Game Preview // K-State Travels to Kansas for Dillons Sunflower Showdown

GAME 19
KANSAS STATE (5-13, 1-8 Big 12) at 23/22 KANSAS (11-6, 5-4 Big 12)
294^th Dillons Sunflower Showdown
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 >> 7:01 p.m. CT >> Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) >> Lawrence, Kan.

RIVALRY GAME
Dillons Sunflower Showdown
K-State and Kansas will meet for the 294th time in a rivalry that dates to 1907. It is the sixth-most played
rivalry and eighth-most continuously played in NCAA Division I history.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN

Ted Emrich (play-by-play)
Lance Blanks (analyst)
Evan Cohen (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
XM 383 // Internet 973
Online: TuneIn.com [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.KUAthletics.com
kansas.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
Allen Fieldhouse will be open to approximately 1,500 fans. There are no single-game tickets available.

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee '78)
Overall: 479-278/23^rd season
At K-State: 166-123/9^th season
vs. Kansas: 3-17 (0-8 on the road)

Kansas: Bill Self (Oklahoma State '85)
Overall: 719-220/28^th season
Record at Kansas: 512-115/18^th season
vs. K-State: 35-6 (16-1 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (5-13)
G: #21 Nijel Pack
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #3 DaJuan Gordon
F: #1 Kaosi Ezeagu
F: #21 Davion Bradford

Kansas (11-6)
G: #0 Marcus Garrett
G: #2 Christian Braun
G: #30 Ochai Agbaji
F: #10 Jalen Wilson
F: #33 David McCormack

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Kansas leads 199-94
Current Streak: Kansas, 3
In Big 12 Play: Kansas leads 52-6
In Lawrence: Kansas leads 91-35
At Allen Fieldhouse: Kansas leads 49-17
Last Meeting: L, 58-62 [2/29/20 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Self: 4-18 [0-9 in Lawrence, Kan.]

OPENING TIP

Kansas State (5-13, 1-8 Big 12) opens the month of February with a short trip down I-70 to renew its longstanding rivalry with No. 23/22 Kansas (11-6, 5-4 Big 12) in the 294th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse. It is the sixth-most played rivalry (293) and eighth-most continuously played (114) in NCAA Division I history. Tuesday's game will air on Big 12 Now with Ted Emrich (play-by-play) and Lance Blanks (analyst) on the call.
This will be the Wildcats' sixth matchup against a Top 25 opponent this season, including the first of 3 in a row (No. 23/22 Kansas, No. 13/11 Texas Tech and No. 6/6 Texas). K-State has lost 10 straight against ranked opponents, including 3 straight to a ranked Jayhawk squad, while the Wildcats have suffered 7 consecutive defeats to ranked teams on the road dating to 2019. K-State is 119-267 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes a 5-5 mark vs. the AP's No. 23 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 career wins against Top 25 foes.
K-State enters the month of a February on an 8-game losing streak after suffering a 68-61 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon in the eighth annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge series. In a tight game marked by 8 lead changes and 4 ties in the second half, it was the more experienced Aggie squad that was able to pull out the victory. Down 58-55 with 1:47 to play, Texas A&M outscored K-State, 13-3, down the stretch, including 11 consecutive makes from the free throw line. The Aggies connected on just 40.8 percent (20-of-49) from the field, but outscored the Wildcats, 22-5, from the free throw line, connecting on 84.6 percent (22-of-26) from the charity stripe, including 90 percent (18-of-20) in the second half.
The loss spoiled a near historic performance by freshman Nijel Pack, who scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including an 8-of-14 effort from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in just his second game back from missing 4 games due to COVID-19 protocols. The 26 points were the most by a K-State freshman since Marcus Foster scored 34 against Texas in 2014. Pack's eight 3-point field goals tied for the second-most in school history and are the most-ever by a Wildcat freshman. The performance is only surpassed by Askia Jones' school-record 14 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994 in the Postseason NIT.
K-State is expected to without the services of sophomore DaJuan Gordon, who played just 5 minutes against Texas A&M on Saturday after leaving with an injury. Seven Wildcats have combined to miss 50 games this season due to either injury or COVID-19 related protocols, while only senior Mike McGuirl has started all 18 games.
K-State has started 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) in 7 games, including 4 Big 12 games, while at least 2 true freshmen have started each of the last 12 games. The Wildcats are one of 6 teams to start at least 3 true freshmen in at least one game, while the 39 combined starts by true freshmen rank third nationally to Kentucky's 45 and Washington State's 40.

