Game Preview // 11/11 K-State Hosts Oklahoma on Senior Night

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GAME 30
11/11 KANSAS STATE (22-7, 10-6 Big 12) vs. OKLAHOMA (14-15, 4-12 Big 12)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 >> 7:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Pete Sousa (play-by-play)
Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Kevin Kremer (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 81/81
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS
Sold Out

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 22-7/1st Year
Career Record: 24-7/1st Year+
vs. Oklahoma: 0-1 [0-1 at K-State]

Oklahoma: Porter Moser [Creighton '90]
Record at Oklahoma: 33-31/2nd Year
Career Record: 326-273/19th Year
vs. K-State: 4-1 [3-0 at Oklahoma]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Oklahoma leads 113-103
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma leads 21-18
In Manhattan: K-State leads 64-37
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 18-9
Active Streak: Oklahoma, 3
Tang vs. Oklahoma: 0-1 [0-1 at K-State]
Tang vs. Porter Moser: 0-1 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
11/11 Kansas State (22-7, 10-6 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
G: #13 Desi Sills
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Oklahoma (14-15, 4-12 Big 12)
G: #3 Otega Oweh
G: #12 Milos Uzan
G: #25 Grant Sherfield
F: #1 Jalen Hill
F: #35 Tanner Groves

OPENING TIP
No. 11/11 K-State (22-7, 10-6 Big 12) begins the final week of the regular season by hosting Oklahoma (14-15, 4-12 Big 12) on Senior Night for a 7 p.m., CT tip on Wednesday at a sold-out Bramlage Coliseum. The department will recognize nine individuals in a pregame ceremony, including seniors Nate Awbrey, Tykei Greene, Abayomi Iyiola, Keyontae Johnson, Markquis Nowell and Desi Sills. The Sooners, which just handed Iowa State just its second home loss of the season on Saturday, posted a 79-65 win over the Wildcats at home just over 2 weeks ago, in which, they connected on 51 percent from the field with 11 makes from 3-point range.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State earned its second regular-season sweep of the week on Saturday, as the Wildcats once again ralled from a halftime deficit to post a 73-68 win at Oklahoma State. The team shot 52 percent in the second half and got consecutive 3-pointers from senior Keyontae Johnson and junior Ish Massoud late in the half to secure their first win in Stillwater since 2019. K-State moved to 11-1 this season when 6 or more players have at least 6 points.
K-State was among 5 Big 12 teams to check into the top-16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee's bracket preview on Feb. 18, as the Wildcats came in as a No. 3 seed. The team is one of six (Kansas, Texas, Baylor, Purdue and Alabama) with 9 or more Quad 1 victories.
K-State earned its 31st 20-win season and first since 2018-19 in the win over No. 19/18 Iowa State Feb. 18. The 22-7 record ties 4 other teams for the fifth-best start by a Wildcat team in the past 50 seasons. Among the 16 wins in the last 22 outings is a 9-game winning streak from Dec. 3, 2022, to Jan. 10, 2023 and a tie for the most AP Top 25 wins (7) in school history.
K-State's 22-7 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the best by all first-year Division I coaches, just ahead of Missouri's Dennis Gates (21-8), Xavier's Sean Miller (21-8) and Duke's Jon Scheyer (21-8). He is the fifth K-State coach to win 20 games in his first season, joining Lon Kruger [20/1986-87], Bob Huggins [23/2006-07], Frank Martin [21/2007-08] and Bruce Weber [27/2012-13], while his 22 wins are the third-most by a first-year coach.
Johnson (17.6 ppg.) and Nowell (17.0 ppg.) are one of the most prolific tandems, as they combine to average 34.6 points per game to rank fourth among power conferences. They earned Big 12 Player (Nowell) and Newcomer (Johnson) of the Week on Monday after helping K-State sweep No. 9/10 Baylor and OSU. They have combined for 8 weekly Big 12 honors, while they were each named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists and to their respective position award (Bob Cousy and Julius Irving) lists.
Nowell became the school's single season assist leader vs. TCU on Feb. 7, breaking the 35-year-old mark of Steve Henson (186; 1987-88). He ranks third nationally in both assists per game (7.6 apg.) and total assists (220), while he is in the top-20 in 5 other categories (steals, steals/game, free throws, free throw percentage and minutes/game). He ranks first or second in the Big 12 in an astounding 14 categories, including first in 8 categories.

