Game Preview // K-State Travels to 5/5 Kansas for Sunflower Showdown Tuesday

Tuesday, February 22

Lawrence, KS

8 p.m.

Kansas State University

Kansas

Game Preview // K-State Travels to 5/5 Kansas for Sunflower Showdown Tuesday

Feb 21, 2022 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)KU Notes (.pdf)Watch (ESPN)Listen Live Stats

It will be the 297th edition of the Sunflower Showdown

GAME 27
KANSAS STATE (14-12, 6-8 Big 12) at 5/5 KANSAS (22-4, 11-2 Big 12)
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 > 8:05 p.m. CT >> Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) >> Lawrence, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPN / ESPN App (Link)

Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
Tom Scofield (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 387
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 977 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kansas.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
Sold out

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 184-142/10th Year
Career Record: 497-297/24th Year
vs. Kansas: 3-20 [0-9 on the road]

Kansas: Bill Self [Oklahoma State '85]
Record at Kansas: 544-122/19th Year
Career Record: 751-227/29th Year
vs. K-State: 38-6 [17-1 at home]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Kansas leads 202-94
Big 12 era: Kansas leads 55-6 [45-6 in regular season]
Current Streak: Kansas, 6
In Lawrence: Kansas leads 92-35
At Allen Fieldhouse: Kansas leads 50-17 [24-1 in the Big 12 era]
Last Meeting: L, 75-78 [1/22/22 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Self: 4-21 [0-10 on the road]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (14-12, 6-8 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

5/5 Kansas (22-4, 11-2, 5-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Christian Braun
G: #3 Dajuan Harris
G: #30 Ochai Agbaji
F: #10 Jalen Wilson
F: #32 David McCormack

K-STATE RENEWS SUNFLOWER SHOWDOWN ON TUESDAY NIGHT

Kansas State (14-12, 6-8 Big 12) makes the short trip east to Allen Fieldhouse to take on No. 5/5 Kansas (22-4, 11-2 Big 12) on Tuesday night at 8 p.m., CT in the 297th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown. It is the sixth-most played rivalry dating to 1907 and third-most continuously played (116 years) in NCAA Division I history.
The in-state rivals played one of their more intriguing matchups in recent memory exactly a month ago in Manhattan, as Kansas rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to post a 78-75 win in the waning seconds. The loss overshadowed a career day for sophomore Nijel Pack, who scored a career-high 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including 8 triples.
Despite a heartbreaking overtime loss at Oklahoma State, K-State has still won 4 of its last 6 games. After starting in an 0-4 hole, the Wildcats have won 6 of their last 10 vs. league competition (losses to Kansas, Baylor (twice) and OSU).

OPENING TIP

In an ironic twist, Oklahoma State returned serve after losing a similar game to K-State earlier in the month, as sophomore Avery Anderson III hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds in overtime, as the Cowboys posted an 82-79 win over the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena. In K-State's 71-68 win on Feb. 2, sophomore Nijel Pack hit a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds in regulation. The team had a number of positives on offense, including a season-tying 13 made 3-pointers and just 9 total turnovers, but they hit on just 31.6 percent (12-of-38) of their field goals inside the 3-point arc.
K-State got what has usually been a winning recipe, as 4 players scored in double figures led by 16 points each from junior Markquis Nowell and Pack, along with another double-double from fifth-year senior Mark Smith and 14 points from fellow fifth-year Mike McGuirl. The Wildcats are now 6-2 this season when at least 4 players score in double figures.
The overtime heartbreaker was yet another close game for K-State, as the Wildcats have played 10 games decided by 5 points or less this season. Five of the team's 8 Big 12 losses have been by a single possession, including 2 points on the road at Oklahoma (69-71) and 3 points to West Virginia (68-71), TCU (57-60), Kansas (75-78) and now Oklahoma State (79-82) in overtime. The Wildcats have led or been tied in the second half in 6 of their 8 conference losses.
Health has been a big storyline for the Wildcats, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster have combined to miss 90 games. Smith is the only player to start in all 26 games, as injuries and COVID-19 protocols have forced coach Bruce Weber to use 10 different lineups. With sophomore Selton Miguel's return at Iowa State on Feb. 12, as the team has now played just 6 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.
With his 3 made 3-point field goals at OSU, Pack tied the sophomore school record for 3-pointers made (78), which was first set by Askia Jones in 1991-92. He has now hit a 3-pointer in a school-record 29 consecutive games dating back to last season, while the 78 3-pointers tie for the eighth-most in a single season. He still leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals/game (3.25), while he is second in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9) and third in scoring (17.5 ppg.).
Fifth-year Mark Smith continues to make the most of his second senior season, as he took the Big 12 lead in double-doubles with his eighth at Oklahoma State with 15 points and 10 rebounds. After posting 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win over West Virginia on Feb. 14, he became the first Wildcat since Wesley Iwundu in 2017 to collect back-to-back double-doubles in Big 12 play.
The transfer trio of Smith, Nowell and Ish Massoud continue to play a major role. The trio have been responsible for 44 percent of the team's scoring (782), 42 percent of the rebounding (375) and 53 percent of the assists (176) this season.
K-State's success on offense has hinged on effective 3-point shooting and limiting turnovers. The Wildcats rank first in 3-point makes/game (8.23) and third in 3-point percentage (34.3), while they have the fewest turnovers (294). In Big 12 play, the team leads in 3-pointers (8.43) and fewest turnovers (154).

