Game Preview // K-State, Pitt Face Off in Fort Myers Tipoff Semifinals Monday

GAME 5
KANSAS STATE (4-0) vs. PITTSBURGH (4-2)
Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loan Fort Myers Tipoff
Semifinal Rounds
Monday, November 25, 2019 >> 5 p.m. CT >> Suncoast Credit Union Arena (3,500) >> Fort Myers, Fla.

TELEVISION
FS1

Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play)
Bill Raftery (analyst)
Casey Carter (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Online: TuneIn.com [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]
Satellite Radio: XM 386/Internet 976

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

LIVE STATS
www.fortmyerstipoff.com
fortmyersmedia.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
www.fortmyerstipoff.com/Tickets
Single Game: $20/$35/$65/$85

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 467-244/22^nd season
At K-State: 154-89/8^th season
vs. Pittsburgh: 0-1 (0-1 at neutral site)

Pittsburgh: Jeff Capel III (Duke '97)
Overall: 180-131/11^th season
At Pittsburgh: 18-21/2^nd season
vs. Kansas State: 1-4 (0-0 at neutral site)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (4-0)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #34 Levi Stockard III
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Pittsburgh (4-2)
G: #1 Xavier Johnson
G: #2 Trey McGowens
G: #24 Ryan Murphy
F: #11 Justin Champagnie
F: #21 Terrell Brown

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Pittsburgh leads 1-0
Current Streak: Pittsburgh, 1
In Fort Myers: First meeting
At Suncoast Credit Union Arena: First meeting
Last Meeting: L, 47-70 [11/26/14 in Maui, Hawai'i]
Weber vs. Capel III: First meeting

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (4-0) heads south for the Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans Fort Myers Tipoff this coming week, as Wildcats begin the semifinal round against ACC foe Pittsburgh (4-2) at 5 p.m., CT on Monday, Nov. 25 at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. The winner will face either Bradley (4-1) or Northwestern (2-2) in the championship game on?Wednesday night, as the Braves and Wildcats will play in the second semifinal game at 7:30 p.m., CT?on Monday. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m., CT on Wednesday, while the third-place game is slated for 5 p.m., CT. All games will be broadcast nationally on?FS1.
This will mark just the second year for the Fort Myers Tipoff, as Boston?College won the inaugural championship with a 78-66 win over Loyola Chicago on Nov. 21, 2018 in a tournament that included Richmond and Wyoming. This will mark the third in-season tournament appearance for the Wildcats in the state of Florida, following the Capital City Classic in Tallahassee, Fla., on Dec. 29-30, 1994 and the Advocare Invitational (formerly Old Spice Classic) on Nov. 22-25, 2007. K-State, which won the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam last season with wins over Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67), looks to win in-season tournaments in back-to-back years for the first time since claiming three in a row (Hawai'i Nike Festival, Capital City Classic and Otis Spunkmeyer Classic) from 1993-95.
K-State has a 21-8 (.724) record in regular-season tournaments under head coach Bruce Weber, winning the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in 2018 and advancing to the tournament finals on three other occasions, including the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off (losing to No. 4 Michigan, 71-57), 2015 CBE?Hall of Fame Classic (losing to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70) and the 2016 Barclays Center Classic (losing to Maryland, 69-68). The team has also participated in the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off (1-2 record), 2014 Maui Invitational (1-2 record) and 2017 Las Vegas Invitational (3-1).
K-State captured its first in-season tournament title at the 2018 Paradise Jam since winning the 2011 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The Wildcats have also won tournament championships in 1990 (BMA?Holiday?Classic), 1993 (Hawai'i Nike Festival), 1994 (Capital City Classic), 1995 (Otis Spunkmeyer Classic) and 2006 (Las Vegas Holiday Classic). Overall, the school has a 129-78 (.623) all-time record in 76 in-season tournaments dating to the program's first season in 1905, most of which came in the Big Six/Seven/Eight Holiday Tournament that ran in Kansas City from 1943 to 1978 and involved mostly members of the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight.
K-State is off to a 4-0 start for the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in eight seasons under head coach Bruce Weber, as the Wildcats rallied for the fourth consecutive game in the second half to defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-51. Tied at 27-all at the half, the team took the lead for good with an 11-2 run midway through the second half spurred by 5 consecutive points from senior Xavier Sneed, who scored 12 of his team-high 21 points after halftime to go with a team-best 6 rebounds.

