Game Preview // K-State Entertains UIW on Sunday Afternoon

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GAME 10
KANSAS STATE (8-1) vs UIW (5-5)
Sunday, December 11, 2022 >> 2:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

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

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (analyst)
Jazsmin Halliburton (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 388/378
Online: Varsity Network [free] / 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: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 8-1/1st Year
Career Record: 10-1/1st Year+
vs. UIW: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]

UIW: Head Coach: Dr. Carson Cunningham [Purdue '01]
Record at UIW: 36-90/5th Year
Career Record: 143-142/10th Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at UIW]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: First meeting
Current Streak: n/a
In Manhattan: First meeting
At Bramlage Coliseum: First meeting
Last Meeting: n/a
Tang vs. Cunningham: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
Kansas State (8-1)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae'Qwan Tomlin
C: #3 David N'Guessan

UIW (5-5)
G: #5 Brandon Swaby
G: #10 Jonthan Cisse
G: #25 Trey Miller
F: #3 Davante Dennis
F/C: #24 Benjamin Griscti

K-STATE ENTERTAINS UIW ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Kansas State (8-1) concludes its brief 3-game homestand on Sunday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to UIW (5-5) at 2 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. This will be the first meeting with the University of Incarnate Word (UIW) of San Antonio, Texas, which moved to Division I in 2013 and currently competes in the Southland Conference.
K-State has won consecutive games since absorbing its first loss of the Jerome Tang era against Butler on Nov. 30 with victories over Wichita State (55-50) and Abilene Christian (81-64). Senior Markquis Nowell has been a key cog in those 2 wins, scoring the last 6 points, including a game-deciding 3-pointer with 54 seconds left, to help defeat the Shockers then turning in his 10th career double-double with 15 points and 12 assists on Tuesday night vs. ACU.
The 8-1 start is the best by the Wildcats since opening the 2017-18 season with a similar 8-1 record.

OPENING TIP

K-State rallied from a first-half deficit for the second straight game in the win over Abilene Christian on Tuesday night, using a 14-4 run to grab the lead right before halftime en route to an 81-64 victory. The momentum continued to start the second half, as the Wildcats scored 17 of the first 24 points out of halftime to build a double-digit lead that they would maintain the rest of the game.
K-State connected on a season-high 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the field, including 64 percent (16-of-25) in the second half, while posting 23 assists on 31 made field goals and collecting a season-best 52 points in the paint. It marked the fourth time this season that the team has dished out 20 or more assists, while the 52 points in the paint tied for the fourth most since that stat began being kept in 2000-01 and the most since 2010. The team ranks seventh nationally in assist percentage with an assist on 66 percent of its made field goals.
Balance was a key factor in the win over Abilene Christian, as four Wildcats scored in double figures led by a career night from junior David N'Guessan, who scored a career-best 23 points on perfect 9-of-9 field goals. He became the 10th player in school history, including the second this season, to go perfect on 9 or more field goals. He was setup by another sensation effort from senior Markquis Nowell, who recorded his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 assists. Nowell tied his season-high in assists for the second time, as his 12 dimes tied for the fourth-most in a game in school history.
K-State's 8-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history with Lon Kruger, Tom Asbury and Bruce Weber all starting 7-2. His 8-1 start ranks among the very best by all first-year head coaches in Division I, trailing a pair of unbeaten coaches in Missouri's Dennis Gates (9-0) and Mississippi State's Chris Jans (8-0).
The Wildcats have quite the scoring duo in seniors Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, as they are averaging 31.8 points per game on 47.7 percent (93-of-195) shooting. They are currently the third-best scoring duo in the Big 12 after the tandem of Kansas' Jalen Wilson (21.9 ppg.) and Gradey Dick (15.3 ppg.) and Baylor's L.J. Cryer (16.5 ppg.) and Adam Flagler (16.1 ppg.). Johnson (28 points) and Nowell (29 points) joined an elite group in the overtime win over Nevada on Nov. 22, as they combined for 57 points and became just the 15th duo in school history and the first since 2010 to each top 25 points in a game.
Johnson, who ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.2 points per game, is one of just 22 Division I players shooting 50 percent or better from the field (57.4), 45 percent or better from 3-point range (48.0) and 80 percent or better from the free throw line (81.4). Johnson and Maryland's Hakim Hart are the only players among Power 6 leagues on the list.
Nowell, who was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28 after his MVP performance at the Cayman Islands Classic, continues to be one of the nation's leaders in assists. His 8.2 assists per game rank second nationally, while his 74 total assists place third. He is also 26th in assist/turnover ratio (3.36) with 74 assists to 22 turnovers. He is the only active Division I player with at least 1,000 points, 500 assists and 200 steals in his career. He registered his 10th career double-double, including his fifth as a Wildcat, in the win over ACU (12/6/22).

