Game Preview // 18/18 K-State, 23/22 Iowa State Clash in Top 25 Battle Saturday

GAME 25
18/18 KANSAS STATE (19-5, 9-2 Big 12) vs. 23/22 IOWA STATE (18-6, 7-4 Big 12)
Saturday, February 16, 2019 >> 3:05 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPN2 / ESPN3

Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
Robbie Hummel (analyst)
Brian Boyle (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 135 / 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: $35 (bench & GA)/$75 (chairback)

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 457-240/21^st season
At K-State: 144-85/7^th season
vs. Iowa State: 6-8 (4-2 at home)

Iowa State: Steve Prohm (Alabama '97)
Overall: 182-76/8^th season
At Iowa State: 78-47/4^th season
vs. Kansas State: 4-3 (2-1 on the road)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (19-5, 9-2 Big 12)
G: #3 Kamau Stokes
G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.
G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #32 Dean Wade
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Iowa State (18-6, 7-4 Big 12)
G: #1 Nick Weiler-Babb
G: #3 Marial Shayok
G: #11 Talen Horton-Tucker
G: #22 Tyrese Haliburton
F: #12 Michael Jacobson

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 140-87
Current Streak: K-State, 3
In Manhattan: K-State leads 81-27
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 21-9
Last Meeting: W, 58-57, 1/12/19
Weber vs. Prohm: 3-4 (1-2 at home)

OPENING TIP

No. 18/18 Kansas State (19-5, 9-2 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats face No. 23/22 Iowa State (18-6, 7-4 Big 12) in a battle of Big 12 title contenders. The team will meet as ranked foes for just the third time in the 228-game series, including the first time since 2014. The Wildcats jumped into the Top 25 on Monday for the first time since a 6-week stay ended on?Dec. 10, 2018, while the Cyclones have been ranked for most of the season, including each of the last 4 weeks. Saturday's 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 enters Saturday's game in first place in the Big 12, just a game and a half ahead of the second-place duo of No. 15/15 Texas Tech (20-5, 8-4 Big 12) and No. 14/14 Kansas (19-6, 8-4 Big 12) and two games ahead of fourth-place tandem of No. 23/22 Iowa State and Baylor (16-8, 7-4 Big 12). Seven Big 12 schools have at least 5 league wins with between 6 and 7 games left in the regular season.
K-State's current 9-game conference winning streak is the longest by a Wildcat team in the Big 12 era and the longest regular-season conference winning streak in 45 seasons since the Wildcats won 11 consecutive league games from Jan. 14 to Feb. 26, 1974. K-State is the 13th Big 12 team to win 9 straight league games since the league's inception in 1997, including the 10th to do it within the regular season.
K-State played perhaps its best offensive game of the season in Tuesday's 71-64 win at Texas, as all five players scored in double figures en route to the team shooting 54.9 percent (28-of-51) from the field, including 50 percent or better in each half. Down 39-31 with 1:37 remaining before halftime, the Wildcats combined for a 23-8 run between the two halves, including a 19-8 run to start the second half, to earn its third consecutive win over Texas at the Frank?Erwin Center and even the season series at 1-1 after losing the Big 12 opener, 67-47, to the Longhorns on Jan. 2. Senior Barry Brown, Jr., and junior Xavier Sneed each scored a team-tying 16 points, as the Wildcats moved to 9-1 this season when four or more players register double digits.
Iowa State has had a week off since dropping a 92-83 decision at home to TCU, which ended the Cyclones' 4-game winning streak. The Cyclones have the Big 12's top offense, leading the league in scoring offense (79.0 ppg.), field goal percentage (48.1), free throw percentage (73.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4). The team has balance with 4 players averaging in double figures led by Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Marial Shayok, who ranks second in the league in scoring at 19.3 points per game.
K-State and Iowa State will meet for the 228th time in its respective histories on Saturday with the Wildcats holding a 140-87 advantage in a series that dates to 1909. The series has been one of the most competitive since the start of Big 12 play with the Cyclones holding a 24-23 edge. K-State won the first meeting, 58-57, in dramatic fashion on Jan. 12 at Hilton Coliseum with Barry Brown, Jr.'s driving lay-up with 4 seconds left.
K-State, which has relied on its defense most of the season, has shown some offensive improvement in the last 4 games, averaging 72.5 points on 47.4 percent shooting (102-of-215), including 44.8 percent (43-of-96) from 3-point range, with 70 assists on 102 made field goals.

