Game Preview // K-State, TCU Battle Saturday on Legends Weekend

GAME 18
KANSAS STATE (13-4, 3-2 Big 12) vs. TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)
Saturday, January 19, 2019 >> 3:05 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

PROMOTION
Legends Weekend
K-State will host its annual Legends Weekend for former men's basketball lettermen. Plans are to honor Wildcat legends, Tex Winter and Willie Murrell, who passed away earlier this year.

TELEVISION
ESPN2

Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Andy Jacobson (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 103 / XM 199 / Internet 953

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

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

Single Game $50 (chairback)

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 451-239/21^st season
At K-State: 138-84/7^th season
vs TCU: 10-4 (5-1 at home)

TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU '87)
Overall: 386-153/16^th season
At TCU: 58-29/3^rd season
vs. Kansas State: 3-3 (1-1 on the road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (13-4, 3-2 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12)
G: #25 Alex Robinson
G: #1 Desmond Bane
F: #12 Kouat Noi
F: #15 J.D. Miller
C: #21 Kevin Samuel

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 13-6
Current Streak: K-State, 1
In Manhattan: K-State leads 7-2
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 5-2
Last Meeting: W, 66-64 [OT], 3/8/18
Weber vs. Dixon: 3-3 (1-1 at home)

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (13-4, 3-2 Big 12) returns home to begin a 2-game homestand on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum. The game will tip at 3:05 p.m., CT on ESPN2 with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call.
K-State ran its winning streak to 3 games with perhaps its best all-around effort of the season in a 74-61 victory over No. 20/19 Oklahoma on Wednesday night, as seniors Barry Brown, Jr., (25) and Dean Wade (20) combined for 45 points. The Wildcats jumped out to an 8-0 lead en route to holding a double-digit lead for most of the game, as the offense tallied their highest point total (74) in 11 games on the strength of 50 percent (29-of-58) shooting from the field, including 54.8 percent (17-of-31) in the second half. The nation's fifth-best defense also performed well, holding the Sooners to their second-fewest points (61) this season, while scoring 18 points off 16 turnovers. It marked the first time since February 2012 that the Wildcats have defeated back-to-back Top 25 opponents on the road.
Brown, who was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Monday, continued his impressive play of late with his career-first third consecutive 20-point game in the win at Oklahoma. The senior is averaging a Big 12-best 20.2 points per game in league play on 46.3 percent (37-of-80) shooting, including 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from 3-point range. During the Wildcats' winning streak, he is averaging 25.7 points on 54.7 percent shooting (29-of-53). After scoring 17 of his 25 points in the second half against the Sooners, he has now totaled 55 of his 77 points (18.3 point average) in the last 3 games after halftime, which includes back-to-back game-winners against West Virginia and No. 20/21 Iowa State.
For the second time in a week, K-State will face the league's top offensive team, as TCU enters Saturday's game as the Big 12 leader in scoring offense (80.4 ppg.), field goal percentage (48.4) and assists (19.4). The Horned Frogs ended a 2-game skid with a 98-67 dismantling of West Virginia at home on Tuesday, in which, the squad had assists on 20 of 29 made field goals and made 12 3-pointers. A remarkably balanced team, four players are averaging double figures, including senior Desmond Bane (14.7 ppg.) and sophomore Kouat Noi (14.2 ppg.), while the Big 12 assists leader, senior Alex Robinson averages 13.6 points and 8.2 assists per contest.
This will be just the 20th meeting between K-State and TCU with the Wildcats holding a 13-6 advantage, including a 10-4 mark since the start of Big 12 play. Last year, the teams split the season series with the Wildcats winning 73-68 at home on Jan. 20 and the Horned Frogs winning 66-59 at home on Feb. 27 before K-State won a 66-64 overtime thriller in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
The Wildcats, which has held 10 of their 17 opponents to below 60 points, ranks among the national leaders in several defensive categories, including sixth in scoring defense (59.5), 52nd in field goal percentage (40.5) and 54th in 3-point field goal percentage (30.9).

