 10.5 steals and 5.2 blocks per game. The team ranks among the nation's best in several categories (six in the Top 10), including second in turnover margin (9.3), third in turnovers forced (20.9), fourth in offensive rebounds (15.46), sixth in steals/game (10.5), eighth in scoring margin (+20.2), 10th in total steals (137) and 21st in total rebounds/game (40.85).
Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Jevon Carter paces four players in double figures at 17.7 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting. The senior, who leads the nation in both steals/game and total steals (49), ranks among the Top 20 in the Big 12 in seven categories, including steals (1st), scoring (2nd), free throw percentage (3rd), assists (4th), 3-point field goals made (8th) and assist/turnover ratio (10th) and rebounding (19th). Senior Daxter Miles, Jr., is second in scoring at 14.6 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting, while sophomore Lamont West (12.1) and James Bolden (10.9) also average double figures.
West Virginia is led by soon-to-be Hall of Fame head coach Bob Huggins, who has an 831-331 overall record in 36 seasons as head coach, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005), Kansas State (2006-07) and now his alma mater, West Virginia. He has a 241-120 record in his 11th season in Morgantown, which includes eight NCAA?Tournaments and a Final Four in 2010.

K-STATE/WEST VIRGINIA CONNECTIONS

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins is one of 11 former K-State players or coaches who currently serve as a head coach at the Division I level (14 when including Division II), including 4 current head coaches who played for the Wildcats. Huggins led the Wildcats to a 23-win season in 2006-07.
Huggins' staff also includes a number of K-State ties, including assistant Erik Martin, who spent one year as an assistant at K-State from 2006-07, and coordinator of operations Josh Eilert, who played at K-State from 2002-04.
West Virginia senior Daxter Miles, Jr., and K-State junior Kamau Stokes both hail from Baltimore and attended Dunbar High School together for one year in 2012-13. The tandem of Miles and Stokes helped Dunbar to a 26-2 record and a Class 1A state championship and Baltimore City title.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be 14th meeting between Kansas State and West Virginia on the hardwood, including the 12th in the Big 12 era, with the Mountaineers holding an 8-5 advantage in a series that dates to 1949. West Virginia has won seven of the 11 matchups since joining the Big 12 in 2013, including wins in 2015 and 2016 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats won the first three meetings as Big 12 foes, including a season sweep in 2013, but the Mountaineers have had the upper hand of late, winning seven of the last eight meetings and two of three last season.
K-State's lone win in the last eight meetings with West Virginia came last season at home, as current guard Barry Brown used a stellar second-half effort (scoring all 15 of his points after halftime) to hold off a late rally from the Mountaineers, 79-75, on Jan. 21, 2017. The Mountaineers have won the last two meetings, including an 85-66 win at home on Feb. 11 and a 51-50 defensive slugfest in the Big 12 semifinals in Kansas City on March 10.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 4-7 all-time against West Virginia, including a 3-2 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

HISTORY IN HOME CONFERENCE OPENERS

K-State is 10-11 all-time in home conference openers since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997, including seven wins in its last 10 such matchups. The Wildcats are 5-4 when facing a ranked Big 12 opponent in a home conference opener, including a 3-2 mark when that Big 12 foe is ranked in the Top 10.
K-State has faced West Virginia just once in a home conference opener in the Big 12 era with the Mountaineers posting an 87-83 victory in double overtime on Jan. 2, 2016., which halted a four-game winning streak in home Big 12 openers.

HISTORY OPENING 2-0 IN LEAGUE PLAY

K-State has opened conference play 2-0 just twice in the Big 12 era with the last such occurrence happening in 2012-13 when the Wildcats opened the league with four consecutive victories. The only other time came in 2007-08 when the Wildcats opened Big 12 play with five straight wins. Overall, the school has started league play 2-0 28 times, but only five of those occurring since the 1986-87 season.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 359-113 (.761) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 359 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 158-33 (.825) record at home over the past 12 seasons, including a 66-28 (.702) mark in Big 12 play. The 158 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 wins in 24 of its 29 seasons in the arena, including a current streak of 16 straight seasons.
The Wildcats are 34-56 (.378) all-time at Bramlage Coliseum against ranked teams, including 31-53 (.369) against ranked Big 12 opponents. The team is 19-16 (.543) against ranked opponents at home since 2008, which included a stretch of 10 wins in 13 matchups from 2013 to 2015. Since that double-overtime loss to No. 19 West Virginia on Jan. 2, 2016, K-State has won just two of its last nine meetings with ranked opponents at home.
Head coach Bruce Weber has a 74-17 (.813) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State in 2012-13 with the 17 losses (14 of which have come in Big 12 play) coming by 99 points or 5.8 points per game. Among the 74 victories are 12 over ranked teams, including five against teams ranked in the Top 10 (No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Kansas in 2014, No. 8 Kansas in 2015, No. 1 Oklahoma in 2016 and No. 7 West Virginia in 2017).

