Preview // K-State Hosts Wichita State in Wildcat Classic Thursday

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GAME 12
KANSAS STATE (8-3) vs. WICHITA STATE (8-3)
Thursday, December 21, 2023 >> 7:30 p.m. CT >> T-Mobile Center (18,972) >> Kansas City, Mo.
12^th Wildcat Classic

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Ted Emrich (play-by-play)
Kevin Lehman (analyst)
Trevor Hayes (producer)

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

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

LIVE STATS
kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
kstatesports.com/tickets
$10-$50

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 34-13/Second Year
Career Record: 36-13*/Second Year
vs. Wichita State: 1-0 [1-0 at home venues]

Wichita State: Paul Mills [Texas A&M '96]
Record at WSU: 8-3/1st Year
Career Record: 114-87/7th Year
vs. K-State: 0-1 [0-0 at WSU]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (8-3)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N'Guessan
C: #15 Will McNair Jr.

Wichita State (8-3)
G: #1 Xavier Bell
G: #4 Colby Rogers
G: #20 Harlond Beverly
F: #11 Kenny Pohto
F: #15 Quincy Ballard

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 128-93
At Home Venues: K-State leads 15-2
At the T-Mobile Center: First meeting [0-0 in Kansas City]
Active Streak: K-State, 4
First Meeting: L, 27-29 [12/17/1932 in Wichita]
Last Meeting: W, 55-50 [12/3/2022 in Manhattan]
Jerome Tang vs. Paul Mills: First meeting

K-STATE PLAYS HOST TO WICHITA STATE IN WILDCAT CLASSIC THURSDAY
Kansas State (8-3) will make the short trek east to Kansas City for the 12th Wildcat Classic on Thursday night, as the Wildcats play host to in-state rival Wichita State (8-3) at 7:30 p.m., CT at the T-Mobile Center. This will be the first meeting in the 33-game series history in a location outside of either Manhattan or Wichita. The matchup will be the third of a 4-game series inked in 2020 between the schools, as K-State posted a 65-59 win at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita on Dec. 5, 2021, before last season's comeback 55-50 victory over the Shockers at home on Dec. 3, 2022. The fourth installment will be contested at Koch Arena during the 2024-25 season.

Thursday's game will be the 12th Wildcat Classic since its inception in 2007 with K-State holding a 9-2 all-time record. The game was played annually from 2007-12 then again in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022. The Wildcats won the first 3 installments before a 63-59 loss to UNLV in 2010 then won 5 in a row (Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M, Washington State, Vanderbilt) before a setback against Saint Louis in 2019. The game was restarted last season after a 3-year absence, as K-State earned a 71-56 victory over Nebraska on Dec. 17, 2022.

KEY STORYLINES

Old friends will face off against each other in Thursday's game as K-State's Jerome Tang and Wichita State's Paul Mills meet for the first time as head coaches after spending 14 seasons as original members of Scott Drew's coaching staff at Baylor from 2003-17. The duo, along with North Florida's Matthew Driscoll, helped Drew resurrect the Baylor program from scandal with 279 victories, including 243 from 2007-17, to go with 7 NCAA Tournament appearances. Tang and Mills helped the Bears to trips to the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012 and the NIT title in 2013.
K-State saw both its 5-game winning streak as well as its 15-game home non-conference winning streak come to an end in Sunday's 62-46 loss to Nebraska. The Wildcats registered one of their worst shooting performances in some time in the setback, as the team tied the mark for the third-fewest points in Bramlage Coliseum history and fewest since scoring 41 against Kansas in 2021, including the second fewest in a half in school history with 12 on just 4 made field goals in the second half. The 26.7 field goal percentage (16-of-60) was also the lowest under Tang and lowest overall since shooting 25 percent at Oklahoma on Feb. 25, 2017.
Despite the off-day against Nebraska, the offense has posted strong overall stats, averaging 77.7 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 8.0 3-pointers per game and 34.6 points in the paint, and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. It's still tracking ahead of last season (75.3 ppg. through the first 11 games), while it is still the highest in that span since 2009-10.
The Wildcats have a strong scoring trio of junior Cam Carter (16.5 ppg.), senior Tylor Perry (15.7 ppg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (15.7 ppg.), who are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (47.9 out of 77.7 ppg.). K-State is the only Big 12 member to have 3 players rank in the league's top-15 in scoring, as Carter ranks eighth, Perry 11th and Kaluma 13th. The trio has been even more impressive in the 8 wins, averaging 50 points per game.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Extend its winning streak over Wichita State to 5 games.
Extend its record to 10-2 in Wildcat Classic games.
Extend its record to 23-22 in games played at T-Mobile Center.
Push its non-conference record to 180-56 since 2006-07.
Push its home non-conference mark to 126-13 since 2006-07.