NOTES ON UIW

UIW (5-5) enters Sunday's game with losses in 2 of its last 3 games, including a 72-39 setback in its last outing at Grambling on Dec. 3. The Cardinals had posted 3 straight wins before its skid.
UIW is 0-4 on the road this season, including losses at UNLV (63-88), Valparaiso (64-68), UTSA (62-68) and Grambling.
UIW is averaging 73.2 points on 46.0 percent shooting, including 32.5 percent from 3-point range, with 34.1 rebounds, 17.2 assists, 7.7 steals and 3.2 blocks per game, while allowing 62.1 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 30.6 percent from 3-point range. The Cardinals are connecting on 65.5 percent from the free throw line.
Eight players are averaging better than 7 points per game, including a pair of double-digit scorers in juniors Jonathan Cisse (12.3 ppg.) and Charlie Yoder (11.3 ppg.). Cisse is connecting on 41.3 percent from the field, including 45.9 percent from 3-point range, and 85.7 percent from the line. He leads the team with 17 made 3-pointers and 29 assists. Freshman Niki Krause is the leading rebounder at 5.5 boards per game.
Head coach Dr. Carson Cunningham is in his fifth season at UIW with a 36-90 record. He was a successful NAIA coach at Carroll College in Montana from 2013-18, leading the school to 3 straight NAIA Tournaments, including a pair of Elite Eight finishes (2016, 2017).

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the first-ever meeting between K-State and UIW.
K-State is 6-1 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference, including a 6-0 mark at home.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 81, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 64

A 14-4 run to end the first half helped Kansas State dig itself out of a 14-point deficit, as the Wildcats took the lead right before halftime and never looked back in earning an 81-64 win over Abilene Christian on Tuesday before 7,136 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats connected on a season-high 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the field, including 64 percent (16-of-25) in the second half. They had 23 assists on their 31 made field goals and collected a season-best 52 points in the paint.
Despite playing just 7 players for the majority of the game, four Wildcats scored in double figures led by a career night from junior David N'Guessan, who scored a career-best 23 points on perfect 9-of-9 field goals to go along with 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and an assist. N'Guessan eclipsed his previous career-high with 16 first-half points on perfect 6-of-6 shooting while he added 7 more in the second half to collect his first career 20-point game.
N'Guessan was joined in double figures by senior Markquis Nowell, who posted his second double-double of the season with 15 points and a season-tying 12 assists to go with 6 rebounds and 3 steals in 39 minutes. It was his 10th career double-double, including his fifth such double-double as a Wildcat. His 12 assists tied his previous season-high of 12 vs. Rhode Island on Nov. 21 with both tying for the fourth-most in school history.
Senior Keyontae Johnson and junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin each added 12 points and a combined 15 rebounds.
The other purple Wildcats (5-5) made things difficult for the host, running out to a 14-point lead (28-14) behind an impressive shooting performance, as they made 11 of their first 19 field goal attempts, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Behind the performance of N'Guessan, K-State slowly chipped away at the deficit, using a 14-2 run to close to within 30-28 with 4:45 to play before using a 7-1 spurt to end the half to take a 35-34 advantage into the locker room. N'Guessan scored 10 of the Wildcats' 21 points during this stretch.
K-State continued its momentum in the second half, using a 17-7 run out of halftime to build a double-digit lead that it would maintain the rest of the game. ACU got to within 11 points twice in the last 4 minutes, including 73-62 with 2:21 remaining, but could get no closer, as K-State scored 8 of the last 10 points for the 17-point win.

