Game Preview // K-State Makes Quick Turn to Play at No. 9/9 Texas Tech Monday

Monday, February 28

Lubbock, TX

8 p.m.

Kansas State University

Texas Tech

Game Preview // K-State Makes Quick Turn to Play at No. 9/9 Texas Tech Monday

Feb 27, 2022 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)Texas Tech Notes (.pdf)Watch [ESPN2]Listen Live Stats

The Wildcats open the final week of the regular season in Lubbock

GAME 29
KANSAS STATE (14-14, 6-10 Big 12) at 9/9 TEXAS TECH (22-7, 11-5 Big 12)
Monday, February 28, 2022 > 8:05 p.m. CT >> United Supermarkets Arena (15,098) >> Lubbock, Texas

TELEVISION
ESPN2 / ESPN App (Link)

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Wes Crow (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 381
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 971 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
texastech.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
Sold out

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 184-144/10th Year
Career Record: 497-299/24th Year
vs. Texas Tech: 9-10 [2-7 on the road]

Texas Tech: Mark Adams [Texas Tech '79]
Record at Texas Tech: 22-7/1st Year
Career Record: 576-251/25th Year
vs. K-State: 0-1 [0-0 at home]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 25-20
Big 12 era: Texas Tech leads 19-18 [18-17 in regular season]
Current Streak: K-State, 1
In Lubbock: Texas Tech leads 14-7
At United Supermarkets Arena: Texas Tech leads 12-4 [12-4 in the Big 12 era]
Last Meeting: W, 62-51 [1/15/22 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Adams: 1-0 [0-0 on the road]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (14-14, 6-10 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

Texas Tech (22-7, 11-5 Big 12)
G: #1 Terrence Shannon, Jr.
G: #2 Davion Warren
G: #25 Adonis Arms
F: #0 Kevin Obanor
F: #11 Bryson Williams

K-STATE MAKES QUICK TURN TO PLAY AT 9/9 TEXAS TECH MONDAY

Kansas State (14-14, 6-10 Big 12) begins the final week of the regular season with a quick turnaround on Monday night to face No. 9/9 Texas Tech (22-7, 11-5 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT before an expected sold-out United Supermarkets Arena. The Wildcats have a difficult task, as the Red Raiders are a perfect 17-0 at home this season, including 8-0 in Big 12 play.
K-State continues to battle for its postseason life with just 2 regular-season games left, as the Wildcats sit in a tie for seventh place in the Big 12 standings with Oklahoma State at 6-10, a full-game behind sixth-place Iowa State (20-9, 7-9 Big 12). The team needs to stay above .500 to have a chance at a postseason berth (NCAA or NIT).
The 74-73 home loss to Iowa State was yet another heartbreaker for K-State, which dropped to 3-7 in games decided by 5 points or less, including 3-6 in Big 12 play. Six of the 10 conference losses have come by one possession.

OPENING TIP

K-State nearly rallied from a 15-point second-half against Iowa State for the second time this season, closing to within 72-70 and holding possession with 16 seconds, but the Cyclones were able to force a turnover with 4 seconds to hold on for a 74-73 victory and even the season series. The loss was significant, as the Wildcats now have to win one of their last 2 games to secure one of the byes to the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
Down 70-58 with 2:14 to play, K-State nearly made a remarkable rally behind their defensive pressure and some clutch free throw shooting by junior Markquis Nowell, who converted on 10 consecutive free throws to close the gap to 72-70. During the 12-2 run, the team forced 4 turnovers, including a pair of 5-second calls. However, the Cyclones were able to force sophomore Nijel Pack into a turnover before sealing the game with 2 free throws with 2 seconds. The loss spoiled an impressive day by Pack, who collected his third 30-point game.
The loss to the Cyclones was yet another painful one, as the Wildcats have played 10 games decided by 5 points or less this season. Six of the 10 Big 12 losses have been by a single possession, including 1 point to Iowa State (73-74), 2 points 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 10 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 8 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.
Pack turned in another sensational performance in the loss to Iowa State, as he accounted for nearly half of the Wildcats' 73 points with his game-high 32 points on 11-of-15 field goals, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, to go with a 4-of-5 effort from the free throw line. He is the first Wildcat with at least 3 30-point games in a single season since Rodney McGruder in 2011-12. His 6 triples gave him 87 for the season, which ranks fifth and are the most since Jacob Pullen (110) and Denis Clemente (88) in 2009-10.
Junior Markquis Nowell had a solid all-around day vs. Iowa State with 16 points and 6 boards to go with team-highs in assists (4) and steals (3). He is 1 of 2 players (along with BU's James Akinjo) to rank in the Big 12's Top 10 in scoring (10th) and Top 5 in steals (1st), assists (2nd) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd).
The transfer trio of Nowell, Mark Smith and Ish Massoud continue to play a major role. The trio have been responsible for 44 percent of the scoring (850), 43 percent of the rebounding (407) and 53 percent of the assists (188) 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 (8.32) and third in 3-point percentage (34.3), while they have the fewest turnovers (323). In Big 12 play, the team leads in 3-pointers (8.60) and fewest turnovers (183).