NOTES ON WICHITA STATE (8-3)

Under first-year head coach Paul Mills, Wichita State is off to a 7-3 start after snapping a 2-game skid with a 69-68 win over Southern Illinois on Saturday. The Shockers opened with 4 straight wins before a loss to Liberty in the semifinals of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Among their wins are WKU, Saint Louis and Richmond, while their losses have come to Liberty, Missouri and South Dakota State.
WSU is averaging 77.5 points on 44.6 percent shooting, including 33.0 percent from 3-point range, with 44.5 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 5.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game, while allowing 70.7 points on 39.5 percent shooting, including 29.6 percent from 3-point range. The Shockers are connecting on 71.7 percent from the free throw line.
WSU is among the best teams in the country in rebounding, ranking seventh in rebounds per game at 44.45, while the team places fifth in defensive boards per game (9.5) and 21st in rebounding margin (+9.5). They are also among the top-50 in blocks per game (4.9).
Four players are averaging in double figures led by Siena transfer Colby Rogers, who is averaging a team-best 17.3 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting, including 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Juniors Xavier Bell (14.9 ppg.), Kenny Pohto (12.3 ppg.) and Harlond Beverly (10.5 ppg.) are also averaging double figures, while Pohto is averaging a near double-double with a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game. Beverly has a team-best 38 assists, while FSU transfer Quincy Ballard already has 27 blocked shots.
WSU was picked eighth in the new-look AAC preseason coaches poll after the Shockers returned 5 lettermen, including 1 starter, from a team that posted a 17-15 overall record, including a 9-9 mark in AAC play, in 2022-23.
Mills has a 114-87 overall record in his seventh season as a head coach, including a 106-84 mark at Oral Roberts from 2017-23. He slowly re-built the Golden Eagles, posting an 84-42 record in his last 4 seasons capped by a 30-5 mark and a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State leads the all-time series, 22-11, with Wichita State, in this, the first meeting outside of Manhattan and Wichita since the schools began playing in 1932. This will count as a home game for K-State since the school controls the tickets and the game operations at the T-Mobile Center much like WSU did in 2021 at INTRUST Bank Arena.
K-State has won the last 4 games in the series, including the first 2 in the current contract, a 65-59 victory at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita on Dec. 5, 2021, and a 55-50 victory at Bramlage Coliseum on Dec. 3, 2022.

LAST 5 MEETINGS

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
12/5/2001	--/--	L	56-65	Manhattan
12/7/2002	--/--	W	79-66	Wichita
12/10/2003	--/--	W	54-50	Manhattan
12/5/2021	--/--	W	65-59	Wichita
12/3/2022	--/--	W	55-50	Manhattan

LAST MEETING:
K-STATE 55, WICHITA STATE 50 [Dec. 3, 2022]

Senior Markquis Nowell shook off a subpar shooting night to score the game's last 6 points, including a pivotal 3-pointer with 54 seconds, to help lift K-State to a 55-50 win over in-state Wichita State in the last meeting between the schools on Dec. 3, 2022, at Bramlage Coliseum.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 178-56 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 135-15 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 125-13 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State's 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. The 12 wins last season matched the 2008-09 and 2010-11 teams for the second-most in that span.

Year	Overall	Home	Bramlage
2006-07	11-4	7-0	7-0
2007-08	10-4	8-1	7-1
2008-09	12-3	11-0	10-0
2009-10	13-1	9-0	8-0
2010-11	12-3	9-1	8-1
2011-12	11-1	7-0	6-0
2012-13	11-2	9-0	8-0
2013-14	10-3	7-1	7-1
2014-15	7-6	6-2	5-2
2015-16	11-2	8-0	8-0
2016-17	11-2	8-0	8-0
2017-18	11-2	8-1	8-0
2018-19	10-3	7-0	6-0
2019-20	7-6	6-2	6-1
2020-21	4-5	4-5	4-5
2021-22	8-5	6-1	6-1
2022-23	12-1	8-0	7-0
2023-24	8-3	6-1	6-1
Total	178-56	135-15	125-13

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

K-State's overtime 96-87 win over Nevada on Nov. 22, 2022, in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in school history. The Wildcats are the 43rd Division I team to eclipse 1,700 wins, including the sixth Big 12 school.
The Wildcats have 1,729-1,226 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