NOTES ON TCU

TCU (13-3, 2-2 Big 12) snapped a 2-game skid in the Big 12 play with a decisive 98-67 win over West Virginia at home on Tuesday. Six players scored in double figures, including a game-high 26 from junior Desmond Bane, as the Horned Frogs had assists on 20 of 29 made field goals and knocked down 28-of-37 attempts from the free throw line. Senior Alex Robinson had a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists.
TCU is averaging a Big 12-best 80.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, to go with 37.2 rebounds, 19.4 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.1 blocks per game, while allowing 67.4 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 27.4 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 69.3 percent from the free throw line.
Bane paces four players in double figures at 14.7 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting, including 39.7 percent from 3-point range, to go with 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 33.9 minutes per game. Sophomore Kouat Noi adds 14.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting, including a team-best 34 made 3-point field goals, while Big 12 assist leader Alex Robinson (8.2 apg.) averages 13.6 points on 46.9 percent shooting.
TCU is led by alum Jamie Dixon, who has posted a 58-29 (.667) record in his third season. He has a 386-153 (.716) overall record in his 16th season as a head coach, which includes a stint at Pittsburgh (2003-16).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and TCU will meet for the 20th time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 13-6 edge in the series, including a 10-4 mark since the start of Big 12 play. K-State is 7-2 at home, including 5-1 in the Big 12 era.
K-State has won 5 of the last 7 meetings, including 2 of the last 3 at home. Last season, the schools split their regular season meetings with the Wildcats winning at home, 73-68, on Jan. 20 before the Horned Frogs took a 66-59 victory at home on Feb. 27. The Wildcats earned a 66-64 win in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on March 8.
A balanced scoring effort led by Dean Wade's game-high 20 points helped carry K-State to a 73-68 win over TCU?in the last meeting between the schools at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 20, 2018. The Wildcats connected on 52.9 percent from the field, including 42.1 percent from 3-point range.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 10-4 all-time against TCU, including a 5-1 mark at home, while Weber is 3-3 against head coach Jamie Dixon.
Senior Dean?Wade has had the most success against TCU in his career, averaging 14.6 points on 52.1 percent shooting in 7 career games (7 starts), while junior Makol Mawien has averaged 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 3 career games (3 starts) vs. the Horned Frogs.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 373-117 (.761) record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 373 wins are the second-most at a home venue, trailing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88).
K-State has registered a 172-37 (.823) record at home over the past 13 seasons, including a 73-32 (.695) mark in Big 12 play. The 172 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 73 league victories at home rank third. In all, the program has earned double-digit victories in 25 of its 30 seasons in the arena, including a streak of 17 straight seasons.
Head coach Bruce Weber has tallied an 88-21 (.807) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State. The 21 losses (18 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a total of 160 points or 7.6 points per game.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 74, 20/19 OKLAHOMA 61

Senior Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade combined for 45 points, as Kansas State led wire-to-wire in knocking off its second consecutive Top 25 opponent on the road with a 74-61 win over No. 20/19 Oklahoma in front of 7,597 fans at the Lloyd Noble Center on Wednesday night.
It marked the first time in nearly seven years that K-State has defeated back-to-back Top 25 opponents on the road since wins at No. 9 Baylor (57-56) and No. 3 Missouri (78-68) on February 18 and 21, 2012.
K-State jumped out to an 8-0 lead en route to holding a double-digit lead for most of the game, as the Wildcat offense tallied their highest point total (74) in 11 games on the strength of 50 percent (29-of-58) shooting from the field, including 54.8 percent (17-of-31) in the second half. The team also got a strong performance from the 3-point line, collecting double-digit treys for the third time this season on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) shooting.
The nation's fifth-best scoring defense (59.4 ppg.) also flexed its muscle in a total team effort, holding the Sooners (74.4 ppg.) to just 61 points on 46.8 percent (22-of-47) shooting, including 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from 3-point range. It was the second-fewest points scored by Oklahoma this season and the fewest since scoring 58 vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 22. The Wildcats also forced the Sooners into 16 turnovers, scoring 18 points off those miscues.
Brown posted his third consecutive 20-point contest – a career first -- with a game-high 25 points on 11-of-19 field goals, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while Wade scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in just his second game back from missing 6 games due to injury.
Brown and Wade were the only two Wildcats in double figures, but several others enjoyed solid performances, including an 8-point, 7-rebound effort by junior Makol Mawien. Junior Xavier Sneed posted an all-around effort with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 36 minutes.
The win enabled K-State to snap a 3-game losing streak to Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center, as the Wildcats earned their first win in Norman since a 66-63 overtime win on January 10, 2015. The team also moved their record to 6-1 against ranked Oklahoma teams since 2014.