K-STATE WINS CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC

K-State captured its 17th in-season tournament title, as the Wildcats knocked off Rhode Island (77-57), Nevada (96-87 in overtime) and LSU (61-59) to win the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic on Nov. 21-23. It was the team's first tournament title since winning the 2018 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The 3 wins gave K-State its first 6-0 start since the 2018-19 season.
Senior Markquis Nowell was selected the Cayman Islands Classic MVP and to the all-tournament team, while fellow senior Keyontae Johnson was named to the all-tournament team. Nowell averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 assists in the 3-game tournament, while Johnson averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent shooting with 6.0 rebounds per game. For his effort, he was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday.
After breezing past Rhode Island, 77-57, in the first round, K-State had to fight through tight contests with Nevada in the semifinals and LSU in the finals to earn the title. After surrendering a 9-point lead to the Wolf Pack with 4:08 to play to trail 80-78 with 14 seconds left in regulation, Nowell drove the lane and was able to convert on a layup in traffic to force overtime with 3.5 seconds. The Wildcats were able to carry the momentum in the extra period, as they hit on 5 of 6 from the field and 6 of 10 free throw line to win 96-87.
The Wildcats then overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to the Tigers in the title game, using their defense to allow 18 points after halftime on 36.8 percent shooting while forcing 14 turnovers en route to a 61-59 victory.

TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH

First-year head coach Jerome Tang enjoyed a successful a debut, as the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win against UTRGV on Nov. 7, becoming the 24th man and the first full-time black head coach in school history. He followed with his first road victory at Cal to start his tenure off with a 2-0 record. He is the sixth minority men's head coach in K-State Athletics history, including the third in men's basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
K-State's 8-1 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by a first-year coach in school history with Lon Kruger, Tom Asbury and Bruce Weber all starting their tenures at 7-2. Tang was one of four first-year coaches in Division I who were unbeaten prior to the loss to Butler on Nov. 30, joining Missouri's Dennis Gates, MSU's Chris Jans and Maryland's Kevin Willard.
This is not Tang's first time being a head coach, as he served as athletics director and head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas from 1993-2003, leading the school to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to 4-0 record. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) during the 2012-13 season, while he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is only credited with the wins in 2012, moving his college head coaching record to 10-1.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 167-53 (.759) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. The loss at Butler on Nov. 30 dropped the Wildcats to 15-13 in true road non-conference games in that span, while the team already has a road win at California on Nov. 11.
K-State has a 125-14 (.899) 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 to the 2006-07 season, including a 116-12 (.905) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of 13 seasons from 2006-07 to 2018-19, but they have since managed just a 29-18 record in non-conference action in the last 3 plus seasons (since 2019-20).
K-State finished the 2021-22 non-conference season with an 8-5 record, including a 6-1 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats won their first 4 non-conference games (Florida A&M, Omaha, North Dakota and UAlbany) before the setback against Marquette. They finished with wins over Green Bay and McNeese, while the final game vs. North Florida was cancelled.

IN NEEDING OF A STRONGER START

One of the keys to K-State's 6-0 start to the season had been its strong starts, as the Wildcats averaged 40.3 points on 50 percent (84-of-168) shooting from the field, including 42.5 percent (31-of-73) from 3-point range, while hitting on 82.7 percent (43-of-52) from the free throw line.
K-State has gotten off to less than desirable starts in the last 3 games, scoring just 25 points in the first half of the loss at Butler before posting 29 against Wichita State and 35 against Abilene Christian. In those games, the Wildcats combined to shoot just 42.4 percent (36-of-85) from the field, including 17.2 percent (5-of-29) from long range.
K-State had out-scored its opponents, 242-178, in the first half in the first 6 games, as its defense had allowed 29.7 points on 39.6 percent (63-of-159) shooting, including 31.4 percent (16-of-51) from beyond the arc. However, in the last 3 games, opponents are averaging 34.3 points on 50 percent shooting.
The Wildcats have forced 72 combined turnovers in the first half so far with nearly a third of the total points (94 of 331) coming from offense generated by these turnovers. The team scored 18 first-half points off 12 UTRGV turnovers, had 15 such points off 15 Cal miscues and 17 points off 11 Kansas City turnovers.

