PREVIEW: K-State Plays No. 9/10 Baylor at Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Thursday
Mar 07, 2017 | Men's Basketball
GAME PREVIEW
MARCH 9, 8:00 PM CT
Sprint Center
Kansas City, MO
NR/NR
K-STATE
WILDCATS
19-12 (8-10 Big 12)
9/10
BAYLOR
BEARS
25-6 (12-6 Big 12)
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COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)
Overall: 411-221/19th season
At K-State: 98-66/5th season
vs. Baylor: 4-6 (0-0 at Big 12 Championship)
Baylor: Scott Drew (Butler ‘93)
Overall: 295-189/15th season
At Baylor: 275-178/14th season
vs. Kansas State: 11-11 (1-1 at Big 12 Championship)
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (19-12, 8-10 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes (11.8 ppg., 4.3 apg.)
G: #5 Barry Brown (11.5 ppg., 3.2 rpg.)
G: #25 Wesley Iwundu (12.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg.)
F: #32 Dean Wade (9.7 ppg., 4.7 rpg.)
F: #4 D.J. Johnson (11.4 ppg., 5.7 rpg.)
9/10 Baylor (25-6, 12-6 Big 12)
G: #3 Jake Lindsey (4.7 ppg., 2.9 apg.)
G: #22 King McClure (5.0 ppg., 1.3 rpg.)
F: #24 Ishmail Wainwright (5.5 ppg., 5.1 rpg.)
F: #5 Johnathan Motley (17.5 ppg., 10.0 rpg.)
F: #0 Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. (9.3 ppg., 6.9 rpg.)
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: Series Tied 18-18 (series began in 1948)
In Big 12 era: Baylor leads 16-14 (1-2 in Big 12 Championship)
In Kansas City: Series Tied 2-2 (last meeting - 3/8/2012)
Current Streak: K-State, 1
Last Meeting: K-State, 56-54, in Waco, Texas, on 2/4/2017
Weber vs. Baylor: 4-6 (0-0 at Big 12 Championship)
Weber vs. Drew: 4-6 (0-0 at Big 12 Championship)
GAME 32 - QUICK HITTERS
• Kansas State (19-12, 8-10 Big 12) begins postseason play on Thursday, as the No. 6 seed Wildcats play No. 3 seed Baylor (25-6, 12-6 Big 12) in the final quarterfinal game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Kansas City’s Sprint Center at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
• K-State is 32-28 all-time in the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to its inception in 1977, including 12-20 in the Big 12 era. This will mark the fourth time that the Wildcats have been the No. 6 seed, including the first time in the Big 12 era, with a 1-3 mark in those previous appearances.
• K-State is 2-1 all-time vs. Baylor at the Big 12 Championship, including a 74-73 overtime win in 2002, an 82-75 win in 2010 and an 82-74 loss in 2012. The Wildcats are 5-4 all-time vs. the No. 3 seed, including wins over Baylor in 2010 and Oklahoma State in 2013 in their last 2 meetings.
• The series is tied at 18-all after the teams split their regular season games with Baylor winning 77-68 in Manhattan on Jan. 14 and K-State winning 56-54 on a last-second block in Waco on Feb. 4.
• K-State has already secured its highest win total since a 20-win season in 2013-14, while the 8 Big 12 wins are the most since also posting 8 in 2014-15. The Wildcats have also their highest win totals on the road since the 2012-13 season with 7 wins away from home and 6 true road wins.
• K-State finished the regular season with wins in 3 of its last 5 games, including consecutive Big 12 wins for just the second time this season with a 75-74 victory at TCU and a 61-48 victory at home over Texas Tech, to clinch a bye to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013-14.
• Seniors D.J. Johnson and Wesley Iwundu enjoyed memorable Senior Days, as Johnson scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 field goals and Iwundu collected his 10th career double-double, including his second of the week, with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds against Texas Tech.
• The senior duo were honored for their outstanding seasons on Sunday, as Iwundu repeated his All-Big 12 Third Team honors and Johnson was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention by the league coaches. Iwundu leads the Wildcats in 9 categories, including scoring (12.6 ppg.) and rebounding (6.6 rpg.), while Johnson led the Big 12 in field goal percentage (60.9).