NOTES ON PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh (4-2) has won 2 in a row (Monmouth and Arkansas-Pine Bluff) since dropping a 68-53 decision to rival West Virginia at home on Nov. 15. The Panthers opened the season with an impressive 63-61 win over ACC foe Florida State on Nov. 6 before splitting games with Nicholls State (70-75) at home on Nov. 9 and at Robert Morris (71-57) on Nov. 12.
Pittsburgh is averaging 64.3 points on 39.6 percent shooting, including 27.6 percent from 3-point range, with 36.2 rebounds, 12.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.8 blocks per game, while allowing 58.7 points on 38.1 percent shooting, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range. The team has connected on 69.1 percent from the free throw line.
A balanced team with four players (Trey McGowens, Ryan Murphy, Justin Champagnie and Xavier Johnson) averaging in double figures led by McGowens, who is averaging a team-best 12.3 points on 42.3 percent shooting to go with 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes per game. Murphy, the junior college transfer, has knocked down a team-best 11 treys and averages 11.7 points per game. Champagnie (10.8 ppg.) and Johnson (10.3 ppg.) are both averaging better than 10 points per game, while Champagnie leads in rebounding (5.7 ppg.) and Johnson in assists (5.2 apg.). Junior Terrell Brown (6.7 ppg.) paces the the team with 12 blocks.
Pittsburgh returns eight lettermen, including four starters, from a team that posted a 14-19 overall record, including a 3-15 mark in ACC play, in head coach Jeff Capel III's first season.
Capel enters his 11th season as a head coach in 2019-20 with an 180-131 overall record, including an 18-19 mark in his second season at Pittsburgh. He has also been a head coach at VCU (2002-06) and Oklahoma (2006-11).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Pittsburgh will meet for just the second time on Monday night. The Panthers posted a 70-47 victory in the consolation game of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 26, 2014 under current TCU coach Jamie Dixon, as the squad connected on 55.3 percent from the field.
This will be the second meeting for head coach Bruce Weber against Pittsburgh following that 2014 loss. Head coach Jeff Capel III is 1-4 all-time against K-State dating back to his five-year stint at Oklahoma.
K-State is 14-21 all-time against teams with the ACC, including 8-15 at neutral sites. The Wildcats have won 2 in a row against ACC opponents on neutral courts, including a 72-54 win over Boston?College in the semifinals of the Barclays Center Classic on Nov. 25, 2016 in Brooklyn and the First Four win over Wake Forest, 95-88, on March 14, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio.

UP NEXT: BRADLEY/NORTHWESTERN

K-State will play either Bradley (4-1) or Northwestern (2-2) on Wednesday night in either the third-place game (5 p.m., CT) or the championship game (7:30 p.m., CT). Both games will be broadcast on?FS1.

BRADLEY (4-1)

Bradley has rebounded to win four consecutive games (IUPUI, UIC, Norfolk State and Radford) after dropping its opener at Saint Joseph's (81-86). Five players are averaging in double figures led by Darrell Brown (13.8 ppg.).
K-State leads the all-time series with Bradley, 3-2, with wins in its last three meetings (1995, 1996, 2014) with the Braves.

NORTHWESTERN (2-2)

Northwestern rebounded from its opening loss to Merrimack in a big way with a 72-63 win over Providence on Nov. 13 in a Gavitt Games matchup at home. The Wildcats have since split home games with Radford (56-67) and Norfolk State (70-59). Three players are averaging in double figures led by Pete Nance (15.3 ppg.).
Northwestern leads the all-time series with K-State, 2-1, after sweeping a home-and-home series with the Wildcats in 2001 and 2002.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 62, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF 51

Senior Xavier Sneed scored 12 of his team-high 21 points after halftime, as K-State once again used a second-half rally to earn a 62-51 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff to close out a homestand on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
Tied at 27-all at the half after allowing the Golden Lions to score 7 of the last 9 points of the first half, K-State took the lead for good from UAPB with an 11-2 run midway through the second half spurred by 5 consecutive points from Sneed for a 40-31 lead at the 11:13 mark. After the Lions clawed to 40-35 on back-to-back baskets, the Wildcats used a 19-7 run over the next 6 minutes to finally break free for a 59-42 advantage with 3:46 to play.
K-State has had to use second-half rallies in each of its first four games after averaging just 21 points on 32.1 percent (36-of-112) shooting, including 11.6 percent (5-of-43) from 3-point range, in the first half. The Wildcats have responded after halftime, averaging 41.5 points on 50 percent (55-of-110) shooting in the second half.
Sneed led K-State in scoring for the third consecutive game, as he posted his fifth career 20-point game with a team-high 21 points on 6-of-12 field goals, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. He was joined in double figures by fellow senior Makol Mawien, who registered 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting. Three others (Antonio Gordon, DaJuan Gordon and Cartier Diarra) added 9, 8 and 7 points each, while Diarra eclipsed his career-high in assists for the third consecutive game with a game-high 8.
Diarra has the most assists (27) by a Wildcat through the first four games of a season, eclipsing the mark of 24 by Tim Jankovich in 1981-82.
The Lions, which connected on 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field in the first half, hit on 38.5 percent (10-of-26) in the second half. They became the fourth straight opponent to not reach 60 points against the stingy Wildcat defense, which is allowing just 53.8 points on 36.5 percent shooting this year.
K-State forced UAPB into 19 turnovers, converting those miscues into 20 points. For the game, the Wildcats connected on 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the field, including 34.8 percent (8-of-23) from 3-point range, and shot just 56 percent (14-of-25) from the line. The team, which turned it over 16 times, relied on their defense to allow the Lions just 6 points on those turnovers.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

