Game Preview // K-State Hosts 7/7 Kansas in 296th Annual Sunflower Showdown

Saturday, January 22

Manhattan, Kan.

3 p.m.

Kansas State University

Kansas

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Game Preview // K-State Hosts 7/7 Kansas in 296th Annual Sunflower Showdown

Jan 21, 2022 | Men's Basketball

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The Wildcats and Jayhawks will meet for the 116th consecutive season on Saturday

GAME 18
KANSAS STATE (10-7, 2-4 Big 12) vs. 7/7 KANSAS (15-2, 4-1 Big 12)
Saturday, January 22, 2022 >> 3:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,643) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ / ESPN App (Link)

Ted Emrich (play-by-play)
Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
John J. Wilson (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 381
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 971 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

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

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $50, $75, $100

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 180-137/10th Year
Career Record: 493-292/24th Year
vs. Kansas: 3-19 [3-6 at home]

Kansas: Bill Self [Oklahoma State '85]
Record at Kansas: 537-120/19th Year
Career Record: 744-225/29th Year
vs. K-State: 37-6 [14-5 on the road]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Kansas leads 201-94
Big 12 era: Kansas leads 54-6 [44-6 in regular season]
Current Streak: Kansas, 5
In Manhattan: Kansas leads 80-48
At Bramlage Coliseum: Kansas leads 28-5
Last Meeting: L, 41-59 [2/17/21 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Self: 3-19 [3-6 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (10-7, 2-4 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #3 Selton Miguel
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

Kansas (15-2, 4-1 Big 12)
G: #2 Christian Braun
G: #3 Dajuan Harris, Jr.
G: #30 Ochai Agbaji
F: #10 Jalen Wilson
F: #33 David McCormack

K-STATE HOSTS 7/7 KANSAS IN SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN

Kansas State (10-7, 2-4 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to No. 7/7 Kansas (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT, in the 296th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. It is the sixth-most played rivalry dating to 1907 and third-most continuously played (116 years) in NCAA Division I history.
K-State will honor the historical accomplishments of Gene Wilson (1950-52, 1954-56), who became the first black player to receive a basketball scholarship to the school and was one of the first to break the color barrier in the Big Seven Conference. The team will wear special shooting shirts with Wilson's name and number as well as a patch on the uniform.
Saturday's matchup continues a gauntlet of 4 consecutive games against Top 25 opponents (vs. 19/19 Texas Tech, at 23/22 Texas, 7/7 Kansas and at 5/6 Baylor) to finish off the first half of Big 12 play.

OPENING TIP

K-State won its second consecutive game against a Top 25 opponent, as the Wildcats held No. 23/22 Texas scoreless in the last 3:31 of the game en route to posting a 66-65 win over the Longhorns on Tuesday night. Sophomore Nijel Pack's layup off a feed from junior Markquis Nowell proved to the game-winner with 1:13 to play. Nowell, who played perhaps his worst game of the season, proved instrumental in the waning minutes, knocking down a pair of free throws to close the gap to 1 point before the game-winning assist.
The victories over No. 19/19 Texas Tech (62-51) and No. 23/22 Texas (66-65) marked the first time in nearly 3 seasons that K-State has won back-to-back games over ranked opponents since winning 4 straight (No. 20 Iowa State, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 14 Texas Tech and No. 13 Kansas) from Jan. 12-Feb. 5, 2019. It also snapped losing streaks to both the Red Raiders (4 games) and Longhorns (5 games), while also ending Texas' 11-game winning streak at the Erwin Center.
It was reversal of recent fortunes for K-State, which had led or been tied in the second half in each of its first 4 Big 12 losses, including a heartbreaking 60-57 loss to TCU at home on Jan. 12. Six of the 7 losses have come by a total of 25 points, including 8 points to No. 13/12 Arkansas (64-72), No. 14/15 Illinois (64-72), 1 point to Marquette (63-64), 2 points to Oklahoma (69-71) and 3 points to West Virginia (68-71) and TCU. The team is 0-5 when allowing 70 or more points.
The win at No. 23/22 Texas marked just the second time that all 10 healthy scholarship players this season were available after K-State played short-handed in losses to 14/16 Texas (8 players) and West Virginia (9 players) and without coach Bruce Weber, before nearly everyone except

senior Mike McGuirl returned for the home game vs. TCU on Jan. 12.