'CATS HAVE BEEN STELLAR ON DEFENSE UNDER WEBER

K-State has put up some impressive defensive numbers under head coach Bruce Weber, leading the Big 12 in scoring defense twice in the last 6 years (60.4 ppg., in 2012-13 and 65.4 ppg., in 2013-14). Last season, the Wildcats held opponents to 67 points on 42.5 percent shooting.
K-State is holding opponents to 59.5 points on 40.5 percent shooting, including 32 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 15.2 turnovers per game. The Wildcats rank 6th in scoring defense, 52nd in field goal percentage defense and 54th in 3-point field goal percentage defense. The team ranks second in scoring defense, turnovers forced and rebounding defense and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense in the Big 12.
K-State has held 10 of 17 opponents to 60 points or less this season with one eclipsing 70. The squad has now held 79 opponents to 60 points or less in Weber's tenure, boasting a 71-8 mark (losses to Kansas in 2012, Northern Colorado and Kentucky in 2013, Texas Southern and Georgia in 2014, Texas and Oklahoma State in 2016, West Virginia in 2017 and Tulsa in 2018).
Prior to allowing Texas to score 67 points on Jan. 2, K-State had held each of its last 5 opponents to 54.6 points on 37.1 percent (99-of-267) shooting, including 25 percent (32-of-128) from 3-point range. It marked just the third time since the inception of the shot clock in 1985-86 that the Wildcats held 5 straight opponents below 60 points and the first time since a 5-game stretch from Dec. 11, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009.
K-State has a 117-31 (.791) record under Weber when holding a foe to 69 points or less and a 21-53 (.284) when allowing 70 or more points.

POINTS OFF TURNOVERS

Nearly a third of K-State's total points (287/1116) this season have come off turnovers, as the Wildcats are averaging 16.9 points off 15.2 opponent mistakes per game. The team ranks 43rd nationally in turnover margin (+3.2), 80th in turnovers forced (15.2) and 102nd in steals (7.2).
The Wildcats scored 20 or more points off turnovers in 6 games, including a season-high 25 in the come-from-behind 71-69 victory over West Virginia (1/9/19). They have also put up 20 points or more off opponent turnovers against Kennesaw State (20), Denver (23), Eastern?Kentucky (24), Penn (22) and Marquette (22). The team scored 18 points off 16 Oklahoma turnovers.
K-State has scored more than 3,000 points (3,387) off turnovers during Weber's tenure, an average of 15.3 points per game. In 2017-18, the Wildcats averaged 17.3 points off turnovers, outscoring opponents, 639-423.
A?year ago, K-State ranked eighth nationally in total steals (294) and 18th in steals per game (7.9), while the school was one of just 5 nationally (Georgia State, Nicholls State, Purdue and Stephen F. Austin) with three players (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) with 40 or more steals.
Led by all-time steals leader Barry Brown, Jr., who recently broke the record with 211st steal against Vanderbilt (12/22/18), the Wildcats have 3 other players with 100 or more steals, including Kamau Stokes (113), Xavier Sneed (113) and Dean Wade (107). Sneed and Stokes now rank 10th in career steals, while Wade could also join the career Top 10.

