Game Preview // K-State Hosts Green Bay Sunday Before Finals Break

Complete Release Available Here

GAME 9
KANSAS STATE (5-3) vs. GREEN BAY (2-7)
Sunday, December 12, 2021 >> 4:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,654) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ / WatchESPN (link here)

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (analyst)
Kelsey Bigelow (sideline reporter)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 390
Online: Varsity Network [free]/SXM 980 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Matt Walters (analyst)

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $10, $15, $25

COACHES
K-State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 175-133/10th Year
Career Record: 488-288/24th Year
vs. Green Bay: 1-0 [1-0 at K-State]

Green Bay: Will Ryan [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '02]
Record at Green Bay: 10-24/2nd Year
Career Record: 24-37/3rd Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at Green Bay]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 2-1
Current Streak: K-State, 1
In Manhattan: K-State leads 2-0
Last Meeting: W, 80-61 [11/30/2016 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Ryan: First meeting

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (5-3)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
F: #25 Ismael [Ish] Massoud
F: #20 Kaosi Ezeagu

Green Bay (2-7)
G: #5 Lucas Stieber
G: #15 Donovan Ivory
F: #4 Japannah Kellogg III
F: #11 Cade Meyer
F: #23 Emmanuel Ansong

K-STATE PLAYS HOST TO GREEN BAY BEFORE FINALS BREAK

Kansas State (5-3) concludes its brief 2-game homestand on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to Horizon League member Green Bay (2-7) at 4 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. Following Sunday's game, K-State will have a week off due to semester exams before resuming play next Sunday (Dec. 19) at former Big 12 foe Nebraska (5-6).
K-State saw its modest 7-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents end in a 64-63 loss to Marquette on Wednesday night in the third annual BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle. Trailing by as many as 7 points late in the second half, the Wildcats had a chance to win, but Ish Massoud's shot at the rim was blocked with 4 seconds left.
K-State hopes to get back starting point guard and leading scorer (15.8 ppg.) Nijel Pack for Sunday's contest, as he missed the games with Wichita State and Marquette in the last week after suffering a concussion in practice on Dec. 4.

OPENING TIP

K-State plays just 4 more non-conference games to finish off the 2021 portion of the schedule before opening Big 12 play at Oklahoma on New Year's Day. The Wildcats will take the week off for semester exams before a trip to face longtime conference rival Nebraska (5-6) before hosting McNeese State (3-7) on Dec. 21 and Morgan State (4-5) on Dec. 29 at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State dropped another close game to Marquette on Wednesday night, as the Golden Eagles took control midway through the second half with an 11-2 run before the Wildcats nearly rallied at the end behind the play of their 3 Division I transfers - Mark Smith (17), Ish Massoud (16) and Markquis Nowell (11), who combined for 44 of the team's 63 points. The Wildcats' 3 losses to No. 13/12 Arkansas, No. 14/15 Illinois and Marquette have come by a combined 17 points.
K-State hopes the return of sophomore and leading scorer Nijel Pack (15.8 ppg.) will provide a boost to an offense that struggles in his absence. Going back to 2020-21, the Wildcats average nearly 10 points fewer per game (55.6 ppg. compared to 65.3 ppg.) without Pack in the lineup, while connecting on 6 percent less (36.6% to 42.9%) from the field and nearly 8 percent less (23.9% to 31.5%) from 3-point range. In the last 2 seasons, Pack has missed 7 games due to COVID-19 protocols and/or injury with the Wildcats posting a 1-6 mark in those games.
In addition to missing Pack, K-State did not have a fully healthy Selton Miguel against Marquette, as he played just 18 minutes after injury his knee.
Junior Markquis Nowell performed admirably in place of Pack in games against Wichita State and Marquette, averaging 13.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2 steals in 36 minutes per game. He nearly collected the first triple-double in school history against the Golden Eagles, posting 11 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 steals in 37 minutes. It was just the 12th points-assists double-double in school history and the first since 2014, while his 11 assists tied for the seventh-most in a game and the most by any Wildcats since Jacob Pullen in 2008.
K-State continues to ride its strong defense, as the offense continues to develop, as the Wildcats held Marquette to nearly 12 points under their scoring average (75.9 ppg.) on 41.3 percent shooting, including 29.7 percent from 3-point range. Although the Wildcats scored a season-low 11 points off turnovers, they kept the Golden Eagles off the free throw line (just 1-of-3), where they typically excel at 70.7 percent on the season. The Wildcats also held a 19-2 edge in fast-break points and a 17-6 advantage on second-chance points.
K-State ranks among the top-25 in 4 defensive categories, including 29th in scoring defense (59.1 ppg.), 20th in field goal percentage defense (37.4), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (24.6) and 15th in defensive rebounds (30.1). The Wildcats have held 4 of 8 opponents under 60 points, including consecutive opponents to under 50 points for the first time since December 2015.
Green Bay enters Sunday's game with a 2-7 record after losing 64-55 at Kansas City on Friday night to extend its losing streak to 2 games. Led by second-year head coach Will Ryan, the son of legendary coach Bo Ryan, the Phoenix are averaging 60.8 points per game on 40.2 percent shooting and have 2 double-digit scorers in Emmanuel Ansong (13.1 ppg.) and Donovan Ivory (11.0 ppg.).