NOTES ON 23/22 KANSAS

No. 23/21 Kansas (11-6, 5-4 Big 12) dropped its fourth game in its last 5 outings on Saturday night with an 80-61 loss at No. 18/17 Tennessee, as the SEC was able to clinch the SEC/Big 12 Challenge series, 5-4. The Jayhawks shot just 37.7 percent against the stingy Volunteer defense, including 26.9 percent in the first half. Junior David McCormack led 3 players in double digits with a game-tying 17 points, while senior Marcus Garrett added 15.
Kansas is averaging 73.5 points on 44.1 percent shooting, including 35.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 37.7 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game, while allowing 68.2 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 35.6 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 71.2 percent from the free throw line. The Jayhawks are averaging 68.7 points on 44.5 percent shooting, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range, in Big 12 play, while allowing 67.4 points on 42.4 percent shooting.
Always one of the most balanced teams in the nation, Kansas has 4 players averaging in double figures led by junior Ochai Agbaji's 14.1 points per game average on 41.8 percent shooting, including 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Agbaji leads the team with 44 3-pointers. Redshirt freshman Jalen Wilson averages 12.2 points on 45.4 percent shooting, while McCormack and Garrett average 12.0 and 10.2 points per game. Wilson averages a team-best 7.1 rebounds, while Garrett has a team-high 58 assists.
Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has posted a 512-115 (.817) record in his 18th season, which includes the 2008 national title and 3 Final Fours. He is 719-220 (.766) in his 28th season as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Kansas will meet for the 294th time in their histories with the Jayhawks holding a 199-94 advantage in a series that dates to 1907. Kansas is 91-35 all-time in games played in Lawrence, including 49-17 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are 52-6 all-time in the Big 12 era.
Kansas swept both meetings last season, earning an 81-60 win at home on Jan. 21, 2020 before a 62-58 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 29, 2020. The Jayhawks have won 14 in a row at Allen Fieldhouse against the Wildcats with the last win coming on 59-55 on Jan. 14, 2006.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 3-17 all-time against Kansas, including a 0-8 record on the road, while he is 4-18 against head coach Bill Self.

LAST TIME OUT: TEXAS A&M 68, K-STATE 61

Texas A&M took advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, including 11 consecutive makes to end the game, as the Aggies earned a 68-61 win over K-State in the eighth annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday in front of a limited capacity crowd of 942 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
The loss spoiled a near historic performance by freshman guard Nijel Pack, who scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including an 8-of-14 effort from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in just his second game back from missing 4 games due to COVID-19 protocols. Pack's 26 points are the most by a K-State freshman since Marcus Foster scored 34 against Texas in 2014.
Pack's eight 3-point field goals tied for the second-most in a game in school history and are the most-ever by a Wildcat freshman. His 8 triples are only surpassed by Askia Jones' school-record 14 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994, while Steve Henson (vs. Iowa State on Feb. 17, 1990) and Cortez Groves (vs. Texas A&M on March 23, 2000) also had 8 treys in a game.
In a tight game marked by 8 lead changes and 4 ties in the second half, it was the more experienced Texas A&M team that was able to pull out the win. Down 58-55 after Pack's only 2-point field goal with 1:47 to play, the Aggies outscored the Wildcats, 13-3, down the stretch, including 11 consecutive makes from the free throw line.
Texas A&M packed the lane, limiting paint touches and hampering rookie big Davion Bradford, who entered the game shooting 61 percent from the field. The Wildcats were forced into taking 35 3-point field goals – the fourth-most attempts in a game in school history – making double-digit treys (10) for the first time in Big 12 play. However, Pack and senior Mike McGuirl (2) combined for all 10 triples on 21 attempts, while the rest of the team was a combined 0-of-14 from long range.
Pack was joined in double figures by McGuirl, who finished with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting to go with a game-high 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Bradford was solid despite being limited to 3 shot attempts, finishing with 9 points, a team-high 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, while sophomore reserve Antonio Gordon added 8 points and 5 rebounds.