IMPROVED REBOUNDING

One of the big emphasis in the off-season was rebounding, as the Wildcats finished 10th in the Big 12 in every rebounding categories, including overall rebounding (30.7), offensive rebounds (8.2), defensive rebounds (22.5) and rebounding margin (-3.4). The 30.7 rebounding average was the lowest by a K-State team since averaging just 30.0 per game in 1984-85.
K-State is currently averaging 35.5 rebounds per game, which is last in the Big 12, to go with averages of 9.9 offensive and 25.5 defensive rebounds per game. On the positive side, the Wildcats are allowing opponents just 31.8 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Big 12, and hold a Big 12-best 78.5 defensive rebounding percentage.
K-State has out-rebounded 12 of 17 opponents, including 3 in 5 Big 12 games. In comparison, the Wildcats out-rebounded just 10 opponents in 2017-18 in 37 games.
K-State added one of the top rebounders in the community college ranks in junior Austin Trice, as he is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game in just 9.6 minutes game. Trice ranked among the Top 10 in 4 rebounding categories in the community college ranks in 2017-18, including 4th in average (12.1 rpg.).
In addition to Trice, the entire team has collectively elevated their efforts in rebounding this season, including Dean Wade (6.2 to 7.4 rpg.), Xavier Sneed (5.1 to 5.6 rpg.), Makol Mawien (3.4 to 4.6 rpg.), Barry Brown,?Jr., (3.1 to 4.0 rpg.) and Cartier Diarra (2.5 to 3.5 rpg.).

HISTORIC COMEBACK

K-State overcame its largest deficit ever when senior Barry Brown, Jr., laid in the go-ahead bucket with 29 seconds left to cap a 50-point second half by the Wildcats in a 71-69 defeat of West Virginia (1/9/19).
K-State trailed by as many as 21 points a little more than a minute into the second half before a 17-0 run cut the deficit to 42-38 with 13:07 left. A 4-point play by junior Xavier Sneed gave the Wildcats their first lead with 2:30 remaining before the Mountaineers regained the advantage, 69-68, on a Lamont West free throw a minute later. In the final 60 seconds, Brown put the Wildcats ahead 70-69 with a layup with 29 seconds remaining.
West Virginia missed a shot in the paint with 5 seconds and Sneed came down with the rebound and was sent to the line, where he hit one free throw. The Mountaineers were unable to get a final shot up at the buzzer.
Brown led K-State behind a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 field goals and a 10-of-12 effort from the line to go with a career-tying 6 steals. It was his highest point total since scoring 34 points at Baylor on Jan. 22, 2018. In the process, he became the ninth Wildcat to eclipse 1,500 career points.
Brown was joined in double figures by a career night from sophomore Mike McGuirl, who scored a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 field goals, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while senior Kamau Stokes and Xavier Sneed added 12 and 10 points, respectively. It was McGuirl's second career double-digit scoring game and his first since the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
K-State scored its 50 points after halftime on 62.1 percent (18-of-29) shooting, including 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from 3-point range, compared to just 21 in the first half on 29.2 percent (7-of-24) shooting, including 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from long range. In addition, the Wildcats scored 25 points off 17 Mountaineers turnovers, while only turning the ball over 6 times.
It marked the second time this season that K-State had rallied from a double-digit deficit at home, as the Wildcats came from 16 points down to defeat Southern Miss, 55-51, on?Dec. 19 at home. Senior Kamau?Stokes scored 16 of his season-high 18 points in the second half.
K-State went on a 24-2 run over 8:08 in the second half to take over the game, as the Wildcats held the Golden Eagles scoreless for 5:24 during the span. The run came after scoring a season-low 19 points in the first half, the fewest points in any half since scoring 15 vs. TCU on Feb. 15, 2015.

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES

K-State is averaging a Big 12-low 65.6 points on 42.4 percent shooting (408-of-962), including 32 percent (108-of-338) from 3-point range, and 63.8 percent (192-of-301) from the free throw line. The Wildcats rank 324th among 351 Division I?teams in scoring offense, 275th in field goal percentage, 273rd in 3-point field goal percentage and 323rd in free throw percentage.
In the Big 12, K-State ranks ninth in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage and 10th in scoring offense and free throw percentage.
The Wildcats have scored 70 or more points on just 7 occasions, including a season-high 95 points in the win over Eastern Kentucky (11/16/18), while they have only connected on 45 percent from the field in 6 games and 40 percent or better from the 3-point line on 4 occasions.
With a healthy roster in the first 9 games, K-State was averaging 69.6 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 30.9 percent from 3-point range. However, when the Wildcats lost senior Dean Wade to injury against Georgia State (12/15/18) for a 6-game stretch, the squad averaged just 59.7 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from long range.