HISTORY OF STRONG STARTS

K-State is looking to continue a history of strong starts to a season on Monday, as the Wildcats have jumped out to an 11-2 record. The 11-2 mark ties for the second-best start under head coach Bruce Weber (along with the 2012-13 team) and ties the 2011-12 and 2012-13 squads for the third-best start in the last 15 seasons. Only the 2009-10 and 2016-17 teams have jumped out to a better start since 2003-04.
K-State's best start after 14 games has been a 13-1 mark, which was last done during the 2009-10 season.
The Wildcats have started 2-0 (2014-15), 4-0 (2015-16), 5-0 (2016-17) and 4-0 (2017-18) in each of the last four seasons since 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 2016-17 when K-State won each of its first five games en route to a 12-1 start (which included a 7-game winning streak). The best-ever start to a season came in 1918-19 when the squad opened 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.

OFFENSE OFF TO A GOOD START

K-State is averaging 77.8 points on 48.9 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from 3-point range, to go with a solid 73.1 percent clip from the free throw line through 13 games. The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points seven times, including a pair of 90-point efforts against Arizona State (11/23) and Iowa State (12/29), and have eclipsed the 75-point barrier seven times in the last 10 games. It is the most 90-point and 80-point games in the first 13 games since 2009-10 (which had 10 80-point and 3 90-point games), while the 1012 points are the most points through 13 games since scoring 1078 (82.9 ppg.) in the same span to start the 2009-10 season. The 91 points at ISU were the most in a Big 12 opener since 2000.
The Wildcats scored a season-best 91 points at Iowa State (12/29) on 55.2 percent shooting (32-of-58), including 50 percent (13-of-26) from 3-point range. It was the most points in a Big 12 opener since scoring 97 at home against Nebraska on Jan. 8, 2000, while it was the most in a Big 12 opener on the road since scoring 92 at Colorado on Jan. 21, 1987. The 91 points were the most in a Big 12 road game overall since scoring 96 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 18, 2017. The Wildcats connected on 50 percent or better in both halves for the sixth time this season. The 13 3-point field goals tied for the ninth-most makes in school history and most in a Big 12 game since hitting 14 against the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 5, 2011.
K-State also posted 90 points vs. Arizona State (11/23), which tied for the fourth-most points ever scored in a loss and the most since a 112-95 loss at No. 4 Oklahoma on Feb. 13, 1988. The 84 points at Vanderbilt (12/3) were the most in a non-conference road game since also scoring 84 at Saint Louis on Dec. 3, 2016. The squad also has 80-point efforts vs. American (11/10), NAU?(11/20), USC?Upstate (12/5) and SE Missouri State (12/16).
K-State has connected on better than 50 percent from the field in seven games, including a season-best 62.5 percent (35-of-56) in the win over SE?Missouri State (12/16). The team has hit on 50 percent or better in both halves in six games (American, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, USC?Upstate, SE Missouri State and Iowa State). The Wildcats posted season-highs for field goals made (35), assists (25), points in the paint (44) as well as dunks (7) vs. SE?Missouri. It was the most assists in a game since dishing out 25 at Baylor on Feb. 15, 2014, while it was the most points in the paint since posting 46 in a win over Iowa State on Feb. 28, 2015. The 35 field goals was one shy of the record in the Bruce Weber era of 36 vs. OSU on Jan. 18, 2017.

THREE-HEADED SCORING THREAT

The trio of juniors Barry Brown, Jr., Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade have proven to be quite the scoring threat, averaging near identical scoring totals of 194, 193 and 192 points to average 14.9 and 14.8 points per game, respectively. They rank 14th, 15th and 16th in scoring in the Big 12, as the three are averaging 44.5 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting, including 39 percent from long range, and 74.2 percent from the free throw line.
The trio of Brown, Stokes and Wade have all scored in double figures in 15 career games, including seven of 13 this season. The Wildcats boast an 11-4 record in those games, including a 6-1 mark this season. The three have combined for 30 double-digit scoring games.
In the win at Iowa State (12/29), Wade (34), Stokes (23) and Brown (21) combined for 78 of the team's 91 points on 62.8 percent shooting (27-of-43), including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from 3-point range. It marked just the second time that the Wildcats had a 30-point scorer and two 20-point scorers in the same game since Chuckie Williams (34), Daryl Winston (23) and Mike Evans (20) accomplished the feat in a 108-93 victory at Iowa State on Jan. 29, 1975. It was also the most combined points for three players in a game since Michael Beasley (44), Bill Walker (31) and Clent Stewart (5) combined for 80 points in a loss a Baylor on Feb. 23, 2008. It was also the first time K-State had three 20-point scorers (Jacob Pullen, Denis Clemente and Curtis Kelly) in the same game since the 2010 NCAA West Regional Semifinal against Xavier on March 25, 2010.
Wade became the Wildcats' first 30-point scorer since Marcus Foster also scored 34 against Texas on Feb. 8, 2014, while it was the most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 road game since Denis Clemente scored 44 at Texas on Jan. 31, 2009.
Sophomore Xavier Sneed (11.4 ppg./27th) gives the Wildcats a fourth double-digit scorer, as K-State is one of four schools (Baylor, Kansas and TCU) to have four players among the Big 12's Top 30 scorers. Including Sneed, the four players averaging 55.9 points per game on 48.2 percent shooting.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

