Game Preview // K-State Plays West Virginia at Big 12 Championship

GAME 31
[8] KANSAS STATE (14-16, 6-12 Big 12) vs. [9] WEST VIRGINIA (15-16, 4-14 Big 12)
Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship / Opening Game
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 > 6:03 p.m. CT >> T-Mobile Center [18,972] >> Kansas City, Mo.

TELEVISION
ESPNU / ESPN App (Link)

Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
Chris Spatola (analyst)
Matt Bartley (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius 137 | XM 199
Online: Varsity Network [free] / SXM 953 / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
big12.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
www.t-mobilecenter.com/events
(816) 949.7100

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber [Wisconsin-Milwaukee '78]
Record at K-State: 184-146/10th Year
Career Record: 497-301/24th Year
vs. West Virginia: 8-13 [0-1 at tournament]

West Virginia: Bob Huggins [West Virginia '77]
Record at West Virginia: 325-187/15th Year
Career Record: 915-398/40th Year
vs. K-State: 13-8 [1-0 at tournament]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: West Virginia leads 14-9
Big 12 era: West Virginia leads 13-8 [1-0 at Big 12 Championship]
Current Streak: K-State, 1
In Kansas City: West Virginia leads 1-0 [W, 51-50, 3/10/17]
At T-Mobile Center: West Virginia leads 1-0 [W, 51-50, 3/10/17]
Last Meeting: W, 78-73 [2/14/22 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Huggins: 10-13 [0-1 at Big 12 Championship]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (14-16, 6-12 Big 12)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #3 Selton Miguel
G: #13 Mark Smith
G: #24 Nijel Pack
F: #25 Ish Massoud

West Virginia (15-16, 4-14 Big 12)
G: #0 Kedrian Johnson
G: #12 Taz Sherman
G: #22 Sean McNeil
F: #3 Gabe Osabuohien
F: #11 Jalen Bridges

K-STATE PLAYS WEST VIRGINIA AT BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Kansas State (14-16, 6-12 Big 12) will open play as the No. 8 seed in the 26th annual Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday night at 6 p.m., CT against No. 9 seed West Virginia (15-16, 4-14 Big 12) at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The teams split the season series with each winning on their home court. The winner of the lone opening round game will face top-seed Kansas (25-6, 14-4 Big 12) in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2 p.m., CT.
K-State enters as the tournament's No. 8 seed for the seventh time in program history and the first time since 2016. The Wildcats are 37-42 (.468) all-time in the Big Eight/12 Championship, including a 17-24 (.415) mark in the Big 12 era. The school is 2-6 as a No. 8 seed in the Big Eight/12 Championship, while it is 2-1 vs. the No. 9 seed.
K-State is 0-1 vs. West Virginia at the Big 12 Championship, losing 51-50 in the semifinals on March 10, 2017.

OPENING TIP

Despite sensation efforts from fifth-year seniors Mark Smith and Mike McGuirl in their last games at Bramlage Coliseum, K-State saw its losing streak hit a season-high 5 games entering this week's Big 12 Championship after a 78-71 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. The seniors combined for 43 points, but the Sooners got their own special performance from senior Umoja Gibson, who led all scorers with 29 points, including 7 made 3-pointers.
The efforts by Smith and McGuirl in their last home games were particularly special, as they kept K-State in the contest despite being without second-leading scorer Markquis Nowell for the second straight game and Pack being hampered by a stomach bug and foul trouble. Smith scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go with a game-high 9 rebounds while playing all but 38 seconds, while McGuirl played his best all-around game of the season with 21 points on 8-of-16 field goals to go with game-highs in both assists (5) and steals (3) and 4 rebounds.
As Smith and McGuirl combined for 43 points on 17-of-33 field goals to go with 13 rebounds and 8 assists, the rest of the Wildcats managed just 28 points on 11-of-26 shooting with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophomore Ish Massoud, making his second straight start in the smaller lineup, finished 11 points, while Pack kept his streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games alive at 21 games. It is the longest such streak since Jacob Pullen did it in 41 straight (2009-10).
Pack was among 3 Wildcats to earn recognition by the league coaches for their outstanding play, as he was selected the league's Most Improved Player as well as All-Big 12 First Team. He was joined on the awards list by Smith, who was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and to the All-Newcomer Team, and Nowell, who was All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and a member of the All-Defensive Team. Pack is just the third K-State player in the Big 12 era to earn First Team honors and the second-youngest to do so (Michael Beasley was a freshman in 2007-08), while he is the first Wildcat to win the league's Most Improved Player, which began in 2019-20.
Pack has had a remarkable sophomore season, emerging as one of the top scorers and 3-point shooters in the country. He led the Wildcats in nearly every offensive category, connecting on better than 45 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line. He ranks among the top-15 nationally in both 3-point percentage and 3-point makes, while his 92 triples are the fourth-most in school history.
K-State's success on offense has hinged on effective 3-point shooting and limiting turnovers. The Wildcats rank first in 3-point makes/game (8.33) and third in 3-point percentage (34.5), while they have the fewest turnovers (341). The team's 250 made 3-pointers are the third-most in school history and just 4 from the record, while the turnovers are on pace for the fewest in school history.
Health has been a big storyline for the Wildcats, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster have combined to miss 104 games. Smith is the only player to start in all 30 games, as injuries and COVID-19 protocols have forced Weber to use 11 different lineups. With Nowell missing the Oklahoma game, the Wildcats have now played just 8 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.

