Game Preview // K-State, TCU Set to Battle in Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship

Game Preview // K-State, TCU Set to Battle in Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship

Mar 06, 2018 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)TCU Notes (.pdf)Buy Tickets Watch Listen Live Stats Big 12 Championship Bracket (.pdf)

Game Preview // K-State, TCU Set to Battle in Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship

GAME #32
KANSAS STATE (21-10, 10-8 Big 12) vs. TCU (21-10, 9-9 Big 12)
Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 8, 2018 >> 11:30 a.m. CT >> Sprint Center (18,972) >> Kansas City, Mo.

TELEVISION
ESPN2 // WatchESPN // ESPN3

Bob Wischusen (play-by-play)
Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
Holly Rowe (sideline reporter)
Scott Gustafson (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 145 // XM 199 // Internet 953

LIVE STATS
big12.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
sprintcenter.com/events
(816) 949.7100
All Session: $195

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 434-233/20^th season
At K-State: 121-78/6^th season
vs. TCU: 9-4 (0-1 at neutral sites)

TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU '87)
Career Record: 373-148/15^th season
Record at TCU: 45-25/2^nd season
vs. Kansas State: 3-2 (1-0 at neutral sites)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (21-10, 10-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

TCU (21-10, 9-9 Big 12)
G: #25 Alex Robinson
G: #1 Desmond Bane
F: #34 Kenrich Williams
F: #12 Kouat Noi
F: #10 Vlad Brodziansky

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 12-6
Big 12 era: K-State leads 9-4
At Big 12 Championship: TCU leads 1-0
In Kansas City: TCU?leads 1-0
In Manhattan: K-State leads 7-2
In Fort Worth: K-State leads 5-2
Active Streak: TCU, 1
Weber vs. TCU: 9-4 (0-1 at neutral sites)
Dixon vs. K-State: 3-2 (1-0 at neutral sites)
Weber vs. Dixon: 2-3 (0-1 at neutral sites)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (21-10, 10-8 Big 12) begins postseason play on Thursday morning, as the Wildcats play TCU (21-10, 9-9 Big 12) at 11:30 a.m., CT, in the first quarterfinal game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The game will air on either ESPN?or ESPN2 with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Fran Fraschilla (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) on the call.
K-State is 33-39 (.458) all-time in the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to its inception in 1977, including 13-21 in the Big 12 era. This will mark the ninth time that the Wildcats have been the No. 4 seed, including the fourth time in the Big 12 era, with a 6-8 mark in those previous appearances. The school is 5-5 all-time against the No. 5 seed, losing its last two meetings in 2009 (Texas) and 2011 (Colorado).
K-State has faced TCU?just once at the Big 12 Championship with the Horned Frogs taking a 67-65 victory in a first-round matchup of No. 8 and No. 9 seed on March 11, 2015. Interestingly, the Wildcats have lost all three meetings with the Frogs in the postseason (1968 NCAA?Tournament, 1999 NIT?and 2011 Big 12 Championship).
The two teams split their two regular-season meetings in 2018 with each winning on their own home court, as K-State had four players score in double figures in a 73-68 victory on Jan. 20 at Bramlage Coliseum, while TCU used a late 9-0 surge to take a 66-59 victory on Feb. 27 at Schollmaier Arena. Overall, the Wildcats own a 12-6 edge in the all-time series, including 9-4 in the Big 12 era. After losing the first five meetings (2013-15) after joining the Big 12, the Horned Frogs have now split the last eight matchups in the series, including a season split in 2017 and 2018.
K-State heads into the Big 12 Championship having 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 six seasons under head coach Bruce Weber. The 10 Big 12 wins were the most in a single season since also winning 10 in 2013-14, while the fourth-place finish was the highest since tying for the Big 12 title in 2012-13. The squad won six Big 12 home games for the first time since posting seven in 2014-15 and clinched a winning home record in league play for the first time since 2014-15.
K-State finished the regular season by winning four of its last six games, including three consecutive home games, highlighted by Saturday's 77-67 victory over Baylor that clinched the No. 4 seed at the Big 12 Championship and its second consecutive bye to the quarterfinals. It marked the first season sweep of the Bears since 2013. The Wildcats, which connected on 52 percent from the field, were again led by juniors Dean Wade (25 points) and Barry Brown, Jr. (18 points), who became the seventh duo in school history to each eclipse 500 points in a single season.
Wade and Brown were both named to the Coaches' All-Big 12 team on Sunday, as Wade became just the fourth Wildcat to be named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Brown was selected to the Second Team and the All-Defensive Team.
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 averages 77.9 points on 51 percent shooting with 16.8 assists in games (12 total) where four or more players score in double figures, while they are averaging just 59.1 points on 38.5 percent shooting with 12.0 assists in games (7 total) where only two or less players register double digits.