K-State has been solid taking care of the basketball this season, averaging a Big 12-low 10.5 turnovers per game. The average ranks 11th nationally, while the 137 total turnover ranks eighth in the nation. In contrast, the Wildcats have also forced their opponents into 15.1 turnovers per game, which ranks fifth in the league. The team ranks 18th nationally and third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+4.5).
K-State has posted 12 turnovers or less in 11 of 13 games, including single-digit turnovers on four occasions (UC Irvine, George Washington, Oral Roberts, Vanderbilt). The team is averaging just 9.1 turnovers over the last eight games (73). Since turning over the ball a season-high 17 in the opener against American (11/10), the Wildcats have averaged just 10.0 turnovers in the last 12 games, including seven games of 10 turnovers or less.
K-State is averaging 16.5 assists per game on 27.9 made field goals per game, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. However, when comparing it to the low turnover average, the team ranks 10th nationally and second in the league in assist turnover ratio at 1.56. They have dished out 20 or more assists four times, including a season-best 25 against SE?Missouri State (12/16) and 22 against American (11/10) and Northern Arizona (11/20).

SUCCESS BEYOND THE ARC

K-State has been successful to start the season from 3-point range, averaging 8.4 treys per game on 36.1 percent shooting (109-of-302). Junior Kamau Stokes is one of four players with double-digit 3-point field goals, as he leads all players with 33 treys on 45.2 percent shooting (33-of-73) this season. He ranks sixth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made/game (2.5), while he is eighth in 3-point field goal percentage. Stokes hit a career-high 7 3-point field goals against Arizona State (11/23), which tied for the fourth-most in school history, while he has at least 3 or three other games.
Sophomore Xavier Sneed is second in 3-point field goals with 21 on a 33.9 percent clip, while junior Barry Brown, Jr. (15), junior Dean Wade (14), redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (8) and junior Amaad Wainright (8) all have more than eight 3-point makes. Wade hit a career-high 6 treys in the win at Iowa State (12/29), while Brown had a career-best 4 against Arizona State (11/23) and Diarra had 4 in the opener vs. American (11/10).
K-State has hit on six or more 3-pointers in nine of 13 games this season, including double-digits against American (12), Arizona State (15), USC Upstate (12), SE?Missouri?State (11) and Iowa State (13). The 15 makes against the Sun Devils tied for the second-most in school history and were the most since also converting on 15 3-pointers against Nebraska on Jan. 8, 2000. Overall, the Wildcats hit on 46.9 percent from beyond the arc against ASU with the 32 attempts the third-most ever in a game and the most since attempting a school-record 37 at Texas on Feb. 12, 2005.

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, Jr. (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 has continued to start the 2017-18 season, as four of the five starters (Stokes, Brown, Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) are all currently averaging in double figures. Brown (14.9 ppg.), Stokes (14.8 ppg.), Wade (14.8 ppg.) and Sneed (11.4 ppg.) are all averaging at least 11 points per game, as K-State is one of four Big 12 teams (along with Baylor, Kansas, Texas and TCU) to have four starters averaging in double figures this season.
At least three of the five starters have tallied double figures in 10 of 13 games this season, including four in the opener against American (11/10), Northern Arizona (11/20), Tulsa (12/9) and SE Missouri?State (12/16). In all, five players registered double figures led by Wade's 17. Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (13), sophomore Makol Mawien (12), Brown (10) and Stokes (10) each tallied double digits.
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. Just like the opener, four of the five starters tallied double figures in the win over Northern Arizona (11/20) with Brown recording first 20-point game of the season on 9-of-13 field goals, while Stokes (16 points), Wade (15) and Sneed (12) also registered double-digit points.
K-State had multiple 20-point scorers for the first time this season against Arizona State (11/23), as Brown and Stokes combined for 50 of the team's 90 points. Brown had a career-high 27 points, while Stokes was one short of his career-high with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting (all 3-pointers). The Wildcats again had multiple 20-point scorers in the win at Vanderbilt (12/3) to go with an 18-point effort by Brown, as the trio of Sneed (21), Stokes (20) and Brown (18)?combined to score 59 of the 84 points on 58.8 percent shooting (20-of-24).
Although only two players (Brown and Mawien) posted double figures at Washington State (12/20), three others (Stokes, Wade and Wainright) each had at least 7 points, as Brown posted his team-leading third 20-point game of the season with 23 points.
In all, the Wildcats have seen seven players total 43 double-digit scoring games this season with 12 different players registering at least one made field goal. Stokes has posted double-figure points in 11 of 13 games, while Brown and Wade have done it 10 and nine times, respectively.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS

