Game Preview // K-State Hosts West Virginia on Monday Night on ESPN2

GAME 25
KANSAS STATE (13-11, 5-7 Big 12) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (14-10, 3-8 Big 12)
Monday, February 14, 2022 > 6:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,643) >> Manhattan, Kan.

PROMOTION
K-State Proud Game [link]
Kickoff to annual Students Supporting Students campaign.

TELEVISION
ESPN2 / ESPN App (Link)

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
Chris Spatola (analyst)
Greg Pike (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 84
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 84 / 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
Single Game: $20, $25, $40

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 183-141/10th Year
Career Record: 496-296/24th Year
vs. West Virginia: 7-13 [5-4 at home]

West Virginia: Bob Huggins [West Virginia '77]
Record at West Virginia: 324-181/15th Year
Career Record: 914-392/40th Year
vs. K-State: 14-7 [4-5 on the road]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: West Virginia leads 14-8
Big 12 era: West Virginia leads 13-7 [11-7 in regular season]
Current Streak: West Virginia, 4
In Manhattan: K-State leads 5-4
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 5-4 [5-4 in Big 12 era]
Last Meeting: L, 68-71 [1/8/22 in Morgantown, W.Va.]
Weber vs. Huggins: 9-13 [5-4 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (13-11, 5-7 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

West Virginia (14-10, 3-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Kobe Johnson
G: #12 Taz Sherman
G: #22 Sean McNeil
F: #1 Pauly Paulicap
F: #11 Jalen Bridges

K-STATE RETURNS HOME TO FACE WEST VIRGINIA MONDAY

Kansas State (13-11, 5-7 Big 12) concludes a stretch of 3 games in 6 days by hosting West Virginia (14-10, 3-8 Big 12) on Monday night at 6 p.m., CT on ESPN2. The Mountaineers have won 4 straight in the series and will be looking to sweep the season series after rallying from a 17-point first-half deficit to win 71-68 at home on Jan. 8.
K-State will look like a much different team than the one that last met West Virginia on Jan. 8, as the Wildcats played without head coach Bruce Weber and 6 players due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The team still battled short-handed, hitting on a season-high 13 3-pointers and nearly sending the game into overtime on the last possession.
K-State has won 3 of its last 4 games, including back-to-back wins (Oklahoma State and TCU) in Big 12 play for the second time this season. After starting in a 0-4 hole, the Wildcats have won 5 of their last 8 vs. league competition.

OPENING TIP

K-State posted its biggest comeback of the season on Saturday at Iowa State, as the Wildcats rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to earn a 75-69 win in overtime at Hilton Coliseum. The team used an 18-4 run over near 9-minute span to take a 60-58 lead on a jumper by sophomore Ish Massoud with 4:09 left to play. After neither team could score in the last 2:35 of regulation, forcing the first overtime matchup in the series since 2010, it was a steal and layup by fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl and a corner 3-pointer from junior Markquis Nowell with that finally proved to be the difference in the 75-69 victory.
Sophomore Nijel Pack led 4 Wildcats in double figures with yet another impressive performance, as he led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive game with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, in a career-best 40 minutes. He was joined in double figures by Nowell (16), fifth-year senior Mark Smith (15) and Massoud (11), while senior Mike McGuirl added 9. K-State is now 5-1 when at least 4 players score in double figures.
The overtime win at Iowa State was yet another thrilling game for K-State, as the Wildcats have played 8 games decided by one possession. Four of the team's 7 Big 12 losses have been by one possession, including 2 points to Oklahoma (69-71) and 3 points to West Virginia (68-71), TCU (57-60) and Kansas (75-78). The team has led or been tied in the second half in 5 of the 7 conference losses.
Health has been a big storyline for the Wildcats this season, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster have combined to miss 82 games. Fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start in all 24 games, as injuries and COVID-19 protocols have forced head coach Bruce Weber to use 10 different starting lineups. Along with Smith, sophomore Luke Kasubke and Ish Massoud are the only Wildcats that have played in all 24 games. Sophomore Selton Miguel came off the bench on Saturday at Iowa State after missing the previous 4 games with an ankle, marking just the fourth time all season that all 10 healthy scholarship players have been available.
Pack has continued his torrid pace after winning his second Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week honor on Feb. 7, as the sophomore nearly made it 4 straight 20-point performances with a team-high 19 points at Iowa State on Saturday. He also added 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a career-best 2 blocks and 1 steal in a career-best 40 minutes of action. He finished the week averaging 25 points on 58.6 percent (17-of-29) shooting, including 57.1 percent (8-of-14) from 3-point range, after opening the week with his second 30-point game vs. a Top 10 opponent with his 31-point effort vs. No. 10/10 Baylor on Feb. 9.
The transfer trio of Smith, Massoud and Nowell continue to play a major role for the Wildcats. The trio have been responsible for 43 percent of the team's scoring (695) and rebounding (347) and 52 percent of the assists (162).
With one of the smallest backcourts, K-State's offense has hinged on effective 3-point shooting and limiting turnovers. The Wildcats rank second in 3-point makes per game (8.00) and third in 3-point percentage (33.9), while they have the fewest turnovers (275). In Big 12 play, the team ranks second in 3-pointers (8.10) and assist/turnover ratio (1.00) and fourth in turnover margin (+1.80).