K-State has a 108-6 (.946) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST?Bank Arena in Wichita and the Sprint Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 99-5 (.952) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Wildcats have won 95 of their last 99 non-conference home games, including a 32-game winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum. The last home non-conference loss came against Georgia, 50-46, on Dec. 31, 2014.
K-State has posted a 144-36 (.800) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season, which includes a 10-3 (.769) mark in 2018-19. The team has posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 years.
Since going 7-6 in non-conference in 2014-15, which included back-to-back losses to Texas Southern and Georgia, the Wildcats has won double-digit non-conference games each of the past four seasons and is 47-9 (.839) in non-conference play since the start of 2015-16 season.

K-STATE HAS?HAD?SUCCESS IN IN-SEASON?TOURNAMENTS

K-State has registered a 129-78 (.623) all-time record in regular-season tournament play, which encompasses 76 tournaments dating back to school's first in-season tournament (Glasco Tournament) in 1905. The Wildcats have played in an in-season tournament every year since 2006-07.
Many of these tournament appearances came in the Big Six/Seven/Eight Holiday Tournament, which ran from 1943 to 1978 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium and Kemper Arena (Hy-Vee Arena). The Wildcats posted a 68-34 (.667) all-time mark in the Big Six/Seven/Eight Tournament, winning titles in 1947, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1961 and 1963.
K-State has a 61-44 (.581) record in other in-season tournaments in its history, winning seven tournament titles, including the Kansas Tournament in Lawrence in 1959, the BMA Holiday Classic in Kansas City in 1990, the Hawai'i Nike Festival in Honolulu in 1993, the Capital City Classic in Tallahassee in 1994, the Otis Spunkmeyer Classic in Oakland in 1995, the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu in 2011 and the Paradise Jam in 2018.
K-State has a 21-8 (.724) record in regular-season tournaments under head coach Bruce Weber, winning the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam and advancing to the tournament finals in three other tournaments. In his career, Weber's teams have won six in-season tournament titles, including the 2004 Las Vegas Invitational (Illinois), 2005 and 2008 South?Padre Island Invitational (Illinois), 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge (Illinois), 2011 Cancun Challenge (Illinois) and 2018 Paradise Jam (K-State).

REGULAR?SEASON?TOURNAMENTS UNDER?BRUCE?WEBER

2012 NIT?Season Tip-Off (New York, N.Y.)

def.?Delaware, 66-63; lost to No. 4 Michigan, 71-57

2013 Puerto Rico Tio-Off (San Juan, P.R.)

lost to Charlotte, 68-61; lost to Georgetown, 90-63; def. LBSU, 52-38

2014 Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawai'i)

def. Purdue, 88-79; lost to No. 3 Arizona, 72-68; lost to Pittsburgh, 70-47

2015 CBE?Hall of Fame Classic (Kansas City, Mo.)

def. Missouri, 66-42; lost to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70

2016 Barclays Center Classic (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

def. Boston College, 72-54; lost to Maryland, 69-68

2017 Las Vegas Invitational (Las Vegas, Nev.)

lost to Arizona State, 92-90; def. George Washington, 67-59

2018 Paradise Jam (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.)

def. Eastern Kentucky (95-68), Penn (64-48) and Missouri (82-67)