NOTES ON 23/22 IOWA STATE

No. 23/22 Iowa State (18-6, 7-4 Big 12) is coming off a 92-83 loss to TCU at home last Saturday, which snapped the Cyclones' 4-game winning streak. Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Marial Shayok paced 4 players in double figures with game-high 24 points in the loss to the Horned Frogs, which was just the second at Hilton Coliseum this season. The squad is 4-3 away from home this season, including 3-2 in Big 12 play, which includes a 68-64 victory over Texas Tech that ended the Red Raiders' homecourt winning streak.
Iowa State is averaging a Big 12-best 79 points on 48.1 percent shooting, including 36.0 percent from 3-point range, to go with 35.6 rebounds, 16.0 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game, while allowing 66.8 points on 41.5 percent shooting, including 32.5 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 73.7 percent from the free throw line.
Iowa State is averaging 73.2 points in Big 12 play on 44.7 percent shooting, including 36 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 68.3 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
One of the most balanced teams in the Big 12, the Cyclones are led by Shayok, who paces four players in double figures at 19.3 points on 50 percent shooting, including 37.7 percent from 3-point range, to go with 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals. Sophomore Lindell Wigginton is averaging 12.6 points off the bench, while newcomers Michael Jacobson (12.2 ppg.) and Talen Horton-Tucker (12.0 ppg.) also average double figures.
Iowa State is led by fourth-year head coach Steve Prohm, who has posted a 78-47 (.624) record, which includes 2 trips to the NCAA?Tournament. He is 182-76 (.705) in his eighth season as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Iowa State will meet for the 228th time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 140-87 advantage in a series that dates to 1909, including an 81-27 mark in games at home.
K-State has won 3 straight in the series, including a dramatic 58-57 win at Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 12, in which, senior Barry Brown, Jr., scored with 4 seconds left to left the Wildcats to their second straight win in Ames. Brown led all scorers with 23 points, while senior Kamau Stokes added 12 points.
Brown has averaged a team-best 14.9 points on 41.2 percent shooting in 7 career games against Iowa State, while Stokes has averaged 12.5 points on 36.5 percent shooting in 6 career games against the Cyclones.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 6-8 all-time against Iowa State, including a 4-2 mark at home, while he is 3-4 against head coach Steve Prohm.

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State has posted a 375-117 (.762) record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 375 wins are the second-most at a home venue, trailing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88).
K-State has registered a 175-37 (.826) record at home over the past 13 seasons, including a 76-32 (.704) mark in Big 12 play. The 175 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 76 league victories at home rank third. In all, the program has earned double-digit victories in 26 of its 31 seasons in the arena, including a streak of 18 straight seasons.
Head coach Bruce Weber has tallied a 91-21 (.813) 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. He has a 41-18 (.695) record at home in Big 12 play.