NOTES ON 9/9 TEXAS TECH

No. 9/9 Texas Tech (22-7, 11-5 Big 12) saw its 4-game winning streak end in Saturday's 69-66 loss at TCU. Despite the loss, the Red Raiders have won 7 of their last 9 games, while they are a perfect 17-0 at home.
The Red Raiders are averaging 73.1 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting, including 31.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 60.7 points on 38.6 percent shooting, including 32.1 percent from long range. Demonstrating their all-around strength as a team, they are among the best in a variety of areas, including 13th in scoring defense, 14th in field goal percentage defense, 19th in turnovers forced and 21st rebounding margin.
Texas Tech has 6 players averaging better than 8 points per game, including 3 in double figures, led by senior transfer Bryson Williams, who has a team-best 13.9 points per game scoring average. Terrence Shannon, Jr. (10.9 ppg.) and Kevin McCullar (10.0 ppg.) also average double figures. McCullar is tops in rebounding (5.0 rpg.) and assists (3.1 apg.).
Texas Tech is led by first-year head coach and alum Mark Adams, who was an assistant for many years under Chris Beard before assuming the head coach position in 2021. He has been a head coach for 24 seasons, including stops at NAIA Wayland Baptist (1983-87), Division II West Texas A&M (1987-92) and NJCAA Howard College (2004-13), winning 567 games.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Texas Tech will meet for the 46th time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 25-20 advantage in the series. The Red Raiders own a 19-18 lead since the start of Big 12 play in 1997, including 18-17 in the regular season.
Texas Tech has won 10 of the last 14 meetings, including 7 in a row at home. The last K-State win in Lubbock came on Feb. 25, 2014.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 9-10 vs. Texas Tech, including a 2-7 mark on the road. This will be the second meeting with Mark Adams as a head coach. Adams was an assistant for Chris Beard, who went 8-2 versus the Wildcats.

LAST TIME OUT:
IOWA STATE 74, K-STATE 73

Kansas State nearly rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit, closing to within 72-70 and possession with 16 seconds to play, but Iowa State was able to hold on in the final seconds to pick up the 74-73 victory on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 8,090 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
Down 70-58 with 2:14 to play, K-State nearly made a remarkable rally behind their defensive pressure and some clutch free throw shooting from junior Markquis Nowell, who converted on 10 consecutive free throws to close the gap to 72-70 with 49 seconds remaining. During this key 12-2 stretch, the Wildcats forced 4 turnovers, including a pair of 5-seconds calls.
Nowell got a huge defensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer by junior Caleb Grill giving K-State one last opportunity, down 72-70, with 16 seconds left. However, Iowa State was able to force a turnover by sophomore Nijel Pack with 4 seconds left. Senior Aljaz Kunc was fouled in the backcourt with 2 seconds and made both free throws to put the game out of reach at 74-70. Pack was able to knock down his sixth 3-pointer for the game's final points as time expired.
The game was yet another painful one for K-State, which dropped to 3-7 in games decided by 5 points or less, including 3-6 in Big 12 play. Six of the Wildcats' 10 conference losses have come by one possession.
It was yet another sensation effort for Pack, who accounted for nearly half of K-State's 73 points with his third 30-point game of the season. He finished the day with 32 points on 11-of-15 field goals, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, and a 4-of-5 effort from the free throw line in nearly 39 minutes. He is the first Wildcat with three 30-point games in a single season in 10 years since Rodney McGruder also had 3 during the 2011-12 season.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Wildcats combined for just 41 points, including 21 coming from the free throw line, as they went just 9-of-32 from the field, including 2-of-16 from 3-point range. Nowell (16 points) and fifth-year senior Mark Smith (12 points) were the only other players in double figures.
In contrast, ISU got a big boost from its bench, as the 3 of the 4 Cyclone reserves (Grill, Jaden Walker and Robert Jones) combined for 31 points. Grill led 3 players in double figures with 18 points with 6 triples. Senior Izaiah Brockington added 17 points and 8 rebounds, while freshman Tyrese Hunter nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