LEADING WITH DEFENSE

K-State continued its reputation as one of the top defensive teams in the country under head coach Bruce Weber to start the season, holding its first three opponents to a Big 12-best 53.8 points on 36.5 percent shooting (76-of-208), including 27.3 percent (24-of-88) from 3-point range.
K-State has held 22 of its last 38 opponents to 60 points or less with just two eclipsing 70. The squad has held 91 opponents to 60 points or less in Bruce Weber's tenure, boasting an 83-8 mark in those contests.
K-State had one of the top defensive teams in the country in 2018-19, holding opponents to 59.6 points on 41.5 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 14.8 turnovers per game and averaging 7.5 steals per game. The Wildcats ranked among the nation's best in a number of defensive categories, including fourth in scoring defense, 16th in turnover margin (+3.5), 36th in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 43rd in total steals (256) and 48th in steals per game. The squad led the Big 12 in steals and turnover margin, while was second in scoring defense and rebounding defense (32.1) and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
The 59.6 points per game average was the lowest opponent scoring average since the introduction of the shot clock in 1985-86, surpassing the 60.4 points per game average in 2012-13, while it was the sixth-lowest all-time and the lowest since the 1982-83 team allowed 58.4 points per game. Only eight other teams (1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1961-62, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83) allowed less than 60 points per game in school history.
K-State held foes to an average of 14.5 points under their average in 2018-19, including a 14.6 average in Big 12 play. Eleven opponents (6 Big 12 foes) were held to 20 or more points under their average, most notably Texas Tech (26.6), TCU?(25.4 and 23.5), Iowa State (24.3) and OSU?(21.8).
In Big 12 play, K-State allowed 59.6 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting, including 33.8 percent from 3-point range. It is the school's lowest defensive scoring average in a Big 12 season and a tie for the ninth best in a conference season and the lowest since 1961-62. The Wildcats held Big 12 opponents (Iowa State, TCU [twice], Texas Tech, Oklahoma State [twice], West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma) to 60 points or less on 9 occasions.
In the 58-45 win over No. 14/13 Texas Tech last season, the Wildcat defense had their most impressive effort, holding the Red Raiders to the fewest by a conference foe under Weber and the fewest since 2003.

FIRST HALF VS. SECOND HALF

K-State has had a unique start to the season, having trailed or been tied in all four games before rallying in the second half to win each game. It marks the first time in more than two decades that the Wildcats have rallied from halftime deficits in three consecutive games and the first time in recorded history in the first three games of the season.
The Wildcats have almost been two different teams from the first half to the second half, averaging 21 points on 32.1 percent (36-of-112) shooting, including 11.6 percent (5-of-43) from 3-point range, in the opening half to averaging 41.5 points on 50.0 percent (55-of-110) shooting, including 39 percent (16-of-41) from long range, after halftime. The team has scored 21, 16, 20 and 27 in the first half before posting 46, 44, 53 and 35 in the second half. The team nearly had as many points vs. Monmouth in the second half (53) as they have had in the first two games combined in the first half (57).
Not only is the scoring different from each half, the team has taken better care of the ball with 39 assists (to 22 turnovers) in the second half compared to 19 assists (to 32 turnovers) in the first half. Six players - Xavier Sneed (37), Cartier Diarra (36), Makol Mawien (25), Levi Stockard III (17), DaJuan Gordon (12) and Antonio Gordon (11)- have totaled double-digit points in the second half, compared to just four in the first half.
No player more exemplifies this than Diarra, who is averaging 9.0 points on 40.7 percent (11-of-27) shooting, including 30 percent (3-of-10) from 3-point range, in the second half with 15 assists and 5 turnovers. He is averaging just 3.5 points on 30.4 percent (7-of-23), including missing all 10 3-point field goal attempts, in the first half with 11 assists and 6 turnovers. Others with big jumps include Sneed (5.8 points to 9.3 points) and fellow senior Makol Mawien (3.3 points to 6.3 points).
There has been greater flip from first half to second half than the win over Monmouth on Nov. 13. K-State scored just 20 points in the opening half on 28.6 percent (8-of-28) shooting, including missing all 10 3-point attempts, with just 3 assists (with 8 turnovers) on its 8 made field goals.
In the second half, the Wildcats flipped a 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with under 14 minutes to play behind a 37-6 run. Overall, the team scored 53 points after halftime on 64.3 percent (18-of-28) shooting, including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point range, with 14 assists (on just 5 turnovers) on its 18 made field goals. The 53 points were the most second-half points since scoring 58 vs. Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 16, 2018.

SCORING INSIDE THE 3-POINT LINE

With its struggles from the 3-point line to start the year, K-State is getting much of its scoring from inside the arc. Of the 262 points scored so far, 144 have come from 2-point field goals, including 122 inside the paint.
The Wildcats are connecting on 50.7 percent (72-of-142) inside the 3-point line compared to just 25.6 percent (22-of-86) from 3-point range.
The 122 points in the paint through the first four games are the most since scoring 138 in the first four games of the 2015-16 season.

