Game Preview // K-State Ends Homestand Wednesday vs. Texas

GAME #28
KANSAS STATE (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) vs. TEXAS (16-11, 6-8 Big 12)
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 >> 8 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

PROMOTION
Tipoff for TP
The Student-Athlete Advisory Council will be collecting toilet paper, paper towels and trash bags for the Manhattan Emergency Shelter at its annual Tipoff for TP?event.

TELEVISION
ESPNU // WatchESPN // ESPN3

Clay Matvick (play-by-play)
Tim Welsh (analyst)
Steve Kurtenbach (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (analyst)

Listen Online: TuneIn.com [free] // www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]
Satellite Radio: Sirius 132 // XM 199 // Internet 953

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

TICKETS
kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $15 (bench & GA)/$35 (chairback)
Wildcat 4 Pack: $50 (4 GA tickets)
Groups (12+): $10

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 432-231/20^th season
At K-State: 119-76/6^th season
vs. Texas: 7-5 (3-2 at home)

Texas: Shaka Smart (Kenyon College '99)
Career Record: 210-102/9^th season
Record at Texas: 47-46/3^rd season
vs. Kansas State: 2-3 (1-1 on the road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (19-8, 8-6 Big 12)
G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Texas (16-11, 6-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Matt Coleman
G: #12 Kerwin Roach II
G: #13 Jase Febres
F: #21 Dylan Osetkowski
F: #4 Mo Bamba

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 20-15
In Manhattan: K-State leads 10-5
In Austin: Texas leads 9-8
Big 12 era: Tied 15-15
Active Streak: K-State, 3
Weber vs. Texas: 7-5 (3-2 at home)
Smart vs. K-State: 2-3 (1-1 on the road)
Weber vs. Smart: 3-2 (1-1 at home)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) wraps up a two-game homestand on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Texas (16-11, 6-8 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State has won three of its last four games, including a 78-66 win over Iowa State on Saturday to complete the season series for the first time since 2011, while Texas snapped a three-game skid with an impressive 77-66 win at No. 23/23 Oklahoma on Saturday. Wednesday's game will air on ESPNU and the WatchESPN?app with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Tim Welsh (analyst) on the call.
K-State will finish the regular season with a split of its last four games (two home and two road) beginning on Wednesday against Texas. The Wildcats begin a two-game road swing on Saturday at Oklahoma (16-11, 6-9 Big 12) before playing at TCU (18-9, 6-8 Big 12) on Wednesday, Feb. 27 then host red-hot Baylor (17-10, 7-7 Big 12) in the home finale on Saturday, March 3. The team is 12-3 at Bramlage Coliseum this season, including 4-3 in Big 12 play, and snapped a two-game losing streak in Saturday's triumph over Iowa State. A win over the Longhorns would guarantee a winning home record in league play for the first time since going 7-2 in 2014-15.
K-State and Texas will meet for the second time in a 15-day span after all five starters scored in double figures in a 67-64 win at the Frank Erwin Center on Feb. 7. It marked the first time since the season opener against American (11/10/17) that all five starters posted double digits, as the Wildcats connected on 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field, including 50 percent or better in each half. Overall, the schools will be meeting for the 36th time in their histories, including the 31st time in the Big 12 era, with K-State owning a 20-15 advantage. The last five meetings have been decided by a grand total of 13 points (2.6 ppg.), while the last three matchups at Bramlage Coliseum have been decided by four points or less.
Junior Dean Wade flirted with a triple-double with a game-high 22 points, a career-best 9 assists and a game-tying 8 rebounds, as K-State used a strong second-half effort to defeat Iowa State, 78-66, on Saturday. Tied at 33-all at the half, the Wildcats opened the second half on a 21-6 run en route to building a 19-point lead with 11:45 to play and never trailed by less than double digits the rest of the way. The team connected on 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field, including 58.6 percent (17-of-29) after halftime. It marked the 14th time shooting 50 percent or better from the field this season, which is the most in a single season since doing it 19 times in 1987-88. K-State, which had averaged 55.4 points on 36.8 percent shooting in a five-game stretch from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, has scored 75 or more points in back-to-back games since doing it in three consecutive games from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, 2017.
Balanced scoring has been a key to K-State's success under coach Bruce Weber, as the Wildcats are 51-18 (.739) when four or more players score in double figures, including 10-2 (.833) this season. The team is 6-0 when sophomore Makol Mawien registers double digits, while they are 7-2 when Diarra scores 10 or more points.