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 96 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 28 games with 10 different starting lineups, which is the most among Power 6 schools.
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 8 games (vs. Texas Tech, at Texas, vs. Kansas, at Iowa State, vs. West Virginia, at Oklahoma State, at Kansas and vs. Iowa State) of which all were healthy and active.
Only 3 Wildcats (Smith, Ish Massoud and Luke Kasubke) have seen action in all 28 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 [82]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 28 (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 - 28 (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 25 triples in the last 2 games, K-State has been solid in defending the 3-pointer this season, allowing its opponents to make an average of 6.7 per game on just 29.6 percent shooting. Saturday marked just the sixth 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 8.0 made 3-pointers on 34.5 percent shooting in their 14 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 8.0 made 3-pointers on 36.0 percent shooting in their 10 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 327 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, K-State has had a solid season defensively, allowing 66.7 points on 42.6 percent shooting, including 29.7 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-20 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 10 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 75.7 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including 36.0 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 13.1 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 38.9-30.4 rebounding average (389-304), including 15 more offensive rebounds, while averaging 31.2 points in the paint and 12.2 second-chance points per game.
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.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 69.0 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 34.3 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 72.2 percent from the free throw line through the first 28 games. The Wildcats are getting assists on made field goals on 53.7 percent of the time, as they average 12.7 assists and a Big 12-low 11.5 turnovers per game. The team is also averaging 27.9 points in the paint, 15.7 points off the bench and 15.1 points off turnovers.
K-State's offensive numbers are slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the Wildcats are averaging 68.6 points on 41 percent shooting, including 34.9 percent from 3-point range, and 70.6 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 (34.9), fourth 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 65.5 points and 10.9 assists in their 14 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 (34.3). In Big 12 play, the team is first in both 3-point makes (8.60) and second in 3-point percentage (34.9).
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 233 3-point field goal makes through 28 games, the Wildcats have already surpassed its entire 3-point total (191) from the 2020-21 season, while its 137 treys in Big 12 play are more than they had in 18 league games (102) in 2020-21. The 233 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 (233).
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 31.4 percent shooting in their 14 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.35) and 3-point field goal percentage (43.9), while junior Markquis Nowell is ninth in makes (1.58). Pack is also first in 3-pointers/game (3.50) and 3-point percentage (43.8) in Big 12-only games, while Nowell (8th) and Mike McGuirl (14th) 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 15.7 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 8.4 bench points in their 10 losses (including 2 double-digit effort).

MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.5 turnovers per game, including just 11.4 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 (+1.10) and sixth in turnover margin (+1.93). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are second in turnover margin (+1.88) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+0.99).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.00) and third in league-only games at +1.90. 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 5.3 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 72.2 percent (348-of-482) from the line. It would be the highest mark for the team since connecting on 73.4 percent in 2017-18.
Two Wildcats (Markquis Nowell and Mark Smith) rank among the Big 12's top-15 in free throw percentage, as Nowell ranks second (82.9%; 68-of-82) and Smith ranks 13th (69.6%; 80-of-115). Two others (Ish Massoud and Nijel Pack) 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 hit on 31-of-39 attempts, including 12-of-13 in the first half. The 31 free throws were the most since making 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 10, 2015, while the 39 attempts were the most since 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 Monday's game with a 497-299 (.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 17 of 26 games played, which includes 7 games of 20 or more points (all in Big 12 play), along with 3 30-point games vs. Top 10 foes Kansas and Baylor and Iowa State. He is the first Wildcat with at least 3 30-point games since Rodney McGruder in 2011-12. He is one of 2 Big 12 players with multiple 30-point games this season.
Pack is averaging a team-best 17.8 points on 46.1 percent (161-of-349) shooting, including 43.9 percent (87-of-198) from 3-point range, to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33.0 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (25), field goals (161) and 3-point field goals (87).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.35) and 3-point percentage, fourth in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and seventh in minutes. In Big 12 play, he is first in 3-pointers (3.5) and 3-point percentage (43.8) and second in scoring (19.5 ppg.).
With his 6 makes vs. Iowa State, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 31, 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 3.32 makes per game on 44.2 percent (103-of-233) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 13 times in this 31-game stretch, including career-tying 8 treys in his 35-point effort vs. No. 7/7 Kansas. His 87 3-point makes rank fifth on the single season list and are the most since 2009-10.

HEART OVER HEIGHT

Junior Markquis Nowell has had one of the bigger impacts for the Wildcats, as the transfer leads the team in assists (132) and steals (58), while he is second in scoring (12.6 ppg.) and double-doubles (3) and third in 20-point games (3) and double-digit scoring games (19). 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 (2.2 spg.), Nowell is one of just 2 Big 12 players (along with Baylor's James Akinjo) to rank in the top-10 in scoring (10th) and top-5 in steals (1st), assists (2nd) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd). He also leads the Big 12 in both assists (5.3 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 30.4 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 (35.7) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (30.8).
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 (19) 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 13th 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 with his 17-point, 10-rebound effort vs. West Virginia on Feb. 14 and his 15-point, 10-rebound effort at Oklahoma State on Feb. 19. He is averaging 16.0 points in the last 9 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 32.9 percent shooting, including 29.3 percent from 3-point range, with 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in playing in 12 of the team's 14 losses. He is averaging just 6.4 points on 37.7 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from long range, with 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in playing in 8 of the 10 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 (485) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 28 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 20 and 15. They have combined for 850 points (30.4 ppg.) on 39.9 percent (285-of-715) shooting with 407 rebounds (14.5 rpg.), 188 assists (6.7 apg.) and 104 steals (3.7 spg).
Nowell has scored in double figures in 19 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 (+1.97). He also paces first in both assists (5.29 apg.) and steals (2.42 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: OKLAHOMA (15-14, 5-11 BIG 12)

K-State will conclude the regular season at home on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats will host Oklahoma (15-14, 5-11 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The team will honor fifth-year seniors Mike McGuirl and Mark Smith and senior walk-on Drew Honas.