REVIEW: K-State Enjoys Successful Season with Return to NCAA Tournament
Apr 14, 2017 | Men's Basketball
KANSAS STATE (21-14, 8-10 Big 12/6th)
SEASON IN REVIEW
2016-17 Season Statistics | 2016-17 Final Big 12 Standings & Statistics
Overall Team Notes
• K-State collected a 20-win season for the 28th time in school history, including the 3rd time in 5 seasons under head coach Bruce Weber… The Wildcats have posted 9 20-win seasons in the last 11 seasons and have registered a winning record 12 times in the last 13 seasons.
• The 21 wins were the most since totaling 27 in 2012-13… The 8 Big 12 wins were the most since totaling 10 in 2013-14, while the 6th-place finish was the highest since finishing 5th also in 2013-14.
• K-State was selected to participate in the First Four at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, where the No. 11-seeded Wildcats defeated fellow 11-seed Wake Forest, 95-88, before losing to No. 18 and 6-seed Cincinnati, 75-61, in the NCAA South Regional First Round in Sacramento, Calif. … The Wake Forest win was the first in the NCAA Tournament under Weber and the first since a 70-64 victory over Southern Miss at the 2012 East Regional Second Round in Pittsburgh.
• K-State earned its 36th overall postseason appearance, including its 29th in the NCAA Tournament, in 2016-17… It was the school’s 7th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 11 seasons and first since losing to Kentucky in the 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional Second Round in St. Louis… The team has now advanced to the postseason 9 times in the last 11 seasons, including 3 NCAA Tournaments under Weber.
• The 29 NCAA Tournament appearances ties BYU and Utah for the 23rd-most nationally, including 4th among Big 12 schools (trailing Kansas, West Virginia and Oklahoma).
Breaking Down the Season
• Among the 21 victories were 8 over postseason teams, including NCAA Tournament participants Baylor (twice), Oklahoma State and West Virginia and NIT champion TCU… The team went 3-7 against Top 25 teams, including 3-4 vs. the Top 10 (No. 2 Baylor, No. 7 West Virginia and No. 9 Baylor).
• K-State played 13 games (4-9) against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including 8 (3-5) vs. the Sweet 16 and 5 (1-4) vs. the Elite Eight.
• K-State played 10 Top 25 opponents this season, including 7 in the Top 10.
• K-State went 11-2 in non-conference play with losses coming to Maryland at a neutral site (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and at Tennessee in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.
• 10 of the team’s 14 losses came to postseason teams (NCAA and NIT), including 5 that Sweet 16.
• 17 of the 35 games were decided by single digits, including 9 losses… The Wildcats were 5-5 in games decided by 4 points or less, including 3 losses by 1 point.
• K-State tallied a 12-5 record in home venues, including a 70-56 win over Washington State at Kansas City’s Sprint Center… The team went 8-0 at home in non-conference play… The Wildcats have now posted double-digit wins at Bramlage Coliseum for 16 consecutive seasons (2001-present).
• K-State went 9-9 away from home (6-6 on the road and 3-3 at neutral sites) in 2016-17… The 9 wins were the most away from home since posting 10 such wins in 2012-13… The 6 true road wins were also the most on the road since posting 7 such wins in 2012-13… The 4 Big 12 road wins tied for the fourth-most in the Big 12 era, trailing the 6 in 2009-10 and 2012-13 and 5 in 2011-12.
Final NCAA Team Numbers
• K-State finished the 2016-17 season with an NCAA RPI of 53… One of 7 Big 12 teams to rank in the Top 53 (Kansas 4, Baylor 9, West Virginia 20, Iowa State 21, Oklahoma State 41 and TCU 52).
• K-State’s average opponent RPI was 107, while its non-conference RPI was 47.
• K-State’s strength of schedule was 36, including 180 non-conference schedule of schedule.
• K-State was 7-12 vs. the RPI Top 100, including 5-10 in RPI Top 50… 8-2 vs. RPIs of 101-200.
• K-State finished 30 in the Ken Pomeroy final team rankings.
Head Coach Bruce Weber
• Head coach Bruce Weber completed his 19th season as a head coach in 2016-17, including his 5th at Kansas State… He has a 413-223 (.649) overall record in his head coaching career, including a 100-68 (.595) mark in tenure at K-State… He earned his 400th career win in the 74-55 victory over Prairie View A&M on Dec. 6, 2016, while he won his 100th game at K-State in the victory over Wake Forest in the First Four… He is the 5th coach in school history to achieve 100 career wins.
