Game Preview // K-State Returns Home to Face 10/10 Baylor Wednesday

GAME 23
KANSAS STATE (12-10, 4-6 Big 12) VS. 10/10 BAYLOR (19-4, 7-3 Big 12)
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 > 7:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,643) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ / ESPN App (Link)

Ted Emrich (play-by-play)
Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Major Howe (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: XM 385
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 975 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com
[password: media21]

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]
Single Game: $20, $25, $40 [Bramlage Bundle]

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 182-140/10th Year
Career Record: 495-295/24th Year
vs. Baylor: 9-12 [4-5 at home]

Baylor: Scott Drew [Butler '93]
Record at Baylor: 389-219/19th Year
Career Record: 409-230/20th Year
vs. K-State: 17-16 [7-8 on the road]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Baylor leads 24-23
Big 12 era: Baylor leads 23-18 [21-15 in regular season]
Current Streak: Baylor, 6
In Manhattan: K-State leads 12-10
At Bramlage Coliseum: Baylor leads 10-9
Last Meeting: L,49-74 [1/25/22 in Waco, Texas]
Weber vs. Drew: 9-12 [4-5 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (12-10, 4-6 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
C: #21 Davion Bradford

Baylor (19-4, 7-3 Big 12)
G: #10 Adam Flagler
G: #11 James Akinjo
G/F: #2 Kendall Brown
G/F: #24 Matthew Mayer
F: #0 Flo Thamba

K-STATE PLAYS HOST TO 10/10 BAYLOR WEDNESDAY

Kansas State (12-10, 4-6 Big 12) begins a brutal stretch of 3 games in a 6-day span on Wednesday, as the Wildcats play host to the defending national champion and No. 10/10 Baylor Bears (19-4, 7-3 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The Bears have won the last 6 games in the series, including a 74-49 victory at home on Jan. 25.
Following Wednesday's game with No. 10/10 Baylor, K-State travels to Ames, Iowa for its first meeting of the season against Iowa State (16-7, 3-7 Big 12) on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., CT before hosting West Virginia (13-9, 2-7 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State snapped its 3-game losing streak last week with consecutive wins (Oklahoma State and TCU) in Big 12 play for the second time this season. After starting in a 0-4 hole, the Wildcats have won 4 of their last 6 vs. league competition.

OPENING TIP

K-State played arguably its best all-around game in Big 12 play on Saturday, as the Wildcats jumped out to a lead and never relented in defeating a strong TCU team that had won 3 of its last 4 games, including back-to-back wins against No. 25/25 LSU and on the road at Oklahoma. The Wildcats led for more 38 minutes, including building a 16-point lead in the second half. The offense connected on 46.4 percent from the field and saw 4 players score in double figures, while the defense held the Horned Frogs to 39.3 percent shooting, including 21.4 from 3.
In the 2 wins last week over Oklahoma State and TCU, K-State averaged 73 points on 45.3 percent shooting, including 36.2 percent from 3-point range, and made 76.7 percent from the free throw line. Three Wildcats (Nijel Pack, Mark Smith and Markquis Nowell) averaged double figures, while a fourth - Mike McGuirl - nearly averaged double figures at 9.5 points per game. He was huge in both posting a career-high 10 rebounds vs. OSU, while scoring 13 points at TCU.
Four of K-State's 6 Big 12 losses have been by one possession, including 2 points to Oklahoma (69-71) and 3 points to West Virginia (68-71), TCU (57-60) and Kansas (75-78), while the Wildcats have led or been tied in the second half in 5 of the 6 conference losses. In total, 7 of the 10 losses have come by 28 points, which include non-conference setbacks to No. 13/12 Arkansas (64-72) and No. 14/15 Illinois (64-72) by 8 points and Marquette (63-64) by 1 point.
Health has been a big storyline for the Wildcats this season, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster have combined to miss 75 games. Fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start in all 22 games, as injuries and COVID-19 protocols have forced head coach Bruce Weber to use 10 different starting lineups. Along with Smith, sophomore Luke Kasubke and Ish Massoud are the only Wildcats that have played in all 22 games. The 3-game stretch that included the wins over No. 19/19 Texas Tech and No. 23/22 Texas as well as the heartbreaking loss to No. 7/7 Kansas marked the first and only time all season that all 10 healthy scholarship players have been available.
For his efforts in the wins over OSU and TCU, Pack was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday. He had consecutive 20-point performances, including the game-winning 3-pointer vs. the Cowboys. He is the first Wildcat to win multiple Player of the Week honors in the same season in more than 7 years since Nino Williams did it twice during the 2014-15. Pack has led the team in scoring in 13 of 20 games played, scoring in double figures in all but 1 game, while posting a team-high 5 20-point games.
The transfer trio of Massoud, Nowell and Smith and Nowell continue to play a major role for the Wildcats. The trio have been responsible for 43 percent (636) of the team's scoring and 42 percent (319) of its rebounding. They are averaging 28.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 3.7 steals per game.
With one of the smallest backcourts, K-State's offense has hinged on effective 3-point shooting and limited turnovers. The Wildcats rank second in 3-point makes per game (8.05) and third in 3-point percentage (33.9), while they have the fewest turnovers (251). In Big 12 play, the team ranks second in 3-pointers (8.10) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.00) and turnover margin (+1.80).