• Defense has been a key element in the Wildcats’ success, as the team is 13-0 when holding an opponent to 65 points or less, including 5-0 in Big 12 play. K-State is holding foes to 61 points in its 19 wins on 39.6 percent shooting, including 65.8 points in its 8 Big 12 victories.
• In contrast, K-State is allowing 77.9 points on 47.8 percent shooting in its 12 losses, including 79.6 points on 48.3 percent shooting in the 10 Big 12 setbacks. The team has allowed 80 or more points in 4 of last 7 games.
AT PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
• K-State is 32-38 all-time in the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to its inception in 1977, including a 12-20 mark in the 20-year history of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship... The Wildcats have won 2 championships (1977, 1980), while they have advanced to the finals on 5 other occasions (1978, 1981, 1993, 2010 and 2013), including twice in the Big 12 era.
• Last season, the Wildcats went 1-1 in the championship, knocking off No. 9 seed Oklahoma State, 75-71, in the first round before losing to No. 1 seed Kansas, 85-63, in the quarterfinals.
• This will mark the 4th time that K-State has been the No. 6 seed at the championship (1983, 1984, 1994), including the first time in the Big 12 era, with a 1-3 mark in those previous 3 appearances.
• K-State is 5-4 all-time (2-1 in the Big 12 era) vs. No. 3 seed at the league championship with the 9 appearances coming in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2010 and 2013... The team has won the last 2 meetings with the No. 3 seed.
• The Wildcats are 4-10 in the quarterfinals, including losses to Iowa State (2014) and Kansas (2016) in their last 2 appearances.
• K-State is 31-33 when the championship is held in Kansas City, including 12-20 in the Big 12 era.
AT THE SPRINT CENTER
• K-State is 14-12 all-time in the Sprint Center, including a 5-8 mark at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (2008, 2010-16).
• The Wildcats have played at least one game in the building for 11 consecutive seasons since its opening in 2007... The team is 7-1 in the Wildcat Classic, including a 70-56 win over Washington State earlier this year on Dec. 10, 2016.
• Twice K-State has advanced to the Big 12 Championship game in the Sprint Center, losing to Kansas in 2010 and 2013.
• The Wildcats are 4-7 against ranked teams in the Sprint Center, including 1-1 against ranked Baylor teams (2010 and 2012)
THE OPPONENT: 9/10 BAYLOR (25-6, 12-6 BIG 12)
• No. 9/10 Baylor enters Thursday’s quarterfinal game with a 25-6 overall record and a tie for 2nd in the Big 12 with a 12-6 mark... The team won 3 of their last 5 games, including wins over West Virginia and Texas to end the regular season.
• The Bears are averaging 73.0 points on 47.2 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from 3-point range, on the season with 38.1 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 5.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game... They are allowing opponents 62.5 points per game on 39.5 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from beyond the arc... The team is shooting 71.3 percent from the free throw line.
• Baylor leads the Big 12 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, 3-point field goal percentage defense, rebounding defense (29.3), rebounding margin (+8.8) and blocked shots while is 2nd in rebounding.
• The Bears are led by unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection Johnathan Motley, who paces the team in both scoring (17.5 ppg.) and rebounding (10.0 rpg.) while shooting 51.7 percent from the field... Motley is joined in double digits by Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Manu Lecomte, who averages 12.4 points on 43 percent shooting with a team-high 65 3-pointers and a team-best 4.0 assists per game.... Two others - juniors Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. (9.3 ppg.), and Al Freeman (9.6 ppg.) - average better than 9 points per game... A member of the All-Defensive Team, along with Ishmail Wainright, Lual-Acuil averages 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game... Wainright averages 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per outing.
• Baylor is led by veteran head coach Scott Drew, who has a 275-178 record in his 14th season at the school and is 295-189 overall in 15 seasons... He has led the Bears to 6 NCAA?Tournament appearances, including a pair of Elite Eights (2010, 2012).
BREAKING?DOWN?THE?SERIES
• This will be the 37th meeting between the two schools with the series tied at 18-all.