INJURIES, YOUTH DEFINE SEASON SO FAR FOR K-STATE

Very few teams in the country have had to deal with the mixture of injuries, COVID-19 protocols and youth quite like K-State has in 2020-21. Already one of the country's most inexperienced teams with just 4 returning lettermen (only 4 schools have fewer) and 11 underclassmen (only 6 schools have more), the Wildcats have seen 7 different players combined to miss 50 games this season, while senior Mike McGuirl is the only player to start all 18 games with 7 different starting lineups.

GAMES MISSED IN 2020-21 [50]

Luke Kasubke - 13 (saw first action at Texas)
Montavious Murphy - 14 (expected to miss rest of season)
Kaosi Ezeagu - 10 (returned to action at Oklahoma)
Antonio Gordon - 4 (returned to action at Texas)
Carlton Linguard, Jr. - 4 (returned to action vs. Fort Hays State)
Nijel Pack - 4 (returned to action at Baylor)
Seryee Lewis - 1 (returned to action at Texas)

K-State is one of just 6 schools nationally (Duke, Kentucky, James Madison, North Carolina and Washington State) to start at least 3 true freshmen in one game this season, while the 39 combined starts by Wildcat true freshmen are third to Kentucky's 45 and WSU's 40.

PACK OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START

Freshman Nijel Pack came up with a special performance in K-State's 68-61 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday afternoon, as the rookie scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in just his second game back from missing 4 games due to COVID-19 protocols.
The 26-point effort was the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Marcus Foster scored 34 points against Texas on Feb. 8, 2014. The 8 3-pointers tie for the second-most in a game in school history and are the most-ever by a Wildcat freshman. His 8 treys are only surpassed by Askia Jones' school-record 14 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994, while Steve Henson (vs. Iowa State on Feb. 17, 1990) and Cortez Groves (vs. Texas A&M on March 23, 2000) also had 8 treys in a game. It was his team-leading eighth game of at least 5 assists, while he tied his season-high with 3 steals.
The performance continues what has been an impressive start to his rookie season in Manhattan, as he ranks among team leaders in several categories, including scoring (11.8 ppg./1st), double-digit scoring games (8/3rd), field goals made (63/2nd), 3-point field goals made (32/2nd), assists (53/2nd), steals (18/2nd) and minutes per game (32.6/2nd).
Before missing the Oklahoma State game on Jan. 9, Pack had started to hit his scoring groove, scoring in double figures in 3 of 4 games, including a then season-high 17 points at No. 18/19 Texas Tech (1/5/21). He has scored in double figures in 5 of the last 6 games, in a stretch, where he is averaging 15.2 points on 50 percent (34-of-68) shooting, including 43.2 percent (19-of-44) from 3-point range, with 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
Pack ranks third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.29), as he has knocked down at least 3 triples in 6 games, including a season-high 8 vs. Texas A&M (1/30/21). His 32 makes just outside the school's Top 10 by a freshman, while his 39.5 3-point field goal percentage is in on pace to be the fourth-best by a freshman and best since Foster in 2013-14.
Pack ranks second in the Big 12 with a 2.65 assist/turnover ratio, while he is 10th in minutes (32.6) and 11th in assists (3.79). He is second in minutes per game among freshmen to Cade Cunningham (33.6). He had a season-high 7 assists (with zero turnovers) against UNLV (12/5/20).
Pack became the first Wildcat true freshmen to start the first 12 games of the season since Kamau Stokes started the first 17 games in 2015-16.

McGUIRL DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES

Mike McGuirl is making the most of his senior season, as he is among the team leaders in nearly every category, including first in scoring (11.8 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (12), field goals made (70) and attempted (191), 3-point field goals made (38) and attempted (111), assists (65) and minutes (33.6). He is second in steals (18) and fourth in rebounding (3.5 rpg.).
McGuirl ranks in the Top 15 in several categories in the Big 12, including 13th in assists (3.63 apg.), ninth in assist-turnover ratio (1.55), seventh in 3-point field goals made (2.11) and sixth in minutes (33.6 mpg.).
McGuirl has led the team in scoring a team-best 6 times, while he has led in rebounding twice, in assists 9 times and in steals on 5 occasions.
McGuirl's 12 double-digit scoring games surpassed his entire career total (10) that he had entering the 2020-21 season. He opened the year with his first career 20-point game vs. Drake on Nov. 25 with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. He equaled that mark with 22 points vs. Fort Hays State (12/8/20). He had scored in double figures in 8 of the last 10 games, where he is averaging 10.7 points per game.
In addition to his scoring, McGuirl has also set up his teammates, dishing out a team-best 65 assists (to 42 turnovers). He has 7 games at least 5 assists this season, including a career-best 8 vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20).