NOTES ON TEXAS

Texas enters Wednesday's contest with a 16-11 overall record and a 6-8 mark in Big 12 play after posting a 77-66 win at No. 23/23 Oklahoma to snap a three-game slide and sweep the Sooners for the first time since 2011-12. The Longhorns hit on 54.5 percent from the field, including 63 percent in the second half, while holding the nation's top-ranked offense team to 30.8 percent shooting, including 25.8 percent in the first half. Junior guard Dylan Osetkowski paced four players in double figures with 21 points on 9-of-17 field goals, while freshman phenom Mo Bamba corralled 18 rebounds to go with 10 points and 4 blocks. Junior guard Kerwin Roach II had 12 points, while freshman guard Matt Coleman added 10 points and 5 assists.
The Longhorns are averaging 72.6 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range, while they are allowing 67.9 points on 41.3 percent from the field, including 32.3 percent from long range. The team is averaging 7.1 3-point field goals per game with eight players totaling at least 13 or more treys. They are also averaging 36.1 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 12.3 turnovers, 6.0 steals and 5.4 blocks per game. Texas is one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking 14th in blocked shots/game, 43rd in field goal percentage defense and 48th in 3-point field goal percentage. The team is shooting 66.7 percent from the free throw line.
Junior Dylan Osetkowski paces four players in double figures with a team-best 13.9 points per game average on 41.3 percent shooting and 73.6 percent from the free throw line. The Tulane transfer is also averaging 7.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Freshman Mo Bamba is averaging a double-double with 13.6 points on 53.8 percent shooting, with 11.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game. Bamba ranks second nationally in blocks, while he is ninth in rebounding and 12th in double-doubles (14). Junior Kerwin Roach II is also averaging double figures at 11.9 points on 48 percent shooting, while junior Eric Davis, Jr., and freshman Matt Coleman are averaging 9.0 and 8.9 points per game, respectively, with Davis leading the way with 40 3-point field goals. The team is without sophomore Andrew Jones, who was averaging 13.5 points, before being diagnosed with leukemia.
Texas is led by third-year head coach Shaka Smart, who has a 210-102 (.673) overall record in nine seasons as head coach, which includes an ultra-successful six-year tenure at VCU (2009-15) with five NCAA?Tournament appearance and trip to the 2010 Final Four. Smart is 47-46 (.505) in his third season at Texas, which includes a trip to the NCAA?Tournament in his first season in 2015-16.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be 36th meeting between Kansas State and Texas on the hardwood, including the 31st in the Big 12 era, with the Wildcats holding a 20-15 advantage in a series that dates to 1971. K-State won the first five meetings with Texas between 1971-84, including a 66-55 victory in the 1972 NCAA Tournament held at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
The series has been one of the most competitive since the start of Big 12 play with each school posting 15 victories since the inception of the league in 1997. The Longhorns won nine of the first 14 meetings (1997-2009) in Big 12 play before the Wildcats rebounded to win seven of the next nine meetings (2010-14). Since 2015, Texas has won four of the last seven meetings, however, K-State snapped a four-game skid by sweeping the season series in 2017 with a 65-62 victory at home on Dec. 30, 2016 before a last-second 64-61 win in the last trip to Austin on Feb. 18, 2017. The Wildcats' current three-game winning streak is the longest since a three-game season sweep (home and home as well as Big 12 Championship) in 2013.
Seven of the last nine meetings have been decided by single digits (each team has a double-digit win in that span), including each of the last five matchups with Texas sweeping the season series in 2016 by a total of four points and K-State winning its last three games by a total of nine points.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 7-5 all-time against Texas, including a 3-2 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

LAST MEETING: K-STATE 67, TEXAS 64 (FEB. 7, 2018)