• Baylor owns a 16-14 lead in the Big 12 era, including a 15-12 mark in regular-season meetings.
• K-State is 2-1 all-time against Baylor at the Big 12 Championship, including a 74-73 overtime win as a No. 7 seed in 2002, an 82-75 win as a No. 2 seed in 2010 and an 82-74 loss as a No. 5 seed in 2012... The Wildcats are 1-0 against the No. 3 Bears.
• The series tied 2-all in games played in Kansas City, as Baylor won the first meeting, 60-52, in the 1948 Final Four.
• The Bears have won 6 of the last 8 games in the series, including a season sweep in 2016 and a split in 2017.
REVIEWING THE 2 REGULAR-SEASON MEETINGS
GAME 1 – BAYLOR 77, K-STATE 68
• Baylor junior guard Manu Lecomte scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, as the top-ranked Bears rallied past No. 25 Kansas State, 77-68, on Jan. 14 in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,528 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State fought hard against Baylor, leading 44-43 with just over 10 minutes to play... However, the Wildcats lost the lead just moments later, as the Bears scored 6 straight points out of a timeout to recapture the lead and the momentum.
• K-State pulled within 71-66 with 31 seconds to go on a layup senior D.J. Johnson, but Baylor made six free throws in the final 27 seconds to prevent any further comeback... Johnson paced four Wildcats in double figures with 20 points.
• Johnson scored his 20 points on 9-of-13 field goals, including 6-of-6 in the second half, while sophomore Barry Brown and freshman Xavier Sneed finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively... Sophomore Kamau Stokes added 10 points.
GAME 2 – K-STATE 56, BAYLOR 54
• Senior D.J. Johnson blocked Johnathan Motley’s game-tying jumper with 1 second remaining, as Kansas State held on to defeat No. 2/3 Baylor, 56-54, on Feb. 4 before 7,729 fans at the Ferrell Center to end a 3-game losing streak.
• After Johnson made 1-of-2 free throws with 10 seconds to play, Motley had two chances to help Baylor tie the game, as his jumper with 3 seconds left missed before K-State was unable to corral the rebound to give the Bears’ one last opportunity.
• The Wildcats were able to withstand the Bears’ rally after leading by as many as 19 points in the first half, including 37-22 at halftime. K-State connected on 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from the field, including 50 percent (15-of-30) in the first half, while Baylor shot 38.5 percent (20-of-52), including 33.3 percent (8-of-24) in the first half.
• Sophomore Kamau Stokes led the way with 15 points on 6-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, to go with 4 assists and 2 steals. Fellow sophomore Dean Wade registered double figures with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while senior Wesley Iwundu had solid all-around game with 10 points, a team-high 8 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes.
K-STATE VS. RANKED FOES
• K-State is 109-246 (.307) all-time vs. the AP?Top 25, including 44-128 (.255) vs. the Top 10 and 22-74 (.229) vs. the Top 5.
• This season, K-State has gone 2-4 against the AP?Top 25 with wins over No. 7/8 West Virginia, 79-75, at home on Jan. 21 and at No. 2/3 Baylor, 74-71, on Feb. 4... The losses came twice to No. 3 Kansas, No. 1 Baylor on Jan. 14 and at No. 13 West Virginia.
• K-State is 5-13 against the AP’s No. 9 team, having lost 4 in a row... The last win came at No. 9 Baylor, 57-56, on Feb. 18, 2012.
• K-State is 4-7 against Top 25 opponents at the Sprint Center, including 2-5 at the Phillips 66 Championship.
CATS EFFICIENT ON OFFENSE
• K-State is averaging 72.5 points on 45.9 percent shooting (776-of-1692) and 36.3 percent from 3-point range (223-of-614), through 31 games with assists on 60.8 percent of its made field goals (472/776) and a +2.3 turnover margin.
• The current 72.5 points per game scoring average is the highest since the 2010-11 team averaged 72.9 points per game, while the 45.9 field goal percentage is the highest since the 1997-98 team also connected on 45.9 percent and the 36.3 3-point field goal percentage is the highest since the 2010-11 team connected on 37.6 percent from long range.
