Game Preview // K-State Hosts Iowa State on Saturday Afternoon

GAME 28
KANSAS STATE (14-13, 6-9 Big 12) vs. IOWA STATE (19-9, 6-9 Big 12)
Saturday, February 26, 2022 > 1:05 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,643) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPNU / ESPN App (Link)

Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Mike Dressman (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 380
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 970 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

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

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $25, $50

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 184-143/10th Year
Career Record: 497-298/24th Year
vs. Iowa State: 10-11 [6-3 at home]

Iowa State: T.J. Otzelberger [Wisconsin-Whitewater '01]
Record at Iowa State: 19-9/1st Year
Career Record: 118-72/6th Year
vs. K-State: 1-2 [1-0 on the road]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 144-90
Big 12 era: Tied 27-27 [K-State leads 27-24 in regular season]
Current Streak: K-State, 4
In Manhattan: K-State leads 83-28
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 23-10 [17-8 in the Big 12 era]
Last Meeting: W, 75-69 [OT] [2/12/22 in Ames, Iowa]
Weber vs. Otzelberger: 2-1 [0-1 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (14-13, 6-9 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

Iowa State (19-9, 6-9 Big 12)
G: #1 Izaiah Brockington
G: #11 Tyrese Hunter
G: #22 Gabe Kalscheur
F: #5 Aljaz Kunc
F: #4 George Conditt IV

K-STATE RETURNS HOME TO FACE IOWA STATE SATURDAY

Kansas State (14-13, 6-9 Big 12) returns home from a 2-game road trip this weekend, as the Wildcats play host to a red-hot Iowa State (19-9, 6-9 Big 12) team on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to post a 75-69 overtime win at ISU in the first meeting on Feb. 12.
K-State continues to battle for its postseason life with just 3 regular-season games left, as the Wildcats sit in a 3-way tie for sixth place in the Big 12 standings with the Cyclones and OSU Cowboys at 6-9, just a half-game behind fifth-place TCU (17-9, 6-8 Big 12). The team needs to stay above .500 to have a chance at a postseason berth (NCAA or NIT).
Despite its back-to-back losses, K-State has still won 4 of its last 7 games. After starting in an 0-4 hole, the Wildcats have won 6 of their last 11 vs. league competition (losses to Kansas (twice), Baylor (twice) and OSU).

OPENING TIP

K-State ran into a buzzsaw on Tuesday night in Lawrence, as No. 5/5 Kansas connected on better than 60 percent from the field in both halves in posting a 102-83 win in the 297th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks hit on 64.1 percent (41-of-64) from the field, including 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from 3-point range en route to posting just the second 100-point game in the series and the first since 2002. It was the ninth-highest opponent field goal percentage in school history and the highest since 2008.
Offensively, K-State put up its most points at Allen Fieldhouse in more than 5 years, as the Wildcats posted their third 80-point game of the season, including their first in Big 12 play. The team connected on 47.1 percent (32-of-68) from the field, including double-digit 3-pointers (11) for the 10th time this season. Five players scored in double figures led by junior Markquis Nowell's 20 points. It marked his third 20-point effort of the season, including his second in 3 games.
The loss at No. 5/5 Kansas was just the fourth by double digits this season, as the Wildcats have played 10 games decided by 5 points or less this season. Five of the 9 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 at Oklahoma State (79-82) in overtime. The team has led or been tied in the second half in 6 of their 9 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 93 games. Smith is the only player to start in all 27 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 7 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.
With his 3 triples at No. 5/5 Kansas, Pack broke the sophomore school record for 3-point field goals made (81), which was first set by Askia Jones in 1991-92. He has now hit a 3-pointer in a school-record 30 consecutive games dating back to last season, while the 81 3-pointers are the fifth-most in a single season and the most by any Wildcat since 2009-10. He still leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals/game (3.24), while he is second in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9).
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 (820), 42 percent of the rebounding (390) and 53 percent of the assists (184) 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 (8.33) and third in 3-point percentage (34.4), while they have the fewest turnovers (309). In Big 12 play, the team leads in 3-pointers (8.60) and fewest turnovers (169).