Five Wildcats players scored in double figures for the first time since the season opener, as K-State snapped a two-game skid with a 67-64 win over Texas in the teams' last meeting at Frank Erwin Center on Feb. 7. With the victory, K-State earned its third consecutive win over Texas, including back-to-back wins at the Frank Erwin Center for the first time since the start of round-robin play and the first time since the 2009 and 2011 seasons.
The scoring effort was led by five starters that reached double-digits, as junior Dean Wade paced the Wildcats with 16 points, while redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra added 13 points, junior Barry Brown, Jr., and sophomore Xavier Sneed scored 11 and sophomore Makol Mawien tallied 10 points. It marked the first time since the opener with American on Nov. 10, 2017 that five players scored in double figures. The Wildcats connected on 53.7 percent (29-of-54) from the field, including 50 percent or better in each half, and went 8-of-10 from the floor over the last 7:46 of the game.
K-State scored 22 points off of 16 Texas turnovers, which marked the 10th time this season scoring 20 or more points off of opponent miscues.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 364-116 (.758) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 364 victories are the second-most at a home venue for the Wildcats, trailing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88).
K-State has collected a 163-36 (.819) record at home over the past 12 seasons, including a 70-31 (.693) mark in Big 12 play. The 163 wins rank fourth among Big 12 schools in that span, while the 70 league victories at home are only surpassed by Kansas and Texas. In all, the school has earned double-digit wins in 25 of its 30 seasons in the arena, including a current streak of 17 straight seasons.
Head coach Bruce Weber has a 79-20 (.798) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State with the 20 losses (17 in Big 12 play) coming by 140 points or 7.0 points per game. Among the 79 victories are 14 over ranked teams, including five against teams ranked in the Top 10 (No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Kansas in 2014, No. 8 Kansas in 2015, No. 1 Oklahoma in 2016, No. 7 West Virginia in 2017 and No. 4 Oklahoma in 2018).

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 78, IOWA STATE 66

Junior Dean Wade flirted with a triple-double with a game-high 22 points, a career-best 9 assists and a game-tying 8 rebounds, as K-State used a strong second-half effort to defeat Iowa State, 78-66, on Saturday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
Tied at 33-all at the half, K-State opened the second half on a 21-6 run en route to building a 19-point lead with 11:45 to play and never trailed by less than double digits the rest of the way. The Wildcats connected on 51.7 percent (31-of-60) from the field, including 58.6 percent (17-of-29) after halftime, to sweep the season series from the Cyclones the first time since 2011. The squad dished out 20 assists on 31 made field goals, as they posted at least 20 assists in a game for the fifth time, including the first time since having a season-high 25 vs. SE?Missouri State (12/16/17).
Wade was one of two Wildcats to register 20-point games on the day, as fellow junior Barry Brown, Jr., added 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, as the duo combined to score 42 of the team's 78 points on 17-of-27 field goals after combining for 55 against Iowa State in the first meeting on Dec. 29, 2017. Wade finished 9-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Sophomore Xavier Sneed also reached double digits, scoring 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a team-high 13 in the first half.
K-State hit on double-digit 3-point field goals for the seventh time this season, including the second time in Big 12 play, and the first time since hitting 10 vs. No. 6/7 West Virginia (1/1). Five different Wildcats had at least one triple, including a game-high 3 by Xavier Sneed.
K-State posted a rebound advantage of 35-28, which marked the eighth time this season out-distancing its opponent, and the first time since at Kansas (1/29). The 13 offensive rebounds tied for the season-high and were the most since posting 13 vs. UMKC (11/14/17).

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

K-State has been solid taking care of the basketball this season, averaging a Big 12-low 11.3 turnovers per game. The average ranks 33rd nationally, while the 304 total turnovers places 27th in the nation. In contrast, the Wildcats have also forced their opponents into 14.6 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. The team ranks 25th nationally and third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+3.3).
K-State has posted 12 turnovers or less in 20 of 27 games, including single-digit turnovers on eight occasions (UC Irvine, George Washington, Oral Roberts, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State (twice), Georgia and Kansas). Despite turning it over a season-high 18 times vs. 7/7 Texas Tech (2/10), the Wildcats have still registered 12 games of 10 turnovers or less in last 26 games. The team is averaging just 12.4 turnovers per game in Big 12 play.
K-State is averaging 14.7 assists per game on 25.9 made field goals per game, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. However, when comparing it to the low turnover average, the team ranks 43rd nationally and third in the league in assist turnover ratio at 1.3. They have dished out 20 or more assists five times, including a season-best 25 vs. SE?Missouri State (12/16), 22 vs. American (11/10) and Northern Arizona (11/20) and 20 vs. Iowa State (2/17).