NOTES ON GREEN BAY

Green Bay enters Sunday's game with a 2-7 overall record after dropping a 64-55 decision at Kansas City on Friday night. The Phoenix opened the year with 5 consecutive losses (Indiana State, Wisconsin, UNC Greensboro, FIU and Weber State) before back-to-back wins against Wisconsin-Superior (77-48) and Robert Morris (70-58). Before Friday's loss to the 'Roos, they dropped an 82-58 decision to Youngstown State on Dec. 4.
The Phoenix are averaging 60.8 points per game on 40.2 percent shooting, including 26.8 percent from 3-point range, with 32.4 rebounds, 11.7 assists, 4.1 steals and 3.7 blocks per game, while allowing opponents to average 66.2 points on 43.9 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from long range. The team is hitting on 73.9 percent from the free throw line.
Five players are averaging better than 5 points per game, including a pair of double-digit performers in junior forward Emmanuel Ansong (13.1 ppg.) and redshirt sophomore Donovan Ivory (11.0 ppg.). Ansong, who is connecting on 56.5 percent from the field, also paces the team in rebounding (5.4) and steals (1.1 spg.). Ivory leads the Phoenix in 3-pointers (12), while he is nearly perfect from the free throw line (90%; 27-of-30). Redshirt freshman Lucas Stieber has a team-best 42 assists on the year.
Freshman Kamari McGee was the lone player in double figures against Kansas City on Friday night, as he led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 5 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench.
Green Bay returns 6 lettermen, including 3 starters, from a team that went 8-17 in 2020-21, including 8-12 in Horizon League play.
Head coach Will Ryan is in his second season at Green Bay, while he is in his third season overall as a head coach. He was the head coach at Wheeling College in 2019-20 before moving up to coach at Green Bay for the 2020-21 season. He won two Division III titles (1998 and 1999) as a player at Wisconsin-Platteville.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Green Bay will meet for just the fourth time with the 3 previous meetings all coming since 2001. The two teams split a home-and-home series in 2001 and 2002 with the Wildcats winning at home, 68-55, on Nov. 20, 2001, and the Phoenix winning at home, 68-64, on Dec. 7, 2002.
K-State leads the series, 2-1, including 2-0 at home.
K-State won the last meeting between the schools, as the Wildcats posted a 80-61 victory on Nov. 30, 2016. The team connected on 56.6 percent, including 50 percent or better in both halves, and had 4 players scored in double figures led by Barry Brown, Jr.'s game-high 18 points.
K-State is 10-1 all-time vs. the Horizon League, including 9-0 at home.