• K-State’s 9 games of 80 or more points equals the entire total of such games from 2015-16 and are the most since the Wildcats scored 80 or more points 11 times in 2010-11... The 9 games are double the totals from 2013-14 (4) and 2014-15 (4).
• K-State has shot 50 percent or better 11 times this season, including on 6 occasions in Big 12 play... The Wildcats have shot 50 percent or better against 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), Texas Tech (1/10), Oklahoma State (1/18), West Virginia (1/21) and Texas (2/18).
• The 11 games of 50 percent or better field goal shooting is the highest since doing it in 13 games in 1988-89.
• K-State has connected on at least 50 percent of its field goals in at least one half of 21 games this season, including hitting the mark in both halves against Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Prairie View A&M (12/6), Oklahoma (1/7) and OSU (1/18).
• The Wildcats also performed well offensively during Big 12 play, averaging 70.7 points in Big 12 play on 44 percent shooting (427-of-970), including 34.8 percent (123-of-353) from long range, with assists on 60.2 percent of its field goals (257/427) and a +1.9 turnover margin... It is the highest scoring average in Big 12 play since averaging 76.8 points in 2009-10.
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 (5.3).
• K-State is shooting 36.3 percent (223-of-614) from 3-point range and is averaging 7.2 3-point field goals per game.
• After ranking 330th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage and 325th in 3-point field goals per game a year ago, K-State is currently 118th in 3-point field goal percentage and 195th in makes... The team ranks 5th in both categories in the Big 12.
• K-State eclipsed 200 3-pointers in a season against Oklahoma State (2/22) for the first time since 2012-13... The 223 triples this season tie for the 5th-most on the single-season list and the most since totaling 238 in 2012-13.
• K-State has at least 7 3-pointers in 21 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 15 of their 19 wins this season.
• 11 Wildcats have at least one 3-pointer, including 5 with 25 or more treys (Kamau Stokes, Barry Brown, Xavier Sneed, Dean?Wade and Wesley Iwundu)... Stokes ranks in the Big 12’s Top 10 in 3-pointers per game (8th) and percentage (13th).
• K-State has made at least one 3-pointer in 303 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE HAS BEEN KEY
• Four of 5 starters are averaging in double figures led by senior Wesley Iwundu (12.6 ppg.), sophomore Kamau Stokes (11.8 ppg.), sophomore Barry Brown (11.5 ppg.) and senior D.J. Johnson (11.4 ppg.)... 7 different players have led the Wildcats in scoring, including a team-best 7 times by Brown and Iwundu and 6 by sophomore Dean Wade.
• K-State and Texas Tech are the only Big 12 schools to have 6 players with averages of 7 or more points.
• K-State was the only Big 12 team to have all 5 starters averaging double figures until Wade dropped to 9.9 points per game after the Iowa State game on Jan. 21, while all 5 usual starters are averaged double figures during Big 12 play.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures vs. No. 7/8 West Virginia (1/21) for the 6th time under Bruce Weber, including the 4th time this season and 3rd time in Big 12 play, while a season-high 6 scored double digits in the win over Colorado State (12/17).
• All 5 starters scored in double figures in consecutive Big 12 games at No. 3/2 Kansas (1/3) and Oklahoma (1/7) for the first time since at least the 2005-06 season... Starters connected on 52.2 percent in the games against the Jayhawks and Sooners.
• At least 4 Wildcats have scored in double figures in 18 of 31 games, including at least 3 in 27 games... In all, 9 players have at least 1 double-digit scoring game with 6 having at least 12 double-digit scoring games led by Iwundu and Stokes’ 23.
• Eight Wildcats are shooting 45 percent or better from the field, including 3 of 5 starters... The starters are shooting a combined 45.9 percent from the field (606-of-1320), including 36.4 percent (158-of-434) from 3-point range, this season.
• In all, starters are responsible for 78 percent of the team’s 2,247 points and 776 made field goals, 70 percent of the 223 made 3-pointers and 82 percent of the 472 assists... They also own 102 of the 115 double-digit scoring games.
