Game Preview // K-State Travels to 18/18 Texas Tech Saturday

Saturday, January 6

Lubbock, Texas

3 p.m.

Kansas State University

Texas Tech

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Game Preview // K-State Travels to 18/18 Texas Tech Saturday

Jan 04, 2018 | Men's Basketball

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Game Preview // K-State Travels to 18/18 Texas Tech Saturday

GAME #15
KANSAS STATE (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) at 18/18 TEXAS TECH (13-1, 2-0 Big 12)
Saturday, January 6, 2018 >> 3:05 p.m. CT >> United Supermarket Arena (15,098) >> Lubbock, Texas

TELEVISION
FOX Sports Southwest // FOX Sports Kansas City // FOXSportsGo

John Harris (play-by-play)
Chris Level (analyst)
Adam Doyle (sidelines)

Channel Numbers: DirecTV 671-5 // Dish 448 or 412-36 // AT&T U-Verse 750 or 1750

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 132 // XM 199 // Internet 953

LIVE STATS
www.texastech.com
texastech.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
www.texastech.com
(806) 742.TECH [8324]

Single Game $15

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 424-226/20^th season
At K-State: 111-71/6^th season
vs. Texas Tech: 8-3 (2-3 on the road)

Texas Tech: Chris Beard (Texas '95)
Career Record: 202-65/9^th Year
Record at Texas Tech: 31-15/2^nd Year
vs. Kansas State: 1-1 (1-0 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (11-3, 1-1 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Texas Tech (13-1, 2-0 Big 12)
G: #12 Keenan Evans
G: #5 Justin Gray
G: #10 Niem Stevenson
F: #11 Zach Smith
C: #32 Norense Odiase

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 23-13
In Lubbock: Texas Tech leads 10-7
In Manhattan: K-State leads 15-2
Big 12 era: K-State leads 16-12
Active Streak: K-State, 1
Weber vs. Texas Tech: 8-3 (2-3 on the road)
Beard vs. K-State: 1-1 (1-0 at home)
Weber vs. Beard: 1-1 (0-1 on the road)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (11-3, 1-1 Big 12) plays its second Big 12 road game in a week, as the Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas to take on red-hot Texas Tech (13-1, 2-0 Big 12) on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT at United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be broadcast on a regional basis on?FOX Sports Southwest as well as FOX Sports Kansas City.
Saturday's game will mark K-State's third consecutive opponent with a significant winning streak, as Texas Tech has won seven consecutive games, which includes an 85-73 victory at No. 10/10 Kansas on Tuesday night. Both Iowa State (nine) and West Virginia (12) entered their games with K-State on long winning streaks.
K-State and Texas Tech will meet for the 37th time on Saturday, including the 29th time as members of the Big 12. The Wildcats lead the series, 23-13, including wins in seven of the last 10 meetings. However, the Red Raiders are 10-7 all-time at home with three consecutive wins at United Supermarkets Arena. The last K-State victory in Lubbock came 60-56 on Feb. 25, 2014. The Wildcats are 1-2 against a ranked Red Raider squad, splitting a pair of home games in 1997 (L, 64-73) and 2002 (W, 68-44) to go with loss at No. 18 Texas Tech (71-82) on Feb. 14, 2004.
K-State is 31-87 (.263) all-time against ranked Big 12 teams, including 8-49 (.163) on the road. Those numbers are trending upwards since 2006-07, as the Wildcats are 26-42 (.382) vs. ranked Big 12 squads during that span, including 8-24 (.250) in road matchups. The squad went 5-45 vs. ranked Big 12 teams from 1996-2006. Under coach Bruce Weber, the team is 14-26 (.350) against ranked Big 12 teams, including 2-15 (.118) on the road. The Wildcats snapped a 10-game losing streak against ranked Big 12 teams on the road with a 56-54 victory at No. 2 Baylor on Feb. 4, 2017.
K-State is 4-2 away from Bramlage Coliseum this season, including 3-0 in true road games (Vanderbilt, Washington?State and Iowa State). The Wildcats' three true road wins tie No. 7/7 Oklahoma (3-0) and No. 6/5 West Virginia (3-0) for the most in the Big 12. The team opened Big 12 play with a 91-75 victory at Iowa State on Dec. 29, which was the first in a Big 12 opener on the road since 2008 and the first at famed Hilton Coliseum since 2011. The Wildcats have not started Big 12 play 2-0 on the road since 2013 (winning at West Virginia and TCU) in Weber's first season.
Junior forward Dean Wade ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring after just two league games at 25.5 points per game on 75 percent shooting (18-of-24) to go with 9.0 rebounds per game. His 51 points are the most by a Wildcat after two conference games since Michael Beasley combined for 53 against Oklahoma and Texas A&M in 2008, while his 18 total rebounds are the most since Thomas Gipson posted 19 boards against Oklahoma State and TCU in 2014. He scored a career-high 34 points in the opener against Iowa State, which was the first 30-point game since 2014 and the first 30-point game in a league opener since Beasley scored 32 at Oklahoma on Jan. 12, 2008.
The Wildcat starters are averaging 62.1 points per game on 49.4 percent shooting, including 44 points per game from Wade and fellow juniors Barry Brown, Jr. (14.9 ppg.) and Kamau Stokes (14.2 ppg.) on 48.1 percent shooting. The junior trio have combined for 32 double-digit scoring games.

