Game Preview // K-State Begins Last Week of Regular Season at TCU Tuesday

Tuesday, February 27

Fort Worth, Texas

8 p.m.

Kansas State University

TCU

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Game Preview // K-State Begins Last Week of Regular Season at TCU Tuesday

Feb 26, 2018 | Men's Basketball

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Game Preview // K-State Begins Last Week of Regular Season at TCU Tuesday

GAME #30
KANSAS STATE (20-9, 9-7 Big 12) AT TCU (20-9, 8-8 Big 12)
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 >> 8 p.m. CT >> Schollmaier Arena (6,800) >> Fort Worth, Texas

TELEVISION
ESPNU // WatchESPN // ESPN3

Matt Schick (play-by-play)
Dino Gaudio (analyst)
Ryan Yocum (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 83 // XM 83 // Internet 83

LIVE STATS
gofrogs.com
tcu.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
gofrogs.com/tickets
(877) 828.3764
Single Game: $30 (youth)/$40 (adults)

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 433-232/20^th season
At K-State: 120-77/6^th season
vs. TCU: 9-3 (4-1 on the road)

TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU '87)
Career Record: 372-147/15^th season
Record at TCU: 44-24/2^nd season
vs. Kansas State: 2-2 (0-1 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (20-9, 9-7 Big 12)
G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

TCU (20-9, 8-8 Big 12)
G: #25 Alex Robinson
G: #1 Desmond Bane
G: #34 Kenrich Williams
F: #12 Kouat Noi
F: #10 Vlad Brodziansky

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 12-5
Big 12 era: K-State leads 9-3
In Fort Worth: K-State leads 5-1
In Manhattan: K-State leads 7-2
Active Streak: K-State, 2
Weber vs. TCU: 9-3 (4-1 on the road)
Dixon vs. K-State: 2-2 (0-1 at home)
Weber vs. Dixon: 2-2 (1-0 on the road)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (20-9, 9-7 Big 12) begins the last week of the regular season with a trip to a surging TCU (20-9, 8-8 Big 12), as the Wildcats visit Schollmaier Arena for their last Big 12 road game at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday on Senior Night. Despite seeing its three-game winning streak end in an 86-77 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday, K-State has won four of its last six games, including two of three on the road. The Wildcats have already clinched a 20-win season for the 29th time in school history, including the 10th in the last 12 seasons and the fourth in the last six seasons under head coach Bruce Weber. The Horned Frogs enter the week, as one of the Big 12's hottest teams with wins in four of their last five games, including three in a row, and have won three straight at home. Tuesday's game will air on ESPNU and the WatchESPN?app with Matt Schick (play-by-play) and Dino Gaudio (analyst) on the call.
Like the rest of the Big 12, K-State will finish the regular season with one game on the road and one at home, as the Wildcats travel to TCU on Tuesday before playing host to Baylor (17-12, 7-9 Big 12) in the home finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. The team is 7-6 away from Bramlage Coliseum this season, including 6-4 in true road games and 4-4 in Big 12 road contests. The six true road wins are the second-most of any league school, while K-State is one of three schools (Kansas and West Virginia) with four or more Big 12 road wins. A win against the Horned Frogs would guarantee a winning road record in Big 12 play for the first time since going 6-3 in 2012-13.
K-State and TCU will meet for the second time this season, as the Wildcats will attempt to sweep the season series after winning the first meeting, 73-68, at home on Jan. 20. Junior Dean Wade led four players in double figures with a game-high 20 points, while fellow junior Barry Brown, Jr., added a near double-double with 15 points and a career-best 9 assists. The squad connected on 52.9 percent from the field, including 50 percent or better in both halves, despite turning the ball over 16 times. Overall, this will be the 18th meeting between the schools, including the 13th in the Big 12 era, with the K-State owning a 12-5 advantage, including a 5-1 mark in games played in Fort Worth. The Wildcats have won four of the last five meetings between the teams, including back-to-back games at Schollmaier Arena.
K-State could not stop a potent 3-point attack from Oklahoma in an 86-77 loss on Saturday, as the Sooners connected on 11 baskets from beyond the arc, including six from freshman phenom Trae Young. In a game where both teams made 29 field goals, the 3-point line proved to the difference, as the Sooners hit on 47.8 percent (11-of-23) of their attempts, while the Wildcats made just 19.0 percent (4-of-21) from beyond the arc. Brown matched Young's game-high 28 points, while Wade picked up his fifth career double-double, including his fourth this season, with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Wade, who has now scored in double figures in all 16 Big 12 games, also added a game-high 4 steals and a team-best 3 assists.
Balanced scoring has been a key to K-State's success under 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 which includes an 18-point effort in the last meeting with TCU on Jan. 20, while they are 8-2 when Diarra scores 10 or more points with six of those coming in the last 14 games.