• Starters have paced the team in scoring in 29 of 31 games and in rebounding and assists on 30 occasions.
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 in 2012-13, the Wildcats lead the Big 12 in scoring defense at 64.9 points per game (10,649).
• K-State ranks 21st in steals (8.1), 30th in turnovers forced (15.5) and 61st in scoring defense (67.5)... The Wildcats are 2nd in the Big 12 in steals, 4th in scoring defense and 7th in both field goal percentage defense and blocked shots.
• The Wildcats moved to 13-0 this season when holding an opponent to 65 points or less, including 5-0 in Big 12 play, after holding Texas Tech (3/4) to season-lows for points (48) and field goal percentage (35.6/16-of-45).
• The 48 points were the fewest allowed to a Big 12 foe this season and the second-fewest since 40 by Robert Morris (11/22).
• Seven opponents have been held to 55 points or less, while 11 foes have been held to 40 percent shooting or less.
• 57 opponents have been held to 60 points or less in?Weber’s tenure with the Wildcats boasting a 51-6 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 is 84-24 under Bruce Weber when holding an opponent to 69 points or less and 14-42 when allowing 70 or more.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TURNOVERS
• K-State ranks among the national leaders in steals (8.1 apg./21st) and turnovers forced (15.5/30th).
• The 8.1 steals per game average is on pace to be the 5th-best average in school history and the highest since 1994-95... The 250 steals are the 4th-most in a single season and the most since posting 274 in 2009-10.
• K-State posted double-digit steals for the 8th time with 11 against TCU (2/1), including on the 5th occasion in Big 12 play.
• The Wildcats have forced double figure turnovers in 28 games, including 20 or more turnovers 5 times, with a season-high 25 vs. Robert Morris (11/22) and 23 vs. West Virginia (1/21)... The team has forced double-digit turnovers in 24 of the last 25 games.
• K-State is averaging 16 points per game off of turnovers, including 14.9 points per game in Big 12 play, and have outscored opponents, 496-404... The team has scored at least 12 points off turnovers in 25 games, including a season-high 26 vs. Omaha.
• Seven times the team has scored 20 or more points off turnovers, including at OSU?(1/18), West Virginia (1/21) and TCU (2/1).
• K-State has scored more than 2,000 points (2,415) off of turnovers under Bruce Weber, an average of 14.7 points per game.
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 22 of 31 games (including 12 of 18 Big 12 games) by a combined score of 1175-983.
• D.J. Johnson leads the team with 192 points on the Play Hard Chart, while Barry Brown is not far behind with 171 points... Johnson has won the individual game chart a team-high 10 times, while Brown and Dean Wade have won it 7 times each... The starters rank in the Top 5 on the chart, as Wade (166), Wesley Iwundu (162) and Kamau Stokes (137) round out Top 5.
• Johnson has tallied 632 Play Hard points in his career, including a team-best 14 in the opener vs.?Western Illinois (11/11).
IWUNDU IN ELITE COMPANY
• Senior Wesley Iwundu became the first Wildcat in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals in a career in the win against No. 7/8 West Virginia (1/21)... He needed 7 rebounds to reach the milestone, grabbing 9 against the Mountaineers after reaching 1,000 points, 300 assists and 100 steals earlier this season.
• Only Rolando Blackman recorded more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career, as steals were not kept.
• Iwundu became the 27th Wildcat and the 4th under head coach Bruce Weber to eclipse 1,000 career points at OSU (1/18)... He needs 15 points to become the 15th player to eclipse 1,200 career points and the first since Thomas Gipson (2011-15).
• Iwundu became just the 14th Wildcat to tally 600 career rebounds with his game-high 10 vs. Texas Tech (3/4) and needs 22 to crack the school’s career Top 10 and the first to do so since Rodney McGruder (654/2009-13).
• Iwundu is one of 7 players to dish out more than 300 career assists with his current total of 351 ranking 4th on the list.
• Iwundu is one of 10 players to accumulate 100 career steals with his current total of 119 placing 5th on the all-time list.