LAST TIME OUT: NEBRASKA 62, K-STATE 46

Nebraska used a 17-1 run midway through the second half to highlight a strong second-half effort as the Cornhuskers snapped a 7-game skid to K-State with a 62-46 win on Dec. 17 in front of 10,206 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (8-3) struggled mightily shooting the ball, as the Wildcats scored their fewest points since 2021 on 26.7 percent (16-of-60) shooting, including 13.3 percent (4-of-30) from 3-point range. The offensive struggles were stark in the second half, as the team scored just 12 points – the second fewest in a half in school history – on just 16.0 percent (4-of-25) shooting.
With the loss, K-State saw both its 5-game winning streak as well as its 15-game home non-conference winning streak end, as the Wildcats dropped their first game to Nebraska since 2009, including their first at Bramlage Coliseum since 2006. It was just the second home loss under Tang and the first to a non-conference opponent.
On a day where neither team could get going offensively, it was the Huskers who found a way in the second half, as they scored 11 of the first 15 points to start the half and take the lead for good on a jumper by junior Juwan Gary and a 3-pointer by sophomore Sam Hoiberg at the first media timeout with just over 15 minutes to play.
After a putback dunk by freshman Macaleab Rich closed the gap to 42-40 on the next possession, Nebraska took control of the game with the decisive 17-1 run that included 12 consecutive points before a timeout by Tang with 5:27 remaining. A layup by junior Cam Carter with 5:06 to play gave K-State its first field goal in more than 9 minutes since the Rich dunk at the 14:45 mark.
Overall, it was fewest points and lowest field goal percentage by a Jerome Tang-coached team and the lowest since scoring 41 points against Kansas on Feb. 17, 2021, and the lowest field goal percentage since connecting on 25 percent (14-of-56) in a loss at Oklahoma on Feb. 25, 2017.
Two Wildcats scored in double figures led by Carter's 12 points. Carter added a career-best 3 blocks to go with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in nearly 37 minutes. Senior Tylor Perry added 11 points and a game-high 6 assists in 36 minutes. One of the bright spots was Rich, who finished with 7 points on 3-of-4 shooting with a season-high 9 rebounds in just over 16 minutes.
Nebraska finished the game at just under 35 percent shooting with 11 of its 25 made field goals coming from 3-point range, as six different players had at least one triple. Junior Rienk Mast led three Cornhuskers and two with double-doubles with a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds. Gary added the second double-double with 13 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.
The contest ended a 3-game series between the former conference foes, as K-State won matchups in Lincoln in 2021 and Kansas City in 2022 before the loss. The Wildcats still lead the all-time series, 128-94, which dates to 1906.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State's 46 points were the fewest under Tang and the fewest overall since scoring 41 against Kansas on Feb. 17, 2021... The 46 points were third fewest in Bramlage Coliseum history.
The 12 second-half points were the second fewest in school history and lowest since scoring a school-record 11 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 6, 1992.
K-State connected on 26.7 percent from the field, which is the lowest under Tang and the lowest since hitting on 25 percent (14-of-56) at Oklahoma on Feb. 25, 2017... The Wildcats connected on 16 percent in the second half, which ties for the third lowest in any half in school history and the lowest since 2015.

NEW OFFENSE, MORE 3-POINTERS

K-State made the switch to the 5-out offense in the offseason to utilize its versality in talent, as the offense is structured around spacing with all 5 players required to pass, cut, screen, dribble and shoot.
After scoring 100 points in the exhibition play for the first time since 1993, the Wildcats eclipsed the 100-point barrier at home since 2010 and the second time under head coach Jerome Tang with a 100-56 victory over Central Arkansas on Nov. 22. The team has also scored 83 points twice (Bellarmine and No. 12/11 Miami), 91 vs. South Dakota State and 88 vs. Oral Roberts.
Despite the subpar offensive performance against Nebraska, the current 77.7 scoring average is still the best through the first 11 games since the 2009-10 team averaged 82.1 points. The average is still trending ahead of last year's team, which averaged 75.3 points through the first 11 games.
The new offense has so far increased the number of 3-pointers, as the team has already attempted 291 from beyond the arc, including 33 in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), which ranked as the seventh-most in a game in school history. The Wildcats followed with 31 3-point attempts vs. Bellarmine (11/10/23), while hitting on double-digit makes (12) for the first time.
In the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23), K-State knocked down 14 3-pointers, which tied for the fifth-most in school history and are the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
The Wildcats have connected on 88 3-pointers, which are the most through the first 11 games. The 26 combined 3-pointers in games vs. Bellarmine and South Dakota State were the most in back-to-back games since also making 26 in games at Oklahoma State and at home to Kansas on Feb. 2 and 5, 2019.
The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal attempts (26.5) and seventh in 3-point field goals/game (8.0). The 291 3-point attempts are the second-most in the Big 12 behind BYU's 368. Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the top-55 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 14th in attempts (97), 43rd in total makes (31) and 51st in makes/game (2.82).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 34.6 points in the paint this season, including 38.3 in the last 7 games. The Wildcats scored 50 or more points in the paint in back-to-back games vs. No. 12/11 Miami and Central Arkansas.
K-State scored 56 points in the paint against the Hurricanes, which tied for the most in a single game in school history (stat kept since 2000-01), and the most since scoring 56 against South Dakota on Jan. 3, 2010.

