Game Preview // K-State Hosts Oklahoma for Senior Day Saturday

Saturday, March 5

Manhattan, Kan.

3 p.m.

Kansas State University

Oklahoma

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Game Preview // K-State Hosts Oklahoma for Senior Day Saturday

Mar 04, 2022 | Men's Basketball

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The winner of Saturday's game will get a bye to the quarterfinals of next week's Big 12 Championship

GAME 30
KANSAS STATE (14-15, 6-11 Big 12) vs. OKLAHOMA (16-14, 6-11 Big 12)
Saturday, March 5, 2022 > 3:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum [11,643] >> Manhattan, Kan.

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

Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play)
Missy Heidrick (analyst)
Kevin Kremer (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, $30, $50

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 184-145/10th Year
Career Record: 497-300/24th Year
vs. Oklahoma: 12-7 [9-0 at home]

Oklahoma: Porter Moser [Creighton '90]
Record at Oklahoma: 16-14/1st Year
Career Record: 309-255/18th Year
vs. K-State: 2-0 [0-0 on the road]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Oklahoma leads 111-103
Big 12 era: Oklahoma leads 19-18 [19-17 in regular season]
Current Streak: Oklahoma, 1
In Manhattan: K-State leads 64-36
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 18-8 [13-5 in the Big 12 era]
Last Meeting: L, 69-71 [1/1/22 in Norman, Okla.]
Weber vs. Moser: 2-2 [2-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (14-15, 6-11 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #3 Selton Miguel
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
F: #25 Ishmael Massoud

Oklahoma (16-14, 6-11 Big 12)
G: #0 Jordan Goldwire
G: #2 Umoja Gibson
F: #34 Jacob Groves
F: #1 Jalen Hill
F: #35 Tanner Groves

K-STATE HOSTS OKLAHOMA WITH TOURNAMENT BYE ON THE LINE

Kansas State (14-15, 6-11 Big 12) celebrates Senior Day on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma (16-14, 6-11 Big 12) at 3 p.m., CT with a bye at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on the line. With a win, K-State has the possibility of being either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed, while a loss will drop the Wildcats to the No. 8 seed and play No. 9 seed West Virginia (14-16, 3-14 Big 12) in the opening round on Wednesday at 6 p.m., CT.
K-State will celebrate the accomplishments of 4 special seniors in a pregame ceremony on Saturday, as the school will honor fifth years Mike McGuirl and Mark Smith, walk-on senior Drew Honas and senior manager Chase Swanson.
K-State has lost 4 in a row heading into Saturday's contest with 3 of those 4 losses coming by a grand total of 9 points. The Wildcats are 3-8 in games decided by 5 points or less this season, including 3-7 in Big 12 play.

OPENING TIP

K-State played perhaps one of its best games of the season in the 73-68 loss at No. 12/12 Texas Tech with a limited roster on Monday night, as the Wildcats gave the Red Raiders their most difficult test in their drive in remaining unbeaten at home this season. The 5-point victory was the closest in their 18-0 mark at home, which included 16 double-digit wins.
K-State played without its second-leading scorer in junior Markquis Nowell, who also leads the way in both assists and steals, as head coach Bruce Weber opted to go with a smaller lineup of sophomore Nijel Pack, senior Mike McGuirl, sophomore Selton Miguel, senior Mark Smith and sophomore Ish Massoud. It was the 11th different starting lineup used by the Wildcats this season, which ranks second only to Memphis among power conference schools.
K-State battled back from an 8-point halftime deficit to Texas Tech to take numerous leads in the second half, including 68-67 after a pair of free throws by Miguel with 1:25 to play. However, the experience-laden Texas Tech squad got a big jumper from senior Davion Warren on the next possession to take the lead for good before finishing off with a pair of defensive stops and free throws.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by an impressive night from McGuirl, who had a season-high 18 points while playing all 40 minutes.
The fifth-year senior is playing well at the right time, collecting his third double-digit scoring game in the last 4 games after his 18-point effort vs. the Red Raiders. He is averaging 12.8 points per game in that span, which includes hitting on 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from 3-point range.
Health continues to be a big storyline for the Wildcats, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster have combined to miss 100 games. Smith is the only player to start in all 29 games, as injuries and COVID-19 protocols have forced Weber to use 11 different lineups. With Nowell missing the Texas Tech game, the Wildcats have now played just 8 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.
Although Pack scored just 13 points at No. 12/12 Texas Tech on Monday, he continues to impress this season, leading the Wildcats in nearly every offensive category, including scoring (17.7 ppg.), 30-point games (3), 20-point games (6) double-digit scoring games (26) and 3-point field goals made (90). He currently ranks eighth nationally and first in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals per game (3.33), while he is 12th in the nation and first in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (43.7). His 90 triples are the fourth-most in school history and the most since Jacob Pullen tied the record with 110 3-pointers in 2009-10.
The transfer trio of Nowell, Smith and Massoud continue to play a major role. The trio have been responsible for 44 percent of the scoring (869), 43 percent of the rebounding (416) and 53 percent of the assists (189) 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 (8.38) and third in 3-point percentage (34.5), while they have the fewest turnovers (334). In Big 12 play, the team leads in 3-pointers (8.65) and fewest turnovers (194).