LAST TIME OUT: 18/18 K-STATE 71, TEXAS 64

No. 18/18 K-State ran its conference winning streak to 9 games, as all five starters scored in double figures in a 71-64 win over Texas on Tuesday night before 9,418 fans at the Frank Erwin Center.
The 9-game conference winning streak is the longest by a K-State team in the Big 12 era and the longest regular-season conference winning streak in 45 seasons since the Wildcats won 11 consecutive conference games from Jan. 14 to Feb. 26, 1974 in the old Big Eight Conference.
Down 39-31 with 1:37 remaining before halftime, K-State combined for a 23-8 run between the two halves, including a 19-8 run to start the second half, to earn its third consecutive win over Texas at the Frank Erwin Center and even the season series at 1-1 after losing the Big 12 opener, 67-47, to the Longhorns on Jan. 2. It also ensures that the Wildcats will not be swept by a conference foe for the first time since robin-round play began in 2012.
The Wildcats connected on 54.9 percent (28-of-51) of their field goals – the second-highest field goal percentage and the highest in Big 12 play this season – and shot better than 50 percent in both halves. The team had 17 assists on their 28 made field goals and turned the ball over just 9 times.
Senior Barry Brown, Jr., and junior Xavier Sneed paced five starters in double figures with team-tying 16 points each, while seniors Dean Wade (12) and Kamau Stokes (11) and junior Makol Mawien (11) also posted double digits. It marked the first time this season that all 5 starters scored in double figures and the first time since the last visit to Texas on Feb. 7, 2018.
Brown, who has now scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games, went 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line to go with 5 rebounds, a game-high 3 steals and 2 assists. Sneed connected on 5-of-11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 from the free throw line to go with game-high 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Wade dished out a game-high 6 assists to go with his 12 points and 5 rebounds.
After allowing the Longhorns to score 39 points on 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from the field in the first half, the Wildcats held them to just 25 points in the second half on just 30 percent (6-of-20) shooting.

'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).
K-State is holding opponents to 59.5 points on 41.3 percent shooting, including 31 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 15.2 turnovers per game. The Wildcats rank 4th in scoring defense, 34th in turnover margin (+3.3), 43rd in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 59th in field goal percentage defense. The team leads the Big 12 in turnover margin (+3.3) and steals (7.5), while is second in scoring defense, rebounding defense (31.5) and turnovers forced and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
K-State has held 13 of 24 opponents to 60 points or less this season with one eclipsing 70. The squad has now held 82 opponents to 60 points or less in Weber's tenure, boasting a 74-8 mark in those contests.
K-State has held its opponents to an average of 15.2 points per game under their scoring average, including 14.2 points in Big 12 play. Eight foes have been held to 20 or more points under their average, including Penn (35.3), Tulsa (28.8), Texas Tech (26.6), Southern Miss (26.2), Vanderbilt (25.6), TCU?(25.4), Iowa State (24.3) and Eastern Kentucky (20.3).
In Big 12 play, K-State is allowing a league-best 60.7 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range, while forcing opponents into 14.6 turnovers per game and scoring an average of 16.8 points off those turnovers. The Wildcats have held 4 conference foes (Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) to less 60 points.
In the 58-45 win over No. 14/13 Texas Tech on Jan. 22, the Wildcat defense lived up to their billing, holding the Red Raiders to their lowest point total (45) under head coach Chris Beard and the lowest since scoring 44 in a loss against Loyola Chicago on Dec. 22, 2014. The team was held to a season-low 32.7 field goal percentage (16-of-49), including just 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from 3-point range, with Wildcats scoring 16 points off 13 turnovers.
The 45 points were the fewest surrendered a conference opponent under Weber and the fewest since holding No. 23 Texas Tech to 44 points on January 11, 2003. The Wildcats have held 3 Big 12 opponents (Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech) to its season-low in points.

POINTS OFF TURNOVERS

More than a quarter of K-State's total points (415/1582) this season have come off opponent turnovers, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.3 points off 15.2 opponent turnovers per game. The team ranks 34th in turnover margin (+3.3), 56th in turnovers forced (15.2) and 70th in steals (7.5).
The Wildcats scored 20 or more points off turnovers in 9 games, including a season-high 25 in the come-from-behind 71-69 win over West Virginia (1/9/19) and at Texas A&M (1/26/19). They have also put up 20 points or more off opponent turnovers against Kennesaw State (20), Denver (23), Eastern?Kentucky (24), Penn (22), Marquette (22), TCU?(21) and Kansas (22).
K-State has scored more than 3,000 points (3,500) 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 (123), Xavier Sneed (121) and Dean Wade (112). Stokes is ranked sixth and Sneed is tied for seventh in career steals, while Wade could also join the career Top 10. Brown currently ranks seventh in Big 12 history with 236 career steals, which is 11 shy of Kansas' Russell Robinson (2004-08) for sixth place.

