Game Preview // 12/11 K-State Hosts Pitt State in Lone Exhibition Friday

EXHIBITION
KANSAS STATE (0-0) vs. PITTSBURG STATE (0-0)
Friday, November 2, 2018 >> 7:07 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
FOX Sports Kansas City / FOX Sports App/Watch / ESPN3

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (analyst)
Bridget Howard (sideline reporter)

Channel Listing: DirecTV 671-5 [HD] / Dish 449 or 412-37 / AT&T U-Verse 750 or 1750 [HD]

RADIO
K-State Sports Network

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Matt Walters (analyst)

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

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

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

Advanced Single Game: $5 (bench/GA)
Gameday Single Game: $10 (bench/GA)/$20 (chairback)
Group (12+): $3

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 438-235/21^st season
At K-State: 125-80/7^th season
vs. Pitt State: 0-0

Pittsburg State: Kim Anderson (Missouri '77)
Overall: 318-175/17^th season
At Pittsburg State: 17-13/2^nd season
vs. Kansas State: 0-0

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

Pittsburg State (0-0)
G: #2 Grant Lozoya
G: #3 Donovan Franklin
G: #11 Marcel Cherry
F: #5 Demetrius Levarity
F: #0 Trenton Clayton

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 4-0 [exhibition]
In Manhattan: K-State leads 4-0 [exhibition]
Last Meeting: W, 85-72 [10/28/2016 in Manhattan]
Weber vs. Anderson: Weber leads 1-0

OPENING TIP

No. 12/11 Kansas State (0-0) plays its only exhibition game on Friday night, as the Wildcats play host to Division II foe Pittsburg State (0-0) at Bramlage Coliseum. It marks the first time since 2014-15 that the squad will play just one exhibition after playing in a closed scrimmage with No. 14/16 Oregon on October 27 in Denver.
K-State is 66-20 (.767) all-time in exhibition play dating to 1964, including 51-9 (.850) record at home. The Wildcats have a 45-9 (.833) record in exhibition play at Bramlage Coliseum, including 23 consecutive wins dating back to 2004.
The Wildcats have four victories over the Gorillas during their current 23-game win streak, including 88-69 on November 11, 2004, 89-53 on November 8, 2009, 75-54 on November 1, 2013 and 85-72 on October 28, 2016.
K-State won its last exhibition with Pittsburg State, 85-72, on October 28, 2016, as the Wildcats jumped out to a big lead behind 52.8 percent shooting in the first half en route to leading by as many as 26 points in the second half. Current senior Barry Brown, Jr., led four players in double figures with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while fellow senior Dean Wade added 14 points on 5-of-9 field goals and junior Xavier Sneed chipped in 13 points from the bench.
K-State has primarily played the Kansas members of the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) since switching to Division?II teams in exhibition play in 2004, which includes six meetings with?Washburn and four each with Emporia State, Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State.
The last home setback in exhibition play came to the EA Sports All-Stars, 79-67, on Nov. 6, 2003. Overall, the last loss in an exhibition came during the team's tour of Italy and Switzerland last summer - an 85-74 setback to the Kosovo National Team on August 16, 2016. The Wildcats went 3-2 on the tour.
Last season, K-State posted wins over Missouri State (78-62), Fort Hays State (79-56) and Emporia State (77-44) in exhibition play. The team played the exhibition with Missouri State to benefit Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The Wildcats averaged 78 points on 51.8 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range, during exhibition play, while allowing 54 points on 33.1 percent shooting.
Senior Dean Wade was one of five Wildcats to average double figures exhibition play last season, as he averaged a team-high 13.7 points on 64 percent shooting (16-of-25). Others to average double figures included Xavier Sneed (12.3 ppg.), Barry Brown, Jr. (10.7 ppg.), Kamau Stokes (10.5 ppg.) and Cartier Diarra (10.0 ppg.).
K-State is 13-0 under head coach Bruce Weber in exhibition play at home with wins over Washburn (81-61) and Emporia State (81-51) in 2012, Pitt State (75-54) in 2013, Washburn (68-56) in 2014, Emporia State and Fort Hays State (70-52) in 2015 and Pitt State (85-72) and Washburn (73-58) in 2016 and Missouri State (78-62), Fort Hays State (79-56) and Emporia State (77-44) last season.