NOTES ON 18/18 TEXAS TECH

No. 18/18 Texas Tech enters Saturday's game with a 13-1 overall record and a 2-0 mark in Big 12 play after a thrilling 85-73 victory at No. 10/10 Kansas on Tuesday night. It was the Red Raiders' first win in 17 tries at Allen Fieldhouse, as five players scored in double figures led by Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Keenan Evans, who led the team with 15 points. The team has lost just once this season, an 89-79 setback against Seton Hall at the Under Armour Reunion in New York. The Red Raiders opened the year with six straight wins and now has rattled off seven in a row.
Texas Tech is ranked among the top defensive teams in country, ranking fifth in the nation in scoring defense at 59.3 points per game. The Red Raiders also ranked third in field goal percentage defense (36.7), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.3), 12 in turnovers forced (17.9) and 13th in steals per game (9.1). The squad is also imposing on offense, placing fifth in the Big 12 in scoring offense (81.6 ppg.) on 48.9 percent shooting, including 36.5 percent from 3-point range.
Evans paces seven players averaging 6 or more points per game this season with a team-high 16.5 points on 49.1 percent shooting, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range, to go with 3.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Freshmen Zhaire Smith (10.7 ppg.) and Jarrett Culver (10.5 ppg.) both average better than 10 points per game, as Smith is shooting 62.9 percent from the field and 77.3 percent from the free throw line, while Culver is connecting on 52 percent and is second on the team in 3-point field goals (21) and tied with Evans for 21 steals. Senior Norense Odiase paces eight players averaging 3.0 or more rebounds per game with a team-high 5.3 boards per game. Fellow seniors Niem Stevenson and Zach Smith are averaging 8.4 and 6.6 points per game.
Texas Tech is led by head coach Chris Beard, who has a 202-65 overall record in nine seasons as head coach, which includes stints at McMurray (2012-13), Angelo State (2013-15), Little Rock (2015-16) and now Texas Tech. He has led the Red Raiders to a 31-15 record in two seasons.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be 37th meeting between Kansas State and Texas Tech on the hardwood, including the 29th in the Big 12 era, with the Wildcats holding an 23-13 advantage in a series that dates to 1955. K-State has won seven of the last 10 matchups, including each of the last 5 at Bramlage Coliseum. However, the Red Raiders has won each of the last three meetings at United Supermarket Arena, including a 66-65 victory a season ago on Jan. 10, 2017. The Wildcats responded by winning their eighth straight at home in the series, 61-48, on March 4, 2017.
In the last matchup in Lubbock, Texas Tech rallied from a seven-point deficit with clutch second-half shooting to upend No. 25 K-State, 66-65. The Wildcats led 50-43 with 10:07 to play and twice held a four-point advantage late in the second half, including 62-58 with 2:37 remaining. However, a steal and resulting layup by guard Keenan Evans capped a 5-0 run to give the Red Raiders the lead for good, 63-62, with 15 seconds left. Evans scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Guard Kamau Stokes paced three Wildcats in double figures with 17 points.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-3 all-time against Texas Tech, including a 2-3 mark on the road.

