Game Preview // K-State to Face 13/12 Arkansas at Hall of Fame Classic Monday

GAME 3
KANSAS STATE (2-0) vs. 13/12 ARKANSAS (3-0)
21^st Annual Hall of Fame Classic presented by Hotels.com
Monday, November 22, 2021 >> 8 p.m. CT >> T-Mobile Center (18,972) >> Kansas City, Mo.

TELEVISION
ESPNews / WatchESPN

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
Mark Adams (analyst)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 387
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 977 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
https://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=379036

TICKETS
www.t-mobilecenter.com/events/detail/hall-of-fame-classic-4
(816) 949.7100
Single Game: $15, $40, $80, $100

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 485-285/24^th season
At K-State: 172-130/10^th season
vs. Arkansas: 2-0 (0-0 at K-State)

Arkansas: Eric Musselman (San Diego '87)
Overall: 158-53/6^th season
School Record: 48-19/3^rd season
vs. K-State: 0-0 (0-0 at Arkansas)

SERIES HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
Overall: K-State leads 8-3
In Kansas City: K-State leads 2-0
Active Streak: Arkansas, 2
Weber vs. Arkansas: 2-0
K-State vs. SEC: 167-153 [30-18 at neutral sites]
Weber vs. Eric Musselman: First meeting

HISTORY AT HALL OF FAME CLASSIC
Appearance: Third [2010, 2015, 2021]
Best Finish: Runner-up [2010, 2015]
Overall Record: 6-2 [4-0 at home]
In Kansas City: 2-2 [only championship rounds]
At T-Mobile Center: 2-2
Last Trip: 1-1 in 2015 [def. Missouri, 66-42; lost to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70]
vs. Arkansas: First meeting [played in Kansas City in 1946, 1980]
vs. Cincinnati: First meeting
vs. Illinois: First meeting

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (2-0)
G: #3 Selton Miguel
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #21 Nijel Pack
F: #25 Ismael [Ish] Massoud
F: #20 Kaosi Ezeagu

13/12 Arkansas (3-0)
G: #1 J.D. Notae
G: #4 Davonte Davis
G: #5 Au'Diese Toney
F: #10 Jaylin Williams
F: #23 Kamani Johnson

K-STATE TRAVELS TO KANSAS CITY FOR HALL OF FAME CLASSIC

Kansas State (2-0) will face its first significant challenge of season this coming week, as the Wildcats head east to Kansas City to play in the 21st annual Hall of Fame Classic presented by Hotels.com on Monday-Tuesday, November 22-23 at the T-Mobile Center.
The Wildcats will play No. 13/12 Arkansas (3-0) in the second semifinal game on Monday around 8 p.m., CT on ESPNews following the conclusion of the first game between Cincinnati (4-0) vs. No. 14/15 Illinois (2-1).
The winners of the two semifinal games will play in the championship on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m., CT on ESPN2, while the consolation game is set for 6 p.m., CT on ESPNews.
This will be the third time K-State has participated in the Hall of Fame Classic, advancing to the championship game in its previous 2 appearances before falling to Top 10 foes Duke (2010) and North Carolina (2015).