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 averaging 34.1 rebounds per game, which ranks last in the Big 12, to go with averages of 9.8 offensive (seventh) and 24.3 defensive (ninth) rebounds per game. On the positive side, the Wildcats are allowing opponents 31.5 rebounds per game (second in the Big 12) and hold a Big 12-best 75.6 defensive rebounding percentage.
K-State has out-rebounded 15 of 24 opponents, including 6 in 11 Big 12 games. In comparison, the Wildcats out-rebounded just 10 opponents in 2017-18 in 37 games, including 4 Big 12 foes.
K-State added one of the top rebounders in the community college ranks in junior Austin Trice, as he is averaging 3.1 rebounds per game in just 8.6 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 6.7 rpg.), Xavier Sneed (5.1 to 5.7 rpg.), Makol Mawien (3.4 to 4.3 rpg.), Barry Brown,?Jr., (3.1 to 4.1 rpg.) and Cartier Diarra (2.5 to 3.2 rpg.).

OFFENSE STILL STRUGGLING BUT IMPROVEMENT

K-State is averaging a Big 12-low 65.9 points on 43 percent shooting (571-of-1327), including 33.4 percent (166-of-497) from 3-point range, and 65.4 percent (274-of-419) from the free throw line. The Wildcats rank 324th among 351 Division I?teams in scoring offense, 254th in field goal percentage, 224th in 3-point field goal percentage and 323rd in free throw percentage.
In the Big 12, K-State ranks eighth in field goal percentage, seventh in 3-point field goal percentage and 10th in scoring offense and free throw percentage.
The Wildcats have scored 70 or more points on just 9 occasions, while they have only connected on 45 percent from the field in 10 games and 40 percent or better from the 3-point line on 7 occasions.
In Big 12 play, K-State is averaging 65.5 points on 43.6 percent shooting, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range, and 67.2 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank third in 3-point field goal percentage, seventh in scoring offense and field goal percentage and ninth in free throw percentage.
The struggles from 3-point range are noticeable after a record-setting 2017-18 season from 3-point range, in which, the Wildcats set single-season marks for makes (254) and attempts (745). Five different players posted 30 or more 3-point field goals led by Xavier Sneed's 65 makes.
There has been offensive improvement in the last 4 games, as K-State is averaging 72.5 points on 47.4 percent (102-of-215) shooting, including 44.8 percent (43-of-96) from 3-point range, with 70 assists on the 102 made field goals. In addition, there has been assists on 41 of the 43 made 3-pointers.

'CATS HAVE FIRST 9-GAME LEAGUE WIN STREAK IN BIG 12 ERA

Since starting Big 12 play 0-2 for the first time since 2011, K-State has rattled off 9 consecutive victories, which started with the come-from-behind win over West Virginia (71-69) and includes four Top 25 wins (at No. 20/21 Iowa State (58-57) and No. 20/19 Oklahoma (74-61) and at home over No. 14/13 Texas Tech (58-45) and No. 13/14 Kansas (74-67), along with wins over TCU?(65-55), Oklahoma State (75-57), Baylor (70-63) and Texas (71-64). It is the longest win streak in Big 12 play and the longest regular-season conference win streak since winning 11 in a row from Jan. 14 to Feb. 26, 1974.
During the win streak, K-State is averaging 68.4 points on 46.1 percent (217-of-471) shooting, including 39.5 percent (77-of-195) from 3-point range, to go with 69.5 percent (105-of-151) from the line, while averaging 14.8 assists and just 10.6 turnovers per game. In losing the first 2 Big 12 games, the team averaged just 52 points on 33 percent (36-of-109), including 24.4 percent (10-of-41) from 3-point range, with 12.5 turnovers per game.
On the defensive end, the Wildcats are allowing 59.8 points in the win streak on 42.8 percent (194-of-453) shooting, including 32.3 percent (62-of-192) from 3-point range, while averaging 17.2 points off 14.6 opponent turnovers. In those first 2 Big 12 games, the team allowed 65 points on 46.5 percent (40-of-86), including 43.5 percent (20-of-46) from 3-point range.
During the win streak, senior Barry Brown, Jr., has averaged a team-best 18.6 points on 53.5 percent (61-of-114) shooting, which includes 3 20-point performances, while fellow senior Dean Wade, who has played in 8 of the 9 games, is averaging 13.9 points on 49.4 percent (40-of-81) shooting. Four other players (Kamau Stokes, Xavier Sneed, Cartier Diarra, Mike McGuirl and Makol Mawien) are averaging between 5.1 and 10.0 points per game. Brown averaged just 12.0 points in the first 2 Big 12 games.