POINT OF EMPHASIS

Ever since the loss to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, in which, K-State was out-rebounded 44-22, rebounding has been a point of emphasis by head coach Jerome Tang. So far that message has been received, as the Wildcats rank fourth in the Big 12 and 42nd nationally in rebounds/game (40.8), including second in the league and 18th nationally in offensive rebounds/game (14.4).
K-State posted its highest rebound total in more than 25 seasons in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23), corralling 63 rebounds, which were the most since totaling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which they converted into 34 second-chance points. The 26 offensive rebounds were the most since grabbing 29 vs. North Florida on Nov. 18, 2012, while the 37 defensive rebounds were one shy of the top-10.

CONVERTING FROM THE LINE

K-State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line,
averaging 15.7 makes per game while converting on 72.4 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-90 nationally in both makes (15.7) and attempts (21.7) per game, as the squad places sixth in the Big 12 and 85th nationally in makes and fourth in the Big 12 and 90th nationally in attempts.
No game were free throws more important than the North Alabama (12/2/23) win, as K-State converted on 34 of 48 attempts. The 34 makes were the most in a game since hitting 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 20, 2015, while the 48 attempts were the most since also attempting 48 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014. Both were just outside the school's all-time top-10.

BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT

K-State will need to continue to improve its defensive effort after allowing 787 points (71.5 ppg.) in the first 11 games on 41.0 percent (284-of-692) shooting, including 34.4 percent (93-of-270) from 3-point range.
The Wildcats currently rank last in the Big 12 in scoring defense (71.5 ppg.) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (34.4), while they are ninth in field goal percentage defense (41.0). The team is also 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.09) and 12th in turnover margin (-0.73).
K-State has shown the ability to be a good defensive team, holding South Dakota State (11/13/23) and Providence (11/17/23) to an average of 69 points, while holding Central Arkansas (11/22/23) to a season-low 56 points on 27.9 percent (19-of-68) shooting. The defense also performed well in the win at LSU (12/9/23), holding the Tigers to 60 points on 41.5 percent shooting.

LATE GAME PERRY

Senior Tylor Perry has become the very definition of a clutch player, as his heroics against North Alabama (12/2/23) and Villanova (12/5/23) lifted the Wildcats to victory in overtime. Perry's step back 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds in the overtime win over Villanova came on the heels of a similar step back triple that forced overtime vs. North Alabama with 8 seconds left in regulation.
Dating back to his days at North Texas, Perry has now made seven shots to either win a game or send a game into overtime in his Division I career.
Perry's late game heroics go beyond the last 3 seasons. As a senior in high school, he sank a buzzer beater to send his Spiro High School team to the semifinals of the state tournament.

PERRY MORE THAN JUST A SCORER

Senior Tylor Perry proved that he is more than just a scorer in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23) in Las Vegas, leading the team in assists (6) and steals (4) to go with 6 rebounds and his team-best 22 points. Currently, he is averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 36.5 minutes per game.
Perry has scored in double figures in 10 of the first 11 games, including in each of the last 5 games. Among those team-leading 10 double-digit scoring games is a team-best four 20-point games, which includes 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23), a season-best 24 in the win over Providence (11/17/23) and 20 vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23).
Perry ranks the Big 12's top 10 in five categories, including tops in minutes (36.5) and free throw percentage (93.1), third in assist/turnover ratio (2.77), fourth in 3-point field goals (2.82) and fifth in assists (5.6 apg.). He also ranks 11th in scoring (16.2 ppg.) and 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (32.5).
Perry recently eclipsed 2,000 career points in his college career, which includes stints at Coffeyville Community College (2019-21) and North Texas (2021-23). He currently has 1,216 points at the Division I level.
Perry had at least 4 3-pointers in 4 games, while he had a season-high 6 treys against South Dakota State (11/13/23). He now has made at least 4 3-pointers in 27 career games at the Division I level, while he hast 6 or made triples in 4 games (7 vs. San Jose State (11/25/22) and 6 at UAB (2/19/22), 6 vs. Sam Houston (3/19/23) and 6 vs. South Dakota State).