DIARRA PROVING TO BE A SOLID PG

Junior Cartier Diarra is proving to be a solid point guard for the Wildcats, averaging 12.5 points on 35.3 percent (18-of-51) shooting with 6.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.6 minutes per game. He has led the team in assists in four consecutive games to start the season.
Diarra's 27 assists are the most by a Wildcat in the first four games since assists began being kept in 1976-77, surpassing the previous four-game high of 24 done by (current SMU?head coach) Tim Jankovich in 1981-82.
Diarra was the only player to score in double figures in the first two games, including a career-best 23 points in the season opener against North Dakota State on Nov. 5, connecting on 8-of-21 field goals, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range, and went a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 32 minutes. He followed that with 12 points before fouling out in the overtime win at UNLV on Nov. 9.
Although he struggled shooting the ball against Monmouth on Nov. 13, Diarra made up for it with an all-around effort, which included a career-best 7 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds to go with 8 points in 32 minutes.

SNEED GETTING HOT

Senior Xavier Sneed has led the Wildcats in scoring in each of the last three games, averaging 18.3 points on 42.5 percent shooting in wins against UNLV, Monmouth and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, after struggling with just 9 points in the opener against North Dakota State on Nov. 5.
Sneed scored a then season-high 19 points in the overtime win over the Runnin' Rebels, including the go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds left, then followed that up with a 15-point effort in the win over Monmouth on Nov. 13 before posting his season-high of 21 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

HUGE SECOND-HALF, 37-6 RUN LIFTS K-STATE PAST MONMOUTH

Kansas State scored 53 points on 64.3 percent shooting after halftime, as the Wildcats used another second-half rally to pull away from Monmouth, 73-54, on Nov. 13 at Bramlage Coliseum. The 53 second-half points were the most since scoring 58 against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 16, 2018.
Down 29-20 at the half to Monmouth after shooting just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field, including 0-of-10 from 3-point range, the Wildcats scored the first 9 points of the second half en route to a 37-6 combined run over the first 14 minutes of the half. The run enabled the squad to flip the 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with 5:56 to play. Six players scored in the pivotal stretch, including 9 by senior Makol Mawien and seven each by senior Xavier Sneed and freshman Montavious Murphy.
Sneed led the way in scoring for the second straight game with 15 points on 5-of-10 field goals to go with a career-tying 5 steals and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes. Mawien nearly had his second double-double of the season with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting and a team-high 9 rebounds in 17 minutes. Three others – Murphy and juniors Cartier Diarra and David Sloan – each had 8 points, as Diarra added a career-high 7 assists and 4 steals.
K-State registered 17 steals on the night, which were the third-most in school history and the most since team tied the program record with 19 steals in a win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2017.
The Wildcats finished the game at 46.4 percent (26-of-56), including 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from 3-point range, and converted on 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the free throw line. The team set or tied season-highs in a number of categories, including points (73), field goals (26), field goal percentage (46.4), assists (17), points in the paint (38) and fast-break points (22).

'CATS EARN FIRST OVERTIME ROAD WIN SINCE 2015

Senior Xavier Sneed scored a season-high 19 points, including 4 of the team's last 6 points in overtime, to help propel K-State to a 60-56 come-from-behind victory at UNLV on Nov. 9 at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Playing in their first overtime in more than a year, the Wildcats went back and forth with the Runnin' Rebels in the extra session before a jumper by Sneed with 28 seconds left gave the team the lead for good at 56-54. A deflection off a missed shot by senior Amauri Hardy went the way of K-State with 18 seconds, and junior Mike McGuirl calmly sank a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 58-54 with 13 seconds remaining.
Freshman DaJuan Gordon blocked a desperation 3-pointer by junior Jonah Antonio on the next Rebel possession with 7 seconds to play and Sneed finished off the Wildcat scoring with two free throws for a 60-54 lead with 4 seconds. A lay-up Hardy at the buzzer closed the scoring at 60-56.
Playing in their earliest road game in school history, the Wildcats claimed their first non-conference true road victory in close to two years, snapping a 3-game losing streak, and earned their first overtime victory in a road venue since a 66-63 win at No. 16 Oklahoma on Jan. 10, 2015.