• Iwundu continued to extend his school record for career starts with his 120th vs. Texas Tech (3/4), a mark which he set in the game at TCU (3/1) to pass Ed Nealy (1978-82) and Steve Henson (1987-90)... He also now ranks 7th in games played with 128.
• Iwundu has now played in 95 consecutive games, including a streak of 83 starts in a row... The 95 straight games played ties for 9th in school history with Mark Dobbins (1985-89), while the streak of 83 consecutive starts ranks 4th.
• With 3,602 minutes played in his career, only four Wildcats -- Steve Henson, Jacob Pullen, Rodney McGruder and Will Spradling -- have played more minutes than Iwundu.
STAT STUFFER
• Senior Wesley Iwundu is the only Big 12 player to rank in the league’s Top 15 in scoring (15th), field goal percentage (10th), free throw percentage (10th), rebounding (8th) and assists (12th), while he joins West Virginia’s Jevon Carter as the only Big 12 players to rank in the Top 15 in all 5 categories in league-only games... In all, Iwundu ranks in 6 Big 12 categories.
• Iwundu is in rare company this season with 392 points, 205 rebounds and 106 assists, as he joins Mitch Richmond (1987-88) to become the only Wildcats to tally 300+ points, 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in a single season.
• Iwundu ranks 1st in scoring (12.6 ppg.) and rebounding (6.6 rpg.), 2nd in assists (3.4 apg.) and 3rd in steals (1.1 spg.).
• Iwundu has scored in double figures 62 times in his career, including a team-best 23 this season (with 15 in Big 12 play).
• Iwundu collected his 10th career double-double (5th this season) with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Texas Tech (3/4).
• Iwundu ranked 1st in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (7.6) and is 2nd in assists (3.6) and steals (1.2) in Big 12 games.
• Iwundu ranks in the Top 15 of 8 Big 12 categories in league-play, including scoring (16th), rebounding (5th), field goal percentage (9th), assists (11th), free throw percentage (11th), steals (15th), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th) and defensive rebounds (5th).
FORCE IN THE MIDDLE
• Senior D.J. Johnson has been a vital cog for the Wildcats, averaging 11.4 points on a Big 12-best 60.9 percent shooting (131-of-215) with 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game... He has double figures in 18 games, including 3 20-point games.
• Johnson is on pace to become the first Wildcat to lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage.
• His career 58.8 field goal percentage is tied for 1st in school history after shooting a school-record 60.8 percent as a junior.
• Johnson also ranks among the Big 12’s Top 15 in blocks (5th), offensive rebounds (11th) and rebounding (14th).
• Johnson has been a starter in all 19 wins, including hitting game-winners at Texas (2/18) and TCU?(3/1), while K-State has struggled without him in the lineup, losing to West Virginia (2/11) and Iowa State (2/15) as he recovered from an ankle injury.
• 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 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).
• His 44 blocks have already surpassed his total from 2015-16 (29), while his 102 career blocks rank 6th in school history.
• After a series of injuries since the Kansas game on Feb. 6, Johnson is slowly starting to get back healthy after missing the West Virginia (2/11) game and playing just 11 minutes vs. Iowa State (2/15)... He has played better than 25 minutes in each of the last 4 games, averaging 11.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting (15-of-27) with 5.0 rebounds per contest.
• Johnson enjoyed a memorable Senior Day, scoring a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws against Texas Tech (3/4).
MORE THAN JUST A SCORER
• 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 11th nationally in steals per game (2.4) and 9th in total steals (73).
• With his 3 steals at TCU?(3/1), Brown broke the school’s single-season record, snapping his tie with Jacob Pullen (67, 2009-10)... His 113 career steals rank 7th on the all-time list as he chases Rodney McGruder (116/2009-13) for 6th.
• Brown’s 73 steals rank 2nd in the Big 12 (Jevon Carter has 85), while his 45 in league play tied for 6th-best in Big 12 history.
• Brown has at least 2 steals in 24 games, including a career-best 5 vs. Hampton (11/20), TCU (2/1) and West Virginia (2/11).
TRYING TO REGAIN FORM
• Sophomore Barry Brown hopes to regain his shooting form, in which, he averaged 12.8 points on 42.7 percent shooting (99-of-232), including 34.7 percent (33-of-95) from 3-point range, with 17 double-figure scoring games in the first 21 games.