NOTES ON OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma (16-14, 6-11) enters Saturday's game having won back-to-back contests at home against Oklahoma State (66-62) in overtime and West Virginia (72-59) that snapped a 4-game losing streak. The team is 2-8 away from home this season, including 1-7 in Big 12 play.
The Sooners are averaging 68.5 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting, including 33.2 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 64.7 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including 31.3 percent from long range. The team ranks among Big 12's top-5 in several categories, including second in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Oklahoma is the definition of balance with 5 players averaging 9 or more points led by a pair of double-digit scorers in seniors Tanner Groves (12.3 ppg.), Umoja Gibson (11.8 ppg.) and Jordan Goldwire (10.4 ppg.). Senior Jalen Hill leads the Sooners in rebounding (5.9 rpg.), while Goldwire is the team leader in assists (102) and steals (49).
Oklahoma is led by first-year head coach Porter Moster, who is in his 18th season as a head coach with stints at Little Rock (2000-03), Illinois State (2003-07) and Loyola-Chicago (2011-21). He has won 309 games, including 188 at Loyola. He had 20-win seasons in each of his last 4 years with the Ramblers.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and Oklahoma will meet for the 215th time in their histories with the Sooners holding a 111-103 advantage in a series that dates to 1920. It is the fifth-most played series in school history.
Oklahoma won the first meeting, 71-69, to open Big 12 play on Jan. 1 and will be looking to sweep the season series for the first time since 2012.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 12-7 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 9-0 record at home, while he is 2-2 against Porter Moser. Weber's 2 wins against Moser came while he was at Illinois in defeats of his Illinois State (2004) and Loyola (2011) squads before the losses in the last 2 meetings.

LAST TIME OUT:
12/12 TEXAS TECH 73, K-STATE 68

A limited Kansas State team gave No. 12/12 Texas Tech everything it could have and more before falling 73-68 in the final seconds before a sold-out crowd of 15,098 fans at United Supermarkets Arena.
With the win, the Red Raiders finished their home schedule with a perfect 18-0 record, winning all but two of those by double figures. However, it was the Wildcats who gave them their toughest test of the season, as the 5-point loss was the closest in their 18 home victories.
K-State, which played without its second-leading scorer Markquis Nowell, who also leads the team in both assists and steals, battled back from an 8-point halftime deficit to take numerous leads in the second half, including 68-67 after a pair of free throws by sophomore Selton Miguel with 1:25 to play.
However, the experienced-laden Texas Tech squad made key plays in the final stretch, starting with a jumper from senior Davion Warren on the following possession that gave the Red Raiders the lead for good at 69-68 with 1:05 left. They were able to finish it off with a pair of defensive stops and 2 free throws each from senior Adonis Arms and Warren in the final 47 seconds.
Warren finished the night with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and provided a formidable scoring duo with fellow senior transfer Bryson Williams, who scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Arms added 10 points and a game-high 6 assists.
Another close game continued a heartbreaking season for the Wildcats, which dropped to 3-8 in games decided by 5 points or less, including 3-7 in Big 12 play. The team has led or been tied in the second half of 7 conference losses.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by an impressive night from fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl, who turned in a season-high 18 points on 7-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, while playing all 40 minutes. Miguel, who earned his first start in more than a month in place of Nowell, scored 14 points on 4-of-9 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws, while fellow sophomore Nijel Pack and fifth-year senior Mark Smith added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Sophomore Ish Massoud had 8 points and 4 steals.
K-State dropped its fourth straight game to fall below .500 for the first time this season. The 4-game losing streak ties for a season-high.