OPENING TIP

The Hall of Fame Classic field might be one of the best of any of the preseason tournaments, as the 4 schools all rank in the Top 20 for NCAA Tournament all-time appearances - combining for 128 - with each advancing to 31 or more such appearances in their respective histories. Arkansas and Cincinnati are tied with 5 others with the 13th-most appearances at 33, while K-State and Illinois are tied with Georgetown and Purdue for the 20th-most appearances at 31.
The Hall of Fame Classic was created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in 2001 as the Guardians Classic and was later known as the CBE Classic before being rebranded as the Hall of Fame Classic in 2017.
The tournament is part of the Hall of Fame Weekend, which also includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 induction celebration. Among the inductees are Len Bias (Maryland), David Greenwood (UCLA), Hersey Hawkins (Bradley), Jim Jackson (Ohio State), Antwawn Jamison (North Carolina), Paul Pierce (Kansas) as well as coaches Rick Byrd (Belmont) and Tom Penders (Houston, George Washington, Texas, Rhode Island).
Big 12 teams have won the Hall of Fame Classic 9 times in the 20-year history, including 4 times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020) in the last 5 seasons. TCU won the 2020 edition of the tournament, knocking off Tulsa and Liberty.
K-State has met each of the 3 schools at the tournament at least 8 times in its history. The Wildcats own an 8-3 advantage against the Razorbacks but trail the series with the Bearcats (1-7) and Fighting Illini (2-8).
K-State and Arkansas will meet for the 12th time and the first time since 1991 in a series that dates nearly 75 years and includes a pair of NCAA Tournament matchups in 1980 and 1982. The teams last met on Dec. 10, 1991, when the Razorbacks completed the sweep of a home-and-home series (1990 and 1991) with a 70-59 win over the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum.
This will be the third meeting between the schools in Kansas City with the series beginning with a 56-41 win by K-State in the Big Six Holiday Tournament at Municipal Auditorium on Dec. 14, 1946. The teams would meet again 34 years later at Kemper Arena (now Hy-Vee Arena) with the Wildcats escaping 47-46 in overtime on Dec. 27, 1980.
Overall, K-State owns an 8-3 advantage over Arkansas in the all-time series, including a 5-0 mark at neutral sites (2-0 in Kansas City, 1-0 in Pine Bluff, Ark., in Lincoln, Neb., and 1-0 in Dallas, Texas).
No. 13/12 Arkansas enters Monday's game with a 3-0 record after home wins over Mercer (74-61), Gardner-Webb (86-69) and Northern Iowa (93-80). The Razorbacks are a balanced team with 4 players averaging in double figures led by seniors J.D. Notae (21.7 ppg.), Chris Lykes (15.7 ppg.), Au'Diese Toney (11.3 ppg.) and Connor Vanover (10.5 ppg.).
K-State will play either Cincinnati (4-0) or No. 14/15 Illinois (2-1) on day two of the tournament. The Fighting Illini won 24 games and earned their first No. 1 seed since 2005 under K-State alum and head coach Brad Underwood, while the Bearcats have won 20 or more games 10 times in the last 11 seasons.

LONG HISTORY IN KANSAS CITY

K-State has a long history in Kansas City, which dates back to a 45-26 loss to the Kansas City Athletic Club on Feb. 23, 1926. Overall, the school has played in 199 games in the city with a 115-84 (.578) mark in those contests.
The Wildcats have played in-season tournament games in Kansas City on a number of occasions, including the Kansas City Holiday Tournament (1943-45), the Big Six/Seven/Eight Holiday Tournament (1946-78), BMA Holiday Classic (1990, 1991) as well as the Hall of Fame Classic (2010, 2015).

HISTORY AT HALL OF FAME CLASSIC

K-State will be playing in the Hall of Fame Classic for third time, advancing to the championship game in its previous 2 appearances (2010, 2015).
The Wildcats made their first appearance in 2010, defeating James Madison (75-61) and Presbyterian (76-67) at home before knocking off No. 18 Gonzaga in the semifinals, 81-64, then losing to No. 1 Duke, 82-68.
In 2015, K-State defeated UMES (80-53) and Columbia (81-71) at home before beating Missouri, 66-42, in the semifinals and ultimately losing to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70, in the championship game.

BREAKDOWN
Appearance: Third [2010, 2015, 2021]
Best Finish: Runner-up [2010, 2015]
Overall Record: 6-2 [4-0 at home]
In Kansas City: 2-2 [only championship rounds]
At T-Mobile Center: 2-2
Last Trip: 1-1 in 2015 [def. Missouri, 66-42; lost to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70]
vs. Arkansas: First meeting [played in Kansas City in 1946, 1980]
vs. Cincinnati: First meeting
vs. Illinois: First meeting

HISTORY AT THE T-MOBILE CENTER

K-State will be playing its 38th and 39th games in the T-Mobile Center since the arena opened in 2007, including its fifth and sixth in the Hall of Fame Classic. The Wildcats have a 20-17 all-time record in the arena, including a 2-2 mark in the Hall of Fame Classic (2010, 2015).
A majority of the 37 previous meetings in the T-Mobile Center have come in the annual Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (2008, 2010-present).
The Wildcats have also played in the T-Mobile Center in the Wildcat Classic (2007-12, 2014, 2016, 2018-19) and the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
K-State is 4-0 vs. SEC opponents at the T-Mobile Center, defeating No. 23 Alabama (71-58) in 2011, No. 8 Florida (67-61) in 2012, No. 21 Texas A&M (71-64) in 2014 and Vanderbilt (69-58) in 2018.

