Game Preview // K-State to Host In-State Rival Wichita State Saturday

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GAME 8
KANSAS STATE (6-1) vs WICHITA STATE (4-3)
Saturday, December 3, 2022 >> 8:05T p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPNU / WatchESPN (link here)

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Alex Wheat (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 375
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Brian Smoller (play-by-play)
Kamau Stokes (analyst)

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

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $40, $50, $75

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 6-1/1st Year
Career Record: 8-1/1st Year+
vs. Wichita State: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]

Wichita State: Isaac Brown [Louisiana-Monroe '95]
Record at Wichita State: 35-22/3rd Year
Career Record: 35-22/3rd Year
vs. K-State: 0-1 [0-1 at Wichita State]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 21-11
Current Streak: K-State, 3
In Manhattan: K-State leads 14-2
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 6-2
Last Meeting: W, 65-59 [12/2/2021 in Wichita, Kan./INTRUST Bank Arena]
Tang vs. Brown: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
Kansas State (6-1)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae'Qwan Tomlin
C: #3 David N'Guessan

Wichita State (4-3)
G: #3 Craig Porter, Jr.
G: #1 Xavier Bell
G: #10 Jaykwon Walton
F: #33 James Rojas
F: #11 Kenny Pohto

K-STATE TO HOST IN-STATE RIVAL WICHITA STATE SATURDAY

Kansas State (6-1) returns home to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday night, as the Wildcats play host to in-state rival Wichita State (4-3) for the first time in nearly 20 years at 8 p.m., CT on ESPNU. It marks the first home game for the Wildcats in 17 days since playing host to Kansas City on Nov. 17 and just the third of the season.
The champions of the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic, K-State saw its 6-game winning streak to begin the Jerome Tang era come to a halt on Wednesday, as the Wildcats dropped a 76-64 decision at Butler in the fourth annual BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle at Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was the longest winning streak since also winning 6 in a row from Nov. 9-24, 2018.
Saturday's matchup is the second in a 4-game series between K-State and Wichita State, which includes a game at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center on Dec. 22, 2023 and a visit to Charles Koch Arena on Dec. 7, 2024.

OPENING TIP

K-State could not recover from a first-half deficit in its first loss of the season at Butler on Wednesday, as the hot-shooting Bulldogs had an answer every time the Wildcats tried to claw themselves back into the game. The home team hit on an opponent-high 54.9 percent (28-of-51) from the field, including 60.9 percent (14-of-23) in the second half, while all 5 starters scored in double figures.
K-State still had opportunities to rally in the second half but could never quite make that next step. The Wildcats closed to 48-43 with just over 14 minutes to play on 13-4 run, but the Bulldogs answered with a 17-2 run that pushed the lead to 20 points near the midway point. Senior Desi Sills helped spark one more attempt, as he scored 13 of his 17 second-half points in a 15-3 run that cut it to 68-60 with just over 4 minutes to play. Butler once again had a response, rattling off 6 in a row to push the lead back to double figures en route to the victory.
The loss spoiled an impressive night by senior Keyontae Johnson, who earned his first double-double as a Wildcat, pouring in a team-high 20 points on perfect 9-of-9 shooting to go with a season-high 12 rebounds in 36 minutes. He became just the ninth player in school history to connect on 9 or more field goals without a miss and just the second to do so on the road (Dean Wade went 9-of-9 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019). It was his 14th career double-double, including his sixth with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and first posting 24 points and 12 rebounds against Boston College on Dec. 3, 2020.
K-State's 6-0 start under head coach Jerome Tang was the best by a first-year coach since Hall of Fame coach Lon Kruger opened the 1986-87 with 6 straight wins. Tang was one of four first-year head coaches in Division I who were unbeaten going into the week, joining Missouri's Dennis Gates (8-0), Mississippi State's Chris Jans (7-0) and Maryland's Kevin Willard (7-0) who all remain undefeated going into Friday's games.
The Wildcats have quite the scoring duo in seniors Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, as they are averaging 33 points per game on 50 percent (74-of-149) 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 (17.9 ppg.) and Adam Flagler (16.9 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.
Nowell was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday for his MVP performance at the Cayman Islands Classic. It was his fourth career weekly award after earning Sun Belt Player of the Week honors three times while playing at Little Rock during the 2019-20 season.
The Wildcats continues to use their defense to generate offense, forcing teams into an average of 18.3 turnovers per game while averaging nearly 20 points off those miscues. The team has forced 20 or more turnovers in 3 games while also topping 20 or more points off turnovers in 3 contests.
The bench continues to play major role in the team's success, as the Wildcats are averaging 21.4 points from its reserves with Desi Sills averaging 10.1 points.