FORCING TURNOVERS

K-State's defense has forced 157 turnovers through the first 9 games, which includes 69 steals, while averaging 19.9 points per game off those miscues. The team ranks fourth in non-steal turnover percentage (14.1) by KenPom.
The 17.4 turnovers forced per game ranks 32nd nationally, while it places fourth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, Texas and West Virginia. K-State ranks sixth both turnover margin (+3.1) and steals (7.7), while senior Markquis Nowell places fifth in the Big 12 in steals per game (2.13).
The Wildcats opened the year by forcing 20 or more turnovers from each of their first 3 opponents, which hasn't happened since at least 1995-96. The 2007-08 season was the last time that K-State has forced 20 or more turnovers from each of its first 2 opponents.
K-State has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 4 times in 9 games with a season-high 31 points off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers in the opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ points off miscues in back-to-back games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 points) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 points).

BENCH PRODUCTION

K-State is getting solid production from its bench through the first 9 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 18.2 points per game. Three reserves (Desi Sills, Tykei Greene and Ish Massoud) are averaging better than 4 points per game.
The Wildcats got 41 points from its bench in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Massoud (10) and Sills (10) all posting double-digit points. As a group, the bench connected on 14-of-29 from the field, including a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
The veteran Sills has been particularly impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 4 times in 9 games, including 16 points in the win over LSU (11/23/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic Championship game and a season-high 17 points (all in second half) in the loss at Butler (11/30/22).

TEAM FULL OF SCORERS

K-State is one of 13 schools to have at least three 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,149 points), Markquis Nowell (1,439 points), Desi Sills (1,189 points) all have eclipsed the milestone in their careers at the Division I level. Only Nowell has reached the mark while at K-State.
K-State has 5 1,000-point scorers if you count senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 points in his 4-year career at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-22).
That total could increase this season, as two other Wildcats (Abayomi Iyiola [874] and Keyontae Johnson [944]) have more than 800 points in their career.
UAB leads the country with five 1,000-point scorers followed by Notre Dame (4), while K-State is one of 11 other schools to have 3 such scorers, including Drake, Gonzaga, Indiana, Iowa State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Southern Utah, Texas and Virginia.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

K-State's overtime 96-87 win over Nevada in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in school history. The Wildcats are the 43rd Division I team to eclipse 1,700 wins, including the sixth Big 12 school.
The Wildcats have a 1,703-1,214 (.586) all-time record as a program, which includes 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

MAKING THE MOST FROM THE LINE

K-State has been making the most of its opportunities from the free throw line, knocking down a Big 12-best 73.4 percent (135-of-184). The figure ranks 83rd nationally, while the team is 62nd in free throws made/game (15.0).
Two Wildcats rank in the Big 12's top-10, including seniors Markquis Nowell (5th; 83.0%, 39-of-47) and Keyontae Johnson (7th; 81.4%, 35-of-43). In addition, two others - junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin (80.8%, 21-of-26) and senior Desi Sills (86.7% 13-of-15) - would be ranked if they met the minimum.
After hitting on 72.4 percent (21-of-29) in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), the Wildcats were even better from the free throw line in games vs. California (11/11/22) and Kansas City (11/17/22), combining to make 85.7 percent (30-of-35). Those numbers were equally as solid in crunch time, as the team went a combined 82.4 percent (14-of-17) in the second half when both the Golden Bears and Roos attempted to make comebacks.
The Wildcats connected on 79.1 percent (53-of-67) of their free throws in winning the Cayman Islands Classic, including near perfect performances by Johnson (24-of-27), Nowell (13-of-15) and Tomlin (8-of-9).