MR. DO-EVERYTHING

Sophomore DaJuan Gordon has proved to be K-State's Mr. Do Everything, as he is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game, while leading the way in both rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and steals (1.2 spg.). He is also second in free throws made (34), attempted (46) and percentage (73.9).
Gordon is one of just 2 guards (OSU's Isaac Likekele) to rank in the Big 12's Top 10 in rebounding, as he places 10th with 5.8 rebounds per game, while he is 12th in the league in defensive rebounds (4.28).
Gordon's 3 double-doubles tie 3 others (David McCormack, Kevin Samuel and Jalen Wilson) for the third-most among Big 12 players and are only surpassed by WVU's Derek Culver (8) and Texas' Greg Brown (4).
Gordon's 3 career double-doubles have all come in the last 12 games, including 2 in Big 12 play. He posted his first career double-double in the win at Iowa State (12/15/20), scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He followed that with a 13-point, 12-rebound effort vs. Jacksonville (12/21/20) before his latest double-double vs. Oklahoma State (1/9/21) with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a career-best 39 minutes.
Gordon has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 4 games, including in back-to-back contests vs. Jacksonville (12/21/20) and Omaha (12/29/20). He is the first Wildcat to post double-digit rebounds in back-to-back games since Wesley Iwundu in March 2017.
Gordon has scored in double figures in 9 games this season, including a career-best 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting vs. TCU (1/2/21). Six of those 9 double-digit scoring games have come in the last 12 games.
Gordon is also the leader on the Wayne McClain Play Hard Chart with 120 points, which includes leading the team in deflections/blocks (34), steals (23), loose balls (23), offensive rebounds (28) and charges (4).

MIGUEL HITS THE GAME-WINNER

Freshman Selton Miguel connected on a 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds left to lift K-State to a 60-58 win over Omaha on Dec. 29. It was the rookie's first game-winner, as he capped his 11-point effort with his third trey of the game.
Miguel, a starter in 11 of the last 13 games, is having a solid freshman campaign, averaging 8.2 points on 35 percent shooting, including 9.1 points on 35.1 percent shooting in Big 12 play. He is fourth on the team in scoring and steals (14), while his third in 3-pointers (16).
Miguel's 7 double-digit scoring games have come in the last 14 outings, including a team-tying 17 points at No. 18/19 Texas Tech (1/5/21). He also scored a season-tying 17 points vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20) on 7-of-14 field goals, while he had 14 vs. No. 2/2 Baylor (12/19/20).

IMPRESSIVE YOUNG BIG MAN

With sophomore Kaosi Ezeagu out for an extended time, freshman Davion Bradford has had an opportunity to display his skills, earning starts in each of the last 13 games. He is averaging 6.9 points on a team-best 62.5 percent shooting (50-of-80) with 4.1 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game.
Bradford has scored in double figures in 5 games thus far, including scoring a season-high 18 points vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20). He also played a major role in the win at Iowa State (12/15/20) with 14 points on 5-of-7 field goals and a 4-of-4 effort from the line. He has posted double digits in 3 of the last 8 games, including team-high 14 points at No. 4/4 Texas (1/16/21).
Bradford has already shown the ability to finish at the rim, totaling a team-high 23 dunks, which in comparison surpasses Makol Mawien's entire total of 17 in 32 games played in 2019-20 season.

AGORDON STRONG OFF BENCH

Despite missing 4 games due to COVID-19 protocols, sophomore Antonio Gordon has shown the ability to provide some scoring off the bench, as he collected a career-high 23 points on 9-of-9 field goals with a team-tying 6 rebounds vs. No. 2/2 Baylor (12/19/20) in just 21 minutes of action.
Gordon's 23 points tied for the eighth-most by reserve in a conference game in school history and were the most since Marcus Foster had 23 against TCU on Jan. 7, 2015. He also became the eighth Wildcats to go 9-of-9 or better from the field and the first since Dean Wade also went 9-of-9 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019 and the first at home since 2002.