NOTES ON OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma (14-15, 4-12 Big 12) enters Wednesday with momentum after wins in 2 of its last 4 games, including its win over K-State at home on Feb. 14 and a 61-50 win at No. 23/21 Iowa State on Saturday. The Sooners still own one of the most impressive wins of the season, a 93-69 victory over No. 2/2 Alabama on Jan. 28.
Oklahoma is averaging 68 points on 46.5 percent shooting, including 35.3 percent from 3-point range, with 32.6 rebounds, 13.1 assists, 5.8 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while allowing 67.6 points on 43.3 percent shooting, including 30.6 percent from 3-point range. The Sooners are connecting on 73.1 percent from the free throw line.
The Sooners are led by one the Big 12's top scorers in senior transfer Grant Sherfield, who is averaging 16.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting, including 40.6 percent from 3-point range. He is the Big 12 leader in 3-point field goals/game (2.62), while he is fifth in scoring. He is joined in double figures by senior Jalen Hill, who is averaging 10.1 points on 51.2 percent shooting, and senior Tanner Groves, who is averaging 10 points on 53.7 percent shooting with a team-high 7.0 rebounds. Brother Jacob Groves is averaging 6.7 points. Sherfield has a team-best 96 assists.
Oklahoma is led by second-year head coach Porter Moser, who has a 33-31 record. Overall, he is 326-273 in his 19th season as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 113-103, while K-State has a 64-37 advantage in Manhattan, including 18-9 at Bramlage Coliseum. It is the 5th-most played rivalry in school history, as the teams have played each other for 96 consecutive seasons dating to Feb. 5, 1927.
Oklahoma has won 4 of the last 5 meetings, including the 3 last games. The last K-State win came at home on Feb. 23, 2021.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [4-6]
Date                    Rank     Result   Score                  Location
2/24/2018          —/—     L             77-86                  Norman
1/16/2019          —/—     W          74-61                  Norman
3/9/2019            —/—     W          68-53                  Manhattan
1/4/2020            —/—     L             61-66                  Norman
1/29/2020          —/—     W          61-53                  Manhattan
1/19/2021          —/—     L             50-76                  Norman
2/23/2021          —/—     W          62-57                  Manhattan
1/1/2022            —/—     L             69-71                  Norman
3/5/2022            —/—     L             71-78                  Manhattan
2/14/2023          12/—    L             65-79                  Norman

LAST MEETING:
OKLAHOMA 79, 12/14 K-STATE 65 [Feb. 14, 2023]

Oklahoma hit on an opponent season-tying 11 3-pointers, including 3 during a key 12-0 run early in the second half, as the Sooners earned a 79-65 win over No. 12/14 K-State on Feb. 14 before a crowd 5,167 at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Oklahoma saw five players connected on at least one 3-pointer, including 3 each by senior Grant Sherfield and freshman Milos Uzan, as the Sooners tied an opponent season-high with 11 made triples while making 47.8 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. The Wildcats entered with the Big 12's best and nation's 12th-best 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.6 percent.
Sherfield led all scorers with 22 points to go with a game-tying 6 assists and 8 rebounds to help the Sooners snap a 4-game losing streak.
Down 60-45 midway through the second half, the Wildcats got some positive momentum with an 8-1 run that cut the deficit to 61-53 with over 7 minutes to play. However, the Sooners ended any hopes of a further comeback with a 9-1 run, which was capped by a 3-pointer from sophomore Bijan Cortes – the team's 11th trey – that extended the lead to 70-54 with 4:50 remaining.
Overall, the Sooners scored their 79 points on 51 percent (25-of-49) shooting, including 43 points after halftime on 61.1 percent (11-of-18) shooting.
K-State saw four players score in double figures led by junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who collected his second double-double with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Seniors Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson each scored 14 points, while fellow senior Abayomi Iyiola added 11 points.

LAST MEETING IN MANHATTAN:
OKLAHOMA 78, K-STATE 71 [March 5, 2022]

Despite sensational efforts from senior Mark Smith and Mike McGuirl, who had a combined 43 points in their final games at Bramlage Coliseum, Oklahoma got 29 points from senior Umoja Gibson, as the Sooners earned a 78-71 win in the last meeting at Bramlage Coliseum on March 5, 2022.
Oklahoma led by as many as 11 points, including 70-59 with 4:27 to play, while K-State was able to close to 73-67 on a 3-pointer by Nijel Pack with 2:20 left, but the Wildcats could get no closer in the 78-71 loss.
Smith scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting to go with 9 rebounds while playing all but 38 seconds, while McGuirl added 21 points to go with game-highs in assists (5) and steals (3) in nearly 39 minutes.