NOTES ON TCU

TCU enters Thursday's game with a 21-10 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Big 12 play after seeing its four-game winning streak come to an end in a 79-75 loss at Texas Tech on Saturday. Facing the Big 12's top scoring defense, the Horned Frogs connected on just 40.6 percent from the field, including 21.7 percent from 3-point range, as four players scored in double figures led by sophomore Desmond Bane's 21 points. Seniors Vlad Brodziansky (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Kenrich Williams (11 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles.
TCU?is one of the nation's top offensive teams, ranking among the Top 20 in six categories, including second in assists (18.9), ninth in field goal percentage (50.0), 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5), 16th in scoring offense (83.6) and 18th in 3-point field goal percentage (40.0). Defensively, TCU allows 76.3 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting, including 38.3 percent from 3-point range, while averaging 36.5 rebounds, 6.6 steals and 3.6 blocks.
TCU one of the most balanced teams in the country with five players averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 selections Vlad Brodziansky (15.2 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and Kenrich Williams (12.9 ppg., 9.3 rpg.). Brodziansky connected on 57.7 percent from the field and 82.2 percent from the free throw line to go with a team-best 1.6 blocks per game. Williams was third in the Big 12 with 12 double-doubles to go with 4.0 assists and a team-high 1.8 steals per game. Sophomore Desmond Bane and redshirt freshman Kouat Noi average 12.9 and 10.4 points per game, respectively, and rank first and second in 3-point makes this season with 57 and 56 treys, respectively. Junior Alex Robinson is one of most underrrated point guards in the country, averaging 9.6 points and 6.1 assists per game.
TCU is led by head coach Jamie Dixon, who has a 45-25 (.643) record in his second season at his alma mater. Overall, he is 373-148 (.716) 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.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be 19th meeting between Kansas State and TCU on the hardwood, including the 14th in the Big 12 era, with the Wildcats holding a 12-6 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 four wins in the last eight meetings, including a 66-59 victory in the last meeting on Feb. 27 at home.
The two teams have met just once in the Big 12 Championship with TCU earning a 67-65 in the first round on March 11, 2015 in a matchup of the No. 8 and 9 seeds. The Horned Frogs connected on 47.4 percent from the field, including 51.7 percent in the first half, and were led by 16-point efforts from Kyan Anderson and Chris Washburn. The Wildcats shot just 39.7 percent, including 16.7 percent from 3-point range, and were led by Thomas Gipson's game-tying 16 points and Nino Williams' double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 9-4 all-time against TCU, including 0-1 at the Big 12 Championship.