3-POINT WOES

K-State struggled from the 3-point line this season, connecting on just 32 percent (108-of-338) of its attempts from long range and averaging just 6.4 makes per game. The Wildcats rank 273rd in 3-point field goal percentage, 271st in 3-pointers attempted and 297th in 3-pointers per game.
Senior Kamau Stokes, who has knocked down 21 treys in his last 8 games played, leads with 30 made 3-pointers this season, while junior Xavier Sneed is second with 24. Senior Barry Brown, Jr., (20) and sophomore Cartier Diarra (12) are only other Wildcats with double-digit 3-pointers.
This comes on the heels of a record-setting 2017-18 season from 3-point range, in which, the Wildcats set both single-season marks for makes (254) and attempts (745), while five different players posted 30 or more 3-point field goals led by Xavier Sneed's 65 makes.
Stokes (170/7th) and Brown (151/9th) rank among the school's career Top 10 in 3-point field goals made (and attempted), while Sneed (127) and Wade (113) also have 100 makes in their careers from long range.

OFFENSIVE BALANCE KEY TO SUCCESS

Much like 2017-18, balance has been key to K-State's offensive success this season, as four players (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade, Xavier Sneed and Kamau Stokes) are averaging in double figures.
Five different players (Wade, Brown, Sneed, Stokes and Makol Mawien) have led the Wildcats in scoring, while 7 players have at least one double-digit scoring game, including 13 by Brown, 11 by Stokes, 9 by Sneed and Wade, 6 by Mawien, 3 by Cartier Diarra and 1 by Mike McGuirl.
Since Weber took over in 2012-13, K-State has posted a 58-19 (.750) record when four or more players score in double figures, including a 6-1 mark in 2018-19. The Wildcats are 12-4 when Mawien scores in double digits, while the team is 10-3 (8-2 in 2017-18) when Diarra reaches double-digits.

GAME OF RUNS

K-State's use of runs have been particularly effective this season, as the Wildcats have totaled 39 runs of at least 7 or more points, including 23 runs of 10 or more points. The team posted five such runs in the win over Georgia State (12/15/18), including runs of 8-0, 16-4, 13-2, 12-0 and 9-1, while they produced the biggest run (24-2) in the comeback win over Southern Miss (12/19/18), which was the largest comeback before the West Virginia game. The team had a 17-0 run to close the gap against the Mountaineers.
The Paradise Jam was a tournament of runs for K-State, as the Wildcats put together decisive runs, particularly at the end of the first half, en route to double-digit wins against Eastern Kentucky (11/16/18), Penn (11/18/18) and Missouri (11/19/18) in the title game.
K-State had runs of 12-2 and 20-6 against EKU to take control, while the Wildcats erupted for a 17-2 run right before halftime against Penn then had another 14-4 run to break it back open after the Quakers had closed to within 6 points. Against Missouri, the squad scored 20 of the next 22 points after a 27-all tie then used a 10-4 spurt to push the lead back out to 19 points.
In addition, K-State used a 21-7 to jump out ahead of Vanderbilt (12/22/18) en route to building a 22-point lead in the second half, while the Wildcats had 17-0 and 20-8 runs in the comeback against West Virginia (1/9/19) and ended the Iowa State (1/12/19) game on a 10-2 run.

BROWN HAS 2 GAME WINNERS; NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Senior Barry Brown, Jr., earned Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time on Monday after posting the game-winners in K-State's victories over West Virginia and No. 20/21 Iowa State last week.
Brown averaged 26 points on 52.9 percent shooting (18-of-34) and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line to go with 3.0 steals, 2.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds in 37.0 minutes per game in the two wins. He was particularly impressive in the second half in the two victories, scoring 38 of his 52 points (19.0 points average) on 53.8 percent shooting (14-of-26).
Brown helped K-State engineer a school-record 21-point comeback in the victory over the Mountaineers. He scored a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 field goals and 10-of-12 free throws to go with a career-tying 6 steals, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 rebound in 38 minutes. He scored 20 of his 29 points (on 7-of-10 field goals) in the second half, including the game-winning lay-up with 29 seconds. His 6 steals tied for the second-most in a conference game.
Brown continued his impressive week in helping K-State win back-to-back games at Hilton Coliseum, as he scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-20 field goals to go with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 36 minutes. Much like WVU, he did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 18 points of the Wildcats' last 21 points, including the game-winning lay-up with 4 seconds.