LAST TIME OUT: 14/16 K-STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68

Consecutive 3-point field goals by senior Keyontae Johnson and junior Ish Massoud late in the second half gave No. 14/16 Kansas State the lift it needed in a tight contest, as the Wildcats swept the season series from Oklahoma State with a 73-68 win on Saturday afternoon before 11,124 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
K-State extended its winning streak to 3 games, while snapping a 5-game road losing streak in Big 12 play. It was the first road win since a 97-95 overtime win at Baylor on Jan. 7. The victory also gave the Wildcats' double-digit wins in league play for the 10th time in the Big 12 era and the first time since 2018-19.
Trailing 60-59 with 6:23 remaining, K-State took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Johnson which was followed 50 seconds later by another triple from Massoud that gave the Wildcats a 65-60 lead. After the Cowboys closed to within 65-63 with 2:44 remaining, the Wildcats got key plays down the stretch from their backcourt, including 4 free throws from senior Markquis Nowell, a layup from senior Desi Sills and 2 free throws from sophomore Cam Carter.
Nowell led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 22 points on 5-of-12 field goals, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, and 9-of-10 free throws, while adding a game-high 8 assists and 4 steals and a team-high 5 rebounds in nearly 39 minutes. Johnson scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, while Sills posted 10 points in his third straight start.
For the third straight game, K-State had to rally from a halftime deficit, as Oklahoma State used an 11-0 run to take as much as a 6-point lead in the first half. Sills was able to pull the Wildcats to within 35-33 at the break on a pair of free throws and a layup and steal right before the buzzer.
K-State used a 7-0 run in the first 5 minutes of the second half to take a 40-39 lead, but OSU responded with its own 7-0 run to take its largest lead at 53-45 with just over 12 minutes to play. A key moment came minutes later after the Wildcats closed the gap to 53-49, as head coach Jerome Tang was whistled for a technical with 10:49 remaining, allowing the Cowboys to take a 55-49 lead.
The technical seemed to spark K-State, as the Wildcats rattled off 6 straight points capped by a 3-pointer from Carter to tie the game at 55 with 9:17 left. The teams traded the lead over the next few possessions before the pivotal stretch of 3-pointers from Johnson and Massoud.
K-State outscored OSU, 24-13, in the final 10:49 after the Tang technical.
The Wildcats connected on 49 percent (24-of-49) from the field, including 38.1 percent (8-of-21) from 3-point range, while hitting on 85 percent (17-of-20) from the line. In the second half, the team shot 52 percent (13-of-25) from the field, including 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from 3, and made 9 of 10 free throws.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

The 22 wins are the third-most by a first-year head coach, trailing the school-record of 27 by Bruce Weber in 2012-13 and 23 by Bob Huggins in 2006-07.
K-State swept the season series from Oklahoma State for the first time since 2019, as the Wildcats moved to 85-58 all-time against the Cowboys.
K-State had 14 assists on its 24 made field goals with 2 Wildcats dishing out at least 2 assists, including a game-high 8 by senior Markquis Nowell.
K-State held a 33-30 edge on the glass, including 7 offensive rebounds... The Wildcats are now 12-2 when winning the rebounding battle.
K-State won despite its 16 turnovers, which resulted in 19 points for OSU... The team was able to force 11 Cowboy turnovers, scoring 10 points.
K-State is now 9-4 this season when trailing at the half.

TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH

First-year head coach Jerome Tang enjoyed a successful a debut, as the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win against UTRGV on Nov. 7, becoming the 24th man and the first full-time black head coach in school history. He followed with his first road victory at Cal to start his tenure off with a 2-0 record. He is the sixth minority men's head coach in K-State Athletics history, including the third in men's basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
K-State's 22-7 start under Jerome Tang is the second-best by a first-year coach in school history behind Zora G. Clevenger, who went 15-2 in 1916-17. The start is the best by any first-year coach in Division I, just ahead of Missouri's Dennis Gates, Xavier's Sean Miller and Duke's Jon Scheyer, all at 21-8. He is the fifth K-State head coach to win 20 games in his first season.
Tang was named one of 15 Watch List candidates for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award on Feb. 17, along with fellow Big 12 coaches T.J. Otzelberger of Iowa State and Rodney Terry of Texas.
This is not Tang's first time being a head coach, as he served as athletics director and head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas from 1993-2003, leading the school to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to 4-0 record. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) during the 2012-13 season, while he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is only credited with the wins in 2013, moving his college head coaching record to 23-7.