NOTES ON 5/5 KANSAS

No. 5/5 Kansas (22-4, 11-2 Big 12) enters Tuesday's game with wins in 5 of its last 6 games, including its current 3-game winning streak. The Jayhawks are 13-1 at home this season, including a perfect 6-0 in Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks are averaging a Big 12-best 79.2 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 67.7 points on 41.5 percent shooting, including 29.8 percent from long range. The team leads the Big 12 in scoring and field goal percentage, while they are second in assists and assist/turnover ratio.
Kansas is led by the Big 12's top scoring tandem of seniors Ochai Agbaji (20.0 ppg.) and junior Christian Braun (15.0 ppg.), who both rank in the league's top-5 in scoring average. Sophomore Jalen Wilson (10.4 ppg.) also averages double figures, while leading in rebounding (7.3 rpg.). Sophomore Dajuan Harris paces the team in both assists (107) and steals (41).
Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has posted a 544-122 (.817) record in his 19th season, which includes the 2008 national title and 3 Final Fours. He is 751-227 (.768) in his 29th season as a head coach, which

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Kansas will meet for the 297th time in their histories with the Jayhawks holding a 202-94 advantage in a series that dates to 1907. Kansas is 92-35 all-time in games played in Lawrence, including a 50-17 mark at Allen Fieldhouse with 15 consecutive home victories since Feb. 7, 2007.
Kansas has won 6 straight in the series, including a 78-75 victory in the first meeting between the schools on Jan. 22 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Jayhawks rallied from a 17-point deficit to win on Ochai Agbaji's layup with 8 seconds.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 3-20 all-time against Kansas with all 3 wins coming at home (2014, 2015, 2019), while he is 4-21 against head coach Bill Self. Self is 38-6 vs. K-State, including 17-1 at home.

LAST TIME OUT:
OKLAHOMA STATE 82, K-STATE 79 [OT]

Sophomore Avery Anderson III's 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds proved to be the difference in overtime, as Oklahoma State returned serve after losing a similar game to K-State earlier this month with an 82-79 win over the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 8,976 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
In K-State's 71-68 win on Feb. 2, sophomore Nijel Pack hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds in regulation.
K-State had its opportunities to win the game in both regulation and in overtime, but each time OSU made a critical play. The Wildcats scored 7 of the last 8 points to tie the game at 66-all with 1:05 remaining but was unable to score on the last possession. In overtime, Pack was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all 3 free throws to tie the game at 79-all with 12 seconds before the eventual game-winner by Anderson with 3.8 seconds.
K-State played in its 10th game decided 5 points or less, as 5 of the 8 Big 12 losses have come by one possession. The Wildcats have now led or been tied in the second half in 6 of those 8 conference losses.
K-State got what usually is a winning recipe, as 4 players scored in double figures led by 16 points each from junior Markquis Nowell and Pack. Fifth-year senior Mark Smith collected his Big 12-leading eighth double-double with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and fellow fifth-year Mike McGuirl added 14 points. Junior Kaosi Ezeagu had 9 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.
The Wildcats lost for just the second time in 8 games when at least 4 players score in double figures, while they lost for the first time (5-1) when McGuirl registers double figures, including the first time in Big 12 play.
Despite a number of positives on offense, including tying a season-high with 13 made 3-point field goals and just 9 total turnovers, K-State made just 31.6 percent (12-of-38) of its field goals inside the 3-point arc. For the game, the Wildcats connected on just 35.7 percent (25-of-70) from field, including 40.6 percent (13-of-32) from long range.
Anderson (20) and teammate Bryce Thompson (23) combined for 43 of the Cowboys' 82 points, as the duo connected on 16-of-32 field goals, including 6-of-14 from 3-point range. For the game, OSU hit on 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field, including 40.9 percent (9-of-22) from 3-point range.

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 90 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 26 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 6 games (vs. Texas Tech, at Texas, vs. Kansas, at Iowa State, vs. West Virginia and at Oklahoma State) of which all were healthy and active.
Only 3 Wildcats (Smith, Ish Massoud and Luke Kasubke) have seen action in all 26 games this season.
In addition, head coach Bruce Weber missed 11 days of practice, including games vs. Texas and at West Virginia in early January.

SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS MISSING GAMES IN 2021-22 [78]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 26 (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 - 26 (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)

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 6.3 per game on just 27.8 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 5.4 made 3-pointers on 23.7 percent shooting in its 14 wins, while the team is allowing 7.3 made 3-pointers on 31.5 percent shooting in their 12 losses. In Big 12 play, the Wildcats are allowing just 6.2 made 3-pointers on 28 percent shooting in their 6 wins as compared to 6.9 made 3-pointers on 31.8 percent shooting in their 8 losses.

DEFENSE ALWAYS A TRADEMARK

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 325 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 65.0 points on 41.6 percent shooting, including 27.8 percent from 3-point range. The team ranks among the top-65 in 2 defensive categories, including third in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 62nd in scoring defense.
In its 6 Big 12 wins this season, K-State is allowing just 64.8 points on 41.7 percent shooting, including 28 percent from 3-point range, while forcing an average of 13.7 turnovers per game. The opponents in those wins have a narrow 34.7-33.7 rebounding average (208-202), while averaging just 24.0 points in the paint and 8.3 second-chance points per game.
In its 8 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 72.6 points on 45.7 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 12.1 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 40.0-31.0 rebounding average (320-248), including 14 more offensive rebounds, while averaging 31.5 points in the paint and 12.5 second-chance points per game.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 68.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 71.9 percent from the free throw line through the first 26 games. The Wildcats are getting assists on made field goals on 53.7 percent of the time, as they average 12.9 assists and a Big 12-low 11.3 turnovers per game. The team is also averaging 28.1 points in the paint, 16.1 points off the bench and 14.8 points off turnovers.
K-State's offensive numbers are slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the Wildcats are averaging 67.2 points on 40.3 percent shooting, including 35.2 percent from 3-point range, and 69.8 percent from the free throw line. The team leads the Big 12 in 3-point makes (8.43), 3-point percentage (35.2) and assist/turnover ratio (+1.04) in league-only games, while they are fourth in scoring offense.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 72.6 points and 14.6 assists in their 14 wins compared to just 63.4 points and 10.9 assists in their 12 losses. The squad has scored 400 points (28.6 ppg.) in the paint in the 14 wins, including 154 (25.7 ppg.) in the 6 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 lead the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (8.23), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (34.3). In Big 12 play, the team is first in both 3-point makes (8.43) and 3-point percentage (35.2).
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.
With 214 3-point field goal makes through 26 games, the Wildcats have already surpassed its entire 3-point total (191) from the 2020-21 season, while its 118 treys in Big 12 play are more than they had in 18 league games (102) in 2020-21. The 214 total makes already rank 10th for a single season.
K-State currently ranks among the top-160 in all 3 categories in the NCAA, including 99th in 3-point makes/game (8.2) and 109th in total makes (214).
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 14 wins, while they are averaging 7.7 treys on 31.0 percent shooting in their 12 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.25) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9), while junior Markquis Nowell is eighth in makes (1.58). Pack is also first in 3-pointers/game (3.36) in Big 12-only games and third in percentage (42.0), while Nowell (8th) and Mike McGuirl (15th) also rank in the top-15 in makes in league-only games.

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 averaging 14.0 bench points in their 6 wins (including 4 double-digit efforts) and 8.7 bench points in their 8 losses (including 2 double-digit effort).

MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.3 turnovers per game, including just 11.0 miscues per game in league play. The team has 10 or fewer turnovers in 10 games, including single digits on 8 occasions (4 times in Big 12 play). This is all the more impressive stats because of the competition, as 6 Big 12 teams rank in the top-50 in turnovers forced, including 4 in top-25.
The Wildcats rank fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.14) and sixth in turnover margin (+1.88). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are first in assist/turnover ratio (+1.04) and second in turnover margin (+1.79).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.03) and third in league-only games at +2.00. He is second in the Big 12 in assists (5.0), while he is tops in steals (2.3) in all games. He leads the league in both categories in Big 12 play, averaging 5.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

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 9 times, 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)

BETTER AT THE FREE THROW LINE

One of the areas where K-State has made improvement in 2021-22 has been from the free throw line, where the Wildcats rank third in the Big 12 in hitting on 71.9 percent (315-of-438) from the line. It would be the highest mark for the team since connecting on 73.4 percent in 2017-18.
While only fifth-year senior Mark Smith has enough attempts to rank in the Big 12's top-12 in free throw percentage, three others (Ish Massoud, Nijel Pack and Markquis Nowell) are all connecting on better than 80 percent from the line, including a team-high 93.3 percent (28-of-30) by Massoud.
Free throw shooting proved to be important in the win over West Virginia, as K-State converted on 31-of-39 attempts, including 12-of-13 in the first half. The 31 free throws were the most in a game in 6 seasons since making 36 against South Dakota on Nov. 10, 2015, while the 39 attempts were the most since posting 40 at West Virginia on Feb. 11, 2017.