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 93.1 percent (54-of-58). He ranks 17th nationally and first in the Big 12. He made 34 straight free throws before missing in overtime vs. Oral Roberts.
Among Perry's 24 points in the win over Providence (11/17/23) was a perfect 14-of-14 performance from the free throw line, which tied for the third-best in school history and the best since Michael Beasley went 15-of-15 from the line at Baylor on Feb. 23, 2008. Only Beasley and Steve Henson, who went a school-best 17-of-17 from the stripe at Iowa State on Feb. 24, 1988, have enjoyed a better performance from the free throw line.

BUCKET GETTER

Head coach Jerome Tang has said that he wants guard Cam Carter to be a bucket getter and that's what the junior has delivered in the first 11 games, averaging a team-best 16.5 points per game. He also leads the Wildcats in field goals (68) and attempts (170), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 3-point field goals (23) and attempts (78).
After recording his first 20-point game vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-20 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, Carter took it to another level vs. No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23).
Carter scored a career-best 28 points vs. the Hurricanes, including 24 in the second half when the Wildcats cut a 24-point deficit to just 7 points in the last 45 seconds. He finished the game 12-of-22 from the field (10-of-16 in the second half) with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block in 38 minutes.
Carter added a third 20-point game in his return to his home state of Louisiana, as he poured in a game-high 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting with 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the win at LSU (12/9/23).
In addition to scoring in double figures in 9 games, Carter notched his first career double-double vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23), posting 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting with a career-best 10 rebounds, 5 assists and team-high 3 steals.
Carter ranks in the Big 12's top 15 in five categories, including second in minutes (36.5), sixth in steals (2.1), eighth in scoring (16.5 ppg.), ninth in 3-point field goals (2.1) and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (29.5).

FINDING A RHYTHM

Junior Arthur Kaluma is starting to find a rhythm after a slow start to the season, becoming a double-double threat nearly every night. He saw his streak of 8 consecutive games with double-digit points end in the loss to Nebraska (12/17/23). He averaged 17.9 points on 52.2 percent shooting (48-of-92) in his 8-game double-digit streak to go with 8.8 rebounds per game.
Kaluma was named one of five national players of the week by the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy as well as Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 11 after averaging a double-double in wins over Villanova (12/5/23) and LSU (12/9/23). He averaged 21.5 points on 76.2 percent (16-of-21) shooting, including 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 39.6 minutes per game. He is just the third Wildcat to earn the weekly award from the USBWA, while it was the first of Kaluma's career.
Kaluma scored a game and season-high 26 points in the win over Villanova, knocking down 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in a season-best 44 minutes. The 26 points were one shy of his career-high of 27 he had against BYU while playing at Creighton in 2022.
Kaluma continued his impressive play in the road win at LSU, recording his fifth career double-double, including his second as a Wildcat, with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with a game-high 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. He has now scored in double figures in 48 career games, including eight this season.
The weekly honors came on the heels of being named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in games against Providence (11/17/23) and No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23). After scoring 18 in the OT win over Providence, including a pivotal 3-pointer, he had his first double-double as a Wildcat and fourth in his career with 18 points and 12 rebounds against the Hurricanes.
Kaluma is one of 4 players (Kansas' Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. and Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey) in the Big 12 to rank in the league's top-15 in both scoring and rebounding.

ATTACKING THE GLASS

Senior David N'Guessan has been impressive so far on the glass, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in rebounding at 8.0 boards per game. He ranks fourth in the league in offensive rebounds (3.0 orpg.), while he is 10th in defensive rebounds (5.0 drpg.). He has double-digit rebounds in 4 of his first 11 games.
N'Guessan grabbed his first career double-double in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), as he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 field goals to go with a then career-best 10 rebounds in just over 27 minutes.
N'Guessan broke his career-high with 11 rebounds vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) then matched it in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23) while collecting his second double-double with a season-high 11 points.
N'Guessan gained valuable experience this past summer training with the Dutch National Team, as the Orange Lions competed in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkiye August 13-16. He averaged 9 points on 55.6 percent shooting with 6.3 rebounds in the 3-game tournament.