• Weber is the 5th different head coach to lead K-State to at least 3 NCAA Tournament (2013, 2014, 2017), while he joined Jack Hartman (1978-82), Lon Kruger (1986-90) and Frank Martin (2007-12) as the only coaches to accomplish it 3 times in a 5-year period… His 3 appearances trail Hartman (7), Tex Winter (6), Kruger (4) and Martin (4) in school history.
• Overall, Weber made his 11th NCAA Tournament in his career, which includes 6 at Illinois, 3 at K-State and 2 at Southern Illinois… He is the 41st head coach in NCAA history to take 3 different schools to the NCAA Tournament, including the 21st active coach.
Offensive Team Notes
• K-State improved in 9 offensive categories for the third consecutive year in 2016-17, surpassing marks for scoring (2,523), field goals made (869), field goals attempted (1,883), field goal percentage (46.1), 3-point field goals made (247), 3-point field goals attempted (683), 3-point field goal percentage (36.2), free throw percentage (69.4) and assists (522).
• The 2,523 points were 5th-highest total in school history and the highest since posting a school-record 2,949 points in 2009-10… It marked the 5th time in school history that a Wildcat team has eclipsed 2,500 points in a single season and the 11th straight season with at least 2,000 points.
• The 72.1 points per game average was the 6th-highest scoring average in the last 25 seasons and the highest since averaging 79.7 points in 2009-10… It was also the highest of the Bruce Weber era.
• K-State’s 10 games of 80 or more points were the most since 11 such games in 2010-11… The 10 games are double the totals from 2013-14 (4) and 2014-15 (4).
• The 46.1 field goal percentage (869-of-1883) ranks as the 6th-highest in the shot clock era, including the highest in the Big 12 era… It was the highest field goal percentage since shooting 46.4 percent in 1989-90.
• K-State connected on 50 percent or better from the field 13 times, including 7 times vs. Big 12 foes... The Wildcats shot 50 percent or better vs. Omaha (11/15), Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Saint Louis (12/3), Prairie View A&M (12/6), Kansas (1/3), Oklahoma (1/7), Texas Tech (1/10), Oklahoma State (1/18), West Virginia (1/21), Texas (2/18), Baylor (3/9) and Wake Forest (3/14)... The 13 games of 50 percent or better field goal shooting was the highest since also doing it in 13 games in 1988-89.
• K-State connected on at least 50 percent of its field goals in at least one half of 23 games, including hitting the mark in both halves vs. Hampton (11/20), Green Bay (11/30), Prairie View (12/6), Oklahoma (1/7), OSU (1/18) and Wake Forest (3/14).
• 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 was the highest scoring average in Big 12 play since averaging 76.8 points in 2009-10.
• The 66.0 field goal percentage (31-of-47) against Wake Forest on March 14, 2017 was the highest-ever by a Wildcat squad in the NCAA Tournament, but also the highest in any game since shooting 66 percent in a home game against Coastal Carolina on Dec. 6, 1997.
• Senior D.J. Johnson set both the school single season and career record for field goal percentage… He connected on 62.3 percent (147-of-236) from the field in 2016-17, which eclipsed his previous school record of 60.8 percent (107-of-176) set as a junior in 2015-16… His career 59.5 field goal percentage (327-of-550) surpassed Steve Solder’s record of 58.8 percent (255-of-430) from 1975-79.
• K-State’s field goals made (869) and attempted (1,883) were the most since 2012-13.
• K-State posted Top 5 single-season marks for 3-point field goals made (247), 3-point field goals attempted (683) and 3-point field goal percentage (36.2)… The 247 3-pointers are the 2nd-most in school history and the most since the team set a school record with 253 in 2009-10… The 683 attempts are the 3rd-most and the most since 703 in 2009-10… The 36.2 3-point field goal percentage ties the for the 9th-best in school history and the highest since also shooting 36.2 percent in 2012-13.
• The 522 assists rank as the 6th-most in school history and the highest since setting a school record with 557 in 2012-13… It is the 9th 500-assist season in school history, including the 3rd under Bruce Weber.
• Sophomore Kamau Stokes dished out 8th-most assists in a single season and the most since Angel Rodriguez tallied 173 in 2012-13… He is one of 23 players in school history to total 200 assists in a career.
• The 1.152 assist-turnover ratio (522/453) ranks as the 7th-highest in school history and the best since posting a 1.382 ratio (557/403) in 2012-13.
• K-State posted a 60.1 ratio of assists to field goals made (522/869) in 2016-17, which marked the fourth time in this last 5 seasons that the Wildcats have eclipsed a ratio of 60 or better.