NOTES ON TCU

TCU enters Tuesday's game with a 20-9 overall record and an 8-8 mark in Big 12 play after running its winning streak to three games with an 82-72 victory over Baylor on Saturday at home. The Horned Frogs connected on 54.0 percent from the field, including 69.6 percent in the second half, while dishing out 18 assists on 27 made field goals. Junior Alex Robinson was one of four players to score in double figures for the Frogs with a game-tying 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go with a game-high 6 assists, while sophomore Desmond Bane posted 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Senior Vlad Brodziansky and redshirt freshman Kouat Noi added 14 and 11 points, respectively, as all eight players who saw action had at least one field goal.
K-State will face a TCU team that is the Big 12's top offensive team since the start of league play, as the Frogs are first in scoring offense (82.7), field goal percentage (48.5), 3-point field goal percentage (41.6), assists (19.3) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6). Overall, they are averaging 84.5 points on 50.5 percent shooting, including 41.2 percent from 3-point range, and 71.5 percent from the free throw line. TCU ranks among the Top 15 in six offensive categories nationally, including second in assists, third in total assists (562), seventh in field goal percentage, ninth in 3-point field goal percentage, 10th in assist/turnover ratio and 14th in scoring offense. The team averages 8.8 3-point field goals per game with five players registering 20 or more treys led by redshirt freshman Kouat Noi (55) and sophomore Desmond Bane (54). Defensively, TCU allows 76.8 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting, including 38.1 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 36.5 rebounds, 6.5 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.
The Horned Frogs are one of the most balanced teams in the country with five players averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 candidate Vlad Brodziansky, who is averaging 15.4 points on 57.6 percent shooting, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Fellow senior Kenrich Williams nearly averages a double-double with 12.9 points on 47.4 percent shooting to go with a team-high 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per outing. Sophomore Desmond Bane (12.7 ppg.), sophomore Jaylen Fisher (12.3 ppg.) and redshirt freshman Kouat Noi (10.9 ppg.) also average double figures. Junior Alex Robinson averages a team-best 6.1 assists per game, along with 9.6 points per game.
TCU is led by head coach Jamie Dixon, who has a 44-24 (.647) record in his second season at his alma mater. Overall, he is 372-147 (.717) in his 15th season as a head coach, which includes a 13-year stint at Pittsburgh (2003-16) where he led the Panthers to 11 NCAA?Tournaments.

K-STATE/TCU CONNECTIONS:

K-State's Makol Mawien and TCU's Shawn Olden both played at New Mexico Junior College during the 2016-17 season, where the duo helped the Thunderbirds to a 19-11 overall record. Mawien averaged 8.7 points on 49.2 percent shooting, including 41.2 percent from 3-point range, with 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in averaging 14.8 minutes per game, while Olden averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
K-State associate head coach Chris Lowery and TCU head coach?Jamie Dixon worked together at USA?Basketball, where Lowery served as an assistant to Dixon for the U-19 team who won gold at the 2009 World Championships and included Gordon Heyward and Klay Thompson.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be 18th meeting between Kansas State and TCU on the hardwood, including the 13th in the Big 12 era, with the Wildcats holding a 12-5 advantage in a series that dates to 1947. Among the five meetings between the schools prior to the start of the Big 12 era was a 77-72 win by the Horned Frogs?in the 1968 NCAA?Tournament. K-State won the first five matchups in Big 12 play by average of 11.8 points per game, but TCU?has closed the gap with three wins in the last seven meetings, including an 86-80 win in overtime at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 1, 2017.
A clutch 3-pointer by forward Dean Wade and six consecutive free throws helped K-State hold off a late TCU rally, 75-74, in the teams' latest meeting at Schollmaier Arena on March 1, 2017. Clinging to a 66-65 lead with less than 2 minutes to play, the Wildcats got a huge play from Wade with the shot clock winding down, as he canned his fourth triple with 1:22 remaining. Wade finished with a then career-tying 20 points.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 9-3 all-time against TCU, including 4-1 on the road.

LAST MEETING: K-STATE 73, 24/25 TCU 68 (JAN. 20, 2018)

A balanced scoring effort led by a game-high 20 points from junior Dean Wade helped carry K-State to its second consecutive Top 25 win of the week in a 73-68 victory over No. 24/25 TCU in the last meeting between the schools on Jan. 20 at Bramlage Coliseum.
For the fourth consecutive game, four Wildcats reached double figures, including a game-high 20 points from Wade, and a career-high 18 points from sophomore Makol Mawien. Junior Barry Brown, Jr., scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime, while sophomore Xavier Sneed added 10 points.
K-State led the game nearly though its entirety, despite TCU drawing close on numerous occasions. With under four minutes remaining and leading by two, the Wildcats turned to Wade again to provide a shift of momentum, as Brown found Wade in the paint for a dunk to push it to 64-60 with 3:42 to play. With under 30 seconds left and up 4 points, K-State was able to force a tough shot for TCU to take back possession with 14 seconds. After a missed free throw from Wade, the Frogs forced a turnover to close to within 70-68 with 3.8 seconds. On the ensuing inbounds, the Wildcats were able to get the ball to Brown, who hit both shots in the 1-and-1 to push it to 72-68. He would go to the line one more time, to seal the game at 73-68.
K-State connected on 52.9 percent (27-of-51) from the field, including 50 percent or better in each half, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the line.

LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA 86, K-STATE 77

Oklahoma connected on 11 3-point field goals, including six from freshman Trae Young, as the Sooners snapped a six-game losing streak with an 86-77 win over K-State at the Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday evening. The loss snapped K-State's three-game winning streak, as the team has now lost three in a row at the Lloyd Noble Center. The schools split their season series after the Wildcats won the first meeting in Manhattan on Jan. 16.
The 3-point line proved to be the difference, as the Sooners hit on 47.8 percent (11-of-23) of their attempts, while the Wildcats made just 19.0 percent (4-of-21) from beyond the arc. Both teams connected on 29 made field goals with Oklahoma shooting 52.7 percent (29-of-55) from the field and K-State connecting on 44.6 percent (29-of-65). The Wildcats scored 40 of their 77 points in the paint.
Junior Barry Brown, Jr., scored a game-tying 28 points on 12-of-21 field goals, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc, while fellow junior Dean Wade picked up his fifth career double-double, including his fourth this season, with 15 points and game-high 11 rebounds. Wade, who has now scored in double figures in all 16 Big 12 games, also added a game-high 4 steals and a team-high 3 assists in 34 minutes. Sophomore Xavier Sneed collected double figures for the sixth time in eight games with 12 points to go with 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON AND OTHER NOTABLE ACCOLADES