A TEAM OF WINNERS

Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on a number of occasions that he recruited a team 'full of winners' as exemplified by the number of championships that the collective group has won.
There are a combined 8 state championships among the 15 players on the roster, including 2 each won by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister also won state titles during their senior seasons.
In addition to the high school success, a number of players have been a part of winning college programs, including Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas' Elite Eight team in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech) being a part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.

JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT

Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball court on Nov. 7 in the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after suffering a medical emergency against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He finished the night with 13 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a team-high 26 minutes.
Johnson continued his impressive play with a near double-double in the win at Cal, scoring a team-high 16 points while grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds to go with 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 block in a game-high 33 minutes.
Johnson was named the March Madness National Player of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14, as he averaged 14.5 points on 47.6 percent (10-of-21) shooting, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Wildcats' first 2 wins.
Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent (15-of-28) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.
Johnson became just the ninth Wildcat to connect on 9 or more field goals without a miss in the loss at Butler (11/30/22), posting his first double-double as a Wildcat with a team-high 20 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds. It was his 14th career double-double, including his 6th 20/10 double-double.
Johnson has scored in double figures in all 9 games this season, leading the Wildcats and ranking second in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.2 points per game. He leads the league in field goal percentage (57.4), while he is in the top-10 in 4 other categories, including seventh in free throw percentage (81.4), eighth in rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and sixth in minutes (31.8 mpg.).

NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW

On a team with 13 new players and a new coaching staff, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell once again has demonstrated he is still the guy running the show for the Wildcats, as he leads the team in both assists (8.2 apg.) and steals (2.1 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (14.6 ppg.).
Nowell ranks second nationally in assists per game (8.2 apg.) and third in total assists (74), while he is 26th in assists/turnover ratio (3.36). He is the only active Division I player with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. He tied with Tennessee State's Junior Clay for most steals by an active Division I player with 211. He is also nearing 1,500 career points, just 61 points away.
Nowell was recognized for his MVP performance in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 points on 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the field, including 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from 3-point range, with 9.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. It was his first weekly honor in the Big 12 and his fourth overall after winning it 3 times in the Sun Belt.
In the wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell became the first Wildcat to record double-digit assists in consecutive games, while he became the second player in school history and the first since 1989 to post a 25-point/10-assist game with his 29-point, 11-assist performance in the 96-87 overtime win over the Wolf Pack. His 12 assists vs. the Rams tied for the fourth-most in single game in school history and the most since Steve Henson collected 12 assists against Oklahoma State on Feb. 25, 1989.
Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
Nowell shook off a subpar shooting night to score the game's last 6 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 54 seconds, to help lift K-State to a 55-50 win over in-state rival Wichita State for the second straight year. He had a strong all-around night, finishing with 11 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Nowell matched his season-high in assists in the win over Abilene Christian, totaling his 10th career double-double, including his fifth as a Wildcat, with 15 points and 12 assists. He has double-digit assists in 3 games this year.

AN INSTANT IMPACT

Junior transfer Nae'Qwan Tomlin has given K-State another scoring threat in the post, as the junior college All-American ranks third on the team in scoring (9.3 ppg.) while connecting 39.2 percent (29-of-74) from the field to go with 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game.
Tomlin had a near double-double in his first career Division I game vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) in the opener, as he finished with a team-tying 14 points on 6-of-12 field goals to go with a game-high 8 rebounds in just 20 minutes.
Tomlin continued his progress in the road win at Cal (11/11/22), scoring 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting with 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steals in just under 26 minutes of action. Although he didn't register double figures for the first time this season, he had a solid stat line in the win over Kansas City (11/17/22) with 9 points, a team-tying 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 26 minutes.
Tomlin has double-digit scoring games in back-to-back games, including 14 points vs. Wichita State (12/3/22) on 5-of-12 shooting with 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 33 minutes and 12 points vs. ACU (12/6/22) on 4-of-7 field goals with a season-high 8 rebounds and 2 steals.
Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.
Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.