OVERALL THE OFFENSE HAS BEEN SOLID

K-State is averaging 73.5 points on 47.3 percent shooting, including 36 percent from 3-point range, to go with a solid 75.1 percent clip from the free throw line through 27 games. The Wildcats' offensive numbers are slightly less since the start of Big 12 play with the team averaging 71.9 points on 47 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range, and 75.2 percent from the free throw line in Big 12 play. Although the team ranks eighth in scoring offense in league play, they are second in both field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage and third in free throw percentage.
The Wildcats have scored 80 or more points 11 times, including three 90-point efforts against Arizona State (11/23), Iowa State (12/29) and Baylor (1/22), while five of the 11 80-point games have come since the start of Big 12 play. It is the most 90-point (three) and 80-point games (11) in the first 27 games since the 2009-10 season, which saw the team post 16 80-point and five 90-point games.
K-State has connected on better than 50 percent from the field in 14 games, including a season-best 62.5 percent (35-of-56) vs. SE?Missouri State (12/16), while eight have come in Big 12 play. The 14 games of 50 percent or better shooting is the highest for a single season since registering 19 such games in 1987-88. The team has hit on 50 percent or better in both halves in 10 games (American, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, USC?Upstate, SE Missouri State, Iowa State, TCU, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma State).
The Wildcats tied a season-high for both field goals made (35) and attempted (62) vs. Oklahoma (1/16), while they registered season-highs for assists (25), points in the paint (44) and dunks (7) vs. SE?Missouri State. It was the most assists since dishing out 25 at Baylor on Feb. 15, 2014, while it was the most points in the paint since 46 vs. Iowa State on Feb. 28, 2015.

SUCCESS BEYOND THE ARC

K-State has been successful from 3-point range, averaging 7.7 treys per game on 36 percent shooting (207-of-575). Sophomore Xavier Sneed is one of seven players with double-digit 3-point field goals, as he leads all players with 51 treys on 36.2 percent shooting (51-of-141) this season. Junior Kamau Stokes is second on the team with 37 treys on 38.9 percent shooting (37-of-95), while Dean Wade (34), Barry Brown, Jr. (33), Cartier Diarra (26), Amaad Wainright (11) and Brian Patrick (10) all have 10 or more 3-point makes. Wade (Iowa State) and Sneed (West Virginia) both connected on 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 eight or more 3-pointers in 15 of 27 games this season, including double-digits against American (11/10; 12), Arizona State (11/23; 15), USC Upstate (12/5; 12), SE?Missouri?State (12/16; 11), Iowa State (12/29; 13), West Virginia (1/1; 10) and Iowa State (2/17; 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 vs. 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. The 13 3-point field goals made vs. Iowa State (12/29) tied for the ninth-most makes in school history and were the most in a Big 12 game since hitting 14 against the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 5, 2011.