FIRST TWO MEETINGS IN 2018

K-State and TCU?split its two meetings during the regular season with each team winning on their own home court. A balancing scoring effort led the Wildcats in a 73-68 victory at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 20, as four Wildcats reached double figures, including a game-high 20 points from junior Dean Wade, while the Horned Frogs used a late 9-0 run keyed by a steal and layup by sophomore Desmond Bane to outlast K-State, 66-59, on an emotional Senior Night on Feb. 27 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs ended the game on an 11-3 run.
K-State averaged 66 points on 50 percent shooting, including 42.9 percent from 3-point range, in the two meetings, while allowing 67 points to TCU on 43.5 percent shooting, including 28.3 percent from long range. Wade averaged 22 points on 56.7 percent shooting in the two games to go with 5.5 rebounds, while fellow junior Barry Brown, Jr. and sophomore Makol Mawien also averaged double figures at 16.0 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. Wade and Brown combined to score 76 of the Wildcats' 132 points on 56.8 percent shooting to go with 25 of the team's 33 assists.
In the first meeting on Jan. 20, a balanced scoring effort led by a game-high 20 points from 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 at Bramlage Coliseum. Four Wildcats reached double figures, including a game-high 20 points from Wade, and a career-high 18 points from Mawien and Brown scored 12 of his 15 points after halftime. Wade was solid all-around with a team-high 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 39 minutes, while Brown had a near double-double with a game-high 9 assists in 40 minutes.
In the second meeting, K-State was clinging to a 56-55 lead with less than two and half minutes to play before Bane ignited a 9-0 run with his steal of Brown and subsequent layup with 2:24 to play and was followed by a huge 3-point field goal by senior Vlad Brodziansky on a steal by junior Alex Robinson with 1:49 remaining. Bane hit four consecutive free throws in the last 90 seconds before redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 33 seconds left. The Wildcats could get no closer in dropping their first game in Fort Worth since 2015.
The loss spoiled an impressive night by juniors Dean Wade and Barry Brown, Jr., who scored 41 of the team's 59 points on a combined 17-of-24 shooting from the field. During a 12-minute stretch in the second half, Wade and Brown accounted for 16 consecutive points, as Wade went on to lead all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-14 field goals, while Brown added 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting before fouling out with 43 seconds left.

AT PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

K-State is 33-39 all-time in the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to its inception in 1977, including a 13-21 mark in the 20-year history of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats have won two championships (1977, 1980), while they have advanced to the finals on five other occasions (1978, 1981, 1993, 2010 and 2013), including twice in the Big 12 era.
This will mark the ninth time that K-State has been the No. 4 seed at the championship (1978, 1979, 1987, 1990, 1996, 2007, 2009, 2011), including the fourth time in the Big 12 era, with a 6-8 mark in those previous eight appearances. Last season, the sixth-seeded Wildcats went 1-1 in the championship, knocking off No. 3 seed Baylor, 70-64, in the quarterfinals before losing to No. 2 seed West Virginia, 51-50, in the semifinals.
K-State is 5-5 all-time (1-4 in the Big 12 era) vs. No. 5 seed at the league championship with the 10 appearances coming in 1978, 1979, 1987, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2007, 2009, and 2011. The team has lost the last two meetings (Texas in 2009 and Colorado in 2011) with the No. 5 seed. The last win against a No. 5 seed came in 2007 when the Wildcats dispatched Texas Tech, 66-45, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
The Wildcats are 5-10 in the quarterfinals, snapping a two-game losing streak with last season's 70-64 win over No. 3 Baylor.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 4-5 all-time in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, including 2-2 in the quarterfinals.
Overall, K-State is 32-34 when the championship is held in Kansas City, including 13-21 in the Big 12 era.

AT SPRINT CENTER

K-State is 15-13 all-time in the Sprint Center, including a 6-9 mark at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (2008, 2010-17).
The Wildcats have played at least one game in the building for 12 consecutive seasons since its opening in 2007. The team is 7-1 in the Wildcat Classic, which has been played in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, while they are 2-2 in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic (appearances in 2010 and 2015). This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that K-State did not play a regular season game in the Sprint Center.
Twice K-State has advanced to the Big 12 Championship in the Sprint Center, losing to Kansas in 2010 and 2013.

ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON AND MORE

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. The 21 wins tie the season total from the 2016-17 season and are the most by a K-State team since posting 27 in 2012-13.
K-State's fourth-place finish is the best placing in the Big 12 regular-season standings since sharing the league title with Kansas in 2012-13, while it marked the seventh finish of fourth place or better in the last 12 seasons. The 10 Big 12 wins were the most in a single season since also winning 10 in 2013-14, which is also the last time that the Wildcats finished above .500 in league play. The six Big 12 home wins were the most since posting seven in 2014-15 and gave the K-State a winning home record in league play for the first time since 2014-15 (7-2). The Wildcats were 4-5 on the road in Big 12 play for the second straight season, which equals the entire Big 12 road win total (eight) from 2013-16.
K-State swept the season series from Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor. It was the most conference sweeps in a single season since the Big 12 Championship in 2012-13 when the Wildcats did it against six opponents (Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia).
It marked the first time sweeping the Cyclones since 2011, while the 91-75 win at Hilton Coliseum in the Big 12 opener was also the first since 2011. The sweep of the Cowboys was the first since 2012 and gave the Wildcats straight wins at Gallagher-Iba Arena for the first time since 1987 and 1988. The two wins over the Longhorns gave the Wildcats four consecutive victories in the series for first time in the Big 12 era and first time since winning the first five meetings from 1971-84. The sweep of the Bears was the first since 2013, while the four consecutive wins are the most in series history.