NOTES ON WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia (14-10, 3-8 Big 12) snapped a 7-game losing streak with a 79-63 win at home over Iowa State on Feb. 8 before beginning its 2-game road trip with an 81-58 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday. Since knocking off the Wildcats at home on Jan. 8, the Mountaineers have just 2 wins in their last 10 games.
The Mountaineers are averaging 68.1 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 66.4 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including 30.5 percent from long range. The team ranks among the best a number of categories, including 28th in turnovers forced (15.8) and 37th in turnover margin (+3.1). They are also among the leaders in blocked shots at 5.1 per game.
West Virginia is led by fifth-year senior Taz Sherman, who ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.4 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting. Fellow senior Sean McNeil also averages double figures at 13.4 points per game. Senior Gabe Osabuohien paces the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game, while five players have double-digit blocks led by senior Dimon Carrigan (1.1 bpg.).
West Virginia is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bob Huggins, who has posted a 914-392 (.700) record in 40 years of coaching. His 914 victories rank fourth among all active Division I head coaches and sixth all-time. He has a 324-181 (.642) mark in his 15th season with the Mountaineers.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and West Virginia will meet for the 23rd time in their histories on Monday night with the Mountaineers owning a 14-8 advantage, including an 13-7 mark since the start of the Big 12.
West Virginia has won 13 of the last 17 meetings with K-State, including its current 4-game winning streak. The Mountaineers swept the season series in 2020-21 before the 71-68 win in the first meeting this season on Jan. 8.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 7-13 all-time against West Virginia, including a 5-4 at home, while Weber is 9-13 vs. head coach Bob Huggins. Huggins is 14-7 all-time against K-State, including 4-5 on the road.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 75, IOWA STATE 69 [OT]

K-State scored 9 of the last 12 points in overtime, including a dagger 3-pointer from the corner by junior Markquis Nowell, to complete its 15-point second-half rally against Iowa State, as the Wildcats posted a 75-69 victory over the Cyclones on Saturday before a crowd of 13,477 fans at Hilton Coliseum.
K-State, which trailed by 15 points just a minute into the second half, used an 18-4 run over a near 9-minute span to take a 60-58 lead on a jumper by sophomore Ish Massoud with 4:09 left. ISU responded with a 5-0 run to retake the lead at 63-60 before sophomore Nijel Pack tied it at 63-all on his fourth 3-pointer of the day with 2:36 to play. No one was able to score in the last few minutes, as the teams went into overtime for the first time since 2010.
In overtime, the teams were knotted at 66-all with 2 minutes left before a steal and fast-break layup by fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl gave K-State the lead for good at 68-66 with 1:50 to play. After an ISU miss, Nowell hit a 3-pointer from the corner off a feed from fifth-year senior Mark Smith to push the lead to 71-66 with just over a minute remaining. A pair of free throws by sophomore Selton Miguel and a dunk by Massoud finished off the scoring.
The 15-point deficit overcome to win represented the second-largest in a road conference game and the most-ever in the Big 12 era, as the only one greater came in a 16-point rally at Oklahoma on Feb. 23, 1993. Overall, it represents the ninth-largest in school history and the largest since rallying from a school-record 21-point deficit to West Virginia on Jan. 9, 2019.
K-State once again got a brilliant performance from Pack, who led 4 Wildcats in double figures with 19 points on 7-of-10 field goals, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a career-best 2 blocks and a steal. He was joined in double figures by Nowell and Smith, who finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Massoud had his first double-digit scoring game in more than a month with 11 points off the bench. Nowell had a team-high 6 assists and 3 steals, while Smith grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds.
The Wildcats are now 5-1 when at least 4 players score in double figures.
K-State played its first Big 12 regular-season overtime game since Feb. 1, 2017, and first overall since a 60-56 win at UNLV on Nov. 9, 2019. The Wildcats are now 71-46 all-time in overtime games, including 5-5 under head coach Bruce Weber. The team is now 10-3 all-time in overtime games vs. ISU.