NOTES ON 10/10 BAYLOR

No. 10/10 Baylor (19-4, 7-3 Big 12) enters Wednesday's game having lost 2 of its last 3 games since its 74-49 victory over K-State on Jan. 25. The Bears lost at Alabama, 87-78, in the Big 12/SEC Challenge before an 81-77 win over West Virginia at home and an 83-59 loss on the road at No. 10/10 Kansas.
The Bears are averaging 77.9 points per game on 47.2 percent shooting, including 36.3 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 62.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including 30.1 percent from long range. The team ranks first in the Big 12 in 10 categories, including among the top-15 nationally in 6 total. They rank seventh in total steals (221), ninth in scoring margin (+15.6), 10th in steals/game (9.6), 13th in offensive rebounds (13.26), 14th in total assists (389) and 15th in assists/game (16.9).
Seven Baylor players are averaging better than 8 points per game, including double-digit scorers L.J. Cryer (13.9 ppg.), James Akinjo (12.9 ppg.), Adam Flagler (12.8 ppg.) and Kendall Brown (10.1 ppg.). Akinjo leads the Bears in both assists (5.5 apg.) and steals (2.1 spg.), while Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (7.1 rpg.) is among 5 averaging better than 4 rebounds pe game.
Baylor is led by the Big 12's longest-tenured head coach in Scott Drew, who has posted a 389-219 (.640) record in his 19th season, which includes 9 NCAA Tournaments, 4 Sweet 16s, 3 Elite Eights and the 2021 NCAA Championship. Overall, he is 409-230 (.640) in his 20th season as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Baylor will meet for the 48th time with the Bears taking over the series lead 24-23 after its 74-49 win on Jan. 25. The Bears lead the series, 23-18, in the Big 12 era, including a 10-8 edge in games played at Bramlage Coliseum.
Baylor's current 6-game winning streak equals the longest winning streak by either school in the series. The last K-State win came on March 2, 2019.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 9-12 all-time against Baylor, including a 4-5 record at home, while he is also 9-12 against head coach Scott Drew. Drew is 17-16 all-time against K-State, including an 8-7 mark on the road.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 75, TCU 63

Sophomore Nijel Pack paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 20 points, as K-State avenged its earlier loss to TCU with a near wire-to-wire 75-63 victory over the Horned Frogs before a raucous crowd of 7,581 fans at Schollmaier Arena on Saturday night.
K-State, which has had its share of close games this season, finally jumped out on a Big 12 opponent and didn't let up, leading a TCU squad that had won 3 of its last 4 games, including back-to-back wins over LSU and Oklahoma, for more 38 minutes, including building as much as a 16-point lead.
TCU led for the first 24 seconds of the game on a basket by junior Emanuel Miller before K-State scored the next 8 points to take the lead for good even before the first media timeout. The Wildcats twice built 10-point leads in the opening half before taking a 35-28 lead into halftime.
The Horned Frogs came out on fire to start the second half, closing the deficit to 39-37 and forcing a timeout by head coach Bruce Weber with just under 17 minutes to play. However, a 3-pointer by senior Mike McGuirl out of the timeout provided the spark that the Wildcats would need, as they scored 23 of the next 32 points, including a 15-2 run that included contributions from 5 different players, to take a commanding 62-46 lead with 6:55 to play.
Pack collected his second consecutive 20-point game with a remarkably efficient night, hitting on 7-of-10 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, and a 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line. He also added a game-high 4 steals to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 37 minutes.
Pack was joined in double figures by fifth-year senior Mark Smith, who collected his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, as well as junior Markquis Nowell and McGuirl, who added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Nowell dished out a game-high 6 assists to eclipse 100 for the season to go with 6 rebounds, while McGuirl tallied 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in his 34 minutes.
K-State moved to 5-0 this season when McGuirl scores in double figures. McGuirl started his second straight Big 12 games for injured sophomore Selton Miguel, who has been out with an ankle injury the last 3 games.
K-State won the first time this season when being out-rebounded.