WADE, BROWN EARN ALL-BIG 12 HONORS

Junior Dean Wade became just the fourth Wildcat to be named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while fellow junior Barry Brown, Jr., was selected to the Second Team and the All-Defensive Team, as the league office announced its annual men's basketball awards on Sunday.
Wade and Broke become just the sixth Wildcat duo in the Big 12 era to earn spots on the 15-member All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Teams and the first since Rodney McGruder (first team) and Angel Rodriguez (third team) in 2013. Wade joins Michael Beasley (2008), Jacob Pullen (2010, 2011) and McGruder (2013) as the only First Team selections in the Big 12 era with only Beasley and Pullen doing it as undergraduates.
Brown is just the eighth Wildcat to earn recognition to the Second Team and the sixth to be named to the All-Defensive Team. He also became the fifth Wildcat to be named to one of the Big 12's First, Second or Third Teams as well as the All-Defensive Team in the same season, joining Pullen (2010, 2011), McGruder (2012), Rodriguez (2013) and Wesley Iwundu (2016). Overall, he is first All-Defensive Team member since Iwundu in 2016.

EFFICIENT OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 72.7 points on 47.2 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 31 games. Although the Wildcats rank ninth in scoring offense in the Big 12, they are second in turnover margin (+3.0), third in field goal percentage and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.3). In Big 12 play, the team averaged 71.0 points on 46.8 percent shooting, including 35.9 percent from 3-point range, and 74.5 percent from the free throw line. The squad ranked among the Big 12's Top 5 in four offensive categories, including second in turnover margin (+1.6), third in field goal percentage, fourth in free throw percentage and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage.
The current 47.2 field goal percentage is the fourth-highest by a K-State team since the introduction of the shot clock in 1985-86 and the highest since connecting on 48.4 percent in 1988-89. The current 11.4 turnovers per game average is the lowest in school history, while the current 1.26 assist/turnover ratio is the third-best in school history and the highest since the Wildcats posted a 1.38 ratio in 2012-13. The current 74.7 free throw percentage ranks second for a single season and is the highest since the 1973-74 team connected on a program-best 75.5 percent.
K-State has already eclipsed 2,000 points in a single season for the 12th consecutive season, while the squad has posted at least 200 3-point field goals in consecutive seasons with the current total (224) ranking sixth in school history.
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 came in Big 12 play. It is the most 90-point (three) and 80-point games (11) in the first 31 games since the 2009-10 season, which saw the team post 19 80-point and five 90-point games.
K-State has connected on better than 50 percent from the field in 15 games, including a season-best 62.5 percent (35-of-56) vs. SE?Missouri State (12/16), while nine came in Big 12 play. The 15 games of 50 percent or better shooting is the highest for a single season since registering 19 such games in 1987-88. The Wildcats have hit on 50 percent or better in both halves in 11 games (American, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, USC?Upstate, SE Missouri State, Iowa State, TCU, Baylor (twice), Texas and Oklahoma State). The team registered a season-high 35 field goals made twice (SE Missouri State (12/16) and Oklahoma (1/16), while they posted season-bests for assists (25), points in the paint (44) and dunks (7) vs. SE?Missouri State.

CLOSE GAMES

Nearing half of K-State's 31 games this season (18) have been decided by 10 points or less, including eight by 5 points or less. The Wildcats boast an 12-6 (.667) record in games decided by 10 points or less this season, including a 7-3 (.700) mark in Big 12 play. The team is 6-2 (.750) in games decided by 5 points or less with a two-point loss to Arizona State (11/23) and a one-point setback at Kansas (1/13), including 3-1 (.750) in league play.