NOTES ON 13/12 ARKANSAS

No. 13/12 Arkansas enters Monday's game with a perfect 3-0 record after defeating Mercer (74-61), Gardner-Webb (86-69) and Northern Iowa (93-80) all at home to start the season. The team won 25 games in 2020-21.
The Razorbacks are averaging 84.3 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting, including 40.3 percent from 3-point range, with 37.7 rebounds, 19.0 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.3 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 70 points on 43.3 percent shooting, including 43.4 percent from long range.
Arkansas has 8 players averaging 6.0 points or better, including 4 in double figures led by seniors J.D. Notae (21.7 ppg.), Chris Lykes (15.7 ppg.) and Au'Diese Toney (11.3 ppg.) and junior Connor Vanover (10.5 ppg.).
Head coach Eric Musselman is 48-19 in his third season at Arkansas, which includes a trip to the Elite Eight in 2020. The former NBA head coach is 158-53 in his sixth season as a college coach, which includes a stint at Nevada (2015-19).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Arkansas will be meeting for the 12th time, but for the first time since the Razorbacks swept a home-and-home series in 1990 and 1991. Overall, the Wildcats are 8-3 all-time series, including 5-0 at neutral sites.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 2-0 in his career vs. Arkansas, knocking off the Razorbacks in 2003 and 2004 when he was the head coach at Illinois.
K-State is 167-153 all-time vs. the SEC, including 30-18 at neutral sites. The Wildcats have lost 4 straight to SEC competition with the last win coming against Vanderbilt at the T-Mobile Center on Dec. 22, 2018.

NOTES ON CINCINNATI

Cincinnati enters Monday's game with No. 10/10 Illinois with a perfect 4-0 record after defeating Evansville (65-43), Georgia (73-68), Alabama A&M (89-66) and Presbyterian (79-45) all at home to start the season.
The Bearcats are averaging 76.5 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting, including 32.2 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 55.5 points on 35.1 percent shooting, including 29.2 percent from long range.
Two Bearcats - junior Jeremiah Davenport (12.5 ppg.) and senior David DeJulius (11.3 ppg.) - are averaging in double figures.
Head coach Wes Miller is 4-0 in his first season at Cincinnati after a 10-year stint as the head coach at UNC Greensboro, where he won 185 games.

NOTES ON 14/15 ILLINOIS

No. 14/15 Illinois enters Monday's game with Cincinnati with a 2-1 record after defeating Jackson State (71-47) and Arkansas State (92-53) at home before losing at Marquette (66-67) on Nov. 15.
The Fighting Illini are averaging 76.3 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from 3-point range, while allowing foes to average 55.7 points on 36 percent shooting, including 30.6 percent from long range.
Three Illini - senior Trent Frazier (17.5 ppg.), graduate Jacob Grandison (15.0 ppg.) and sophomore Coleman Hawkins (14.3 ppg.) - are averaging in double figures. All-American Kofi Cockburn returns this week after sitting out the first 3 games due to NCAA suspension.
K-State alum Brad Underwood is 73-57 in his fifth season at Illinois, while he is 182-83 in ninth season as a head coach.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 79, OMAHA 64