MORE ON BROWN

Senior Barry Brown, Jr., registered a significant milestone in the win over Vanderbilt (12/22/18), becoming the school's all-time steals leader with 3 against the Commodores to eclipse Jacob Pullen (210, 2007-11). Brown now has 221 career steals in 122 games played.
Brown places among several career offensive records, including 5th in field goals attempted (1,329), 7th in field goals made (551), 3-point field goals attempted (465), double-digit scoring games (76), 8th in scoring (1,551), 9th in 3-point field goals made (151) and assists (298). He is closing in on the Top 10 in free throws made (298) and attempted (423).
Brown also ranks among the leaders in games played, as his streak of 122 consecutive games and 100 straight starts both rank fourth in school history. He is also third in career minutes played (3,859), needing 616 to pass Steve Henson (4,474; 1987-90). He has a chance to eclipse the school record of 135 set by Jacob Pullen (2007-11) and Rodney McGruder (2009-13).

WADE COMES BACK

Senior Dean Wade made his return to the court in the win over No. 20/21 Iowa State (1/12/19), scoring 2 points and grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds in 22 minutes. He had missed the previous 6 games due to a foot injury that occurred in the second half vs. Georgia State (12/15/18). In just his second game back, he posted just his second 20-point game of the season in the win over No. 20/19 Oklahoma on Wednesday on 8-of-14 field goals.
Although a different injury, Wade has been through the injury process before, as he was injured in the 2018 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, which caused him to miss most of the NCAA?Tournament run to the Elite Eight.

STOKES ECLIPSES 1,000 CAREER POINTS

With 20 points against George Mason (12/29/18), senior Kamau Stokes became the 30th player to post 1,000 points and joined fellow seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade in achieving the milestone. The trio became the first class in school history to each top 1,000 career points in a career.
Brown (1,551 points) and Wade (1,331 points) each eclipsed the mark as juniors and currently rank 8th and 11th, respectively, on the all-time scoring list, while Stokes ranks 24th with 1,049 points.
Stokes already ranks in the career Top 10 for both 3-point field goals made (170/7th) and attempted (494/6th), while he ranks fifth with 360 assists and is one of just eight players in school history with 300 or more assists.

DON'T?FORGET?SNEED

With all the attention paid to the three seniors, the accomplishments of junior Xavier Sneed have somehow been overlooked. The St. Louis native enjoyed a career best year in 2017-18, averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.4 minutes per game while starting all 37 games.
Since missing the opener with Kennesaw State (11/9), Sneed has scored in double figures in 9 of the last 16 games, including a season-high 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting against Eastern Kentucky (11/16/18).
Sneed collected his second career double-double and first of the season at Tulsa (12/8/18), posting a team-best 13 points to go with 10 rebounds.

WELCOME GOODNEWS

K-State got some unexpected "good news" on New Year's Eve when recent signee Goodnews Kpegeol joined the team and filled the 13th and final scholarship for the reminder of the 2018-19 season.
An NCAA?qualifier prior to enrolling at TaylorMade Academy in Pensacola, Florida for the 2018-19, Kpegeol is immediately eligible after enrolling for the spring semester and has been cleared to play by the NCAA. He is expected to redshirt the reminder of the season.
A 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard from St. Paul, Minnesota, Kpegeol spent the first half of the 2018-19 season as a postgraduate at TaylorMade after finishing his four-year prep career at North High School. He led the Polars to the Class 4A State Tournament for the first time in 17 years as a sophomore in 2015-16 before the school to a 22-5 record with a 15-1 mark in conference play as a senior in 2017-18. He averaged a team-best 18.2 points in 19 games played as a senior, which included nine 20-point games.