'CATS WIN OPENER AGAIN

K-State opened the season with a hard-fought 67-54 win over preseason Summit League favorite North Dakota State on Nov. 5. Behind the play of junior Cartier Diarra who scored a career-high 23 points, the Wildcats used a second-half resurgence to break open a tight game.
K-State is now 91-25 (.784) all-time in season openers dating to the first season in 1903, including a 79-9 (.898) mark at home. The Wildcats have a 26-2 (.929) record in season openers played at Bramlage Coliseum. Overall, the team is now 28-4 (.875) at Bramlage Coliseum in home openers. Head coach Bruce Weber is now 7-1 (.875) in season openers at K-State.
It marked the first time the school has opened a season against an NCAA?Tournament opponent in nearly 20 seasons (an 88-69 loss at Arizona on Nov. 16, 1999) and the first time at home since hosting Purdue (with then head coach and K-State alum Gene Keady and assistant coach Bruce Weber) in the first-ever game at Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 26, 1988.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 381-118 (.763) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 381 wins are the most at a home venue for the Wildcats, surpassing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88). It is the school's third home venue.
K-State has registered a 181-38 (.826) record at home over the past 14 seasons, including a 79-33 (.705) mark in Big 12 play. The 181 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 79 league victories at home are only surpassed by Kansas and Texas. In all, the program has earned double-digit victories in 26 of its 31 seasons in the arena, including a current streak of 18 straight seasons.
K-State has a 241-61 (.797) record at home, including a 141-10 (.933) mark in non-conference action, since the 2001-02 season for an average of just over 13 home wins (13.3) per season in that span.
Head coach Bruce Weber has tallied a 97-22 (.814) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State in 2012-13 with non-conference home losses to Northern?Colorado (2013), Texas Southern (2014) and Georgia (2014). The 22 losses (19 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a grand total of 174 points or just 7.9 points per game.

A LOOK AT THE 32 STRAIGHT NON-CONFERENCE WINS AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

A closer look at K-State's current 32-game non-conference winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum, which dates to the start of the 2015-16 season. The Wildcats have won by an average of more than 17 points per game.

11/13/15 -- Maryland-Eastern Shore, 80-53
11/16/15 -- Columbia, 81-71
11/20/15 -- South Dakota, 93-72
11/29/15 -- South Carolina State, 68-66
12/9/15 -- Coppin State, 83-58
12/22/16 -- North Dakota, 63-49
12/29/16 -- Saint Louis, 75-47
1/30/16 -- Ole Miss, 69-64 (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
11/11/16 -- Western Illinois, 82-55
11/15/16 -- Omaha, 81-68
11/20/16 -- Hampton, 89-67
11/22/16 -- Robert Morris, 61-40
11/30/16 -- Green Bay, 80-61
12/6/16 -- Prairie View A&M, 74-55
12/21/16 -- Gardner-Webb, 67-54
11/10/17 -- American, 83-45
11/14/17 -- UMKC, 72-51
11/17/17 -- UC Irvine, 71-49
11/20/17 -- Northern Arizona, 80-58
11/29/17 -- Oral Roberts, 77-68
12/5/17 -- USC?Upstate, 86-49
12/16/17 -- SE?Missouri State, 89-71
1/27/18 -- Georgia, 56-51 (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
11/9/18 -- Kennesaw State, 56-41
11/12/18 -- Denver, 64-56
11/24/18 -- Lehigh, 77-58
12/15/18 -- Georgia State, 71-59
12/19/18 -- Southern Miss, 55-51
12/29/18 -- George Mason, 59-58
11/5/19 – North Dakota State, 67-54
11/13/19 – Monmouth, 73-54
11/19/19 – Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-51

FOUR PREP STANDOUTS HIGHLIGHT K-STATE'S 2020 CLASS

K-State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of four prep standouts to highlight the start of the Fall National Signing Period on Wednesday (November 13) with the additions of Davion Bradford (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville), Luke Kasubke (St. Louis, Mo./Chaminade), Selton Miguel (Orlando, Fla./West Oaks Academy) and Nijel Pack (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central).
The four-man class is a Top 25 class nationally by several recruiting services, ranking No. 16 by 247Sports.com, No. 20 by Rivals.com and No. 22 by ESPN. It is the highest rated recruiting class under Weber and the highest collective class by K-State since recruiting rankings have been kept. All four players are rated among the Top 200 players nationally, while each is a member of the Rivals150.
The class ties for the largest Fall Signing Class in the Weber era and it includes players from three states (Florida, Indiana and Missouri) at four different positions (point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward).