NOTES ON WEST VIRGINIA

West Virginia (15-16, 4-14 Big 12) snapped a 7-game losing streak with a 70-64 win at home over TCU on Saturday. Since knocking off the Wildcats at home on Jan. 8, the Mountaineers have just 3 wins in their last 17 games.
The Mountaineers are averaging 68.5 points per game on 41.3 percent shooting, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range, while allowing opponents to average 68.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting, including 32.2 percent from long range. The team ranks among the best in a number of categories, including 33rd in turnovers forced (15.4) and 34th in turnover margin (+2.9).
West Virginia is led by fifth-year senior Taz Sherman, who ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game on 42.2 percent shooting. Fellow senior Sean McNeil also averages double figures at 12.2 points per game. Senior Gabe Osabuohien paces the team in rebounding at 5.5 per game, while five players have double-digit blocks led by senior Dimon Carrigan (1.1 bpg.).
West Virginia is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bob Huggins, who has posted a 915-398 (.700) record in 40 years of coaching. His 915 victories rank fourth among all active Division I head coaches and sixth all-time. He has a 325-187 (.642) mark in his 15th season with the Mountaineers.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State and West Virginia will meet for the 24th time in their histories on Monday night with the Mountaineers owning a 14-9 advantage, including an 13-8 mark since the start of the Big 12.
West Virginia has won 13 of the last 18 meetings with K-State, including a 4-game winning streak before its 78-73 loss in Manhattan in the last meeting on Feb. 14.
The Mountaineers won the first and only meeting at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship with a 51-50 victory in the semifinals on March 10, 2017.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-13 all-time vs. West Virginia, including a 0-1 at the Big 12 Championship, while Weber is 10-13 vs. Bob Huggins. Huggins is 14-8 all-time against K-State, including 1-0 at the Big 12 Championship.

LAST TIME OUT:
OKLAHOMA 78, K-STATE 71

Despite sensation efforts from fifth-year seniors Mark Smith and Mike McGuirl who combined for 43 points in their final games at Bramlage Coliseum, Oklahoma got its own special performance from senior Umoja Gibson who led all scorers with 29 points as the Sooners completed a sweep of the season series for the first time since 2012 with a 78-71 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The efforts by Smith and McGuirl were particularly special, as they kept K-State in the contest despite being without its second-leading scorer Markquis Nowell, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury, and its leading scorer Nijel Pack being hampered by a stomach bug and foul trouble.
Smith scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 9 rebounds and 3 assists while playing all but 38 seconds, while McGuirl added 21 points on 8-of-16 field goals to go with game-highs in both assists (5) and steals (3) and 4 rebounds in nearly 39 minutes.
As Smith and McGuirl combined for their 43 points on 17-of-33 field goals to go with 13 rebounds and 8 assists, the rest of the team managed just 28 points on 11-of-26 shooting with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Sophomore Ish Massoud and Pack joined the seniors in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Oklahoma got off to a fast start, knocking down 4 of 6 from 3-point range, including 3 by Gibson, to take a 12-5 advantage into the first media timeout at the 15:24 mark. K-State slowly chipped away at the deficit, using a 13-5 run capped by a 3-point play by McGuirl that gave the Wildcats their first lead at 20-19 with 10:31 before halftime. Five different players scored in the stretch.
K-State had its largest lead at 34-30 with 4:15 remaining in the first half, as Oklahoma used an 8-0 run to take a 38-37 lead into the halftime break.
The teams battled back and forth in early moments of the second half before a 9-2 run by the Sooners extended their lead to 54-49 at the 11:04 mark. Smith and McGuirl each had big baskets for the Wildcats to close the gap to one possession several times, including 57-54 with 8:23 to play.
A 3-pointer by reserve Ethan Chargois plus another from Gibson a little over 2 minutes later made it double digits at 70-59 with 4:27 to play. K-State was able to close to within 73-67 on a 3-pointer by Pack with 2:20 left, but the Wildcats could get no closer in the 78-71 loss.