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 Tuesday's game with a 497-297 (.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.

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 16 of 24 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 17.5 points on 45.2 percent (145-of-321) shooting, including 42.9 percent (78-of-182) from 3-point range, to go with 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.0 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (23), field goals (145) and 3-point field goals (78).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.25), second in 3-point percentage, third in scoring and fifth in field goal percentage. In Big 12 play, he is first in 3-point field goals per game (3.36) and minutes (36.3) and second in scoring (19.1 ppg.).
With his 3 makes at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 29, 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 3.2 makes per game on 43.3 percent (94-of-217) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 12 times in this 29-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 has had one of the bigger impacts for the Wildcats, as the transfer leads the team in assists (120) and steals (55), while he is second in 20-point games (2) and double-doubles (3) and third in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and double-digit scoring games (17). He ranks 14th nationally and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.3), while he is 38th and second in the league in assists (5.0).
The Big 12 leader in steals (2.3 spg.), Nowell is one of just 2 Big 12 players (along with Baylor's James Akinjo) to rank in the top-15 in scoring (13th) and top-5 in steals (1st), assists (2nd) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd). He also leads the Big 12 in both assists (5.2 apg.) and steals (2.6 spg.) in league action.
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. His 10-point, 10-assist performance at West Virginia is believed to be the first by a Wildcat in his first conference game.

DYNAMIC DUO

The shortest backcourt tandem in the country, sophomore Nijel Pack and junior Markquis Nowell are averaging 29.6 points and 7.4 assists per game this season, which would rank as the third-best duo in the Big 12 behind Kansas' Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun (35.1) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (31.7). Pack and Nowell's assist average also ranks second.

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 (8), rebounding (8.6 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (175) while he ranks second in scoring (12.3 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (18) and 20-point games (4). He leads the Big 12 in double-doubles, rebounding and defensive rebounds (6.73 drpg.), while he is 11th in scoring. 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 9 games of 10 or more rebounds, became the first Wildcat to post consecutive double-doubles in Big 12 play since Wes Iwundu on March 1-4, 2017 this past week with his 17-point, 10-rebound effort vs. West Virginia and his 15-point, 10-rebound effort at Oklahoma State. He is averaging 17.3 points in the last 7 games.

SUPER SENIOR McGUIRL MATTERS

Although Mike McGuirl went from the primary option in 2020-21 to more of a secondary role in 2021-22, there is no player that more factors in K-State's wins and losses more than the fifth-year senior.
The Wildcats are 5-1 this season when McGuirl scores in double figures, including 3-1 in Big 12 play (vs. Texas Tech, at Texas and at TCU).
McGuirl is averaging 7.8 points on 40.7 percent shooting, including 36.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 13 of the 14 wins. Those numbers jump in the 6 Big 12 wins, as he is averaging 9.5 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 52.4 percent from 3-point range, to go with 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
McGuirl is averaging just 5.4 points on 31.3 percent shooting, including 27.6 percent from 3-point range, with 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in playing in 10 of the team's 12 losses. He is averaging just 5.3 points on 37.1 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from long range, with 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in playing in 6 of the 8 Big 12 losses. He missed the losses at West Virginia and at home to TCU to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
McGuirl's announcement on March 23 that he was utilizing his extra season and returning in 2021-22 was the first of several key moments for the Wildcats this off-season, which was followed by the additions of transfers Mark Smith (March 31), Markquis Nowell (April 1) and Ish Massoud (April 15).
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, McGuirl enjoyed a solid 'first' 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.
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.

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 (479) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 26 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 18 and 15. They have combined for 782 points (30.1 ppg.) on 40.1 percent (266-of-663) shooting with 375 rebounds (14.4 rpg.), 176 assists (6.8 apg.) and 96 steals (3.7 spg).
Nowell has scored in double figures in 17 games, including 3 points/assists double-doubles, and ranks first in the Big 12 in steals (2.29 spg.) and second in both assists (5.0 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (+2.03). He also paces first in both assists (5.17 apg.) and steals (2.58 spg.) in league-only games. Massoud has 9 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 8 double-doubles and leads the Big 12 in rebounding (8.6 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (6.73 drpg.).

UP NEXT: IOWA STATE (18-9, 5-9 BIG 12)

K-State returns home on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats play host to Iowa State (18-9, 5-9 Big 12) at 1 p.m., CT on ESPNU. K-State won the first meeting, 75-69, in overtime on Feb. 12.