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES OF LATE AT HOME

K-State has struggled offensively at home of late, averaging just 59.2 points on 38.2 percent shooting (83-of-217), including 26.5 percent (22-of-83) from 3-point range, in posting a 2-2 record against Georgia (1/27; 56), No. 7/7 Kansas (1/29; 56), No. 7/7 Texas Tech (2/10; 47) and Iowa State (2/17; 78). Prior to scoring 78 against the Cyclones on Saturday, the team had not eclipsed 60 points in three consecutive home games for the first time since Jan. 27 to Feb. 14, 2015 (West Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma). During this three-game stretch, only one player (Dean Wade/17.7 ppg.) was averaging in double figures and only three were shooting 40 percent or better from the field.
In comparison, K-State averaged 79.4 points on 49.1 percent shooting, including 40.9 percent from 3-point range, in posting a 10-1 record in its first 11 games at Bramlage Coliseum this season. In these games, four Wildcats are scoring in double figures (Dean Wade/16.0 ppg., Barry Brown, Jr./15.5 ppg., Xavier Sneed/12.1 ppg. and Kamau Stokes/11.8 ppg.) and eight are shooting 40 percent or better with five at 50 percent or higher.
Prior to averaging 80 points in wins over Oklahoma State (2/14) and Iowa State (2/17), the Wildcats had been in a slump offensively in the previous five games, averaging just 55.4 points on 36.8 percent shooting, including 26.7 percent from 3-point range. It was the fewest points in a five-game stretch since scoring 273 points from Dec. 28, 2014-Jan. 10, 2015 (Texas Southern, Georgia, Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma).

BENCH PROVES VITAL

The K-State bench proved to be important in the 82-72 win over Oklahoma State (2/14), as reserves accounted for 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, with junior Kamau Stokes accounting for 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals, including 3-of-4 from long range, freshman Levi?Stockard III posting a season-high 8 points on 3-of-4 shooting and junior Amaad Wainright adding 5 points on 2-of-2 field goals, including a 3-pointer. It marked the most bench points in Big 12 play and the most since scoring 30 against USC?Upstate (12/5/17).
K-State has struggled this season getting production from its bench, as opponents have posted a 469-316 advantage in bench scoring, including a 258-115 mark since the start of Big 12 play. However, the Wildcats are 7-1 this season when it holds the advantage in bench points.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS

K-State has been solid on the defensive end to start the season, allowing 67.6 points while holding its opposition to 42.7 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from 3-point range. The team ranks among the Top 75 in turnover margin (25th), steals per game (26th) and scoring defense (61st), while they are second in the Big 12 in scoring defense, third in turnover margin, steals and 3-point field goal percentage defense.
K-State has held all but four opponents (Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State, Baylor and West Virginia) to below its scoring average and has held its opponents to an average of 11 points below its season scoring average. The nation's top-ranked scoring team -- Oklahoma (93.6 ppg.) -- was held to a season-low 69 points on 41.9 percent shooting, including 28 percent from 3-point range, and were forced into a season-worst 20 turnovers. TCU, who ranked fifth in scoring offense at 88.6 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting, were held to 68 points on 42.9 percent shooting.
K-State has scored 20 or more points off of turnovers in 10 games, which includes 38 vs. Northern Arizona (11/20) and 36 vs. USC?Upstate (12/16). The Wildcats opened the year with four consecutive games of 20 or more points off of turnovers, which included the 38-point effort vs. NAU on a school-record-tying 19 steals. The team has done it four times in Big 12 play, including 25 vs. West Virginia (1/1) and 22 at Texas (2/7).
K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in his tenure (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 64.7 points per game (12,626 points). K-State has a 98-27 (.784) record when holding a foe to 69 points or less since 2012-13 and a 21-49 (.300) mark when allowing an opponent to score 70 or more.