With the win over Texas, K-State collected a 20-win season for the 29th time in school history, including the fourth time in six seasons under head coach Bruce Weber. The four 20-win seasons are the fourth-most by a head coach in school history, trailing Jack Hartman (seven), Tex Winter (five) and Frank Martin (five). The Wildcats have now posted 10 20-win seasons in the last 12 seasons, which is the best stretch in school history.
K-State's nine Big 12 wins are the most in a single season since winning 10 in 2013-14 and the Wildcats are guaranteed a .500 or better finish in league play for the first time since 2013-14. The five Big 12 home wins are the most since posting seven in 2014-15 and guaranteed a winning home record in league play for the first time since 2014-15 (7-2). The team had been below .500 (4-5) at home in Big 12 play in each of the last two seasons.
K-State has now swept the season series from Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas. It marked the first time sweeping the Cyclones since 2011 and the first win at Hilton Coliseum since 2011 to go with the first sweep of the Cowboys since 2012. Wednesday's win over the Longhorns gave the Wildcats four straight victories in the series for first time in the Big 12 era and first time since winning the first five meetings from 1971-84.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

K-State has been solid taking care of the basketball this season, averaging a Big 12-low 11.2 turnovers per game. The average ranks 31st nationally, while the 325 total turnovers places 28th in the nation. It is on pace to be the lowest turnover average in school history with only the 2012-13 squad averaging less than 12 turnovers per game (403/11.5). In contrast, the Wildcats have also forced their opponents into 14.3 turnovers per game, which ranks fourth in the league. The team ranks 27th nationally and third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+3.1).
K-State has posted 12 turnovers or less in 22 of 29 games, including single-digit turnovers on nine occasions (UC Irvine, George Washington, Oral Roberts, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma State (twice), Georgia, Kansas and Oklahoma). Despite turning it over a season-high 18 times vs. 7/7 Texas Tech (2/10), the Wildcats have still registered 13 games of 10 turnovers or less in last 28 games. The team is averaging just 12.1 turnovers per game in Big 12 play.
K-State is averaging 14.2 assists per game on 25.8 made field goals per game, which ranks seventh in the Big 12. However, when comparing it to the low turnover average, the team ranks 58th nationally and fourth 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).

THE OFFENSE HAS BEEN SOLID

K-State is averaging 73.1 points on 47.0 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from 3-point range, to go with a solid 74.7 percent clip from the free throw line through 29 games. The team eclipsed 2,000 points in a single season for the 12th consecutive season vs. Texas (2/21), while they have posted at least 200 3-point field goals in consecutive seasons. The Wildcats' offensive numbers are slightly less since the start of Big 12 play with the team averaging 71.4 points on 46.5 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from 3-point range, and 74.4 percent from the free throw line in Big 12 play. Although the team ranks eighth in scoring offense in league play, they are first in turnover margin (+1.8) and third in field goal 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 29 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 7.4 treys per game on 35.1 percent shooting (214-of-609). The 214 3-point field goals already rank eighth for a single season in school history and are on pace to be the fourth-most all-time and the most since hitting on 247 a season ago.
Sophomore Xavier Sneed is one of seven Wildcats with double-digit 3-point field goals, as he leads all players with 53 treys on 35.3 percent shooting (53-of-150) this season. He ranks first in both makes and attempts, while fellow junior Dean Wade has the best percentage at 42.4 (36-of-85). Junior Kamau Stokes is second with 37 treys on 37.4 percent shooting (37-of-99), while Wade (36) and fellow junior Barry Brown, Jr. (36) are tied for the third-most. Cartier Diarra (26), Amaad Wainright (11) and Brian Patrick (10) also 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). Wade ranks fifth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage, while Sneed is 14th in 3-point field goals made (1.8).
K-State has hit on eight or more 3-pointers in 15 of 29 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.