NOTES ON PITT STATE

Pitt State returns six lettermen, including three starters (seniors Donovan Franklin, Grant Lozoya and Demetrius Levarity), from a team that posted a 17-13 overall record, including a tie for eighth place in the MIAA with a 9-10 mark, in 2017-18. The squad opens their two-game exhibition season on Thursday night against fellow Big 12 member Oklahoma.
In addition to six returning lettermen, Pitt State also welcomes nine newcomers in 2018-19, including four college transfers (Trenton Clayton, A.J. Walker, Marcel Cherry and Ethan Steinbronn) and five high school signees (Ray Elliott, R.J. Lawrence, Ethan Holloway, Layton Hartloff and Drew Roelfs). Clayton (North Alabama) and Cherry (Wabash Valley College) are expected starters.
The Gorillas averaged 84.8 points per game on 49.6 percent shooting, including 38.6 percent from 3-point range, with 33.8 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 6.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 76.8 points on 44.7 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from long range, in 2018-19. The team ranked first in the MIAA and 26th nationally in scoring offense (84.8 ppg.), while they were 13th in field goal percentage (49.6) and 18th in free throws made (547).
Franklin (16.5 ppg.), Lozoya (13.0 ppg.) and Levarity (10.7 ppg.) were among four players who averaged in double figures for Pitt State in 2017-18. The trio of returners ranked 1-2-3 in terms of made 3-pointers led by Lozoya's team-high 44, followed by Franklin (41) and Levarity (37). Franklin connected on 49.2 percent from the field, including 40.2 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.9 assists per game. Lozoya hit on 48 percent of his field goals, including 38.6 percent from long range, along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while Levarity connected on 50.2 percent, including a team-best 41.1 percent from 3, to go with 5.6 rebounds. All three are former Division I players at Indiana State (Franklin), Sam Houston?State (Levarity) and Stetson (Lozoya). Other returners include Christian Edmondson, Jonathan Murray and Lucas Wilson.
Head coach Kim Anderson enters his 17th season as a head coach with a 318-175 (.645) overall record, including a 17-13 (.567) mark in his second season at Pitt State. The 1977 Big Eight co-Player of the Year at Missouri (1973-77), Anderson served as head coach at fellow Division II member Central Missouri (2002-14), where he won a national title in 2013-14, as well as his alma mater (2014-17).

K-STATE/PITT STATE CONNECTIONS

K-State junior Austin Trice and Pitt State junior Marcel Cherry both attended Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois, where the duo helped the Warriors to a 21-10 overall record, including a third-place finish in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference with a 13-5 mark in 2017-18... Trice was among the top rebounders in the junior college ranks at Wabash Valley, averaging 12.6 points on 55.3 percent shooting with 12.1 rebounds per game, while Cherry averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 assists per game... They played just one season together at Wabash Valley.
K-State's Shaun Neal-Williams, Xavier Sneed and Levi Stockard III and Pitt State's Donovan Franklin are all natives of St. Louis.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State has won all four exhibition matchups with Pitt State, including 88-69 on November 11, 2004, 89-53 on November 8, 2009, 75-54 on November 1, 2013 and 85-72 on October 28, 2016... The schools have met just once in the regular season - a 76-66 win by the Wildcats on November 11, 2007.
Coaches Bruce Weber and Kim Anderson have met just once in their respective career with K-State defeating Missouri, 66-42, in the semifinals of the CBE?Hall of Fame Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

LAST MEETING WITH THE GORILLAS [2016]