K-State showed a glimpse of its offensive potential, as the Wildcats connected on 50 percent or better from the field in both halves to out-muscle a determined Omaha squad, 79-64, on Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
In a complete reversal of the nail-biter from last season, in which, K-State won 60-58 on a 3-pointer by Selton Miguel with 9.7 second remaining, the Wildcats led from start to finish against the Mavericks. K-State led by as many 26 points before Omaha scored 13 of the last 15 points to close the gap.
K-State was efficient on the offensive end, converting on 52.8 percent (28-of-53) from the field, including 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from 3-point range, and knocking down 14 of 16 free throw attempts. The Wildcats had 18 assists on their 28 made field goals while scoring 34 points in the paint.
Seven Wildcats had at least 8 points, including four double-digit scorers with 15 points each from sophomores Ish Massoud and Nijel Pack and 11 for both fifth-year senior Mark Smith and junior Markquis Nowell. Big men Kaosi Ezeagu and Davion Bradford combined for 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Miguel dished out a team-best 6 assists in his first start of the season.
The Wildcats connected on 54.8 percent (17-of-31) of their field goals in the first half with 10 assists to build as much as a 21-point lead then followed it by knocking down 50 percent (11-of-22) of their shots in the second half with 8 assists to build as much as the aforementioned 26-point advantage. It marked the first time the team shot better than 50 percent in both halves since a win against Milwaukee on Dec. 11, 2020.
The defense, which showed promise in the opening win over Florida A&M on November 10, struggled at times against an Omaha team that nearly overcame a 29-point deficit against Ball State. Although the Mavericks shot 34.7 percent (23-of-66) from the field, 11 of their 23 field goals came on 3-pointers, while they took advantage of some sloppy Wildcat turnovers to score 20 points.
Omaha junior Kyle Luedtke came off the bench to lead all scorers with 16 points on 6-of-14 field goals. Five other Mavericks had at least 6 points.
The win gave K-State a 2-0 start for the seventh time in the last 8 seasons but for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The Wildcats have now started 2-0 under head coach Bruce Weber in 8 of his 10 seasons.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

K-State has a 117-13 (.898) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 108-11 (.906) mark at Bramlage Coliseum
Despite seeing their 33-game winning streak end at Bramlage Coliseum with a loss to Marquette on Dec. 7, 2019, the Wildcats have still won 104 of their last 115 non-conference home games.
K-State has posted a 153-47 (.763) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. Prior to the 2020-21 season, the Wildcats had posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 seasons.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 84-31 (.726) in non-conference play since he arrived at K-State, including a 65-11 (.851) mark at home.

LEADING WITH DEFENSE

K-State has developed a strong reputation as defensive team under head coach Bruce Weber, ranking among the top-60 nationally in opponent points per game 6 times in the 9 seasons.
The Wildcats ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense (59.6 ppg.) during its Big 12 Championship season in 2018-19, while they placed 36th (60.4 ppg.) in 2012-13 and 46th (67.0 ppg.) in 2017-18.
K-State has held 210 opponents (out of 302 total) under 70 points during Bruce Weber's tenure, including a program-best 31 in 2012-13. The Wildcats have also held 104 opponents under 60 points in that span, while 29 have scored less than 50 points in his tenure.
In addition to its scoring defense, K-State has ranked among the top-40 in opponent 3-point field goal percentage 3 times (2013-14, 2015-16 and 2018-19) and among the top-50 in steals on 5 occasions (every season from 2015-16 to 2019-20) in the Bruce Weber era. Twice (2016-17 and 2019-20) the school has ranked the top-45 in opponent turnovers.
The Wildcats have held opponents to under 40 percent shooting in 101 games in the Bruce Weber era, including under 35 percent in 48 games.
K-State struggled mightily across the board during the 2020-21 season, but no more than on defensive end, allowing 80 or more points 7 times in the first 21 games, including allowing 100 or more points in both regular-season games with eventual national champion Baylor.
However, the Wildcats were able to win 4 of their last 7 games in 2020-21 due to their improved defense, as they held 5 of those 7 opponents under 60 points. During the last 7 games of the season, the team held their opponents to 59.3 points on 40.6 percent shooting (146-360), including 26.1 percent (36-of-138) from 3-point range.
K-State has started the season off where they left off at the end of the 2020-21 season, as the defense is allowing 60.5 points through the first 2 games on 37.8 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range. Florida A&M connected on just 41.5 percent (22-of-53), while Omaha managed to shoot just 34.8 percent (23-of-66) from the field. The Wildcats have scored 38 points off turnovers, forcing the Rattlers into 18 turnovers.