NOTES ON WICHITA STATE

Wichita State (4-3) enters Saturday's game after dropping a heartbreaker to unbeaten Missouri in overtime, 84-88, on Tuesday night at home. The Shockers rallied from a 7-point halftime deficit to force overtime, as the Tigers out-scored them, 13-9, in the extra period. Five players scored in double figures led by 14 each from senior Craig Porter, Jr., and junior Jaykwon Walton.
Prior to Tuesday's home loss, WSU had won 3 of its last 4 games, including an impressive road victory at Richmond on Nov. 17 and a neutral site win over WAC preseason favorite Grand Canyon at the Hall of Fame Classic on Nov. 21. The only losses have come to unbeaten San Francisco and Missouri.
Wichita State is averaging 68.1 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including 28.9 percent from 3-point range, with 40.1 rebounds, 10 assists, 4.7 steals and 3.9 blocks per game, while allowing 63.3 points on 36.9 percent shooting, including 25.8 percent from 3-point range.
Seven players are averaging better than 5.7 points per game, including a pair of double-digit scorers in Porter (13.9 ppg.) and Walton (13.3 ppg.). Porter, who is shooting 50 percent from the field, also averages a team-high 7.1 rebounds to go with 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. Walton is hitting on 52.4 percent and is second in rebounding (6.1 rpg.). Senior Gus Okafor is averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while two other Shockers - Jaron Pierre, Jr. and James Rojas - are averaging close to 7 points per game.
Head coach Isaac Brown is in his third season at Wichita State with a 35-21 overall record. He led the Shockers to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, helping the team to the AAC regular-season title with an 11-2 mark.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Wichita State will meet for the 33rd time on Saturday night with the Wildcats holding a 21-11 record, including a 14-2 mark at home. This will be the first meeting at Bramlage Coliseum since a 54-50 win on Dec. 10, 2003.
The schools have been nearly even in the last 10 matchups with K-State holding a slight 6-4 advantage, including a 65-59 victory by the Wildcats on Dec. 5, 2021, at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita. It was the first meeting between the schools since that previous matchup in Manhattan in 2003. They have split the last 4 meetings (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003) at Bramlage Coliseum.

LAST TIME OUT: BUTLER 76, K-STATE 64

K-State could not quite dig itself out of a first-half deficit, as a hot-shooting Butler hit on nearly 55 percent from the field in a 76-64 win on Wednesday night in the fourth annual BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Butler (5-3), which came into the game averaging 90 points per game on 60.1 percent shooting in 3 home games this season, stayed hot from the field in handing K-State (6-1) its first loss under first-year head coach Jerome Tang.
The Bulldogs connected on an opponent-high 54.9 percent (28-of-51) from the field, including 60.9 percent (14-of-23) in the second half, while all 5 starters scored in double figures led by Manny Bates' 22 points.
Despite the impressive offensive performance, the Wildcats still had chances to rally from a double-digit deficit twice in the second half. After falling behind by 14 just after halftime, senior Markquis Nowell's first 3-pointer keyed a 13-4 run that closed the deficit to 48-43 with just over 14 minutes to play. However, the Bulldogs responded with a 17-2 run that pushed the lead to 20 points.
Down 65-45 with 8:29 remaining, senior Desi Sills helped spark one more attempt at a comeback for K-State, as the reserve scored 13 of his 17 second-half points in a 15-3 run that cut the deficit to 68-60 with just over 4 minutes to play. However, once again, Butler had a response, rattling off 6 in a row to push the lead back to double figures en route to the 12-point victory.
The loss spoiled an impressive night by senior Keyontae Johnson, who collected his first double-double as a Wildcat, pouring in a team-high 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting to go with a season-high 12 rebounds. It was his 14th career double-double, including his sixth with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. He became the ninth player in school history to go 9-of-9 or better from the field.
Sills came off the bench to provide a big lift in the second half, scoring all 17 of his points after halftime on 8-of-12 shooting. Nowell dished out a game-high 8 assists to go with his 13 points.
For the game, K-State connected on 46 percent (29-of-63), including just 20 percent (4-of-20) from 3-point range. The Wildcats had a season-high 48 points in the paint but posted season-lows in a number of categories, including just 3 free throw attempts while making 2. The team came in averaging 17.3 free throws made per game, which ranked among the top-25 nationally.