MISSED GAMES

Almost seems like the plot from the movie Groundhog Day, as K-State has once again had to deal with a mixture of injuries, COVID-19 protocols and inexperience in 2021-22. A year after playing with similar issues, the Wildcats have seen 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster combine to miss 82 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 24 games with 10 different starting lineups.
The Wildcats, which started the season with 12 scholarship players, lost 2 (sophomore Seryee Lewis and freshman Maximus Edwards) of those players in the preseason due to season-ending injuries.
Of those 10 available scholarship players, there has only been 3 games (Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas) of which all were healthy and active.
Only 3 Wildcats (Smith, Ish Massoud and Luke Kasubke) have seen action in all 24 games this season.
In addition, head coach Bruce Weber missed 11 days of practice, including games vs. Texas and West Virginia.

SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS MISSING GAMES IN 2021-22 [74]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 24 (will miss rest of season)
Kaosi Ezeagu - 2 (COVID-19 protocols missed Texas, WVU)
Logan Landers - 3 (COVID-19 protocols missed Texas, WVU)
Seryee Lewis - 24 (will miss rest of season)
Carlton Linguard, Jr. - 7 (missed 7 of 1st 8 rehabbing from off-season surgery)
Mike McGuirl - 3 (flu/COVID-19 protocols missed WVU, TCU)
Selton Miguel - 5 (missed Ole Miss/OSU/TCU/Baylor games due to ankle injury)
Markquis Nowell - 2 (COVID-19 protocols missed OU, Texas)
Nijel Pack - 2 (missed WSU, Marquette due to concussion)

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 223 opponents (out of 323 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 foes under 60 points, allowing just 59.3 points per game in that span.
K-State is off to solid start in 2021-22, as the defense is allowing 64 points on 41.3 percent shooting, including 27 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-45 in 2 defensive categories, including third in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 42nd in scoring defense.
In its 5 Big 12 wins this season, K-State is allowing just 63.2 points on 42.0 percent shooting, including 26.8 percent from 3-point range, while forcing an average of 13.8 turnovers per game. The opponents in those wins have a narrow 34.2-33.6 rebounding average (171-168), while averaging just 25.6 points in the paint and 7.2 second-chance points per game.
In its 7 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 71.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting, including 30.5 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 12 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 40.4-30.0 rebounding average (283-210), including 22 more offensive rebounds, while
averaging 31.7 points in the paint and 13.1 second-chance points per game.

GOOD AGAINST THE 3

A trademark of Bruce Weber-coached teams has been their ability to defend the 3, as his squads have ranked among the top-40 in 3-point field goal percentage defense 5 times in the last 13 seasons. Three times his K-State teams have ranked among the best, ranking eighth (29.3%) in 2013-14, 20th (31.0%) in 2015-16 and 36th (31.4%) in 2018-19.
K-State has been strong in defending the 3-pointer this season, allowing its opponents to make an average of 6.1 per game on just 27 percent shooting. Four times opponents have hit on better than 10 made 3-pointers, including 11 by Omaha, 12 by Illinois, 11 by Marquette and 10 by Oklahoma.
As you would expect, defending the 3 has been a key factor in wins and losses, as K-State is allowing just 5.3 made 3-pointers on 23.7 percent shooting in its 13 wins, while the team is allowing 7.1 made 3-pointers on 31.2 percent shooting in their 11 losses. In Big 12 play, the Wildcats are allowing just 6.0 made 3-pointers on 26.8 percent shooting in their 5 wins as compared to 6.6 made 3-pointers on 30.5 percent shooting in their 7 losses.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 67.5 points on 42.0 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 70.7 percent from the free throw line through the first 24 games. The Wildcats are getting assists on made field goals on 53.6 percent of the time, as they average 13.0 assists and a Big 12-low 11.5 turnovers per game. The team is also averaging 28.6 points in the paint, 16.1 points off the bench, 14.9 points off turnovers, 7.7 fast-break points and 9.2 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offensive numbers are slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the Wildcats are averaging 65.3 points on 41 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. The team is averaging 25.1 points in the paint, 10.2 points off the bench, 13.3 points off turnovers, 8.0 fast-break points and 9.7 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 72.2 points and 14.8 assists in their 13 wins compared to just 62 points and 10.8 assists in their 11 losses. The squad has scored 380 points (29.2 ppg.) in the paint in the 13 wins, including 134 (26.8 ppg.) in the 5 Big 12 wins.