• Brown has struggled in the last 10 games, averaging just 8.8 points on 35.7 percent shooting (30-of-84), including 19.2 percent (5-of-26) from long range, with just 3 double-digit scoring games in that span.
• After averaging 15.3 points against West Virginia (2/11), Iowa State (2/15) and Texas (2/18), Brown has gone 4 straight games without scoring in double figures to end the regular season, averaging just 6 points on 24.1 percent shooting (7-of-29).
• Brown has led in scoring a team-best 7 times, including a career-high 22 points at OSU (1/18) and 21 vs. Iowa State (2/15).
• Brown is averaging 11.7 points in 19 wins on 42.9 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 11.2 points in the 12 losses on 37.6 percent shooting, including 22.4 percent from beyond the arc.
STOKES ON POINT
• Sophomore Kamau?Stokes return from injury has been one of the biggest storylines to K-State’s 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.
• Stokes has built on his success during the team’s European Tour this summer to start all 31 games and average team-bests in 3-point field goals (56), assists (4.3 apg.), minutes (33.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and 2nd in scoring (11.8 ppg.).
• Stokes ranks among the Big 12’s Top 15 in 7 categories, including 4th in minutes, 6th in assists, 8th in 3-pointers (1.9), 9th in free throw percentage (76.6), 13th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (36.6) and 19th in scoring.
• Stokes has scored in double figures a team-best 23 times, including in 18 of the last 21, with a season-high 21 vs. TCU (2/1).
• Stokes had a 17-game double-digit scoring streak from Dec. 17 to Feb. 18, which was the longest by a Wildcat since Jacob Pullen did it 20 consecutive games in 2010-11... During that 17-game span, he averaged 13.9 points on 38 percent shooting.
• Stokes’ 133 assists rank 13th for a single season and are the most by a Wildcat since Angel?Rodriguez dished out 173 in 2012-13, while he has tallied at least 5 assists in 14 games this season after doing it in just 3 times as a freshman in 2015-16.
• Stokes ranked 1st on the team in 3-pointers (34), assists (4.4) and minutes (34.7) in Big 12 play and 2nd in scoring (12.8).
X-FACTOR
• No player may be more important to the Wildcats’ success than sophomore Dean Wade, who has 12 double-digit scoring games (52.9 percent shooting) in the 19 wins compared to just 5 double-digit scoring games (45.5 percent) in the 12 losses.
• Wade has scored in double figures in 33 career games (17 this season) with K-State posting a 25-8 mark in those contests.
• Wade ranks 5th on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg.) on 50.2 percent shooting, including 43.2 percent from 3-point range, to go with 3rd-best rebounding averaging (4.7 rpg.)... He averaged 10.6 points on 49.6 percent shooting during Big 12 play.
• Wade registered his 4th career 20-point game in the win at TCU (3/1), as he tied or set career-bests for field goals made (8), field goals attempted (15), 3-point field goals (4) and 3-point field goals attempted (9).
SUPER SUB
• Freshman?Xavier Sneed has provided a big boost to the Wildcats this season, averaging 7.6 points on 43.4 percent shooting (76-of-175), including 34.9 percent (37-of-106) from 3-point range, to go with 2.6 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game.
• Sneed started in place of the injured D.J.?Johnson vs. West Virginia (2/11) and Iowa State (2/15), totaling 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting vs. the Mountaineers in 20 minutes and 7 points and 5 rebounds vs. the Cyclones in a season-best 31 minutes.
• Sneed has scored in double figures 12 times, including 5 times in Big 12 play with a season-best 19 vs. TCU (2/1).
• K-State is 8-4 when Sneed scores in double figures, while he is responsible for 12 of the bench’s 14 double-digit games.
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 96 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 98 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: PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
• The winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal game will play either No. 2 seed West Virginia (24-7, 12-6 Big 12) and/or No. 7 Texas Tech (18-13, 6-12 Big 12)/No. 10 Texas (10-21, 4-14 Big 12) on Friday night at the Sprint Center at 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2.