As pivotal as the defense was down the stretch against No. 23/22 Texas, the offense was just as impressive, as K-State scored 66 points on the nation's No. 2 scoring defense (54.5), including the most allowed at the Erwin Center this year. The Wildcats connected on 46.3 percent (25-of-54), including 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range, and managed just 10 turnovers. The team was even better in the second half, scoring 35 points on 54.2 percent (13-of-24) shooting, including 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from long range.
Fifth-year senior Mark Smith led 3 Wildcats in double figures with his second 20-point effort of the Big 12 season, scoring 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, while adding a team-best 8 rebounds. The Big 12 leader in rebounding in both overall (8.3 rpg.) and conference-only (9.0 rpg.), he also ranks second in field goal percentage (51.6) in league games.
The 3 transfers (Ish Massoud, Nowell and Smith) continue to play a major role in the Wildcats' play this season. The trio have been responsible for 43 percent (503) of the team's scoring and 42 percent (255) of its rebounding. They are averaging 29.6 points, 15.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 4.2 steals per game.
K-State ranks among the top-30 in 3 defensive categories, including 26th in scoring defense (61.3), 28th in field goal percentage defense (39.4) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.4).

NOTES ON 7/7 KANSAS

No. 7/7 Kansas (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) enters Saturday's game with wins in 11 of its last 12 games, including its current 3-game winning streak (Iowa State, West Virginia and at Oklahoma). The Jayhawks, which led the Big 12 by a half game as we near the mid-way point, have just 2 losses this season by a combined 9 points (74-73 to Dayton and 75-67 at Texas Tech). They are 3-1 on the road this season, including wins at Oklahoma State (74-63) and Oklahoma (67-64).
The Jayhawks are averaging a Big 12-best 81.0 points per game on 50 percent shooting, including 37.4 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 66.2 points on 41.9 percent shooting, including 30.8 percent from long range. The team leads the Big 12 in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, while they rank among the top-20 nationally in field goal percentage (sixth), scoring offense (18th) and scoring margin (+14.8/19th) and are 40th in total assists (279).
Kansas has 5 players averaging 8 points or more, including a pair of double-digit scorers who rank in the Big 12's top-5 in scoring average in senior Ochai Agbaji (19.9 ppg.) and junior Christian Braun (15.6 ppg.). Agbaji is hitting on 52.1 percent, including a team-best 53 made 3-pointers on 47.3 percent, while Braun is connecting on 54.1 percent from the field, including 35.1 percent from long range, and placing second in assists (53) and steals (22). Senior transfer Remy Martin is averaging 9.2 points on 46.7 percent shooting, while senior David McCormack and sophomore Jalen Wilson are averaging 8.6 and 8.4 points per game, respectively. Three players averaging better than 6 rebounds per game led McCormack's 6.4 average. Sophomore Dajuan Harris paces the team in both assists (66) and steals (25).
Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has posted a 537-120 (.817) record in his 19th season, which includes the 2008 national title and 3 Final Fours. He is 744-225 (.768) in his 29th season as a head coach, which includes Oral Roberts (1993-97), Tulsa (1997-2000) and Illinois (2000-03).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Kansas will meet for the 296th time in their histories with the Jayhawks holding a 201-94 advantage in a series that dates to 1907. Kansas is 80-48 all-time in games played in Lawrence, including a 28-5 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Jayhawks are 54-6 all-time in the Big 12 era.
The rivalry is one of the oldest in college basketball, as the 295 meetings are sixth-most in Division I, while it is the third-longest active series at 116 years, just behind Maine/New Hampshire (118) and Idaho/Washington State (117).
Kansas has won 5 straight in the series, sweeping the season series in both 2020 and 2021 and the last meeting of the 2018-19 season on Feb. 25, 2019. The Jayhawks have 13 of the last 14 meetings since the Wildcats won back-to-back home games in the series in 2014 and 2015. Last season, they won both matchups by more than 20 points, including a 74-51 win at home on Feb. 2, 2021, and a 59-41 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 17, 2021. The last win by K-State in the series came in a 74-67 victory at home on Feb. 5, 2019.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 3-19 all-time against Kansas with all 3 wins coming at home (2014, 2015, 2019), while he is 4-20 against head coach Bill Self. Self is 37-6 vs. Kansas, including 14-5 in Manhattan.