MARKED IMPROVEMENT FROM 3

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 second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal per game (8.0), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (33.9). In Big 12 play, the team is tied for first in 3-point makes (8.1) and third in 3-point percentage (34.6).
Last season, K-State ranked eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (6.59) and 10th in 3-point field goals percentage (29.6). In league play, the team was 10th in both 3-point makes (5.67) and 3-point percentage (27.0). The Wildcats ranked 319th (out of 340) in 3-point field goal percentage, while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals (191) and 243rd in 3-pointers per game.
The Wildcats' 3-point shooting plays a big part in wins and losses, as the team is averaging 8.7 3-point makes on 37.4 percent shooting in the 13 wins, while they are averaging 7.2 treys on 29.8 percent shooting in their 11 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.36) and 3-point field goal percentage (44.6). He is also first in 3-point field goals/ game (3.5) in Big 12-only games and fourth in percentage (42.7).

BUILDING BETTER DEPTH

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. The team ranked second nationally in true freshmen starts with Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack starting in 17 of the 29 games.
The team has used at least 7 players in each game with 6 averaging nearly 6 points per game, including 3 double-digit scorers (Pack, Nowell and Smith).
K-State is averaging nearly 16.1 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.
The bench has played a significant factor in success in Big 12 play with the Wildcats combining for 38 in the wins over No. 19/19 Texas Tech (21) and No. 23/22 Texas (17), while getting just 40 combined points in the losses to Oklahoma (8), Texas (4), West Virginia (6), TCU (7), Kansas (7) and Baylor (8).

MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.5 turnovers per game, including just 11.3 miscues per game in league play. The team has single-digit turnovers in 7 games, including 3 times in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats rank fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.13) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.75). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are second in assist/turnover ratio (+1.00) and fourth in turnover margin (+1.80).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.00) and third in league-only games at +1.96. He is second in the Big 12 in assists (5.09), while he is tops in steals (2.23) in all games. He leads the league in both categories in Big 12 play, averaging 5.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
The Wildcats had just 5 turnovers at Ole Miss, which ties for the eighth-fewest in a game in school history and one shy of the season-low of 4 vs. Illinois.

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 7 times in the last 15 games, including 7 vs. Wichita State (12/1/21), 6 vs. Texas (1/4/22) and Kansas (1/22/22), 5 at Ole Miss (1/29/22) and 9 at Iowa State (2/12/22)

PACK CONTINUES ELITE PLAY

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 15 of 22 games played, which includes 6 games of 20 or more points (all in Big 12 play), along with a pair of 30-point games vs. Top 10 foes Kansas and Baylor. He also had his first game-winner with his 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds against Oklahoma State. He is the only Big 12 player with multiple 30-point games this season.
Pack is averaging a team-best 17.7 points on 47.2 percent (137-of-290) shooting, including 44.6 percent (74-of-166) from 3-point range, to go with 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.4 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (21), field goals (137) and 3-point field goals (74).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.36) and 3-point percentage, third in scoring and fifth in field goal percentage. Through 12 Big 12 games, he is first in 3-point field goals per game (3.55) and second in scoring (18.8 ppg.).
With the first of his 4 3-pointers at Iowa State, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 27, which broke the school record of 25 games set by Steve Henson between Jan. 5, 1989 to Dec. 2, 1989. During this stretch, Pack is averaging 3.3 makes per game on 44.8 percent (90-of-201) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 12 times in this 27-game stretch, including career-tying 8 treys in his 35-point effort vs. No. 7/7 Kansas, which are the second-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game.

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 (112) and steals (49), while he is third in scoring (11.5 ppg.), while connecting on 38.4 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. He ranks 22nd in the nation and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.2), while he is 34th nationally and second in the Big 12 in assists (5.1). He leads the Big 12 in both assists (5.6 apg.) and steals (2.5 spg.) in league action.

DYNAMIC DUO

The shortest backcourt tandem in the country, sophomore Nijel Pack and junior Markquis Nowell are averaging 29.2 points and 7.5 assists per game this season, which would rank as the third-best duo in the Big 12 behind Kansas' Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun (35.2) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (31.8).
Pack and Nowell's assist average also ranks second to TCU's Mike Miles and Damion Baugh.

SMITH CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Fifth-year senior Mark Smith has made a big impact in a short period of time, as the transfer leads in double-doubles (6), rebounding (8.5 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (159) while he ranks second in scoring (12.0 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (16) and 20-point games (4). Smith leads the Big 12 in both rebounding and defensive rebounds (6.6 drpg.), while he is second in double-doubles. He has had 16 rebounds twice, which is the most by any Big 12 player.
The loss at Oklahoma on Jan. 1 overshadowed a historic performance by 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 an official stat 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 tied for the Big 12 lead with 7 games of 10 or more rebounds, posted his second 20/10 double-double at Ole Miss, as he scored a game-high 20 points and tied his career-high with 16 rebounds. He followed his effort with 21 points vs. Oklahoma State to become the first Wildcat in 3 years with back-to-back 20-point games. He is averaging 17.8 points in the last 5 games.