BETTER WITH DEAN WADE

It's stating the obvious that K-State is a better team when the Wildcats have their Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Dean Wade on the floor. The team is 15-3 this season with Wade, who missed 6 games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 9 with a foot injury, in the lineup and just 4-2 with him out of it.
K-State is averaging 68 points on 43.9 percent shooting, including 34.1 percent from 3-point range, in the 18 games with Wade in the lineup, while the team is averaging just 59.7 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 31.1 percent from 3-point range, in the 6 games without him.
Three Wildcats (Barry Brown, Jr., Dean Wade and Xavier Sneed) are averaging in double figures in the 18 games with Wade in the lineup, while three other players (Kamau Stokes, Makol Mawien and Cartier Diarra) are averaging betwen 6.1 and 9.3 points per game. In comparison, only two Wildcats (Brown/15.3 ppg., and Stokes/13.8 ppg.) are averaging in double figures in the 6 games without Wade.

NEAR HISTORIC NIGHT FROM 3

K-State showed its potential from long range, as the Wildcats connected on 16 3-point field goals -- the second-most triples in school history -- to propel themselves past Oklahoma State, 75-57, on Feb. 2.
The 16 made 3-point field goals were the most-ever in a conference game and the most since the Wildcats connected on a school-record 23 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994. Eight different Wildcats had at least one 3-pointer, including a career-tying 5 by senior Barry Brown, Jr.
The 75 points were a high in Big 12 play, as K-State connected on 53.1 percent (26-of-49) from the field, including 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from 3-point range. It marked the fourth time (now fifth time) this season that the Wildcats have hit 50 percent or better from the field, including just the second time from 3-point range, and had 19 assists on 26 made field goals.
The 26 made 3-point field goals in the games against OSU and No. 13/14 Kansas (2/5/19) were the most in a 2-game stretch since knocking down 32 against Fresno State (23) and Vanderbilt on March 24 and 28, 1994.

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 20 by Brown, 16 by Wade, 13 by Stokes, 12 by Sneed, 7 by Cartier Diarra, 7 by Mawien and 1 by Mike McGuirl.
Since Weber took over in 2012-13, K-State has posted a 61-19 (.763) record when four or more players score in double figures, including a 9-1 mark in 2018-19. The Wildcats are 13-4 when Mawien scores in double digits, while the team is 13-4 (5-2 in 2018-19) when Diarra reaches double-digits.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS

Although it ended in a loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 26, K-State enjoyed a success non-conference season, posting a 10-3 (.769) mark which included a 7-0 mark at home venues (Bramlage Coliseum and the Sprint Center. It marked the fourth consecutive season with at least 10 non-conference wins.
K-State has posted a 140-36 (.795) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season, which includes a 105-6 (.946) mark at home venues. The team has registered double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 years, averaging 10.8 non-conference wins in that stretch, and went a program-best 13-1 in non-conference play during the 2009-10 season.
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 40-9 (.816) in non-conference play since 2015-16.
K-State has a 105-6 (.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 96-5 (.950) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats have won 92 of their last 96 non-conference home games, including a 29-game winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum. The last home non-conference loss came against Georgia, 50-46, on Dec. 31, 2014.

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.