LAST TIME OUT:
MARQUETTE 64, K-STATE 63

Redshirt freshman Oso Ighodaro blocked sophomore Ish Massoud's shot at the rim with 4 seconds left, as Marquette withstood a late K-State rally to post a 64-63 win in the third edition of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle on Wednesday night before 7,184 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
Down 61-54 with 5:42 to play after freshman Kam Jones connected on Marquette's 10th 3-point field goal of the game, K-State twice closed to within one point in the last minute of play, lastly on a 3-pointer from the corner by senior Mike McGuirl with 19 seconds left to make it 64-63.
The Wildcats had to foul on 3 straight possessions to put Golden Eagles (8-2) at the free throw line for the 1-and-1 opportunity with 14 seconds, as Jones missed the front end of the free throw to give K-State one last chance to win. With no timeouts, Massoud drove to the basket and attempted to lay the ball off the rim from under the standard but was blocked by Ighodaro with 4 seconds remaining and redshirt freshman Tyler Kolek grabbed the rebound.
Although the Golden Eagles knocked down 11 3-point field goals on the night, it was their inside game in the second half that proved to be the deciding factor, as they scored 16 of their 33 points in the paint and were a combined 10-of-13 from inside the arc after halftime. Jones scored 10 of his team-high 15 points in the second half, including 3 of the team's 4 3-point field goals.
It was a gutsy effort by K-State, which was without its leading scorer Nijel Pack for the second consecutive game and got limited action from fellow sophomore Selton Miguel, who was injured in practice on Tuesday.
The three newcomers – Massoud, fifth-year senior Mark Smith and junior Markquis Nowell – combined for 44 of the Wildcats' 63 points with each scoring in double figures and playing better than 32 minutes. The trio also collected 22 of the team's 41 rebounds and 15 of the 18 assists.
Smith led K-State in scoring for the first time with 17 points on 6-of-13 field goals to go with a team-tying 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 33 minutes, while Massoud broke out of a recent shooting slump with a season-high 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 6 rebounds.
Nowell nearly posted the school's first triple-double, as he scored 11 points on 5-of-13 field goals with a game-high 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

K-State has a 119-14 (.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 110-12 (.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 106 of their last 118 non-conference home games.
K-State has posted a 156-50 (.757) 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 previous 13 seasons.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 87-34 (.719) in non-conference play since he arrived at K-State, including a 67-12 (.848) mark at home.

HOME SWEET HOME // BRAMLAGE COLISEUM (1989-present)

K-State has posted a 397-138 (.742) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 397 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 197-58 (.772) record at home over the past 15 seasons, including an 84-46 (.646) mark in Big 12 play. The 197 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 84 league victories at home are among the top in the Big 12. In all, the program has double-digit victories in 26 of its 33 seasons in the arena.
K-State has a 258-80 (.763) record at home, including a 152-17 (.902) mark in non-conference action, since the 2001-02 season for an average of just over 13 home wins (13.1) per season in that span.
Head coach Bruce Weber has recorded a 112-42 (.725) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State in 2012-13 with just 12 non-conference home losses. The 42 losses (30 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a total of 419 points or 10.2 points per game. Weber has posted a 49-32 (.6050) record in Big 12 play at Bramlage Coliseum.

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 214 opponents (out of 308 total) under 70 points during Bruce Weber's tenure, including a program-best 31 in 2012-13. The Wildcats have also held 107 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 105 games in the Bruce Weber era, including under 35 percent in 50 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 due to their improved defense, as they held 5 of those 7 opponents under 60 points.
During the last 7 games of the 2020-21 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 59.1 points on 37.4 percent shooting, including 24.6 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-25 in 4 defensive categories, including fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 20th in field goal percentage defense and 29th in scoring defense.
The Wildcats responded to allowed 72 points in back-to-back games vs. No. 13/12 Arkansas (11/22/21) and No. 14/15 Illinois (11/23/21) with stellar efforts vs. North Dakota (11/28/21) and UAlbany (12/2/21), allowing the fewest combined points (85) in consecutive games since holding Lamar (55) and Alabama-Huntsville (26) to 81 combined points on Nov. 12 and 13, 2012.
K-State has been able to score points off its opponent turnovers (17.9 ppg.) while forcing an average of 14.1 turnovers per game. The Wildcats has scored 20 or more points off turnovers twice, including 25 vs. North Dakota (11/28/21).

IMPROVED OFFENSE, BUT WORK CONTINUES FROM 3

The Wildcats are averaging 69.6 points on 43.5 percent shooting, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 71.0 percent from the free throw line through the first 8 games. The team is averaging 29.8 points in the paint, 22.5 points off the bench, 17.5 points off turnovers, 9.6 fast-break points and 8.9 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 73.2 points and 16.0 assists in their 5 wins compared to just 63.7 points and 11.3 assists in their 3 losses. The squad also scored 152 combined points (30.4 ppg.) in the paint in their 5 victories, including 46 vs. North Dakota, which were the most since scoring 50 against Eastern Kentucky in Nov. 16, 2018.
The Wildcats' 3-point shooting needs to find some consistency, as they made just 22.6 percent (21-of-93) from long range in the 4 games with No. 13/12 Arkansas, No. 14/15 Illinois, Wichita State and Marquette while hitting on 43 percent (37-of-86) in games vs. Florida A&M, Omaha, North Dakota, UAlbany.
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).
K-State played even better offensively against North Dakota (11/28/21), hitting on 60.3 percent (35-of-58) from the field, including 69 percent (20-of-29) in the second half, to post their first 80-point game since scoring 84 vs. West Virginia on Jan. 18, 2020. It marked the first time that the Wildcats had shot better than 60 percent from the field since hitting on 62.5 percent (35-of-56) against Alabama State on Dec. 11, 2019.