MORE ON GENE WILSON

Gene Wilson, who became the first black player to receive a basketball scholarship at Kansas State in 1950 as well as one of the first to break the color barrier in the Big Seven Conference in 1951-52, will be honored for his trailblazing accomplishments at Saturday's Dillons Sunflower Showdown.
During his two stints from 1950-52 and 1954-56, Wilson, along with Kansas' LaVannes Squires, became the first black basketball players in the Big Seven (forerunner of the Big Eight and Big 12). A two-sport athlete for the Wildcats, Wilson was also one of five to break the color barrier in track and field.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 66, 23/22 TEXAS 65

Sophomore Nijel Pack's layup with 1:13 remaining proved to be the game-winner, as Kansas State held No. 23/22 Texas scoreless in the last 3:31 of the game en route to posting a 66-65 win over the Longhorns on Tuesday night before 11,498 fans at the Frank Erwin Center.
The victory gave the Wildcats consecutive wins over Top 25 opponents for the first time since posting back-to-back road wins over No. 20 Iowa State and No. 20 Oklahoma in January 2019. It also snapped a 5-game losing streak to the Longhorns and ended their 11-game winning streak in the Erwin Center.
K-State was led offensively by fifth-year senior Mark Smith, who finished with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-14 field goals to go with game-tying 8 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Pack and senior Mike McGuirl, who finished with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
In a back-and-forth second half, in which, the lead changed hands 7 times, Texas (13-5, 3-3 Big 12) seemed to have gained the upper hand on the back of senior Marcus Carr, who scored 19 of his game-high 25 points after halftime. Carr personally out-scored the Wildcats, 9-3, over a more than 2-minute span that gave the Longhorns a 62-58 lead with 5:26 to play. After 2 free throws by Smith, Carr went 1-of-2 from the line and fellow senior transfer Timmy Allen added a layup that extended the lead to 65-60 with 3:32 remaining.
K-State locked in defensively, holding Texas scoreless the rest of the game despite being over the limit, while getting huge baskets from Pack, including the game-winner on a feed from junior Markquis Nowell for a 66-65 lead with 1:13 to play after the latter had closed the gap to 65-64 with 2 free throws.
With 12.4 seconds left, the Longhorns had one more chance, but Carr's jumper rimmed off and Smith grabbed the rebound to secure the victory. Smith's last rebound was symbolic as it helped the Wildcats win the rebounding battle, 32-31, as they improved to 10-1 when out-rebounding their opponent.
As stout as the defense was in the win, the offense was just in impressive as K-State scored 66 points on the nation's No. 2 scoring defense (54.5), including the most allowed at the Erwin Center this season. The Wildcats connected on 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the field, including 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range, and managed just 10 turnovers.