BROWN, WADE BACK-TO-BACK BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Seniors Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade became the first Wildcats since 2013 to capture Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks, as the duo has helped the squad to 4 consecutive victories.
Brown earned his first-ever Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Jan. 14, as he averaged 26 points on 52.9 percent shooting (18-of-34), including a pair of game-winners, in K-State's victories over West Virginia and No. 20/21 Iowa State, while Wade averaged 18 points and 3.5 assists in the wins over No. 20/19 Oklahoma and TCU this past week.
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 a game-high 23 points in the win over the Cyclones, including game-winner with 4 seconds left.
Just 2 games removed from missing 6 games due to injury, Wade earned just his second 20-point game of the season with 20 points on 8-of-14 field goals in the Wildcats' first win at Oklahoma since 2015, while he added 16 points and a game-high 6 assists in the victory over TCU.

BROWN AMONG CAREER LEADERS

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 236 career steals in 129 games played.
Brown's 236 career steals currently rank seventh in Big 12 history, trailing Kansas' Russell Robinson (247; 2004-08) for sixth place by 11 steals. Brown also ranks fourth among active Division I players in career steals, trailing just Washington's Matisse Thybulle (284), Oregon's Ehab Amin (257) and Purdue Fort Wayne's John Koncher (256).
Brown places among several career offensive records, including 5th in field goals attempted (1,399), 6th in double-digit scoring games (83), field goals (586) and 3-point field goals attempted (501), 7th in scoring (1,652) and assists (321), 8th in 3-point field goals made (163) and 10th in free throw attempted (455).

SENIOR CLASS HAS 4,000+ 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.
The trio have accounted for 4,205 points in their respective careers, which is tops among all Power Conferences and ninth among all of Division I, trailing South Dakota State (4,881/Mike Daum, David Jenkins, Skyler Flatten), Lipscomb (4,588/Garrison Mathews, Rob Marberry, Nate Moran), Campbell (4,583/Chris Clemons, Andrew Eudy, Marcus Burk), Wofford (4,538, Fletcher Magee, Cameron Jackson, Nathan Hoover), Marshall (4,498/Jon Elmore, C.J. Burks, Rondale Watson), Georgia Southern (4,410/Tookie Brown, Ike Smith, Montae Glenn), Buffalo (4,224/C.J. Massinburg, Nick Perkins, Jeremy Harris) and College of Charleston (4,171/Jarrell Brantley, Grant Riller, Marquise Pointer).
Brown (1,652 points) and Wade (1,437 points) each eclipsed the 1,000-point mark as juniors and currently rank 7th and 10th, respectively, on the all-time scoring list, while Stokes ranks 19th with 1,116 points.

STOKES AMONG THE BEST ALL-TIME IN ASSISTS

Just like Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes ranks among the all-time leaders in several categories, including 4th in assists (385) and 3-point field goals attempted (530), 5th in 3-point field goals (184) and 6th in steals (123), while he is near the Top 10 in minutes (3,269).
Needing just 15 assists, Stokes could become just the third Wildcat in school history to eclipse 400 assists, joining all-time leader Steve Henson (582; 1986-90) and Jacob Pullen (455; 2007-11).

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 12 of the last 23 games, including a season-high 18 points on 6-of-9 field goals in the win over TCU (1/19).
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. He has grabbed 5 or more rebounds in 12 games, including double-digit boards twice with a season-high 14 vs. Southern Miss (12/19).

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 the 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: AT WEST VIRGINIA (10-14, 2-9 Big 12)

K-State will begin a stretch of three consecutive appearances on ESPN's Big Monday, as the Wildcats travel to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on West Virginia (10-14, 2-9 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT at the WVU Coliseum. K-State used a historic 21-point comeback to win the first meeting, 71-69, on Jan. 9 at home. The Wildcats have not won in Morgantown since Jan. 12, 2013.

Game Preview // 18/18 K-State, 23/22 Iowa State Clash in Top 25 Battle Saturday

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 // 18/18 K-State, 23/22 Iowa State Clash in Top 25 Battle Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Barry Brown, Jr.

Cartier Diarra

Goodnews Kpegeol

Makol Mawien

Mike McGuirl

Xavier Sneed

Kamau Stokes

Austin Trice

Dean Wade

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