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 499-329 advantage in bench scoring, including a 288-128 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 this season, allowing 67.6 points on 42.5 percent shooting, including 32.8 percent from 3-point range. The team ranks among the Top 50 in turnover margin (27th), steals per game (29th), 3-point field goal percentage defense (60th) and scoring defense (60th), while they are third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, 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 in the win on Jan. 16. 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 on Jan. 20.
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 64.8 points per game (12,760 points). K-State has a 99-27 (.786) record when holding a foe to 69 points or less since 2012-13 and a 21-50 (.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 Barry Brown, Jr. (16.6 ppg.), Dean Wade (16.1 ppg.) and sophomore Xavier Sneed (11.3 ppg.). They rank fifth, seventh and 27th in scoring in the Big 12, as the three are averaging 44 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting, including 35.8 percent from long range, and 77.3 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 16 career games, including 12 this season. The three have combined for 50 or more points on six 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, 59 vs. Iowa State (2/17) on 61.5 percent shooting and 55 at Oklahoma (2/24) on 47.8 percent shooting. They have combined for 65 double-digit scoring games this season, including Wade's team-high 25 and Brown's 22, while the three have 23 20-point games among them, including 11 by Brown and nine by Wade.
Brown and Wade rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in scoring average in all games, including third and fourth, respectively, in Big 12 games. They are the only teammates to rank in the Top 5 in scoring in conference-only games, including one of only two (Iowa State) to place in the Top 10. They also rank in the Top 15 in league games in assists, steals, assist/turnover ratio and minutes. Wade is in the Top 15 in nine categories, including scoring (fourth), rebounding (ninth), field goal percentage (seventh), assists (12th), free throw percentage (12th), steals (seventh), 3-point field goal percentage (third), assist/turnover ratio (seventh) and minutes (sixth). Brown needs 19 points to become the first Wildcat since Marcus Foster to eclipse 500 points in a single season, while Wade needs 32 points for 500.
Brown is averaging a team-best 16.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 31.6 percent from 3-point range, and 78.5 percent from the free throw line, while he is averaging 18.7 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range, and 75 percent from the free throw line through the first 16 league games. He posted his 11th 20-point game of the season with a game-tying 28 points in the loss at Oklahoma (2/24), including his eighth in Big 12 play. Brown also has two 30-point game with a career-best 38 vs. Oklahoma State (1/10) and 34 at Baylor (1/22), making him the first Wildcat with multiple 30-point games since Rodney McGruder (three) in 2011-12. His career-best 38 points vs. the Cowboys 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.
Wade is averaging 16.1 points on 53.9 percent shooting, including 42.4 percent from 3-point range, and 74.1 percent from the free throw line, while he is averaging 18.1 points on 53.2 percent shooting, including 45 percent from 3-point range, and 81 percent from the free throw line, through the first 16 games of Big 12 play. He has scored 20 or more points nine times this season, including eight times in Big 12 play, with six consecutive 20-point games vs. No. 12/12 Kansas (22; 1/13), No. 4/6 Oklahoma (21; 1/16), No. 24/25 TCU (20; 1/20), Baylor (24; 1/22), Georgia (20; 1/27), 7/7 Kansas (20; 1/29) and Iowa State (22; 2/17). He posted his fifth career double-double at Oklahoma (2/24), including his fourth this season.
Sneed is starting to heat back up with 12 double-figure scoring games in the last 16 outings and has registered double-digit points 18 times this season, including three 20-point games (Vanderbilt, SE Missouri State and West Virginia). He is the 3-point leader with 53, 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 seven games since returning, he is averaging 3.4 points on 25.9 percent shooting with 2.4 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game.

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 points on 46.1 percent shooting (346-of-751), including 34 percent (91-of-268) from 3-point range, with an average of 12.7 assists and 11.2 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 10.5 points on 51.4 percent shooting (54-of-105), including 39.5 percent (17-of-43) from 3-point range, and 82.5 percent (33-of-40) from the free throw line in 29.5 minutes per game in the last 15 games. Since earning his first start against Oklahoma State (1/10), he is averaging 10.5 points on 51 percent shooting (51-of-100), including 37.5 percent (15-of-40) from long range, and 83.3 percent (30-of-36) from the free throw line.
Diarra has tallied double-digit points in eight of the last 15 games (had two before joining lineup), which includes a season-best 18 points at No. 12/12 Kansas (1/13). He ranks seventh in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage in league-only (43.9) 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: BAYLOR (17-12, 7-9 Big 12)