TRIPLE SCORING THREAT

Even with Kamau Stokes slowed by injury, K-State still has a trio of scoring threats in juniors Dean Wade (16.3 ppg.) and Barry Brown, Jr. (16.2 ppg.) and sophomore Xavier Sneed (11.4 ppg.). They rank sixth, seventh and 26th in scoring in the Big 12, as the three are averaging 43.9 points per game on 48 percent shooting, including 36.3 percent from long range, and 77.9 percent from the free throw line. Without Stokes, the trio averaged 48.6 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting, including 35.4 percent from long range, and 81.8 percent from the free throw line.
The trio of Brown, Wade and Sneed have all scored in double figures in 15 career games, including 11 this season. The three have combined for 50 or more points on five occasions, including 51 vs. No. 6/5 West Virginia (1/1) on 50 percent shooting, 59 vs. Oklahoma State (1/10) on 55.2 percent shooting, 58 vs. No. 4/6 Oklahoma (1/16) on 57.5 percent shooting, 50 at Oklahoma State (2/14) on 50 percent shooting and 59 vs. Iowa State (2/17) on 61.5 percent shooting. They have combined for 60 double-figure scoring games this season, including Wade's team-high 23, while the three have 22 20-point games among them, including 10 by Brown and nine by Wade.
Wade is averaging 16.3 points on 54.9 percent shooting, including 43.6 percent from 3-point range, and 72.7 percent from the free throw line, while he is averaging 18.7 points on 54.7 percent shooting, including 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from 3-point range, and 78.8 percent from the free throw line, through the first 14 games of Big 12 play.
Wade's scoring average in Big 12 play is tied for third with Texas Tech's Keenan Evans and trails Oklahoma's Trae Young (28.8 ppg.) and Kansas' Devonte' Graham (19.0 ppg.), while he ranks in the Top 15 in seven other Big 12-only stats, including fourth in 3-point field goal percentage, fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in minutes played and ninth in rebounding. He has scored 20 or more points in six of the last 10 games, including 22 points vs. No. 12/12 Kansas (1/13), 21 vs. No. 4/6 Oklahoma (1/16), 20 vs. No. 24/25 TCU (1/20), 24 vs. Baylor (1/22), 20 vs. Georgia (1/27), 20 vs. 7/7 Kansas (1/29) and 22 vs. Iowa State (2/17), while he has led the team in scoring in seven of the last nine games.
Brown is not far behind Wade, averaging 16.2 points on 44.7 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range, and 79.7 percent from the free throw line, while he is averaging 18.2 points on 46.7 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from 3-point range, and 76.4 percent from the free throw line through the first 14 league games. After his 34-point effort at Baylor (1/22), he is the first Wildcat with multiple 30-point games since Rodney McGruder (three) in 2011-12, while he has seven 20-point games in league play. His career-best 38 vs. Oklahoma State (1/10) were the most by a Wildcat since Jacob Pullen also had 38 vs. Wisconsin on March 19, 2011 and the most at home since Pullen's 38 vs. Kansas on Feb. 14, 2011.
Sneed is starting to heat back up with 10 double-figure scoring games in the last 14 outings and has registered double-digit points 17 times this season, including three 20-point games (Vanderbilt, SE Missouri State and West Virginia). He is the 3-point leader with 51, which includes a career-best 6-of-9 effort vs. West Virginia (1/1). He collected his first career double-double vs. Oklahoma State (1/10) with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

STOKES RETURNS BUT SLOWLY

Junior guard Kamau Stokes returned the lineup against No. 15/11 West Virginia (2/3), posting 2 points on 0-of-3 shooting, including 0-of-3 from 3-point range, and a 2-of-2 effort from the free throw line to go with a team-best 4 assists and 1 turnover in 10 minutes of action. It marked his first action since going down with a foot injury at No. 18/18 Texas Tech (1/6), which required him to miss seven games.
Stokes is being brought back slowly but seems to be returning to form after a stellar performance at Oklahoma State (2/14), in which, he scored 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 1 steal in 25 minutes. It marked his most minutes since playing 38 vs. West Virginia (1/1), while it was his first double-digit scoring game since his 23-point effort at Iowa State (12/29/17). In the five games since returning, he is averaging 4.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting with a team-best 3.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.
Stokes, who has seen action in 76 career games with 70 starts, played in all 35 games a season ago, averaging 11.7 points on 35.6 percent shooting, including 36.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 33.3 minutes per game. He led the Wildcats a season ago in five categories (3-point field goals made and attempts, assists, starts and minutes) and was second in seven others (scoring, double-digit scoring games, field goals attempts, free throws made and attempts, free throw percentage and steals).