• The 69.4 free throw percentage was the highest since shooting 71.1 percent in 2005-06 and was the 3rd-highest in the last 25 seasons… The 538 free throws made ranks 10th on the school’s single-season list.
Offensive Balance Key
• Four of 5 starters averaged in double figures led by senior Wesley Iwundu (13.0 ppg.), sophomore Kamau Stokes (11.7 ppg.), sophomore Barry Brown (11.7 ppg.) and senior D.J. Johnson (11.3 ppg.)... 7 different players led the Wildcats in scoring, including a team-best 10 times by Iwundu.
• The last time K-State had 4 double-digit scorers was 2009-10, while you would have to go all the way back to 1980-81 to find four Wildcat starters averaging in double figures.
• All 5 usual starters (Brown, Iwundu, Johnson, Stokes and Wade) averaged double figures during Big 12 play led by Iwundu’s 13.3 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting… It marked the second straight season that the Wildcats had 5 players average double figures in league action.
• 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 19 of 35 games, including at least 3 in 28 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’s 26… The 4 other starters had at least 17 double-figure scoring games.
• Eight Wildcats connected on 45 percent or better from the field, including 3 of 5 starters... The starters combined to shoot 46.1 percent from the field (681-of-1,477), including 36.3 percent (179-of-493) from 3-point range, this season with 110 double-figure scoring games.
• In all, starters were responsible for 78 percent of the team’s 2,523 points and 848 made field goals, 73 percent of the 247 made 3-pointers and 82 percent of the 522 assists.
• Starters led in scoring, rebounding and assists in 33 of 35 games this season.
Improvement from Long Range
• K-State made dramatic improvement from the 3-point line in 2016-17, posting Top 5 single-season marks for 3-point field goals made (247; 2nd), 3-point field goals attempted (683; 3rd) and 3-point field goal percentage (36.2; t-9th).
• The 247 makes were just 6 shy of the school-record of 253 set in 2009-10 and 72 more than were made during the entire 2015-16 season (175).
• After ranking 330th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage and 325th in 3-point field goals per game a year ago, K-State finished 119th in 3-point field goal percentage and 208th in makes… The team ranked 6th in both categories in the Big 12 after finishing 10th in 2015-16.
• K-State knocked down at least 7 3-pointers in 22 games, including double digits treys vs. Western?Illinois (11/11), Hampton (11/15) and Prairie View A&M (12/6) and Texas Tech (1/10)... The Wildcats had at least 6 treys in 16 of their 21 wins this season.
• 11 Wildcats had at least one 3-pointer, including 5 with 30 or more treys (Kamau Stokes, Barry Brown, Xavier Sneed, Dean?Wade and Wesley Iwundu)... It marked just the second time in school history that 5 players had 30 or more 3-pointers in the same season (2012-13)… In fact, 4 players with 30 or more treys has been done only 1 other time in school history (2007-08).
• Stokes ranked in the Big 12’s Top 15 in both 3-pointers per game (9th) and percentage (15th).
• Six different Wildcats recorded at least 3 made 3-pointers in a game on 13 occasions this season, including a team-high 5 by Stokes at Texas Tech (1/10), TCU (2/1), Kansas (2/6) and Wake Forest (3/14), 4 by Brown vs. Prairie View (12/6), at Oklahoma State (1/18) and Baylor (3/9), 4 by Sneed vs. Western Illinois (11/11) and at Saint Louis (12/3), 4 by Wade at TCU (3/1), 3 by Iwundu vs. Hampton (11/20) and Cincinnati (3/17) and 3 by Brian Patrick at West Virginia (2/11).
• K-State has made at least one 3-pointer in 307 consecutive games since the start of the 2008-09 season.
Defensive Team Notes
• K-State ranked 4th in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 67.8 points per game while allowing opponents to connect on 43.1 percent from the field, including 38.2 percent from 3-point range… The Wildcats lowered their opponent scoring average (68.2) and opponent field goal percentage (43.4) from 2015-16.
• The Wildcats was 14-1 when holding an opponent to 65 points or less, including 6-1 vs. Big 12 foes… Eight opponents were held to 55 points or less, while 12 foes were held to 40 percent shooting or less.
• Senior Wesley Iwundu averaged a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game, which was the highest by a Wildcat since Thomas Gipson averaged 6.5 per game in 2013-14… Iwundu led the team in rebounding 17 times during the year, which included 10 or more a team-high 5 times… His 185 defensive rebounds rank 2nd on the single season list and are the most since Michael Beasley totaled 277 in 2007-08.