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 104 games this season, while fifth-year senior Mark Smith is the only player to start all 30 games with 11 different starting lineups, which is the second-most among power conference schools (only Memphis has used more 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 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 30 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 [88]

Davion Bradford - 2 (COVID-19/slowed vs. Baylor, Ole Miss due to hip injury)
Maximus Edwards - 30 (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 - 30 (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 - 4 (COVID-19 protocols missed OU, Texas; missed Tech, OU due to injury)
Nijel Pack - 2 (missed WSU, Marquette due to concussion)

MARKED IMPROVEMENT FROM 3

After ranking among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country in 2020-21, K-State has made a dramatic improvement in its 3-point production 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 (34.5). The team finished Big 12 play as the leader in 3-point makes (8.56), while they were 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 250 3-point field goal makes through 30 games, the Wildcats have already surpassed their entire 3-point total (191) from the 2020-21 season, while their 154 treys in Big 12 play are more than they had in 18 league games (102) in 2020-21. The 250 total makes are the third-most in a single season, trailing the school-record 254 in 2017-18 and the 253 in 2019-20, while the 154 made in league play shattered the school record of 140 set in 2012-13.
K-State has connected on 10 or more 3-point makes in 11 games this season, which is by far the most in any season in school history. The next closest to that mark was seven done in both 2010-11 and 2017-18. The Wildcats have twice connected on a season-high 13 made 3-pointers this season, both coming on the road at West Virginia and Oklahoma State.

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 8.0 treys on 32.2 percent shooting in their 16 losses. However, the team is just 4-7 when connecting on 10 or more 3-pointers.
Sophomore Nijel Pack ranks first in the Big 12 in 3-pointers/game (3.29) and 3-point field goal percentage (43.6), while junior Markquis Nowell is ninth in makes (1.58). Pack led the Big 12 in both 3-pointers/game (3.39) and 3-point percentage (43.3) in league-only games, while Nowell (8th) and Mike McGuirl (10th) also finished in the top-15 in makes in Big 12-only games.
Pack ranks sixth in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage and 14th in 3-point field goals/game. Pack's 92 made 3-pointers are the fourth-most in school history, while his 43.6 percentage would tie for the eighth-highest. As a team, the Wildcats ranks 87th in the NCAA in 3-point field goals per game (8.3), 102nd in total 3-point makes (250) and 138th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.5).

'CATS CONTINUE STRIDES ON OFFENSE

K-State is averaging 69.1 points on 42 percent shooting, including 34.5 percent from 3-point range, while connecting on 72.4 percent from the free throw line through 30 games. The scoring average ranks fourth in the Big 12 and is the highest by the Wildcats since averaging 71.1 points per game in 2017-18. The team also places third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.11).
K-State's offensive numbers were slightly lower in Big 12 play, as the team averaged 68.7 points on 41.4 percent shooting, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range, and 71 percent from the free throw line. The Wildcats led the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (8.56) and turnover margin (+2.11), while they were second in 3-point percentage, third in scoring offense and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.00) in league-only games.
K-State's offense shines when the Wildcats share the ball, as the team is averaging 72.6 points and 14.6 assists in their 14 wins compared to just 66.0 points and 10.8 assists in their 16 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.