DAVION BRADFORD (DAVE-eh-on)
7-0 // 250 // PF
St. Louis, Mo. (Mehlville)

Helped Mehlville High School to a 23-8 overall record, including a 6-0 mark in league play, as a junior in 2018-19 for head coach Andy Guethle... Led the Panthers to their first sectional title since 1997.
Selected to the MBCA Class 5A All-State team in 2018-19.
Averaged a double-double as a junior, leading the team in both scoring (16.5 ppg.) and rebounding (11.0 rpg.), while averaging 2.48 blocks per game... Connected on 69 percent shooting (216-of-313) from the field.
Led the team in 9 categories, including field goals made and attempted, rebounds (341), offensive (140) and defensive (201) boards and blocks (77).
Scored in double figures in 28 of 31 games played as a junior, including 9 games of at least 20 points... Scored a season-high 32 points.

LUKE KASUBKE (KAH-soup-KEY)
6-5 // 185 // SG
St. Louis, Mo. (Chaminade)

Has helped Chaminade High School to a 62-24 overall record the past three seasons, including consecutive 24+ win seasons as a freshman (2016-17) and sophomore (2017-18) for head coach Frank Bennett.
Ranked 10th in scoring in the St. Louis area as a junior in 2018-19, averaging a team-best 22.3 points on 47.2 percent (197-of-417) shooting.

SELTON MIGUEL (SELL-ton)
6-4 // 195 // SG
Orlando, Fla. (West Oaks Academy)

Has helped West Oaks Academy to 48 wins over the past two seasons, including a 23-13 record and 9-1 mark in district play as a junior in 2018-19.
Selected Third Team All-State by the Orlando Sentinel in 2018-19.
Averaged a team-best 17.9 points on 50.8 percent, including 45.2 percent from 3-point range, with 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.6 assists per game.

NIJEL PACK (like Nigel)
6-0 // 165 // PG
Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central)

Has helped Lawrence Central High School to a 48-23 record the past three seasons, raising the win total from 10 to 16 to 22 wins for head coach Albert Gooden... Guided the Bears to a 22-4 overall record as a junior in 2018-19.
Selected to the Indianapolis Star's 2019 Indiana Junior All-Star Team.
Averaged a team-best16.5 points on 52.4 percent (152-of-290) shooting, including 43.2 percent (58-of-134) from 3-point range, to go with 4.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as a junior in 2018-19.

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

The Wildcats return nine lettermen, including four players (Xavier Sneed, Makol Mawien, Cartier Diarra and Mike McGuirl) who registered starts, in 2019-20 from a squad that posted a 25-9 overall record a year ago and earned a share of the Big 12 regular-season championship for the second time under head coach Bruce?Weber. The 25-win season was the seventh in school history, including the first time in consecutive seasons. K-State is one of just 24 schools -- 15 in power conferences -- and 3 in the Big 12 (Kansas and Texas Tech) -- with 25 wins in each of the last 2 seasons.
All-Big 12 honorable mention Xavier Sneed (10.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.), fellow senior Makol Mawien (7.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) and key reserve and junior Cartier Diarra (6.8 ppg., 3.3 rpg.) form the core of a group returning for the Wildcats, who must replace their top three scorers in Barry Brown, Jr. (14.6 ppg.), Dean Wade (12.9 ppg.) and Kamau?Stokes (11.0 ppg.). All three have played pivotal roles with the consecutive 25-win seasons, including 71 and 70 starts, respectively, by Mawien and Sneed and major minutes by Diarra.
Sneed is the team's top returner in nearly every stat category, including scoring (349), rebounding (182), assists (64), steals (45) and minutes (1014). He enters his senior season ranking 29th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,008 points having seen action in 105 career games with starts in 70 of the last 71 games. Mawien, who has started every game of his K-State career, has the fifth-highest career field goal percentage (56.1; 204-of-364) in school history after posting the sixth-highest (59.8; 104-of-174) field goal percentage in a single season as a junior in 2017-18. Diarra scored in double figures in four consecutive games, including three in Big 12 play, before missing eight games due to a broken finger. He did come back to play in the last three games with Wade out for the season, including a 15-point effort against Iowa State in the semifinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship and a 9-point effort in the NCAA?Tournament.
The Wildcats also return rising senior Pierson McAtee (0.5 ppg., 0.5 rpg.), juniors Mike McGuirl (3.6 ppg., 1.5 rpg.), Levi Stockard III (1.8 ppg., 1.5 rpg.) and James Love III (0.3 ppg., 0.4 rpg.), sophomores Nigel Shadd (0.2 ppg., 0.4 rpg.) and Shaun?Williams [was Neal-Williams] (1.4 ppg., 1.1 rpg.).