BIG MAN OFF TO SOLID START

Senior Will McNair is off to solid start to the season, averaging 7.7 points on 57.6 percent shooting to go along with 4.6 rebounds through 10 games with 9 starts in 20.9 minutes per game.
McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then has earned starts in 9 of the last 10 games. He has double figures in 4 of those 9 starts, including a season-high 13 points in the win at LSU (12/9/23), where he connected on 5-of-6 field goals.

FRESHMEN SHOWING PROMISE

Three-man freshman class of Dai Dai Ames, R.J. Jones and Macaleab Rich have all shown promise after being pressed into early action. The trio were part of a consensus top-35 recruiting class.
Ames has already scored in double figures in 4 games, including a season-best 14 points vs. UCA (11/22/23), while he has dished out at least 3 assists in 7 of his 10 games played with a season-high 7 vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
Jones is the only freshman to play in all 11 games, averaging 11.6 minutes per game. He ranks third on the team in 3-pointers (10), scoring in 6 of 11 games with a season-best 14 points vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
Rich, whose dunk against Central Arkansas made the Sportcenter Top 10, has wowed fans with his potential, logging a near double-double vs. the Bears with a season-best 13 points and 8 rebounds in under 18 minutes.

KALUMA, PERRY NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

Junior Arthur Kaluma and fifth-year senior Tylor Perry were each chosen as Honorable Mention selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the league coaches when the league office announced its annual preseason teams.
Kaluma and Perry are the first Wildcats named to the Preseason All-Big 12 since Barry Brown Jr. and Dean Wade in 2018-19.
A 6-foot-7, 225-pound wing, Kaluma transferred to K-State after an impressive 2-year stint (2021-23) at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays to 47 wins, including 26 in BIG EAST play, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2022, 2023) and the school's first trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23.
A 5-foot-11, 182-pound guard, Perry came to K-State after a decorated 2-year career (2021-23) at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to 56 total wins, including a school-record 31 in 2022-23, the 2023 NIT Championship and 2022 C-USA regular-season title. In addition to being the 2023 C-USA Player of the Year and NIT Most Outstanding Player, he was twice named to the C-USA First Team (2022, 2023) while was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2022.

KALUMA NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR JULIUS ERVING AWARD

Kaluma was also one of 20 players named to the preseason Watch List for the 2024 Julius Erving Award, which annually recognizes the nation's top small forward, by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
This is the second time that Kaluma has been named to a preseason Watch List after he was chosen to the Watch List for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award in 2022-23 while playing at Creighton.

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP
'CATS SPENT 10 DAYS IN AUGUST IN ISRAEL, ABU DHABI, U.A.E.

K-State got a jump start on its preparations for the 2023-24 season with a historic 10-day trip to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [UAE] from August 9-20.
During the Israeli portion of the trip, the team enjoyed walking tours of the Old City Jerusalem, the City of David, Bethlehem and Old City Jaffa, visits to the Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center – as well as the Western Wall and the Dead Sea. While in Abu Dhabi, they visited the Abraham Peace Accords House and the Grand Mosque.
The Wildcats played 3 games on the tour, defeating the Israeli Select Team, 94-87, on August 15 in Tel Aviv before an 83-81 setback to Team Mexico on August 17 and a 112-72 win over Al-Sharjah on August 18, both in Abu Dhabi. Senior Tylor Perry paced 4 Wildcats in double figures on the tour, averaging 22.7 points on 56.8 percent shooting.
K-State, along with the University of Arizona, are the first college teams to ever take a foreign tour to Abu Dhabi.
The exhibition tour was generously sponsored by Athletes for Israel and its Founder Daniel Posner as well as the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board. In their efforts to combat antisemitism and racism, Athletes For Israel brings athletes to Israel so they can experience the Holy Land and develop a connection with its history, culture, innovation and people.
For more information on the organization and its mission, visit athletesforisrael.org.

UP NEXT: VS. CHICAGO STATE (6-9)

K-State will play its final non-conference game of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, Jan. 2, as the Wildcats welcome Chicago State (6-9) at 7 p.m., CT to Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are still available at kstatesports.com/tickets.

Preview // K-State Hosts Wichita State in Wildcat Classic Thursday

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Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Hosts Wichita State in Wildcat Classic Thursday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

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