LAST MEETING: K-STATE 61, TEXAS TECH 48

Kansas State used perhaps its best defensive effort of the season to help honor its five seniors with a 61-48 win over Texas Tech in the teams' last meeting on March 4, 2017 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats held the Red Raiders to season-lows for points (48) and field goal percentage (35.6/16-of-45) in earning its second straight win and ending a four-game slide at home. The squad set the tone for the game in the first half, holding Tech to 22 points on 24.0 percent shooting (6-of-25) and forcing four shot clock violations, blocking five shots and taking two charges.
The Wildcats were efficient on offense, scoring their 61 points on 44 percent shooting (22-of-50) and posting a 28-12 advantage in points in the paint. The team had 17 assists on 22 made field goals. Senior D.J. Johnson was among three players in double figures with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 field goals and 3-of-4 free throw, while fellow senior Wesley Iwundu collected his second straight double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Texas Tech was led by Keenan Evans and Niem Stevenson, who each totaled 11 points.

HISTORY AGAINST RANKED BIG 12 FOES

K-State is 31-87 (.263) all-time against ranked Big 12 teams, including 8-49 (.163) on the road. The numbers have improved greatly since the 2006-07 season, in which, the Wildcats have posted a 26-42 (.382) record against ranked Big 12 squads, which includes a 8-24 (.250) mark in road matchups. The team went just 5-45 against ranked Big 12 foes from 1996 to 2006, including 25 consecutive road losses.
Under coach Bruce Weber, K-State is 14-26 (.350) against ranked Big 12 teams, including a 2-15 mark (.118) on the road. The Wildcats won an overtime thriller over No. 16 Oklahoma, 66-63, on Jan. 10, 2015 then snapped a 10-game skid against ranked Big 12 teams on the road with a 56-54 victory at No. 2 Baylor on?Feb. 4, 2017. Most of the losses in span have come to Kansas (five), Iowa State (three), West Virginia (three), Baylor (twice) and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (once).
K-State is 1-2 all-time against ranked Texas Tech, posting a 1-2 record in matchups in 1997, 2002 and 2004. The Wildcats lost 73-64 at home to the 25th-ranked Red Raiders on Jan. 18, 1997 (a game later forfeited) before defeating the 23rd-ranked squad, 68-44, at home on Jan. 11, 2003. The last such meeting came in Lubbock, as No. 18 Texas Tech posted an 82-71 win on Feb. 14, 2004.

HISTORY OF STRONG STARTS

K-State is looking to continue a history of strong starts to a season on Saturday, as the Wildcats have jumped out to an 11-3 record. The 11-3 mark ties for the third-best start under head coach Bruce Weber (along with the 2013-14 team) and ties the 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2013-14 teams for the fifth-best start in the last 15 seasons by a Wildcat team. Only the 2009-10 (13-1), 2011-12 (12-2), 2012-13 (12-2) and 2016-17 (12-2) 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 77.2 points on 47.9 percent shooting, including 36.3 percent from 3-point range, to go with a solid 73.4 percent clip from the free throw line through 14 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 11 games. It is the most 90-point and 80-point games in the first 14 games since 2009-10 (which had 11 80-point and 4 90-point games), while the 1081 points are the most points through 14 games since scoring 1169 (83.5 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 Dean?Wade, Barry Brown, Jr. and Kamau Stokes have proven to be quite the scoring threat, averaging near identical scoring totals of 209, 208 and 199 points to average 14.9 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. They rank 14th, 15th and 18th in scoring in the Big 12, as the three are averaging 44 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting, including 37.2 percent from long range, and 74.3 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 14 this season. The Wildcats boast an 11-4 record in those games, including a 6-1 mark this season. The three have combined for 32 double-digit scoring games.
Wade is averaging 25.5 points on 75 percent shooting (18-of-24) with 9.0 rebounds through his first two Big 12 games. His scoring averages ranks second only to Trae Young (33.0 ppg.), while he is third in field goal percentage and fourth in rebounding. His 51 points are the most by a Wildcat through the first two Big 12 games since Michael Beasley scored 53 against Oklahoma and Texas A&M in 2008.
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. In addition, it was 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 first 30-point scorer since Marcus Foster also scored 34 vs. Texas on Feb. 8, 2014, while it was the most points by in a Big 12 road game since Clemente scored 44 at Texas on Jan. 31, 2009 and most in a Big 12 opener since Beasley had 32 at Oklahoma on Jan. 12, 2008.
Sophomore Xavier Sneed (12.0 ppg./24th) 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 56 points per game on 47.4 percent shooting.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