BALANCE A KEY

Perhaps the biggest key to K-State's offensive success under head coach Bruce Weber has been its balance. Last season in advancing to the NCAA?Tournament, the Wildcats saw four players average in double figures for the first time since 2009-10, while it marked the first time since 1980-81 that four starters averaged double digits. Since Weber took over the reigns in 2012-13, K-State has posted a 51-18 (.739) record when four or more players score in double figures, including a 10-2 (.833) mark this season. The team is 7-0 (4-0 in Big 12 play) this season when sophomore big man Makol Mawien scores in double figures, while they are 8-2 (6-2 in Big 12 play) when redshirt freshman Cartier Diarra registers double digits.
In the 12 games this season when four or more players score in double figures, K-State is averaging 77.9 points on 51 percent shooting, including 37.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 16.8 assists and 11.7 turnovers per game. Seven of the 11 80-point games this season have come in these 12 games. In contrast, in the seven games this season when two or less players post double digits, the Wildcats are averaging just 59.1 points on 38.5 percent shooting, including 25.9 percent from 3-point range, to go with 12.0 assists and 11.7 turnovers per outing.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

K-State has been solid taking care of the basketball this season, averaging just 11.4 turnovers per game. The average ranks 45th nationally and second in the Big 12, while the 354 total turnovers places 50th 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 14.4 turnovers per game, which ties for third in the league. The team ranks 28th nationally and third in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+3.0).
K-State has posted 12 turnovers or less in 23 of 31 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 19 times at TCU (2/27), the Wildcats have still registered 14 games of 10 turnovers or less in last 30 games. The team averaged just 12.4 turnovers per game in Big 12 play.

SUCCESS BEYOND THE ARC

K-State has been successful from 3-point range, averaging 7.2 treys per game on 35.1 percent shooting (224-of-638). The 224 3-point field goals already rank sixth 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 34.2 percent shooting (53-of-155) this season. He ranks first in both makes and attempts, while fellow junior Dean Wade has the best percentage at 42.7 (38-of-89). Brown ranks second with 40 treys on 33.3 percent shooting (40-of-120), while Wade and fellow junior Kamau Stokes are tied for third with 38 treys each, while Cartier Diarra (29), Amaad Wainright (11) and Brian Patrick (10) also have 10 or more 3-point makes.
K-State has hit on eight or more 3-pointers in 15 of 31 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.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS

K-State has been solid on the defensive end this season, allowing 67.5 points on 42.6 percent shooting, including 32.7 percent from 3-point range. The team ranks among the Top 55 in steals per game (25th), turnover margin (28th), 3-point field goal percentage defense (55th) and scoring defense (55th), while they are second in the Big 12 in scoring defense, turnover margin and steals and third in 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. Twice it has held TCU to less than 70 points, including 68 on 42.9 percent shooting on Jan. 20 and 66 on 44.2 percent shooting on Feb. 27.
K-State is one of just five schools nationally (Georgia State, Nicholls State, Purdue, Stephen F. Austin) with three players (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) with 40 or more steals. The current total of 242 steals ranks ninth for a single season and are on pace for at least 250 steals for the second consecutive season.
The Wildcats have outscored their opponents, 529-376, in points off of turnovers this season and averaging 17.1 points off of turnovers. The team has posted at least 20 points off of turnovers in 10 games. Earlier this season, the squad tied the school-record with 19 steals against Northern Arizona (11/20/16), which included a school-record 36 points off of turnovers.
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 (12,893 points). K-State has a 100-28 (.781) 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.

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.