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 75 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 22 games with 10 different starting lineups.
The Wildcats, which started the season with 12 scholarship players, lost 2 (sophomore Seryee Lewis and freshman Maximus Edwards) of those players in the preseason due to season-ending injuries.
Of those 10 available scholarship players, there has only been 3 games (Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas) of which all were healthy and active.
Only 3 Wildcats (Smith, Ish Massoud and Luke Kasubke) have seen action in all 22 games this season.
In addition, head coach Bruce Weber missed 11 days of practice, including games vs. Texas and West Virginia.

SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS MISSING GAMES IN 2021-22 [68]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 22 (will miss rest of season)
Kaosi Ezeagu - 2 (COVID-19 protocols missed Texas, WVU)
Logan Landers - 2 (COVID-19 protocols missed Texas, WVU)
Seryee Lewis - 22 (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 - 4 (missed Ole Miss/OSU/TCU games due to ankle injury)
Markquis Nowell - 2 (COVID-19 protocols missed OU, Texas)
Nijel Pack - 2 (missed WSU, Marquette due to concussion)

LEADING WITH DEFENSE

K-State has developed a strong reputation as defensive team under head coach Bruce Weber, ranking among the top-60 nationally in opponent points per game 6 times in the 9 seasons. The Wildcats ranked fourth in scoring defense (59.6 ppg.) during its Big 12 Championship season in 2018-19, while they placed 36th (60.4 ppg.) in 2012-13 and 46th (67.0 ppg.) in 2017-18.
K-State has held 222 opponents (out of 321 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 63.3 points on 41 percent shooting, including 26.8 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-40 in 2 defensive categories, including fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 37th in scoring defense.
In its 4 Big 12 wins this season, K-State is allowing just 61.8 points on 42.3 percent shooting, including 25.3 percent from 3-point range, while forcing an average of 14.3 turnovers per game. The opponents in those wins have a narrow 32.8-32.3 rebounding average (131-129), while averaging just 24 points in the paint and 5.5 second-chance points per game.
In its 6 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 70.7 points on 44.4 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 12 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 40.7-29.8 rebounding average (244-179), including 20 more offensive rebounds, while averaging 30.3 points in the paint and 12.5 second-chance points per game.

GOOD AGAINST THE 3

A trademark of Bruce Weber-coached teams has been their ability to defend the 3, as his squads have ranked among the top-40 in 3-point field goal percentage defense 5 times in the last 13 seasons. Three times his K-State teams have ranked among the best, ranking eighth (29.3%) in 2013-14, 20th (31.0%) in 2015-16 and 36th (31.4%) in 2018-19.
K-State has been strong in defending the 3-pointer this season, allowing its opponents to make an average of 6.1 per game on just 26.8 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 5.1 made 3-pointers on 22.9 percent shooting in its 12 wins, while the team is allowing 7.4 made 3-pointers on 31.2 percent shooting in their 10 losses. In Big 12 play, the Wildcats are allowing just 5.5 made 3-pointers on 25.3 percent shooting in their 4 wins as compared to 7.0 made 3-pointers on 31.3 percent shooting in their 6 losses.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 67.5 points on 42.2 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 71.2 percent from the free throw line through the first 22 games. The Wildcats are getting assists on made field goals on 53.7 percent of the time, as they average 13.0 assists and a Big 12-low 11.4 turnovers per game. The team is also averaging 28.8 points in the paint, 16.1 points off the bench, 14.9 points off turnovers, 7.6 fast-break points and 9.2 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offensive numbers are slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the Wildcats are averaging 64.9 points on 41.2 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. The team is averaging 25.2 points in the paint, 9.7 points off the bench, 13.1 points off turnovers, 7.7 fast-break points and 9.7 points on second-chance opportunities.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 71.9 points and 14.6 assists in their 12 wins compared to just 62.2 points and 11.1 assists in their 10 losses. The squad has scored 356 points (29.7 ppg.) in the paint in the 12 wins, including 110 (27.5 ppg.) in the 4 Big 12 wins.