SILLS OFF THE BENCH

Senior Desi Sills has provided a spark for the Wildcats off the bench, as he is averaging 8.8 points on 46.3 percent (31-of-67) shooting with 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26.9 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures in 4 of 9 games, including a season-high 17 points in the loss at Butler (11/30/22).
Sills has double-digit points in 2 of the first 3 games, including 10 in his first game as a Wildcat vs. UTRGV (11/7/22). He scored 16 points vs. LSU (11/23/22) in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic, hitting on 6-of-9 field goals, before his season-high 17 at Butler.
Although Sills went scoreless in the win over Wichita State (12/6/22), he had the play of the game with his block of Shammah Scott's breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.

THREE SET FOR REDSHIRT

Head coach Jerome Tang announced after the season opener with UTRGV (11/7/22) that he intends to redshirt sophomores Jerrell Colbert and Anthony Thomas and true freshman Taj Manning. Colbert (LSU) and Thomas (Tallahassee Community College) are both transfers with 3 years of eligibility remaining, while was Manning has the full 4 years of eligibility.

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

K-State returns just 2 lettermen - senior Markquis Nowell and junior Ismael [Ish] Massoud - for head coach Jerome Tang's first season in 2022-23, as the Wildcats lost 10 lettermen (including 8 to transfer) following the 2021-22 season in which the team posted a 14-17 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in Big 12 play. Nowell and Massoud were both significant contributors a year ago, as the pair started in 21 and 18 games, respectively.
The biggest headliner from these returners would be Nowell, who earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and All-Defensive Team accolades in his first season with the Wildcats after transferring from Little Rock. He led the Big 12 in steals (2.2 spg.) and was second in assists (5.0 apg.), assist/turnover ratio (1.97) and free throw percentage (82.9), ninth in 3-point field goals/game (1.59) and 12th in scoring (12.4 ppg.). He was one of two Big 12 players (along with Baylor's James Akinjo) to rank in the top-15 in scoring and top-5 in assists, steals and assist/turnover ratio. In addition to leading the team in assists and steals, he was second in double-doubles (3) and 3-point field goals (43), third in scoring, double-digit scoring games (19) and 20-point games (3).
K-State lost 10 lettermen from the 2021-22 season, including a pair of super seniors in Mike McGuirl and Mark Smith as well as eight to the transfer portal.
The Wildcats welcome 13 newcomes in 2022-23, including 7 Division I transfers (Cam Carter (Mississippi State), Jerrell Colbert (LSU), Tykei Greene (Manhattan/Stony Brook), Abayomi Iyiola (Stetson/ Arkansas/Hofstra), Keyontae Johnson (Florida), David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech), Desi Sills (Arkansas/Arkansas State), two community college transfers (Anthony Thomas and Nae'Qwan Tomlin) and three true freshmen.
The 7 Division I transfers have combined to play in nearly 500 games (491) with 287 starts, including four players (Greene, Johnson, Sills and Iyiola) who will be entering their fourth or fifth year of college. This quartet have accounted for 3,803 points and 776 rebounds in 403 games played with 283 starts. Greene (1,112) and Sills (1,110) are already 1,000-point scorers in college, while Tomlin had more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in junior college.

UP NEXT: NEBRASKA (6-4)

K-State renews the Wildcat Classic series at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Saturday, Dec. 10, as the Wildcats play host to former conference foe Nebraska (6-4) at 6 p.m., CT. K-State won the first game in a 3-game series last season with a 67-58 victory at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

Game Preview // K-State Entertains UIW on Sunday Afternoon

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nate Awbrey

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Tykei Greene

Abayomi Iyiola

Keyontae Johnson

Taj Manning

Mike McGuirl

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Desi Sills

Mark Smith

Anthony Thomas

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Entertains UIW on Sunday Afternoon

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nate Awbrey

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Tykei Greene

Abayomi Iyiola

Keyontae Johnson

Taj Manning

Mike McGuirl

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Desi Sills

Mark Smith

Anthony Thomas

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

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