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 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 220 opponents (out of 317 total) under 70 points during Bruce Weber's tenure, including a program-best 31 in 2012-13. The Wildcats have also held 110 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.
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. 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, allowing just 59.3 points per game in that span.
K-State has started the season off where they left off at the end of the 2020-21 season, as the defense is allowing 61.3 points on 39.4 percent shooting, including 26.4 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-30 in 3 defensive categories, including fifth in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 26th in scoring defense and 28th in field goal percentage defense.
After allowing 70 or more points in the first 3 Big 12 games, K-State has been better in the last 3 league contests, allowing just 58.7 points on 40.5 percent shooting, including 25.9 percent from long range. The key has been in forcing turnovers, as opponents averaged just 10.0 in the first 3 Big 12 games while have averaged 15.0 in the last 3 games. The Wildcats held the Red Raiders to one of their worst offensive performances on Jan. 15, allowing their second-fewest points (51) and forcing 18 turnovers. It marked the 100th win under head coach Bruce Weber when holding an opponent below 60 points (100-10).
K-State has been able to score points off its opponent turnovers (16.1 ppg.) while forcing an average of 13.5 turnovers per game. The Wildcats has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 3 times, including 22 vs. Nebraska (12/19/21).

IMPROVED OFFENSE, BUT WORK CONTINUES FROM 3

The Wildcats are averaging 68.2 points on 43.0 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 72 percent from the free throw line through the first 17 games. The team is averaging 28.1 points in the paint, 18.4 points off the bench, 16.1 points off turnovers, 8.1 fast-break points and 9.2 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 71.7 points and 14.9 assists in their 10 wins compared to just 63.7 points and 11.8 assists in their 7 losses. The squad has scored 294 combined points (29.4 ppg.) in the paint in their 10 wins, including 46 vs. North Dakota, which were the most since scoring 50 vs. Eastern Kentucky in Nov. 16, 2018.
After ranking among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country in 2020-21, those numbers have improved in 2021-22. The Wildcats are tied with Kansas for second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals per game (7.9), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (34.4).
The Wildcats' 3-point shooting plays a big part in wins and losses, as the team is averaging 8.6 3-point makes on 37.7 percent shooting in their 10 wins, while they are averaging 6.9 treys on just 29.6 percent shooting in their 7 losses.

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 the Power 6. The Wildcats were one of 10 teams to start at least 3 true freshmen in one game with Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack starting in 17 of the 29 games.
The Wildcats have used at least 7 players in each of the first 17 games with all 7 those players totaling double-digit field goals made and 6 averaging nearly 6 points per game, including 3 double-digit scorers (Pack, Nowell and Smith).
K-State is averaging nearly 18.4 points per game from its bench this season, including 28-point efforts against No. 13/12 Arkansas and No. 14/15 Illinois. The team is 8-2 this season when getting 20 or more points from the bench.
Before joining the starting lineup, Nowell had provided a spark off the bench, averaging 11.7 points in the first 6 games, while Miguel had 4 of his 6 double-digit scoring games off the bench before starting the last 6 games. Senior Mike McGuirl has been big of the bench in the last 2 games, scoring 10 vs. No. 19/19 Texas Tech and 13 at No. 23/22 Texas.

IMPROVED FREE THROW SHOOTING

Despite a dismal night from the line against TCU, K-State has still been solid from the free throw line this season, connecting on 72 percent (195-of-271) 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 a combined 88.9 percent (96-of-108) from the free throw line, including a perfect 20-of-20 effort by Massoud.
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.
The Wildcats have also had 10 turnovers or less 4 times in the last 10 games, including 7 vs. Wichita State (12/1/21) and 6 vs. Texas (1/4/22).

PACK OFF TO STRONG START

Sophomore Nijel Pack is off to an impressive start to the 2021-22 season, as he has led or have been tied for the team lead in scoring in 9 of 15 games played, including posting consecutive 20-point outings against No. 14/16 Texas (21) and West Virginia (20) for the first time in his career.
Pack is averaging a team-best 15.5 points on 43.9 percent (82-of-187) shooting, including 39.4 percent (43-of-109) from 3-point range, to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (14), field goals (82) and 3-point field goals (43).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including second in 3-point field goals per game (2.87), third in 3-point field goal percentage, sixth in both scoring and field goal percentage. Through 6 Big 12 games, he is third in both scoring (16.3 ppg.) and 3-point field goals per game (3.00).