IRON 'CATS

Due to low numbers caused by injuries and COVID-19 protocols, K-State had just 8 available players - including 6 on scholarship - for its outing against Oklahoma State at home on Saturday, Jan. 9. To make the situation worse, sophomore Carlton Linguard, Jr., was on a minutes' limit due to a back injury (playing just over 14 minutes), while freshman Davion Bradford ended up playing just over 12 minutes due to foul issues.
This caused the remaining 6 to play the bulk of the minutes, including walk-on Joe Petrakis logging a career-high 15 minutes of action. Senior Mike McGuirl and junior Rudi Williams each played all 40 minutes, setting career-highs, while two others - sophomore DaJuan Gordon and freshmen Selton Miguel - each registered 39 minutes, also career-highs. All told, those 4 players were responsible for 158 of K-State's 200 total minutes.
McGuirl and Williams are the first Wildcats to play all 40 minutes of a regulation game since Barry Brown, Jr., played all 40 against Baylor on March 2, 2019. It marked the first time two teammates played all 40 minutes in a regulation game in more than 30 years since Steve Henson and LaKeith Humphrey accomplished the feat against Oklahoma State in a 69-62 win at home on Feb. 5, 1989.

YOUNG JOE HAS A BIG NIGHT

Sophomore walk-on Joe Petrakis took advantage of his opportunity with just 8 available players against Oklahoma State on Jan. 9, outscoring freshman All-American candidate Cade Cunningham (6 points to 5 points), while logging a career-high 15 minutes of action.
Petrakis, who redshirt his first season in 2019-20 after playing one season at Dodge City College, scored his first career points with 6:13 left in the first half and finished with a career-high 6 points on 2-of-5 field goals, including his first 3-pointer, to go with 2 rebounds.

YOUNG 'CATS PERFORM WELL AT TECH

Despite dropping an 82-71 loss at No. 18/19 Texas Tech on Jan. 5, K-State became the first team to eclipse 70 points in regulation against Texas Tech this season, including posting the highest field goal percentage by a Red Raider foe this season at 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the field, including 61.2 percent (19-of-31) from inside the 3-point line. Texas Tech had entered the game, allowing a Big 12-best 56.3 points on 37.4 percent shooting.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures against Texas Tech, including a team-leading 17 points each by freshmen Nijel Pack and Selton Miguel. Miguel tied his season-high on 6-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 6 assists, while Pack collected a season-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-7 from long range. Fellow freshmen Davion Bradford and senior Mike McGuirl each added 10 points.

MURPHY EXPECTED TO MISS SEASON

Sophomore Montavious Murphy has elected to have what is expected to be season-ending surgery to fix his ailing knee, which has caused him to miss 14 games this season. Murphy, who was the opening day starter vs. Drake (11/25/20), saw action in 4 games, including the first 3.
Murphy, who became just the fourth true freshman to start an opener under Bruce Weber in 2019-20, has now missed 27 games in his career due to injury, including the last 6 games of his freshman season.
Murphy had a solid freshman season in 2019-20, averaging 5.2 points on 40.7 percent shooting with 3.7 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game.

UP NEXT: VS. 13/11 TEXAS TECH (12-5, 4-4 Big 12)

K-State begins a 2-game homestand against ranked opponents on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats welcome No. 13/11 Texas Tech (12-5, 4-4 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. It will be the second meeting after the Red Raiders posted an 82-71 win over the Wildcats at home on Jan. 5. Texas Tech will attempt to sweep the series for the second straight season and win back-to-back games in Manhattan for the first time since 2005 and 2007.

Game Preview // K-State Travels to Kansas for Dillons Sunflower Showdown

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Barry Brown, Jr.

Kaosi Ezeagu

Antonio Gordon

DaJuan Gordon

Luke Kasubke

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Makol Mawien

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Montavious Murphy

Nijel Pack

Joe Petrakis

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Rudi Williams

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Travels to Kansas for Dillons Sunflower Showdown

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Barry Brown, Jr.

Kaosi Ezeagu

Antonio Gordon

DaJuan Gordon

Luke Kasubke

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Makol Mawien

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Montavious Murphy

Nijel Pack

Joe Petrakis

Kamau Stokes

Dean Wade

Rudi Williams

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