Barry Brown, Jr., paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 17 points to help K-State drop Pittsburg State, 85-72, in the schools' latest meeting on October 28, 2016 at Bramlage Coliseum.
In a game of halves, K-State connected on 44.3 (31-of-70) percent from the field, including 52.8 percent (19-of-36) in the first half, while holding Pittsburg State to 37.3 percent (22-of-59) shooting. The Wildcats scorched the nets for eight first-half 3-pointers and added another two after the break, while also dominating the battle in the paint, 32-14. The team led by as many 26 points (with 11:55 remaining).
Brown was joined in double figures by Dean Wade, who scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Xavier Sneed, in his first game as Wildcat, scored 13 points off the bench while redshirt freshman Isaiah Maurice rounded out K-State's double figure scorers with 10 points. D.J. Johnson tallied 9 points and a team-high 7 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
In all, six players are returning that played in the 2016 exhibition, including Brown, Wade and fellow senior Kamau Stokes who all started the contest alongside Johnson and Wesley Iwundu. Stokes finished with 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting with 4 assists and 2 rebounds in 20 minutes. In addition to Sneed, others returning include James Love III (2 points in 3 minutes) and Pierson McAtee (2 points in 2 minutes).
Only two Gorillas return from that exhibition in 2016, including seniors Christian Edmondson (2 points, 1 rebound) and Lucas Wilson (no stats).

MORE ABOUT K-STATE

The Wildcats return 10 lettermen, including six players (Barry Brown, Jr., Cartier Diarra, Makol Mawien, Xavier Sneed, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade) that combined to start all 37 games a season ago, for a team that posted a 25-12 overall record (10-8 in Big 12 play) and advanced to the Elite Eight for the 12th time in school history and the first time since 2010. It marked just the sixth 25-win campaign in school history, including the second under head coach Bruce Weber, while the school advanced to the NCAA?Tournament for the fourth time in six seasons and 30th time overall.
K-State returns 185 combined starts from 2017-18, which is the most of any Division I team in the country, and ahead of other schools which return all of its starts, including George Mason (165), Iowa (165), Lipscomb (165) and North Florida (165).
K-State returns 93.2 percent (2,452 of 2,630 points) of its offense from 2017-18, which ranks 11th among Division I teams (trailing George Mason, Harvard, Wofford, Washington, Brown, Iowa, Wisconsin, UC Irvine, Syracuse and St.?Francis). The Wildcats also returns more than 90 percent of their field goals made (869/92.7%), 3-point field goals made (232/91.3%), free throws made (482/96%), assists (476/93.3%) and steals (266/90.5%) as well as 80 or better percent of their minutes (6,558/85%), rebounds (905/80%) and blocks (98/89%).
K-State returns seven of its top-8 scorers from last season, including three with double-digit averages [Wade (16.2 ppg.), Brown (15.9 ppg.) and Sneed (11.1 ppg.). Other returners include Kamau Stokes (9.0 ppg.), Cartier Diarra (7.1 ppg.), Makol Mawien (6.8 ppg.) and Mike McGuirl (3.3 ppg.). The Wildcats return their individual leader in scoring (Wade), rebounding (Wade), assists (Brown), steals (Brown) and blocks (Mawien).

NEXT UP: KENNESAW STATE (0-0)

K-State officially opens the 2018-19 season by hosting Kennesaw State (0-0) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are available starting at $5. The contest will be televised on FOX Sports Kansas City (state of Kansas/Kansas City area), FOX Sports App (free) and ESPN3 (outside of state of Kansas).

Game Preview // 12/11 K-State Hosts Pitt State in Lone Exhibition Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

James Love III

Makol Mawien

Pierson McAtee

Mike McGuirl

Xavier Sneed

Levi Stockard III

Kamau Stokes

Austin Trice

Dean Wade

Shaun Williams

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // 12/11 K-State Hosts Pitt State in Lone Exhibition Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

James Love III

Makol Mawien

Pierson McAtee

Mike McGuirl

Xavier Sneed

Levi Stockard III

Kamau Stokes

Austin Trice

Dean Wade

Shaun Williams

Related Videos