MARKED IMPROVEMENT FROM 3

After ranking among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country in 2020-21, those numbers have improved in 2021-22. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal per game (8.05), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (33.9). In Big 12 play, the team ranks second in 3-point makes (8.10) and third in 3-point percentage (34.6).
Last season, K-State ranked eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (6.59) and 10th in 3-point field goals percentage (29.6). In league play, the team was 10th in both 3-point makes (5.67) and 3-point percentage (27.0). The Wildcats ranked 319th (out of 340) in 3-point field goal percentage, while they were 126th in total 3-point field goals (191) and 243rd in 3-pointers per game.
The Wildcats' 3-point shooting plays a big part in wins and losses, as the team is averaging 8.6 3-point makes on 37.5 percent shooting in the 12 wins, while they are averaging 7.4 treys on just 30 percent shooting in their 10 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals/game (3.30), while he is third in 3-point field goal percentage (43.4). Junior Markquis Nowell is 14th in 3-point makes (1.40). Pack is also second in 3-point field goals/game (3.50) in Big 12-only games and third in percentage (42.7).

BUILDING BETTER DEPTH

It has been well chronicled how young the Wildcats were during the 2020-21 season, as only 11 Division I schools were less experienced than K-State. The team ranked second nationally in true freshmen starts with Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack starting in 17 of the 29 games.
The team has used at least 7 players in each game with 6 averaging nearly 6 points per game, including 3 double-digit scorers (Pack, Nowell and Smith).
K-State is averaging nearly 16.1 points per game from its bench this season, including 28-point efforts against No. 13/12 Arkansas and No. 14/15 Illinois. The team is 8-2 this season when getting 20 or more points from the bench.
The bench has played a significant factor in success in Big 12 play with the Wildcats combining for 38 bench points in the wins over No. 19/19 Texas Tech (21) and No. 23/22 Texas (17), while just getting 32 combined points in the losses to Oklahoma (8), Texas (4), West Virginia (6), TCU (7) and Kansas (7).

MINIMIZING TURNOVERS

K-State ranks among the best in the Big 12 with just 11.4 turnovers per game, including just 11.1 miscues per game in league play. The team has single-digit turnovers in 6 games, including twice in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats rank fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.14) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.91). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are third in both assist/turnover ratio (+1.00) and turnover margin (+1.80).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+2.02) and third in league-only games at +1.96. He is second in the Big 12 in assists (5.11), while he is tops in steals (2.20) in all games.
The Wildcats had just 5 turnovers at Ole Miss, which ties for the eighth-fewest in a game in school history and one shy of the season-low of 4 vs. Illinois.

TURNOVER LOW

K-State turned the ball over just 4 times in the loss to No. 14/15 Illinois, which tied 5 others for the third-fewest in a game in school history and fewest since also registered 4 turnovers in a win over Gonzaga on Dec. 21, 2013. It tied the 2013 Gonzaga contest for the fewest turnovers in the Bruce Weber era.
The Wildcats have also had 10 turnovers or less 5 times in the last 13 games, including 7 vs. Wichita State (12/1/21), 6 vs. Texas (1/4/22) and Kansas (1/22/22) and 5 at Ole Miss (1/29/22).

PACK OFF TO STRONG START

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 13 of 20 games played, including posting consecutive 20-point outings against No. 14/16 Texas (21) and West Virginia (20) to go along with his career-high 35-point outburst vs. No. 7/7 Kansas and his game-winner to cap his 22-point effort vs. OSU as well as 20-point performance in the win at TCU.
Pack is averaging a team-best 17.0 points on 46 percent (120-of-261) shooting, including 43.4 percent (66-of-152) from 3-point range, to go with 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31.9 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (19), field goals (120) and 3-point field goals (66).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.30), third in scoring and 3-point percentage and sixth in field goal percentage. Through 10 Big 12 games, he is second in both scoring (18.8 ppg.) and 3-point field goals per game (3.50).

NOWELL PROVIDES SPARK

Junior Markquis Nowell returned to the lineup against West Virginia and provided an immediate spark to the Wildcat, collecting his third points/assists double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 assists in 32 minutes. He is believed to be the first Wildcat to accomplish the feat in his first league game.
His 3 points/assists double-doubles are the most-ever by a Wildcat in both a single-season and career, as he also posted double-doubles against Marquette (11 points, 11 assists) and McNeese (18 points, 10 assists). He nearly tallied the school's first recorded triple-double vs. Marquette, as he added 8 rebounds to his 11 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes. He now has 8 such double-doubles in his college career, posting 5 during his 3-year stint at Little Rock (2018-21).
Nowell leads in assists (103) and steals (44), while he is second in scoring (11.9 ppg.), while connecting on 39 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. He ranks 22nd in the nation and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.2), while he is 29th nationally and second in the Big 12 in assists (5.2).