K-STATE WINS PARADISE JAM; FIRST TITLE SINCE 2011

Included in K-State's 6-0 start to season was a 3-game sweep to win the 19^th annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., Nov. 16-19, as the Wildcats knocked off Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67).
The tournament championship marked the 14^th in school history and the first since winning the 2011 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i. It was also the sixth career tournament title for head coach Bruce Weber and his first with the Wildcats.
Senior Dean Wade was named the tournament's most valuable player after averaging 17.3 points on 61.8 percent (21-of-34) shooting with 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games, including a team-high 21 points in the title game against the Tigers, while fellow senior Barry Brown, Jr., was one of five players selected as Paradise Jam Tournament All-Stars.

MORE ABOUT K-STATE

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

'CATS EARN PRESEASON RANKINGS

K-State opened the 2018-19 season in the Top 15 in both major polls, as the Wildcats earned a No. 11 ranking in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll to go with a No. 12 ranking in the preseason Associated Press poll.
It marks the first time that K-State has started with preseason rankings in both polls since the 2010-11 campaign when the school opened at No. 3 in the AP and USA Today Coaches polls.
K-State appeared in the Preseason AP poll for the 17th time in school history, while it was the highest preseason ranking since starting the 2010-11 campaign at No. 3. It was also the 12th time debuting in the AP Top 15 (1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1975-76 and 2010-11).
The Wildcats have received several preseason rankings, including No. 11 by NBCSports.com, Yahoo! Sports, Street & Smith's, Lindy's and Athlon, No. 12 by ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Stadium, No. 13 by The Athletic, Blue Ribbon Yearbook and No. 14 by SI.com.
K-State was one of four Big 12 teams to place in both Top 25 polls, as Kansas was the unanimous No. 1 team. West Virginia was No. 13 in both polls, while TCU was ranked No. 20 (Coaches) and No. 21 (AP), respectively.

'CATS PICKED SECOND IN BIG 12 PLAY; WADE NAMED PRESEASON POY

K-State was picked to finish second by the league coaches in the annual Big 12 Preseason poll released on Oct. 19, as the Wildcats received 72 points and two first-place votes. Kansas was selected first, while West Virginia, TCU and Texas rounded out the Top 5.
The second-place selection was the second-highest by a K-State team in the history of the poll, following the 2010-11 team which was picked to finish first with 119 points. In fact, the Wildcats have been picked to finish fifth or better on just six other occasions in the poll, including fourth in 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2014-15 and fifth in 2006-07, 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Senior Dean Wade became just the second Wildcat to ever be selected the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year by the league coaches, while Wade and Barry Brown, Jr., were both named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. The duo was joined on the team by Kansas' Dedric Lawson, Iowa State's Lindell Wigginton and West Virginia's Sagaba Konate.
Wade's selection marked the second time that a K-State player has been named the preseason Player of the Year and the first since Jacob Pullen in 2010-11. It also was just the second time that two Wildcats appeared on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, following Pullen and Curtis Kelly in 2010-11. Wade and Brown are just the sixth and seventh players in school history to earn recognition to the Preseason All-Big 12 (since 1996-97), following Manny Dies in 1998-99, Kelly and Pullen in 2010-11, Rodney McGruder in 2012-13 and Marcus Foster in 2014-15.

NEXT UP: 8/9 TEXAS TECH (15-2, 4-1 BIG 12)

K-State concludes its 2-game homestand on Tuesday, as the Wildcats play host to No. 8/9 Texas Tech (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT. The Red Raiders hung on for a 63-57 win over the Wildcats at home on Jan. 5 and have won 5 of the last 6 meetings in the series, including a 66-47 victory in their last visit to Bramlage Coliseum on?Feb. 10, 2018.

Game Preview // K-State, TCU Battle Saturday on Legends Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Goodnews Kpegeol

Makol Mawien

Mike McGuirl

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Austin Trice

Dean Wade

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State, TCU Battle Saturday on Legends Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Goodnews Kpegeol

Makol Mawien

Mike McGuirl

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Austin Trice

Dean Wade

Related Videos