• Iwundu (221), senior D.J. Johnson (193) and sophomore Dean Wade (158) combined for more than 50 percent of the team’s rebounds (572 of 1,133).
• The 271 steals in 2016-17 were the 4th-most in school history and the most since 2009-10… The 7.74 steals average ranked 5th in school history and were the most since averaging 8.44 in 1994-95… Eight times the team posted double-digit steals, including 5 times in Big 12 play.
• 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).
• Sophomore Barry Brown set the single-season record with 82 steals in 2016-17, while his 2.34 per game average placed 3rd for a single season… He ranked 2nd in the Big 12 in overall steals, while his 45 in league play was 1st… He ranked 7th nationally in total steals and 11th in average.
• The Wildcats forced double figure turnovers in 32 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).
• K-State averaged 15.4 points per game off turnovers, including 14.9 points per game in Big 12 play, and outscored opponents, 538-449... The Wildcats scored at least 12 points off turnovers in 27 games, including eight games of 20 or more points with a season-high 26 vs. Omaha.
• The 130 blocked shots were the 5th-most in school history and the most since 2011-12… The 3.71 blocks average ranked 10th in school history and were the highest since averaging 4.73 in 2011-12.
• Senior D.J. Johnson totaled 52 blocked shots, which ranks 6th on the single-season list, while his 110 career blocks are the 4th-most by a player and most since Jordan Henriquez had 210 in 2009-13.
Bruce Weber Defensive Accolades
• K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the past 5 seasons (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13 and 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14).
• Since Weber’s arrival in 2012-13, the Wildcats lead the Big 12 in scoring defense at 65.0 points per game.
• 58 opponents have been held to 60 points or less in Weber’s tenure with the Wildcats boasting a 51-7 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).
• K-State has an 85-25 record under Weber when holding an opponent to 69 points or less and 15-43 when allowing 70 or more.
• K-State has scored more than 2,000 points (2,461) off turnovers during Weber’s tenure, an average of 14.7 points per game.
Player Honors
• A pair of Wildcats – seniors Wesley Iwundu and D.J. Johnson – were named to the Coaches’ All-Big 12 Teams with Iwundu earning recognition to the Third Team for the second consecutive year and Johnson earning honorable mention accolades for the first time in his career.
• K-State has had at least one player on the All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Team in 13 of the last 14 seasons and at least an honorable mention selection every year since 1985.
• A school-record 5 players were selected to Academic All-Big 12 teams, including 4 on the First Team… Seniors Austin Budke, Wesley Iwundu and Zach Winter and junior Mason Schoen were named to the league’s 17-member First Team, while senior D.J. Johnson was selected to the Second Team… The 5 honorees topped the previous high of 4 in 1999.
• Iwundu was one of only 4 players (Vlad Brodziansky, Jevon Carter and Nathan Adrian) in the Big 12 to earn recognition to the Academic All-Big 12 teams as well as the All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Teams… Johnson was one of only 7 Big 12 players to earn recognition to the Academic All-Big 12 team as well as earn All-Big 12 honors (First, Second, Third or honorable mention).
• All 5 selections were among 11 named to the Fall 2016 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
• Budke earned recognition to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 First Team and was considered for Academic All-America honors, while he was a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, which is the Big 12’s highest academic honor… He was the lone Big 12 men’s basketball player on the Lage Achievement Award list.
Individual Player Notes
• Senior Wesley Iwundu led the Wildcats in 15 categories, including scoring (13.0 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (26), field goals made (151), free throws made (122), free throw percentage (76.7), double-doubles and rebounding (6.3 rpg.).
• Iwundu was only the only Big 12 player to rank in the league’s Top 15 in scoring (15th), field goal percentage (10th), free throw percentage (11th), rebounding (9th) and assists (12th), while he joined West Virginia’s Jevon Carter as the only Big 12 player to rank in the Top 15 in all 5 categories in league action.
• Senior D.J. Johnson’s career 59.5 field goal percentage ranks first in school history, while he set the school single-season record for field goal percentage for the second straight season by hitting on 62.3 percent.
• Johnson became the first Wildcat to lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage (62.3).
• Johnson led the Wildcats in field goal percentage, offensive rebounds (74) and blocked shots (52), while he was second in double-doubles (2), field goals made (147), double-digit rebounding games (4), rebounding (5.7 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (119).