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 100 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 29 games with 11 different starting lineups, which is the most among power conference 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 29 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 [85]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 29 (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 - 29 (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 - 3 (COVID-19 protocols missed OU, Texas; missed Tech game due to injury)
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 back-to-back games vs. No. 5/5 Kansas and Iowa State, K-State has still been a solid team in defending the 3-pointer this season, allowing its opponents to make an average of 6.6 per game on just 29.4 percent shooting, which ranks 19th nationally and third in the Big 12.
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 7.7 made 3-pointers on 34 percent shooting in their 15 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 7.6 made 3-pointers on 35.3 percent shooting in their 11 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 329 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 66.9 points on 42.8 percent shooting, including 29.4 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 11 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 75.5 points on 47.7 percent shooting, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 13.0 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 38.5-29.7 rebounding average (423-327), including 18 more offensive rebounds, while averaging 31.6 points in the paint and 12.3 second-chance points per game.

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 69.0 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 72.5 percent from the free throw line through the first 29 games. The Wildcats are getting assists on made field goals on 53.7 percent of the time, as they average 12.5 assists and a Big 12-low 11.5 turnovers per game. The team is also averaging 27.3 points in the paint, 15.3 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 68.5 points on 41 percent shooting, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range, and 71.2 percent from the free throw line. The team leads the Big 12 in 3-point makes (8.65), while is second in 3-point percentage, fourth in scoring offense and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (+0.97) 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 65.7 points and 10.6 assists in their 15 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 (8.38), while they are third in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (34.5). In Big 12 play, the team is first in both 3-point makes (8.65) and second in 3-point percentage (35.3).
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 243 3-point field goal makes through 29 games, the Wildcats have already surpassed its entire 3-point total (191) from the 2020-21 season, while its 147 treys in Big 12 play are more than they had in 18 league games (102) in 2020-21. The 243 total makes already rank fifth for a single season.
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 8.1 treys on 31.9 percent shooting in their 15 losses.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.33) and 3-point field goal percentage (43.7), 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 (11th) also rank in the top-15 in makes in league-only games.
Pack ranks eighth in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage and 12th in 3-point field goals/game.

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 15.1 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 8.0 bench points in their 11 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 (+1.09) and sixth in turnover margin (+1.90). Those numbers are better in league action, as they are first in turnover margin (+1.82) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (+0.97).
Junior Markquis Nowell is second overall in assist/turnover ratio (+1.97) 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.

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 72.5 percent (364-of-502) 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 (71.1%; 86-of-121). Two others (Ish Massoud and Nijel Pack) are all connecting on better than 80 percent from the line, including a team-high 91.4 percent (32-of-35) 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 3 wins away from earning 500 in his career. He enters Saturday's game with a 497-300 (.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 27 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 17.7 points on 45.7 percent (166-of-363) shooting, including 43.7 percent (90-of-206) from 3-point range, to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.2 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (26), field goals (166) and 3-point field goals (90).
Pack ranks among the Big 12's top-10 in 4 categories, including first in 3-point field goals per game (3.33) 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 (43.4) and second in scoring (19.1 ppg.).
With his 3 makes at No. 12/12 Texas Tech, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 32, 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 3.31 makes per game on 44 percent (106-of-241) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 13 times in this 32-game stretch, including
career-tying 8 treys in his 35-point effort vs. No. 7/7 Kansas. His 90 3-point makes rank fourth 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 18th nationally and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.3), while he is 33rd 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 30.3 points and 7.5 assists per game this season, which would rank as the third-best duo in the Big 12 behind Kansas' Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun (35.2) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (30.4).
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 (8.5 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 15.5 points in the last 10 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 5-3 this season when McGuirl scores in double figures, including 3-3 in Big 12 play (wins 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 7.0 points on 35 percent shooting, including 30.6 percent from 3-point range, with 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in playing in 13 of the team's 15 losses. He is averaging just 7.7 points on 39.7 percent shooting, including 35.3 percent from long range, with 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in playing in 9 of the 11 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 (488) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting. The trio have made their impact in the first 29 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 20 and 16. They have combined for 869 points (30 ppg.) on 39.9 percent (289-of-725) shooting with 416 rebounds (14.3 rpg.), 189 assists (6.5 apg.) and 109 steals (3.8 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 (5.3 apg.) and steals (2.4 spg.) in league-only games. Massoud has 9 double-digit scoring games. Smith has 8 double-doubles and leads the Big 12 in rebounding (8.5 rpg.) and defensive rebounds (6.7 drpg.).

UP NEXT: PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

K-State will await its seeding at next week's Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship set for the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, running from Wednesday-Saturday, March 9-12.