DIARRA FILLING IN NICELY

Redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra has played well since having to take over for Kamau Stokes, who was injured against Texas Tech (1/6) and missed seven games before returning to play 10 minutes at West Virginia (2/3). With Diarra running point, K-State has averaged 70.4 points on 46.6 percent shooting (297-of-638), including 35.9 percent (84-of-234) from 3-point range, with an average of 13.7 assists and 11.3 turnovers per game.
Diarra, who was averaging 3.9 points on 44.2 percent shooting in the 14 games prior to the Texas Tech game, has averaged 10.7 points on 54 percent shooting (47-of-87), including 44.7 percent (17-of-38) from 3-point range, and 87.5 percent (28-of-32) from the free throw line in 29.5 minutes per game in the last 13 games. Since earning his first start against Oklahoma State (1/10), he is averaging 10.7 points on 53.7 percent shooting (44-of-82), including 42.9 percent (15-of-35) from long range, and 89.3 percent (25-of-28) from the free throw line.
Diarra has tallied double-digit points in seven of the last 13 games (had two before joining lineup), which includes a season-best 18 points at No. 12/12 Kansas (1/13). He ranks second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage in league-only (50.0) games with at least two treys in six games.

IMPRESSIVE SCORING FEAT, PART 1

In the Big 12 opener at Iowa State, Dean Wade (34), Kamau Stokes (23) and Barry Brown, Jr. (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) 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.

IMPRESSIVE SCORING FEAT, PART 2

Barry Brown, Jr., enjoyed a special night with a career-high 38 points in the Wildcats' 86-82 win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 10. The 38-point scoring output by Brown was the most by a Wildcat since Jacob Pullen also scored 38 points against Wisconsin in the NCAA?Tournament on March 19, 2011, while it was most in a Big 12 home game since Pullen's 38 against top-ranked Kansas on Feb. 14, 2011. Brown, who scored 20 or more points in the fourth time in a five-game stretch, connected on 12-of-17 from the field to go with an 11-of-16 effort from the free throw line. He scored 26 of his 38 points after halftime on 8-of-10 field goals and 9-of-13 free throw line. He also added 6 steals, which were the most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

K-State enjoyed quite the memorable night on defensive end 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 in the convincing 80-58 win. The 19 steals tied the school mark set against Tulane on Jan. 10, 1976 at Ahearn Field House. The 31 turnovers tied for the fifth most and were the most since also forcing 31 against Kentucky on Nov. 28, 2008. The 38 points off of turnovers were the fourth-most and the most since totaling 39 against Washington State on Dec. 5, 2009.
In all, five different Wildcats had at least two steals, including a career-best 6 by Barry?Brown, Jr., and 5 by Dean?Wade. The 6 steals by Brown tied nine other players for the eighth-most steals in a game. He now has 150 in his career, which ranks third on the all-time list. Kamau Stokes also had 3 steals, while sophomore Xavier Sneed and redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra had 2 each.

ONE OF THE YOUNGEST TEAMS

K-State is one of 15 schools nationally (Auburn, American, Bowling Green, UC Irvine, The Citadel, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Marquette, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Toledo and Wofford) to have one or fewer seniors on its roster in 2017-18, while the Wildcats' nine freshmen (true and redshirt) and sophomores ranks nine nationally and are only surpassed by the 12 at Auburn and Kentucky, 11 by UC Irvine, 10 each by American, The Citadel, Tennessee, Toledo and Wofford.

K-STATE WELCOMES SHAUN WILLIAMS

Head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of Shaun Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) on the first day of the National Signing Period on Nov. 8.
A 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard, Williams led Hazelwood Central in 12 categories en route to helping the Hawks to a 17-11 record and a trip to the Class 5, District 3 Championship Game. He averaged a team-best 18.6 points on 47.4 percent shooting (155-of-237), including 35.2 percent (38-of-108) from 3-point range, to go with 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He connected on a team-best 83.8 percent (98-of-117) from the free throw line. He was a First Team Class 5 All-State selection by the Missouri Basketball?Coaches Association as a junior.

UP NEXT: AT OKLAHOMA (16-11, 6-9 Big 12)

K-State continues Big 12 play on Saturday, as the Wildcats travel to Norman, Okla., to play Oklahoma (16-11, 6-9 Big 12) at 5 p.m., CT on ESPN2. K-State won the first meeting, 87-69, at home on Jan. 16 and will attempt a season sweep for the first time since 2015.

Game Preview // K-State Ends Homestand Wednesday vs. Texas

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Makol Mawien

Brian Patrick

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Amaad Wainright

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Ends Homestand Wednesday vs. Texas

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Makol Mawien

Brian Patrick

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Amaad Wainright

Related Videos