• Johnson also ranked in the Big 12’s Top 15 in 4 other categories, including blocked shots (5th), offensive rebounds (12th), free throw percentage (14th) and rebounding (15th).
• Sophomore Kamau Stokes ranked first in 3-point field goals made (64) and attempted (176), assists (145), starts (35) and minutes played (1,165) and was second in scoring (11.7 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (25), free throws made (107) and attempted (140), free throw percentage (76.4) and steals (38).
• Stokes scored in double figures in 17 consecutive games from Dec. 17 to Feb. 18, which was the longest such streak by a Wildcat since Jacob Pullen did it in 20 games in a row in 2010-11.
• Sophomore Barry Brown ranked 7th nationally in total steals (82) and 11th in average (2.34), as he set the school’s single season record… He ranked second in the Big 12 in overall steals, while he is 45 in league play were tops… He became the second Wildcat to lead the Big 12 in steals in conference-only games and the first since Fred Peete in 2004-05.
• Four Wildcats – Barry Brown, Wesley Iwundu, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade – started all 35 games in 2016-17, which ties 2 others (David Hoskins in 2006-07 and Rodney McGruder in 2012-13) for 5th-most in a single season.
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 against No. 7/8 West Virginia (1/21)... Only Rolando Blackman recorded more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career, as steals were not kept.
• Iwundu joined Mitch Richmond (1987-88) as the only Wildcats in school history to tally 400+ points, 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in a single season.
• Iwundu became the 27th Wildcat and the 4th under head coach Bruce Weber to eclipse 1,000 career points at Oklahoma State (1/18)... He also became 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)… He finished with 618 in his career, which finished just outside the school’s career Top 10.
• Iwundu is one of just 5 Wildcats to accumulate at least 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in a career, joining Blackman (1977-81), Bob Boozer (1956-59), Gipson, McGruder and Ed Nealy (1978-82).
• Iwundu is one of 7 players to dish out more than 300 career assists with his current total of 366 ranking 4th on the school’s all-time assists list.
• Iwundu is one of 10 players to accumulate 100 career steals with his current total of 121 placing 5th on the school’s all-time steals list.
• Iwundu finished with a school-record 124 starts in his career, while his 132 games played ranks 5th on the school’s all-time appearance list… He finished his career playing in 99 consecutive games, including a streak of 87 starts in a row… The 99 straight games played ranks 9th in school history, while the streak of 87 consecutive starts ranks 4th.
• With 3,728 minutes played in his career, only two Wildcats -- Steve Henson and Jacob Pullen -- have played more minutes than Iwundu.
Incoming Recruits for 2017-18
• K-State signed three prep seniors during the Fall Signing Period, including Mike McGuirl (6-2, 175, G, Ellington, Conn.), Nigel Shadd (6-9, 238, F, Chandler, Ariz.) and Levi Stockard (6-8, 240, F, St. Louis, Mo.).
• A two-time First Team Class LL All-State selection, McGuirl averaged 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists as for East Catholic High School in Ellington, Conn., as a senior in 2016-17… He led the Eagles to a 26-2 record, which included a 25-game winning streak, losing in the state semifinals to eventual champion Hillhouse… He went a combined 74-7 during his high school career.
• A three-time Canyon Athletic Association Division III All-State selection and the CAA Division III Player of the Year in 2017, Shadd averaged a double-double of 18.5 points and 13.7 rebounds for Tri-City Christian Academy, which posted a 21-2 record in 2016-17… He also averaged 4.3 blocks per game.
• Stockard led Vashon High School to a 27-3 overall record and a second consecutive Class 4 state title in 2016-17… He averaged 13.1 points on 71.2 percent shooting with 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game… He led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Notes Heading into 2017-18
• The Wildcats will return a veteran roster in 2017-18 with 9 returning lettermen and 4 players returning with starting experience, including rising juniors Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade who each started every game as sophomores in 2016-17.
• Overall, the squad returns 5 of their top 7 scorers from last season, along with more than 60 percent of their assist, steal and minute totals… Both Brown and Stokes averaged 11.7 points per game, while Stokes is the team’s top returner in 3-point field goals made, free throws made assists and minutes and Brown is the top returner in field goals made and steals.
• The squad will also be boosted by the return of freshmen Cartier Diarra and James Love III, who both missed the 2016-17 season due to injuries… Diarra averaged 18.8 points on 62.7 percent shooting to go with 11.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.1 blocks per game as a senior in 2015-16 at West Florence High School in Florence, S.C. … Love averaged 10 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks per game as a senior in 2015-16 at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla.