IMPROVED DEPTH/EXPERIENCE

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 have used at least 8 players in each of the first 8 games with all 8 those players totaling double-digit field goals made and 7 averaging nearly 6 points per game, including a pair of double-digit scorers (Pack and Nowell).
K-State is averaging nearly 25 points per game from its bench this season, including 28-point efforts against No. 13/12 Arkansas and No. 14/15 Illinois. The team has scored 20 or more bench points in 7 of 8 games.
Before starting the last 2 games, junior Markquis Nowell had provided a spark off the bench, averaging 12.1 points on 40.7 percent shooting and 87.0 percent from the free throw line. He has scored in double figures 6 times, as he led in points (16), rebounds (8) and assists (4) in his first start at Wichita State.

IMPROVED FREE THROW SHOOTING

Again, it's a small sample size with just 8 games, but so far, K-State has taken care of its opportunities from the free throw line, connecting on 71 percent (93-of-131) from the charity stripe, which ranks third in the Big 12.
That percentage was even better in its 3-game stretch vs. Omaha, No. 13/12 Arkansas and No. 14/15 Illinois, as the Wildcats hit on 81.3 percent (39-of-48) during that stretch, including 78.1 percent (25-of-32) in the games against the Razorbacks and Fighting Illini.
Four players (Nijel Pack, Markquis Nowell, Ish Massoud and Mike McGuirl) are hitting on better than 70 percent from the line, as Pack (9-of-9) and Massoud (6-of-6) have been perfect so far.
The Wildcats shot just 66.4 percent from the free throw line in 2020-21, while they haven't connected on better than 70 percent from the line since hitting on 73.4 percent as a team in 2017-18.

TURNOVER LOW

K-State turned the ball over just 4 times in the loss to No. 14/15 Illinois, which tied 5 others for the third-fewest in a game in school history and fewest since also registered 4 turnovers in a win over Gonzaga on Dec. 21, 2013. It tied the 2013 Gonzaga contest for the fewest turnovers in the Bruce Weber era.
In contrast, the Wildcats were able to force the Fighting Illini into 18 turnovers, which resulted in a 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers.

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 3 of the first 5 games, including an 18-point performance in the opener vs. Florida A&M, 15 points vs. Omaha and 14 points vs. No. 12/13 Arkansas.
Pack is averaging a team-best 15.6 points on 50.9 percent (28-of-55) shooting, including 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from 3-point range, to go with 2.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, field goals, 3-pointers and double-digit scoring games (5) and second in assists (10).
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 12 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters Sunday's game 12 shy of the mark with a 488-288 (.629) record in 24 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 coaches have reached 500 wins in their career with Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) just ahead of him with 497 victories.

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 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 Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. Pack missed games against Wichita State and Marquette due to a concussion, while Miguel has been slowed by a knee injury.

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 (four 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). All 3 took advantage of the new transfer rules and are immediately eligible in 2021-22.
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 more than 400 triples (408) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio made their impact in the first 8 games with Massoud and Smith each starting every game, while Nowell has registered starts in the last 2 games due to the injury to Nijel Pack. They have combined for 228 points on 39.1 percent (81-of-207) shooting with 129 rebounds and 50 assists. Nowell has scored in double figures in 6 of 8 games, including a season-high 19 vs. No. 14/15 Illinois, while Massoud added a season-high 16 points vs. Marquette. Smith has two double-doubles and is the team's leading rebounder (7.5 rpg.).

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: AT NEBRASKA (5-6)

K-State will take a week off for semester exams before resuming play next Sunday, Dec. 19 at former Big 12 rival Nebraska (5-6) at 5 p.m., CT in the first visit to Pinnacle Bank Arena. It will be the first of 3-game series between the schools and the first meeting since the Huskers left the league in 2011. K-State has won 5 straight in the series, including the last 2 in Lincoln.

Game Preview // K-State Hosts Green Bay Sunday Before Finals Break

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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 Hosts Green Bay Sunday Before Finals Break

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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