MOVING TOWARDS 500

Head coach Bruce Weber is working towards a coaching milestone, as he is 6 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters Monday's game with a 496-296 (.626) 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.
Miguel has missed 5 games due to injuries, including 4 games vs. Ole Miss (1/29/22), Oklahoma State (2/2/22), TCU (2/5/22) and Baylor (2/9/22) due to an ankle injury.
K-State has played just 4 games with 10 healthy scholarship players.

TRANSFERS PAYING OFF

K-State got an infusion of experience with the addition of 3 high-profile Division I transfers in fifth-year Mark Smith (Missouri), junior Markquis Nowell and sophomore Ismael (Ish) Massoud (Wake Forest). All 3 took advantage of the new transfer rules and are immediately eligible in 2021-22.
Like McGuirl, Smith earned a second senior season due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and will bring 100 games of experience to the court after playing at Illinois (2017-18) and Missouri (2018-21). Nowell, who was a Lou Henson All-American at Little Rock, averaged double figures in each of his three seasons as a Trojan. Massoud played in all 53 games of his Wake Forest career, averaging 8.3 points per game as a sophomore in 2020-21.
The transfers presumably fill the Wildcats' greatest need from the 2020-21 season, which was a lack of production from the 3-point line. The team ranked 319th (out of 340 teams) in 3-point field goal percentage (29.6), while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals made (191) and 243rd in 3-point field goals per game (6.6). The trio have combined for more than 450 triples (467) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 24 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 16 and 15. They have combined for 695 points (29.0 ppg.) on 40 percent (243-of-607) shooting with 347 rebounds (14.5 rpg.), 162 assists (6.8 apg.) and 88 steals (3.7 spg).
Nowell has scored in double figures in 15 games, including 3 points/assists double-doubles, and ranks first in the Big 12 in steals (2.2 spg.) and second in both assists (5.1 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (+2.00). He also paces first in both assists (5.6 apg.) and steals (2.5 spg.) in league-only games. Massoud has 8 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 6 double-doubles and leads the Big 12 in rebounding (8.5 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (6.6 drpg.).

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).

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

K-State returns 9 lettermen, including 4 players (Davion Bradford, Mike McGuirl, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) who registered starts during its COVID-19 challenging 2020-21 campaign, which resulted in the Wildcats' second consecutive non-winning season at 9-20 overall and 4-14 in Big 12 play. In addition to these 4 players, the team will get back the services of several key lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis and walk-on Drew Honas.
The biggest headliner from the returners might be McGuirl, who opted to return for an extra season in 2021-22 after his senior season was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors in 2020-21 after leading the Wildcats in 12 categories, including points (342), double-digit scoring games (20), field goals (112), 3-point field goals (60), assists (103), steals (30) and minutes (34.3).
The freshmen trio of Bradford, Miguel and Pack had to grow up fast in their first season, starting together in 17 games with 12 of those coming in Big 12 play. The 71 combined starts by the three true freshmen in 2020-21 ranked second nationally only to Kentucky (72). The three combined to average 25.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 2020-21, as Pack (12.7 ppg.) became the first true freshman to lead the Wildcats in scoring since 2013-14. Bradford (7.7 ppg.) and Miguel (7.2 ppg.) were fourth and fifth in scoring.
Ezeagu started early on for K-State before an injury forced him to miss 10 games. He returned in mid-January as mostly a reserve, averaging 5.2 points on 67.7 percent (21-of-31) in his last 10 games. Linguard and Lewis each showed flashes in their first seasons, playing in 17 and 18 games, respectively, while Kasubke recovered from a preseason injury that forced him to miss the first 13 games to be a key contributor in the final 16 games.

UP NEXT: AT OKLAHOMA STATE (12-12, 5-7 BIG 12)

K-State will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma on Saturday to complete the regular-season series with Oklahoma State (12-12, 5-7 Big 12) at 1 p.m., CT. The Wildcats won the first meeting on Feb. 2 in dramatic fashion, as sophomore Nijel Pack connected on a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds for a 71-68 victory.

Game Preview // K-State Hosts West Virginia on Monday Night on ESPN2

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Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Jordan Brooks

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Trey Harris

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Hosts West Virginia on Monday Night on ESPN2

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Jordan Brooks

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Trey Harris

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

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