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 6-0 start under head coach Jerome Tang was the best by a first-year coach in school history since Hall of Fame coach Lon Kruger opened the 1986-87 with 6 straight wins. Tang was one of four first-year head coaches in Division I who were unbeaten prior to Wednesday's loss, joining Missouri's Dennis Gates, Mississippi State'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 8-1.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 165-53 (.760) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. Wednesday's loss at Butler dropped the Wildcats to 15-13 in true road non-conference games in that span, while the team already has a road win after their 63-54 victory at California on Nov. 11.
K-State has a 123-14 (.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 to the 2006-07 season, including a 114-12 (.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 27-18 record in non-conference action in the last 3 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.

STRONG STARTS

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. The team scored just 25 points in the first half of Wednesday's loss at Butler (11/30/22), hitting on 39.3 percent (11-of-28) from the field, including 16.7 percent (2-of-12) 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, Butler scored 37 points in the first half on 50 percent (14-of-28) shooting.
The Wildcats have forced 57 combined turnovers in the first half so far with nearly a third of the total points (73 of 267) 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.
The 52 points vs. UTRGV were the most first-half points in a season opener since scoring 53 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 29, 1986, as K-State's 93 points were the most in an opener since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014.

FORCING TURNOVERS

K-State's defense has forced 128 turnovers through the first 7 games, which includes 54 steals, while averaging 19.9 points per game off those miscues.
The 18.3 turnovers forced per game ranks 30th nationally, while it places fourth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, Texas and West Virginia. K-State ranks sixth in turnover margin (+2.71) and seventh in steals (7.7), while senior Markquis Nowell places eighth in the Big 12 in steals per game (1.86).
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 scored 20 or more points off turnovers in 3 of its first 4 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 7 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 21.4 points per game. Three reserves (Desi Sills, Tykei Greene and Ish Massoud) are averaging better than 4 points per game on a collective 44.9 percent (48-of-107) shooting.
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 7 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 (1,143 points), Markquis Nowell (1,413 points), Desi Sills (1,181 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 and Keyontae Johnson) 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 1,701-1,214 (.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 79.1 percent (106-of-134). The figure ranks 12th nationally, while the team is 60th in free throws made/game (15.1).
Two Wildcats rank in the Big 12's top-10, including seniors Keyontae Johnson (2nd; 88.2%, 30-of-34) and Markquis Nowell (8th; 85.7%, 30-of-35). In addition, two others - senior Desi Sills (86.7% 13-of-15) and junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin (83.3%, 15-of-18) - 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 continued his stellar play in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, 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.

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 (7.9 apg.) and steals (1.9 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (15.0 ppg.).
On Monday, 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. 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. It marked just the 15th time that two players scored 25 or more points in the same game and the first time since Jacob Pullen (28) and Denis Clemente (25) did it against Xavier on March 25, 2010.
Nowell capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit. He finished 6-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 4-of-4 free throws, to go with 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

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 (12.5 ppg.) while connecting 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the field to go with 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game.
Tomlin had a near double-double in his first career Division I game vs. UTRGV in the season 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 progression in the road win at Cal (11/11/22), scoring 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting with 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal in just under 26 minutes of action.
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.

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: ABILENE CHRISTIAN (4-4)

K-State continues its homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 6 by hosting Abilene Christian (4-4) at 7 p.m., at Bramlage Coliseum. It will be the first meeting with ACU since winning a 2-game series in 1985-86 and 1986-87.

Game Preview // K-State to Host In-State Rival Wichita State Saturday

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 to Host In-State Rival Wichita State Saturday

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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