SMITH CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

The loss at Oklahoma overshadowed a historic performance by senior Mark 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 officially kept by the NCAA 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 ranks second in the Big 12 with 6 double-doubles, posted his second 20/10 double-double at Ole Miss, as he scored a game-high 20 points and tied his career-high with 16 rebounds. He became the first Wildcat in nearly 3 years with consecutive 20-point games after scoring 21 vs. Oklahoma State.

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 Wednesday's game with a 495-295 (.626) record in 24 years as a head coach at Southern Illinois (1998-2003), Illinois (2003-12) and K-State (2012-21).
If Weber were to achieve the milestone in 2021-22, he would be among elite company as only 27 current Division I coaches have reached 500 wins in their career with Herb Sendek (Santa Clara) recently joining the club.

HOPING FOR BETTER INJURY LUCK

K-State is hoping for better luck on the injury front in 2021-22 after injuries were a major factor in the 2020-21 season, as 9 players combined to miss 75 games, which caused head coach Bruce Weber to start 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) a combined 71 times, which ranked second nationally to Kentucky.
Only one other Division I team (Long Beach State) had more players miss time due to injuries in 2020-21.
Although that luck has been tested early with big man Seryee Lewis going down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, along with injuries slowing down the progress made by junior Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
Although that luck has been tested early with big man Seryee Lewis going down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, along with injuries slowing down the progress made by junior Carlton Linguard, Jr., and freshman Maximus Edwards. Linguard returned to practice in late December.
The backcourt has been hit of late, as Pack missed 2 games against Wichita State and Marquette due to a concussion, while Markquis Nowell missed the first 2 Big 12 games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Seven players (Bradford, Edwards, Nowell, junior Kaosi Ezeagu, freshman Logan Landers and walk-ons Jordan Brooks and Trey Harris) plus head coach Bruce Weber missed the game vs. No. 14/16 Texas (1/4/22), while six players (Edwards, Ezeagu, Landers, Brooks, Harris and senior Mike McGuirl) and Weber missed the game at West Virginia (1/8/22) due to health protocols.
Miguel has missed 4 games due to injuries, including the last 3 games vs. Ole Miss (1/29/22), Oklahoma State (2/2/22) and TCU (2/5/22) due to an ankle injury.
K-State has played just 3 games with 10 healthy scholarship players.

McGUIRL UTILIZES EXTRA SEASON

K-State received some good news on March 23 when senior Mike McGuirl announced that he was utilizing his extra season and returning to the Wildcats for the 2021-22 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA announced in October that they had agreed to grant players an additional year of eligibility.
An All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, McGuirl is coming off solid senior season in 2020-21, in which, he either led or was tied for the team lead in 12 categories, including points, field goals, 3-pointers, assists and steals. He was second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) to freshman teammate Nijel Pack.
McGuirl's 20 double-digit scoring games doubled his entire career total (10) that he had entering the 2020-21 season. He opened the season with his first career 20-point game vs. Drake on November 25 with 22 points then equaled it against Fort Hays State on December 8, while he had a team-high 19 points in the upset of No. 7/8 Oklahoma on February 23. Of his 705 career points, 542 have come in the last two seasons in 58 games played with 49 starts (9.3 ppg.).
The only player to start all 29 games, McGuirl showed his versatility by leading the Wildcats in scoring a team-best 11 times, while he also paced the team in rebounding 4 times, in assists 14 times and in steals on 10 occasions. He led the team in scoring (16), rebounding (9) and assists (5) in the win over TCU on February 20, a win which started the team's late surge to end the season (four wins in the last 6 games).

THE 'CATS INK 3 HIGH-PROFILE TRANSFERS

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 (461) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 22 games with Smith starting every game, while Massoud and Nowell have 15 and 14 starts, respectively. They have combined for 636 points (28.9 ppg.) on 40.2 percent (221-of-550) shooting with 319 rebounds (14.5 rpg.), 150 assists (6.8 apg.) and 82 steals (3.7 spg). Nowell has scored in double figures in 14 games, including 3 points/assists double-doubles, while Massoud has 7 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 6 double-doubles and leads the Big 12 in rebounding (8.5 rpg.).

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

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

UP NEXT: AT IOWA STATE (16-7, 3-7 Big 12)

K-State hits the road this weekend to take on Iowa State (16-7, 3-7 Big 12) for the first time this season, as the Wildcats and Cyclones will play at 3 p.m., CT on Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The Wildcats have won the last 3 games in the series after the season sweep in 2020-21, including a 74-65 victory in the last visit to Ames.

Game Preview // K-State Returns Home to Face 10/10 Baylor Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Jordan Brooks

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Trey Harris

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Returns Home to Face 10/10 Baylor Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Jordan Brooks

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Trey Harris

Drew Honas

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Related Videos