K-State has been solid on the defensive end to start the season, allowing 63.2 points while holding its opposition to 39 percent shooting (265-of-680), including 32.8 percent (96-of-293) from 3-point range. The team ranks among the Top 30 in both scoring defense (25th) and field goal percentage defense (29th), while they are third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, turnover margin (+4.5) and steals (8.0) and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
In all, the Wildcats rank among the Top 50 in six defensive categories, including 18th in turnover margin, 25th in scoring defense and 29th in field goal percentage defense. The team is 40th in steals per game with 8.2 average.
Only four times in the modern era (since 1953-54) has a K-State team allowed 60 points or less six times to the first 13 opponents, as the 2017-18 squad joins the 1981-82, 1984-85 and 2005-06 teams to accomplish the feat. If you remove the Arizona State (11/26) and Vanderbilt (12/3) games, where they allowed 92 and 79 points, the Wildcats are allowing just 59.2 points on 37.1 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from 3-point range, in their other 11 games.
The Wildcats have held six of the 13 opponents to 45, 51, 49, 58, 59 and 49 points, respectively, as they have now held 64 opponents to 60 points or less under head coach Bruce Weber's direction with the squad boasting a 57-7 (.891) record in those contests. The squad has held 17 opponents to 50 points or less under Weber (16-1 record), which includes a Weber era-best 26 points allowed to Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 13, 2012.
K-State has held all but one opponent (Vanderbilt) to below its scoring average and has held its opponents to an average of 11.3 points below its season scoring average. The Wildcats held UMKC (11/14)?to 32.5 points under its scoring average, while UC?Irvine (11/17) and USC?Upstate (12/5) were held to 27 and 26 points, respectively, below its average. Six opponents (Arizona State, George Washington, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, SE?Missouri State and Iowa State) have shot better than 40 percent from the field with the Colonials and Golden Hurricane barely eclipsing the mark at 40.7 and 40.4 percent.
K-State enjoyed a memorable night on the defensive end in the win 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. The 19 steals tied the school mark set against Tulane on Jan. 10, 1976, while the 31 turnovers forced were the fifth-most and the most since also forcing 31 against Kentucky on Nov. 28, 2008.
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 64.2 points per game (11,622 points).
Under Weber's direction, K-State has a 93-26 (.782) record when holding an opponent to 69 points or less since 2012-13 and an 18-44 (.279) mark when allowing an opponent to score 70 or more points.

SOLID DEBUTS FOR NEWCOMERS

Freshman Cartier Diarra and transfers Makol Mawien, Mawdo Sallah and Amaad Wainright have each been solid to start the season.
Mawien, who has started all 12 games this season, has scored in double figures three times, including in back-to-back games against SE Missouri State (12/16) and Washington State (12/20). He nearly posted double-doubles in the opener against American (11/10) and again against WSU with a season-high 9 rebounds. He is shooting a team-best 74 percent (37-of-50) from the field, including going 6-of-10 vs. WSU?with a season-best 15 points.
Wainright has been a boost from the bench, averaging 5 points and 3.7 rebounds in the last 6 outings. He posted a near double-double with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists against SE?Missouri State (12/16), while he scored 7 points against USC?Upstate (12/5) and Washington State (12/20).
Diarra and Sallah have also been productive from the bench, as Diarra posted double figures in two of his first three games with a game-high 13 points in the opener vs. American (11/10), while Sallah narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds vs. UMKC?(11/14).

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 on Nov. 8.
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.

UP NEXT: AT TEXAS TECH (12-1)

K-State continues Big 12 play on Saturday, Jan. 6, as the Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas to take on No. 22/21 Texas Tech (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) at 3 p.m. at United Supermarket Arena. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports Kansas City.

Game Preview // K-State Hosts 7/7 West Virginia on New Year's Day

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Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Wesley Iwundu

D.J. Johnson

Makol Mawien

Mawdo Sallah

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Amaad Wainright

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Hosts 7/7 West Virginia on New Year's Day

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Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Wesley Iwundu

D.J. Johnson

Makol Mawien

Mawdo Sallah

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Amaad Wainright

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