'CATS WELCOME FIVE NEWCOMERS

The Wildcats will welcome five newcomers in 2019-20, including a pair of junior college transfers (David Sloan and Joe Petrakis) and three true freshmen (Antonio Gordon, DaJuan Gordon and Montavious Murphy).
Sloan was regarded as one of the top community colleges players in the country (and a Top 150 player out of high school) in 2018-19 after helping John A. Logan College to a 27-5 overall record as a sophomore. The NJCAA All-American twice led the NJCAA ranks in both total assists and assists per game, including 10.2 assists per game a year ago.
The freshmen were all consensus Top 200 prospects, as the recruiting class was a consensus Top 40 class nationally by a number of recruiting services, ranking No. 39 by Rivals.com and No. 40 by 247Sports.com. DaJuan Gordon was a consensus Top 150 player by both recruiting services.
Antonio Gordon scored nearly 1,600 points in his high school career at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Okla., and averaged 26.3 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior in 2018-19. DaJuan Gordon was the Chicago Sun-Times City Player of the Year after averaging 17.6 points in leading Curie to the school's first city title. Murphy was one of the best players in Houston and a finalist for the Guy V. Lewis Award, averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds as a senior at Concordia Lutheran.

'CATS PICKED NINTH IN BIG 12 POLL;
SNEED NAMED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG 12

K-State was picked to finish ninth by the league coaches in the annual Big 12 Preseason poll released on Oct. 17, as the Wildcats received 23 points. Kansas was selected first for the ninth consecutive season, while Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas and West Virginia rounded out the Top 5.
The ninth-place selection tied for the lowest by a K-State team in the history of the 10-team poll, joining the 2016-17 team which was also picked to finish ninth by the league coaches. The team has been picked to finish eighth or worse 13 times in the history of the 24-year poll, including eighth in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2008-09, 2015-16 and 2017-18, ninth in 1996-97, 2004-05, 10th in 1999-2000, 11th in 2002-03 and 2005-06 and 12th in 1997-98 and 2000-01.
Senior Xavier Sneed was one of eight players to be selected to the honorable mention All-Big 12 preseason team, along with Oklahoma's Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma State's Yor Anei, Texas' Matt?Coleman, Texas Tech's Chris Clarke, Davide Moretti and Jahmi'us Ramey and West Virginia's Derek Culver.
Kansas' Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson, along with Baylor's Tristan Clark, Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton and TCU's Desmond Bane were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Azubuike was the Preseason Player of the Year, while Chris Clarke was the Preseason Newcomer of the Year and West Virginia's Oscar Tshiebwe was the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

SNEED NAMED CANDIDATE FOR JULIUS ERVING AWARD

Senior Xavier Sneed was named one of 20 watch list members for the 2020 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Oct. 16.
Sneed was one of two Big 12 players named to the watch list, including Texas Tech transfer Chris Clarke. Other candidates include Arizona's Josh Green, Duke's Matthew Hurt, Florida's Scottie Lewis, Gonzaga's Corey Kispert, Harvard's Seth Towns, Kentucky's Kahlil Whitney, Louisville's Jordan Nwora, Memphis' Precious Achiuwa, Oregon State's Tres Tinkle, Providence's Alpha Diallo, Purdue's Nojel Eastern, St. John's L.J. Figueroa, Syracuse's Elijah Hughes, Vermont's Anthony Lamb, Villanova's Saddiq Bey, Washington's Jaden McDaniels, Washington State's C.J. Elleby and Xavier's Naji Marshall.
Wade is the first K-State player to be a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award since Rodney McGruder in 2012. Jacob Pullen, who was a preseason candidate in 2010, was the last Wildcat to earn recognition to the Wooden All-American team, while Michael Beasley (2008) was the last finalist.
The 20-member watch list for the Erving Award will be narrowed to just 10 by mid-February. In March, five finalists will be presented to Julius Erving and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's on April 10, 2020.

Game Preview // K-State, Pitt Face Off in Fort Myers Tipoff Semifinals Monday

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Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Antonio Gordon

DaJuan Gordon

James Love III

Makol Mawien

Pierson McAtee

Mike McGuirl

Montavious Murphy

Joe Petrakis

Nigel Shadd

David Sloan

Xavier Sneed

Levi Stockard III

Dean Wade

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State, Pitt Face Off in Fort Myers Tipoff Semifinals Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Antonio Gordon

DaJuan Gordon

James Love III

Makol Mawien

Pierson McAtee

Mike McGuirl

Montavious Murphy

Joe Petrakis

Nigel Shadd

David Sloan

Xavier Sneed

Levi Stockard III

Dean Wade

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