NOWELL PROVIDES SPARK

Junior Markquis Nowell returned to the lineup against West Virginia and provided an immediate spark to the Wildcat, collecting his third points/assists double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 assists in 32 minutes. He is believed to be the first Wildcat to accomplish the feat in his first league game.
His 3 points/assists double-doubles are the most-ever by a Wildcat in both a single-season and career, as he also posted double-doubles against Marquette (11 points, 11 assists) and McNeese (18 points, 10 assists). He nearly tallied the school's first recorded triple-double vs. Marquette, as he added 8 rebounds to his 11 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes. He now has 8 such double-doubles in his college career, posting 5 during his 3-year stint at Little Rock (2018-21).
Nowell leads in assists (80) and steals (37), while he is second in scoring (12.0 ppg.), while connecting on 40.4 percent from the field and 87.8 percent from the free throw line. He ranks ninth in the nation and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.5), while he is 27th nationally and second in the Big 12 in assists (5.3).

SMITH'S IMPRESSIVE NIGHT

The loss at Oklahoma overshadowed a historic performance by senior Mark Smith, who became the first Wildcat in school history to post a game of at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists since assists became officially kept by the NCAA in 1976-77. He had career-highs in points (25), rebounds (16) and assists (5), while posting zero turnovers in 39 minutes. His 16 rebounds were the most since Michael Beasley registered 17 boards against Missouri on Feb. 16, 2008.
For his efforts, Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, becoming the first Wildcat to earn the honor since Dean Wade in 2016.
Smith, who is averaging a near double-double in Big 12 play (14.8 ppg., 9.0 rpg.), posted his second 20-point game in just his sixth Big 12 game in the win at No. 23/22 Texas with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-14 field goals, including 2-of-5 3-point range. He has 4 double-doubles this season (5 in his career) and is the Big 12 leader in rebounding (8.3 rpg.) even though he is just 6-foot-4.

MOVING TOWARDS 500

Head coach Bruce Weber is working towards a coaching milestone, as he is 7 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters Saturday's game with a 493-292 (.628) 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 27 current Division I coaches have reached 500 wins in their career with Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) recently joining the club.

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. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
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. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
The backcourt has been hit of late, as Pack missed 2 games against Wichita State and Marquette due to a concussion, while Markquis Nowell missed the first 2 Big 12 games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Seven players (Bradford, Edwards, Nowell, junior Kaosi Ezeagu, freshman Logan Landers and walk-ons Jordan Brooks and Trey Harris) plus head coach Bruce Weber missed the game vs. No. 14/16 Texas (1/4/22), while six players (Edwards, Ezeagu, Landers, Brooks, Harris and senior Mike McGuirl) and Weber missed the game at West Virginia (1/8/22) due to health protocols.
K-State has played just 2 games with 10 healthy scholarship players.

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 nearly 450 triples (448) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 17 games with Smith starting every game, while Massoud and Nowell have 14 and 9 starts, respectively. They have combined for 503 points (29.6 ppg.) on 42 percent (174-of-415) shooting with 255 rebounds (15.0 rpg.), 120 assists (7.1 apg.) and 71 steals (4.2 spg). Nowell has scored in double figures in 10 games, including 3 points/assists double-doubles, while Massoud has 7 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 4 double-doubles and is the Big 12 leader in rebounding (8.3 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: 5/6 BAYLOR (16-2, 4-2 Big 12)

K-State continues action on Tuesday night when the Wildcats hit the road to face defending NCAA champion and No. 5/6 Baylor (16-2, 4-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT at the Ferrell Center. The Bears have won the last 5 meetings, including all 3 in 2020-21. They have won the last 2 at home by 33.5 points per game.
Baylor is averaging 79.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting, including 36.9 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 60.3 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting, including 31.2 percent from long range. The Bears have 4 players averaging in double figures led by James Akinjo (13.9 ppg.) and L.J. Cryer (13.9 ppg.).