K-State has been solid taking care of the basketball this season, averaging a Big 12-low 10.9 turnovers per game. The average ranks 17th nationally, while the 152 total turnovers also ranks 17th in the nation. In contrast, the Wildcats have also forced their opponents into 15.3 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. The team ranks 18th nationally and third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+4.4).
K-State has posted 12 turnovers or less in 11 of 14 games, including single-digit turnovers on four occasions (UC Irvine, George Washington, Oral Roberts, Vanderbilt). The team is averaging just 9.8 turnovers over the last nine games (88). Since turning over the ball a season-high 17 in the opener against American (11/10), the Wildcats have averaged just 10.4 turnovers in the last 13 games, including seven games of 10 turnovers or less.
K-State is averaging 16.2 assists per game on 27.4 made field goals per game, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. However, when comparing it to the low turnover average, the team ranks 18th nationally and fourth in the league in assist turnover ratio at 1.49. 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 8.5 treys per game on 36.3 percent shooting (119-of-328). Junior Kamau Stokes is one of four players with double-digit 3-point field goals, as he leads all players with 33 treys on 41.3 percent shooting (33-of-80) this season. He ranks sixth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made/game (2.4), while he is 15th 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 27 on a 38 percent clip, while junior Barry Brown, Jr. (17), junior Dean Wade (14), redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra (9) and junior Amaad Wainright (8) all have more than eight 3-point makes. Wade (ISU) and Sneed (West Virginia) both hit a career-high 6 treys recently, while Brown had a career-best 4 against Arizona State (11/23) and Diarra had 4 vs. American (11/10).
K-State has hit on six or more 3-pointers in 10 of 14 games this season, including double-digits against American (12), Arizona State (15), USC Upstate (12), SE?Missouri?State (11), Iowa State (13) and West Virginia (10). 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. Wade (14.9 ppg.), Brown (14.9 ppg.), Stokes (14.2 ppg.), and Sneed (12.0 ppg.) are all averaging at least 12 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 11 of 14 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).
After a historic effort in the win at Iowa State (12/29), Wade (17) and Brown (14) each scored in double figures while Sneed posted his third 20-point game of the season (all coming in the last seven games) on a career-best six 3-point field goals.
In all, the Wildcats have seen seven players total 46 double-digit scoring games this season with 12 different players registering at least one made field goal. Brown and Stokes have each posted double-figure points in 11 of 14 games, while Wade has done it 10 times.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS

K-State has been solid on the defensive end to start the season, allowing 64.2 points while holding its opposition to 40.1 percent shooting (295-of-736), including 32.4 percent (100-of-309) from 3-point range. The team ranks among the Top 30 in turnover margin (18th) and scoring defense (30th), while they are third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, turnover margin and steals (8.2), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense and field goal percentage defense (40.1).
In all, the Wildcats rank among the Top 50 in six defensive categories, including 18th in turnover margin, 30th in scoring defense and 36th in steal per game. The team is 52nd in field goal percentage defense.
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 14 opponents, as the 2017-18 squad joins the 1981-82, 1984-85 and 2005-06 teams to accomplish the feat. If you remove games against Arizona State (92), Vanderbilt (79) and West Virginia (77), 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 14 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 11.1 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 iand 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 64.3 points per game (11,699 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 18-45 (.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: OKLAHOMA STATE (10-4, 0-2 Big 12)