DEFENSE ALWAYS A TRADEMARK, BUT HAS

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 330 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.
Despite a rough ending to the regular season, K-State has had a solid season defensively in 2021-22, allowing 67.3 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 30 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats rank among the top-30 nationally in 3-point percentage defense at 26th.
During the 5-game skid to end the season, K-State allowed 81.8 points per game on 52.9 percent shooting, including 43.8 percent from 3-point range. In this span, the Wildcats allowed 70 or more points in all 5 games, including the second-most points (102) in their rivalry with Kansas. The team, which had been so good in defending the 3-point line, allowed nearly 10 makes per game (9.8) in the last 5 games, including a season-high 15 to the Jayhawks.
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 12 Big 12 losses this season, K-State is allowing 75.7 points on 48.1 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 13.1 turnovers per game. The opponents in those losses have a whooping 38.3-29.1 rebounding average (460-349), including 22 more offensive rebounds, while averaging 31.6 points in the paint and 12.3 second-chance points per 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 11.4 turnovers per game,
including 11.2 turnovers per game in league play. The team has 10 or fewer turnovers in 11 games, including single digits on 9 occasions.
K-State ranks fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.11) and sixth in turnover margin (+2.07). Those numbers were even better in league action, as they are first in turnover margin (+2.11) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+1.00).
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 led the steals (2.4) in Big 12 play, while he was second in assists (5.3).

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 72.4 percent (372-of-514) 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 first (82.9%; 68-of-82) and Smith ranks 14th (70.4%; 88-of-125). Two others (Ish Massoud and Nijel Pack) are all connecting on better than 80 percent from the line, including a team-high 89.2 percent (33-of-37) 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 Wednesday's game with a 497-301 (.624) 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 continue to have impressive 2021-22 season, as he has led or have been tied for the team lead in scoring in 17 of 28 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 17.4 points on 45.7 percent (170-of-372) shooting, including 43.6 percent (92-of-211) from 3-point range, to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per game. He is the leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (27), field goals (170) and 3-point field goals (92).
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 was first in 3-pointers (3.4) and 3-point percentage (43.3) and second in scoring (18.6 ppg.).
With his 2 makes vs. Oklahoma, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 33, 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 3.27 makes per game on 44 percent (108-of-246) shooting. He has hit on at least 4 made 3-pointers 13 times in this 33-game stretch, including career-tying 8 treys in his 35-point effort vs. No. 7/7 Kansas. His 92 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 16th nationally and first in the Big 12 in steals (2.3), while he is 34th 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 led the Big 12 in steals (2.4 spg.) and was second in assists (5.3 apg.) 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 points and 7.4 assists per game this season, which would rank as the third-best duo in the Big 12 behind Kansas' Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun (34.7) and West Virginia's Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil (30.5).
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 scoring (12.6 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (20) and 20-point games (5). He leads the Big 12 in rebounding and defensive boards, while he is second in double-doubles and 11th in scoring. He has had 16 boards twice, which also leads the Big 12.
Smith's 256 rebounds this season are the most by a Wildcat since Michael Beasley broke the school record with 408 boards in 2007-08. His 8.5 per game average is the second-best average in the last 20 seasons and second-only to Beasley's 12.4 per game average. His 202 defensive rebounds are the second-best total since the statistic began being kept in 1986-87 and the highest since Beasley's school-record 277. His 8 double-doubles are the most in a single season since Beasley set the school-record with 28 in 2007-08.
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 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 16.1 points in the last 11 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 5-4 this season when McGuirl scores in double figures, including 3-4 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 14 of the team's 16 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 10 of the 12 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 HAVE PAID 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). The trio have combined to play in 306 games in college with 208 starts.
Smith earned a second senior season due to COVID-19 pandemic and brings 100 games of experience 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 3 seasons as a Trojan. Massoud played in all 53 games at Wake Forest, averaging 8.3 points 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 (492) in their respective careers on 36.1 percent shooting.
The trio have made their impact in the first 30 games with Smith starting every game, while Nowell and Massoud have started 20 and 17. They have combined for 902 points (30.1 ppg.) on 40.2 percent (302-of-751) shooting with 428 rebounds (14.3 rpg.), 193 assists (6.4 apg.) and 110 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 (5.3 apg.) and steals (2.4 spg.) in league-only games. Massoud has 10 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.).

Game Preview // K-State Plays West Virginia at Big 12 Championship

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Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // K-State Plays West Virginia at Big 12 Championship

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Maximus Edwards

Kaosi Ezeagu

Luke Kasubke

Logan Landers

Seryee Lewis

Carlton Linguard, Jr.

Mike McGuirl

Selton Miguel

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Mark Smith

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