IMPROVED EXPERIENCE/DEPTH

It has been well chronicled how young the Wildcats were during the 2020-21 season, as only 11 Division I schools were less experienced than K-State with only Auburn and Duke less experienced among teams in the Power 6.
The 11 underclassmen were the third-most of any Power 6 school, while the 3 upperclassmen were the fourth-fewest. In addition, K-State was one of 10 schools to start at least 3 true freshmen in one game with trio of Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack starting in 17 of the team's 29 games.
K-State is hoping that the return of 9 of 14 lettermen, including senior Mike McGuirl and sophomores Bradford, Miguel and Pack, as well as the influx of 7 newcomers, including 3 transfers in Ish Massoud (Wake Forest), Markquis Nowell (Little Rock) and Mark Smith (Missouri) will lead to improved play.
Head coach Bruce Weber has remarked numerous times that this improved experience and depth could be a strength for the Wildcats in 2021-22.
The Wildcats saw 10 players contribute to the opener with Florida A&M (11/10/21) with 4 of the 5 bench players notching at least one field goal and combining to outscore the Rattlers, 22-7. Miguel scored all 10 of his points during a key 12-2 run by K-State, while Nowell added 6 points in his Wildcat debut along with a team-high 6 assists. The team also recorded 22 bench points vs. Omaha (11/17/21) with Nowell recording his first double-digit scoring game.

IMPROVED OFFENSE

It's a small sample size but the K-State offense has looked better in the early going, as the Wildcats are averaging 73.0 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including 43.9 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 73.2 percent from the free throw line. The team is averaging 27.0 points in the paint, 22.0 points off the bench, 19.0 points off turnovers, 10.0 fast-break points and 6.5 points on second chance opportunities.
K-State's strength so far has been sharing the ball with 33 assists on 49 made field goals with 67.3 percent of the made baskets coming from an assist. Six different Wildcats have at least 3 assists, including a team-leading 9 by junior Markquis Nowell and 8 by sophomore Nijel Pack.
The Wildcats were really clicking offensively in the 79-64 win over Omaha (11/17/21), as the team connected on 52.8 percent (28-of-53) from the field, including 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from the 3-point line, and hit on 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the free throw line. The squad hit 50 percent or better from the field in each half for the first time since the Milwaukee game (12/21/20). They also had 34 points in the paint, 22 off the bench and 19 from turnovers.
The Omaha game mark the first time that the Wildcats had connected on 50 percent or better from the field, 45 percent or better from 3-point range and 80 percent or better from the free throw line since a win over USC Upstate in 2017. In that game, the team shot 50.8 percent from the field, including 48 percent from long range, and was 87.5 percent from the free throw line.

NIJEL TO THE RESCUE

Sophomore Nijel Pack has picked up where he left off from his freshman season, as he has led or have been tied for the team lead in scoring in each of the first 2 games, including an 18-point performance in the opener vs. Florida A&M (11/10/21) and another 15 vs. Omaha (11/17/21).
Pack is averaging a team-best 16.5 points on 57.9 percent (11-of-19) shooting, including 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from 3-point range, to go with 4.0 assists in 25.7 minutes per game. He is the team leader in scoring, field goals made, 3-point field goals and steals (3) and second in assists (8).
The promising point guard enjoyed one of the best freshmen seasons in school history, ranking first or second in nearly every major offensive category, while becoming the third true freshman (Michael Beasley, Marcus Foster) to lead the team in scoring (12.7 ppg.) and the first since Foster in 2013-14.

MOVING TOWARDS 500

Head coach Bruce Weber is working towards a coaching milestone, as he is 15 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters this week's games 15 shy of the mark with a 485-285 (.630) record in 23 years as a head coach at Southern Illinois (1998-2003), Illinois (2003-12) and K-State (2012-21).
If Weber were to achieve the milestone in 2021-22, he would be among elite company as only 26 current Division I head coaches have reached 500 wins in their career with Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) just ahead of him.

HOPING FOR BETTER INJURY LUCK

K-State is hoping for better luck on the injury front in 2021-22 after injuries were a major factor in the 2020-21 season, as 9 players combined to miss 75 games, which caused head coach Bruce Weber to start 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) a combined 71 times, which ranked second nationally to Kentucky.
Only one other Division I team (Long Beach State) had more players miss time due to injuries in 2020-21.
Although that luck has been tested early with promising big man Seryee Lewis going down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, along with injuries slowing down the progress made by junior big man Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. There is hope that Linguard and Edwards will return at some point this season.