DYNAMIC DUO

Juniors Dean Wade (16.7 ppg.) and Barry Brown, Jr. (16.6 ppg.) have developed into one of the top scoring tandems in the Big 12, as they rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in scoring in the Big 12. They have been responsible for over 45 percent of the team's scoring (1,033/2,255 points) on 50.6 percent shooting (371-of-733), including 37.3 percent (78-of-209) from 3-point range, and 76.1 percent (213-of-280) from the free throw line. They have combined to score in double figures 51 times this season, including a team-best 27 by Wade, to go with a 22 combined 20-point games.
Brown and Wade each reached milestones in the 77-67 win over Baylor (3/3), as the duo became the 30th and 31st players in school history to score 500 or more points and a single season. They also became just the seventh duo in school history to it in the same season and the first since Jacob Pullen (715) and Denis Clemente (613) in 2009-10. Others to do it include Chuckie Williams (585) and Mike Evans (502) in 1975-76, Evans (566) and Curtis Redding (516) in 1976-77 and Evans (555) and Redding (514) in 1977-78), Norris Coleman (609) and Joe Wright (544) in 1985-86 and Cartier Martin (599) and David Hoskins (508) in 2006-07.
The duo were even better in Big 12 play, as Wade ranked second in scoring at 18.8 points on 55 percent shooting and Brown is fourth at 18.6 points on 49.4 percent shooting in league-only action. Only Oklahoma's Trae Young (27.4 ppg./493) scored more points than Wade in league play. They were responsible for 53 percent of the Wildcats' scoring (673/1,278 points) so far in league play on 52.2 percent (241-of-462) shooting, including 41.7 percent (55-of-132) from 3-point range, and 75.8 percent (135-of-178) from the free throw line. They combined to score in double figures 34 times in Big 12 play with 18 combined 20-point games. Wade was the only Big 12 player this season to finish among the conference's Top 15 in 11 of 13 categories in league-only games. In finishing second and fourth in scoring in league-only games, Wade and Brown became the first Wildcat duo to finish in the Top 5 since Michael Beasley (28.4 ppg./1st) and Bill Walker (16.6 ppg./3rd) in 2007-08.
Wade has scored in double figures a team-best 27 games, which includes 11 20-point games. Ten of his 11 20-point games came in Big 12 play, which included six consecutive 20-point games from Jan. 13 to Jan. 29 (Kansas [twice], Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor, Georgia). He also has four double-doubles this season and narrowly missed becoming the first Wildcat with a triple-double vs. Iowa State (2/17) with 22 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
Wade is one of just 15 players in the Big 12 era (since 1996-97) to average at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a single season, joining the likes of Iowa State's Curtis Stinson, Oklahoma State's Tony Allen, Texas' P.J. Tucker and Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart. He is only one of just three Big 12 players since 2012-13, joining Smart (2012-13 and 2013-14) and Kansas' Josh Jackson (2016-17). Wade is just one rebound shy of becoming the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2007-08 to post 500 points and 200 rebounds in a season.
Brown 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. He 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 in the NCAA?Tournament on March 19, 2011 and the most at home since Pullen's 38 vs. Kansas on Feb. 14, 2011. Brown needs three rebounds to become the first Wildcat to have 500 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists and 50 steals in a single season.

DON'T OVERLOOK SNEED

Sophomore guard Xavier Sneed has been solid this season, averaging 10.7 points on 41.5 percent shooting (113-of-272), including 34.2 percent (53-of-155) from 3-point range, and 79.4 percent (54-of-68) from the free throw line with 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 30.6 minutes per game. He also averaged double figures in Big 12 play, averaging 10.3 points on 40.1 percent shooting (63-of-157), including 34.8 percent (32-of-92) from long range, to go with 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.
The Wildcats' top 3-point threat with 53 treys on the season on 35.8 percent shooting,?Sneed ranked second or third in most statistical categories, including second in rebounding (4.8 rpg.) and steals (1.5 spg.) and third in scoring (10.7 ppg.), double-figure scoring games (18), 20-point games (three) and field goals made (113) and attempted (272). He also posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds vs. Oklahoma State (1/10), while posted a career-best 13 rebounds against Texas (2/21).

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 69.8 points on 46.5 percent shooting (397-of-854), including 34 percent (101-of-297) from 3-point range, with an average of 13.3 assists and 11.6 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 9.9 points on 50.4 percent shooting (57-of-113), including 41.7 percent (20-of-48) from 3-point range, and 83.3 percent (35-of-42) from the free throw line in 29.2 minutes per game in the last 17 games. Since earning his first start against Oklahoma State (1/10), he is averaging 9.9 points on 50 percent shooting (54-of-108), including 40 percent (18-of-45) from long range, and 84.2 percent (32-of-38) from the free throw line.

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 nine games since returning, he is averaging 3.4 points on 23.1 percent shooting with 2.2 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per 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: PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

The winner of the Thursday's first quarterfinal game will play the winner of the second quarterfinal matchup between top-ranked Kansas (24-7, 13-5 Big 12) and either No. 8 seed Oklahoma State (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) and No. 9 seed Oklahoma (18-12, 8-10 Big 12) on Friday at 6 p.m., CT on either ESPN or ESPN2.