NOTES ON IOWA STATE

Iowa State (19-9, 6-9 Big 12) enters Saturday's game on a 3-game winning streak after posting an 84-81 win over West Virginia on Wednesday. The Cyclones are 3-5 on the road this season, including 2-5 in Big 12 play.
The Cyclones are averaging 68.1 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting, including 33.1 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 62.3 points on 42.3 percent shooting, including 29.5 percent from long range. The team is among the best nationally in several defensive categories, including 16th in turnovers forced (16.79), 19th in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 24th in scoring defense and 32nd in steals per game (8.5).
Iowa State has a pair of double-digit scorers in Izaiah Brockington (18.0 ppg.) and Tyrese Hunter (11.0 ppg.), while 3 others are averaging better than 6.0 points per game. A candidate for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Brockington also leads the Cyclones in rebounding (7.4 rpg.) and free throw percentage (79.6). Hunter paces the squad in both assists (129) and steals (52).
Iowa State is led by first-year head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who was already helped the Cyclones to a 17-win improvement from last season. Otzelberger has a 118-72 record in his sixth season as a head coach, which includes stints at South Dakota State (2016-19) and UNLV (2019-21).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Iowa State will meet for the 235th time on Saturday with the Wildcats holding a 144-90 advantage all-time, including 83-28 in games played in Manhattan. The series is tied in matchups in the Big 12 era, while the Wildcats have a 17-8 lead in games played at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State owns a 4-game winning streak in the series, including a season sweep in 2020-21, which included a 61-56 win in Manhattan on March 6, 2021.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 10-11 all-time against Iowa State, including a 6-3 record at home, while he is 2-1 against head coach T.J. Otzelberger. The pair split a home-and-home series during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

LAST TIME OUT:
5/5 KANSAS 102, K-STATE 83

No. 5/5 Kansas connected on better than 60 percent from the field in both halves, as the Jayhawks captured the 297th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown with an 102-83 win on Tuesday night before a sold-out crowd of 16,300 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas was simply spectacular on offense, connecting on 64.1 percent (41-of-64) from the field, including 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from 3-point range en route to posting just the second 100-point game in the series and the first since 2002. The 64.1 field goal percentage is the ninth-highest opponent field goal percentage in school history and the highest since 2008.
Four Jayhawks scored in double figures, including 20-point outings by senior Ochai Agbaji (23 points) and junior Christian Braun (20 points), who accounted for 43 points on 17-of-25 shooting, including 7-of-10 from 3-point range. Sophomore Jalen Wilson added 17 points on 7-of-9 field goals.
Kansas broke open a competitive game midway through the second half, using an 11-2 run over a near 3-minute span to build a 20-point lead at 83-63 on a 3-pointer by senior Jalen Coleman-Lands with 9:20 to play. The lead grew to as many as 27 points (96-69) on a triple by Agbaji with 5:40 remaining.
K-State, which dropped its second straight after winning 4 of its last 5 games to start February, saw 5 players score in double figures for the first time in Big 12 play. Junior Markquis Nowell led the way with his third 20-point game of the season, including second in the last 3 games, scoring his 20 points on 8-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-8 from 3, to go with a game-high 8 assists.
Three other Wildcats – fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl and sophomores Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack – each scored 13 points, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith nearly added to his Big 12-best double-double tally with 11 points and a game-high 9 rebounds. Sophomore Ish Massoud added 7 points.
It was the Wildcats' third 80-point game of the season, including their first in Big 12 play, as the team connected on 47.1 percent (32-of-68) from the field, including 34.4 percent (11-of-32) from 3-point range. They have now scored 70 or more points in 6 of the last 7 games.
The Jayhawks have now won 16 straight at home in the series and 7 overall games in the series, including the season series.

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 93 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 27 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 7 games (vs. Texas Tech, at Texas, vs. Kansas, at Iowa State, vs. West Virginia, at Oklahoma State and at Kansas) of which all were healthy and active.
Only 3 Wildcats (Smith, Ish Massoud and Luke Kasubke) have seen action in all 27 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 [80]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 27 (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 - 27 (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.
Despite allowing a season-high 15 triples to No. 5/5 Kansas on Tuesday, K-State has been strong in defending the 3-pointer this season, allowing its opponents to make an average of 6.6 per game on just 29.1 percent shooting. It marked just the fifth time this season that an opponent has made 10 or more 3-pointers.
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 7.8 made 3-pointers on 34 percent shooting in their 13 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 7.8 made 3-pointers on 35.5 percent shooting in their 9 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 326 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.
Again despite allowing 102 points to No. 5/5 Kansas on Tuesday, K-State has had a solid season defensively, allowing 66.4 points on 42.6 percent shooting, including 29.1 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-15 nationally in 3-point percentage 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 9 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 75.9 points on 48.0 percent shooting, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 12.6 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 39.1-30.9 rebounding average (352-278), including nine more offensive rebounds, while averaging 32.7 points in the paint and 11.9 second-chance points per game.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 68.9 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 71.9 percent from the free throw line through the first 27 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 11.4 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 68.3 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from 3-point range, and 69.9 percent from the free throw line. The team leads the Big 12 in 3-point makes (8.6), while is second in 3-point percentage (35.1), third in assist/turnover ratio (+1.0) and fourth in scoring offense in league-only games.
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 66.4 points and 12.9 assists in their 13 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 (8.33), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (34.4). In Big 12 play, the team is first in both 3-point makes (8.60) and second in 3-point percentage (35.1).
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 225 3-point field goal makes through 27 games, the Wildcats have already surpassed its entire 3-point total (191) from the 2020-21 season, while its 129 treys in Big 12 play are more than they had in 18 league games (102) in 2020-21. The 225 total makes already rank eighth for a single season.
K-State currently ranks among the top-160 in all 3 categories in the NCAA, including 91st in 3-point makes/game (8.3) and 100th in total makes (225).
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 7.9 treys on 31.3 percent shooting in their 13 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.24) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (42.9), while junior Markquis Nowell is ninth in makes (1.64). Pack is also first in 3-pointers/game (3.33) in Big 12-only games and third in percentage (42.0), while Nowell (8th) and Mike McGuirl (13th) 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 9 losses (including 2 double-digit effort).

MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.4 turnovers per game, including just 11.3 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 (+1.12) and sixth in turnover margin (+1.85). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are third in assist/turnover ratio (+1.02) and fourth in turnover margin (+1.73).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.00) and third in league-only games at +1.94. He is second in the Big 12 in assists (5.1), while he is tops in steals (2.2) in all games. He leads the league in both categories in Big 12 play, averaging 5.4 assists and 2.4 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 (323-of-449) 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 Saturday's game with a 497-298 (.625) 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 has continued to have impressive 2021-22 season, as he has led or have been tied for the team lead in scoring in 16 of 25 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 one of 2 Big 12 players with multiple 30-point games this season.
Pack is averaging a team-best 17.3 points on 44.9 percent (150-of-334) shooting, including 42.9 percent (81-of-189) from 3-point range, to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.8 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (24), field goals (150) and 3-point field goals (81).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.24), second in 3-point percentage, fourth in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage. In Big 12 play, he is first in 3-point field goals per game (3.33) and third in scoring (18.7 ppg.).
With his 3 makes at No. 5/5 Kansas on Tuesday, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 30, 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 (97-of-224) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 12 times in this 30-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.

HEART OVER HEIGHT

Junior Markquis Nowell has had one of the bigger impacts for the Wildcats, as the transfer leads the team in assists (128) and steals (55), while he is second in scoring (12.4 ppg.) and double-doubles (3) and third in 20-point games (3) and double-digit scoring games (18). He ranks 20th nationally and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.3), while he is 31st and second in the league in assists (5.1).
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 (11th) and top-5 in steals (1st), assists (2nd) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd). He also leads the Big 12 in both assists (5.4 apg.) and steals (2.4 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 29.7 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 (35.0) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (31.2).
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 (6.7 drpg.) while he ranks second in double-digit scoring games (18) and 20-point games (4) and third in scoring (12.3 ppg.). He leads the Big 12 in double-doubles, rebounding and defensive boards, while he is 12th in scoring. He has had 16 boards twice, which also leads the Big 12.
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 last week with his 17-point, 10-rebound effort vs. West Virginia and his 15-point, 10-rebound effort at Oklahoma State. He is averaging 16.5 points in the last 8 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 5-2 this season when McGuirl scores in double figures, including 3-2 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 6.1 points on 33.8 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range, with 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in playing in 11 of the team's 13 losses. He is averaging just 6.4 points on 40.0 percent shooting, including 40.0 percent from long range, with 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists in playing in 7 of the 9 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 nearly 500 triples (484) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 27 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 19 and 15. They have combined for 820 points (30.4 ppg.) on 40.3 percent (280-of-695) shooting with 390 rebounds (14.4 rpg.), 184 assists (6.8 apg.) and 99 steals (3.7 spg).
Nowell has scored in double figures in 18 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 (5.38 apg.) and steals (2.39 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 (6.7 drpg.).

UP NEXT: AT 9/9 TEXAS TECH (22-6, 11-4 BIG 12)

K-State makes its first road trip of the regular season on Monday night, as the Wildcats travel to Lubbock, Texas to take on No. 9/9 Texas Tech (22-6, 11-4 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2. K-State won the first meeting, 62-51, at home on Jan. 15.

Game Preview // K-State Hosts Iowa State on Saturday Afternoon

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

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 Iowa State on Saturday Afternoon

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Related Videos