McGUIRL UTILIZES EXTRA SEASON

K-State received some good news on March 23 when senior Mike McGuirl announced that he was utilizing his extra season and returning to the Wildcats for the 2021-22 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA announced in October that they had agreed to grant players an additional year of eligibility.
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, McGuirl is coming off solid senior season in 2020-21, in which, he either led or was tied for the team lead in 12 categories, including points, field goals, 3-pointers, assists and steals. He was second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) to freshman teammate Nijel Pack.
McGuirl's 20 double-digit scoring games doubled his entire career total (10) that he had entering the 2020-21 season. He opened the season with his first career 20-point game vs. Drake on November 25 with 22 points then equaled it against Fort Hays State on December 8, while he had a team-high 19 points in the upset of No. 7/8 Oklahoma on February 23. Of his 705 career points, 542 have come in the last two seasons in 58 games played with 49 starts (9.3 ppg.).
The only player to start all 29 games, McGuirl showed his versatility by leading the Wildcats in scoring a team-best 11 times, while he also paced the team in rebounding 4 times, in assists 14 times and in steals on 10 occasions. He led the team in scoring (16), rebounding (9) and assists (5) in the win over TCU on February 20, a win which started the team's late surge to end the season (4 wins in the last 6 games).

THE 'CATS INK 3 HIGH-PROFILE TRANSFERS

K-State got an infusion of experience with the addition of 3 high-profile Division I transfers in fifth-year Mark Smith (Missouri), junior Markquis Nowell and sophomore Ismael (Ish) Massoud (Wake Forest).
Like McGuirl, Smith earned a second senior season due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and will bring 100 games of experience to the court after playing at Illinois (2017-18) and Missouri (2018-21). Nowell, who was a Lou Henson All-American at Little Rock, averaged double figures in each of his three seasons as a Trojan. Massoud played in all 53 games of his Wake Forest career, averaging 8.3 points per game as a sophomore in 2020-21.
The transfers presumably fill the Wildcats' greatest need from the 2020-21 season, which was a lack of production from the 3-point line. The team ranked 319th (out of 340 teams) in 3-point field goal percentage (29.6), while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals made (191) and 243rd in 3-point field goals per game (6.6). The trio have combined for nearly 400 triples (385) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio made their impact in the first 2 games with Massoud and Smith each earning the start, while Nowell has averaged 22 minutes of the bench. They have combined for 60 points on 44.1 percent (19-of-43) shooting with 28 rebounds and 12 assists. Smith has scored in double figures in each of the first 2 games to go with team-high 14 rebounds, while Massoud (15) and Nowell (11) each had double figures vs. Omaha (11/17/21).

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

K-State returns 9 lettermen, including 4 players (Davion Bradford, Mike McGuirl, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) who registered starts during its COVID-19 challenging 2020-21 campaign, which resulted in the Wildcats' second consecutive non-winning season at 9-20 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play. In addition to these 4 players, the team will get back the services of several key lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis and walk-on Drew Honas.
The biggest headliner from the returners might be McGuirl, who opted to return for an extra season in 2021-22 after his senior season was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2020-21 after leading the Wildcats in 12 categories, including points (342), double-digit scoring games (20), field goals (112), 3-point field goals (60), assists (103), steals (30) and minutes (34.3).
The freshmen trio of Bradford, Miguel and Pack had to grow up fast in their first season, starting together in 17 games with 12 of those coming in Big 12 play. The 71 combined starts by the three true freshmen in 2020-21 ranked second nationally only to Kentucky (72). The three combined to average 25.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 2020-21, as Pack (12.7 ppg.) became the first true freshman to lead the Wildcats in scoring since 2013-14. Bradford (7.7 ppg.) and Miguel (7.2 ppg.) were fourth and fifth in scoring.
Ezeagu started early on for K-State before an injury forced him to miss 10 games. He returned in mid-January as mostly a reserve, averaging 5.2 points on 67.7 percent (21-of-31) in his last 10 games. Linguard and Lewis each showed flashes in their first seasons, playing in 17 and 18 games, respectively, while Kasubke recovered from a preseason injury that forced him to miss the first 13 games to be a key contributor in the final 16 games.

UP NEXT: CINCINNATI (4-0) / 10/10 ILLINOIS (2-1)

K-State will continue action at the 21st annual Hall of Fame Classic powered by Motels.com on Tuesday with a matchup against either Cincinnati (4-0) or No. 10/10 Illinois (2-1) at either 6 p.m., CT in the consolation game or at 8:30 p.m., CT in the championship game.

Game Preview // K-State to Face 13/12 Arkansas at Hall of Fame Classic Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State to Face 13/12 Arkansas at Hall of Fame Classic Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

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