A TEAM OF WINNERS

Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on a number of occasions that he recruited a team 'full of winners' as exemplified by the number of championships that the collective group has won.
There are a combined 8 state championships among the 15 players on the roster, including 2 each won by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister also won state titles during their senior seasons.
In addition to the high school success, a number of players have been a part of winning college programs, including Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas' Elite Eight team in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech) being a part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.
This championship mentality stretches to the staff, as associate head coach Urlic Maligi has been part of 5 NCAA Tournament and 5 conference title teams in his career. Assistant coach Jareem Dowling has been involved with teams that have won 4 conference titles and earned 4 postseason trips, while assistant coach Rodney Perry is coming off a 2021-22 year in which he led Link Academy to a national runner-up finish at the GEICO National Tournament before helping MOKAN Elite to its third Nike Peach Jam title.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

K-State's overtime 96-87 win over Nevada 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 a 1,717-1,220 (.586) all-time record as a program, which includes 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

1,000-WIN CLUB

K-State is one of 11 Division I schools whose men's and women's basketball teams have both won more than 1,000 games. Joining K-State is this unique club is Baylor, Georgia, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UConn and Western Kentucky.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

With the 64-50 win over Florida in the final SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, K-State completed its non-conference schedule with a 12-1 mark, including a perfect 8-0 in home games (Nebraska was played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City is considered a home game).
The 12-1 record is the best non-conference record since the Wildcats won a program-best 13 non-conference games in 2009-10. The teams also won 12 non-conference games in both 2008-09 (12-3) and 2010-11 (12-3). K-State had won just 19 non-conference games, including 16 at home, in the 3 seasons (2019-20 to 2021-22) before this season.
K-State has posted a 171-53 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07. During that span, the Wildcats have a 129-14 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City in non-conference play, including a 119-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

K-State enjoyed a special night on offense in its 116-103 win over No. 6/6 Texas, as the Wildcats not only broke the school record for points but also tied the Big 12 record in handing the Longhorns their first loss in the brand-new Moody Center before a sold-out crowd of 10,763 fans on Jan. 3.
The 116 points eclipsed the previous school-record mark of 115, which first came vs. Delaware State on Dec. 7, 1991, then again vs. Fresno State in the NIT on March 24, 1994. It was also the most-ever in a road game, surpassing the 108 at Iowa State on Jan. 29, 1975, while it was most in a conference game, topping the 114 scored vs. Nebraska at home on Jan. 10, 1987, and the most in a Big 12 game, surpassing the 111 vs. Missouri at home on Jan. 3, 1998.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, K-State's 116 points in the win at No. 6/6 Texas marked the most by an unranked team in a win over a top-10 opponent since Missouri scored 119 against Iowa State in 1988.
All 5 starters scored in double figures, including a career-best 36 points from senior Markquis Nowell and a career-tying 28 by senior Keyontae Johnson. The 64 combined points tied for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and most since 2008, while it marked just the 16th time (including the second time this season) that tandem has each had at least 25 points in a game. Nowell's 36 points are the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
As a team, the Wildcats connected on 61 percent (36-of-59) from the field, including 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from 3-point range, and set a school-record by hitting on 93.9 percent (31-of-33) from the free throw line. It marked the first time the team has shot better than 60 percent against a Big 12 opponent since 2018, while the 13 treys tied for the sixth-most made in a conference game.

POTENT OFFENSIVE ATTACK

K-State is averaging 75.3 points this season on 45.1 percent (752-of-1666) shooting, including 33.7 percent (200-of-593) from 3-point range, while hitting on 75.2 percent (479-of-637) from the free throw line. The Wildcats are tops in the Big 12 in free throw percentage, second in assists (16.8 apg.), fifth in assist/ turnover ratio (1.19) and sixth in scoring offense.
The current scoring average (75.3 ppg.) is just outside the school's top-10 but still the highest since the 2007-08 team averaged 78.0 points per game. The 45.1 field goal percentage is also just outside the top-10 in the shot clock era (1985-86) and the highest since 2017-18 (46.3 percent).
K-State has scored 80 or more points 9 times, including 5 games of 90 or more points highlighted by the school-record 116-point effort in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which was the first 100-point game since 2011. It is the most games of 80 or more points since posting 11 in 2017-18 and most games of 90 or more points since also totaling 5 in 2009-10.
The 93 points vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) were the fourth-most in a season opener in the last 25 seasons and the most since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah to open the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats also topped the 90-point barrier in a 96-87 overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic, while the squad fell 2 points short of their first 100-point game since 2010-11, totaling 98 vs. UIW (12/11/22) behind a school-record first 7 double-digit scorers.
Twice this season the Wildcats have had 2 players (Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson) score 25 or more points in the same game, which hadn't happened since 2010. Nowell (29) and Johnson (28) combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) before they went for 64 in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which ties for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and the most since Michael Beasley and Bill Walker at Baylor in 2008.
K-State has connected on better than 50 percent of its field goals in 7 games, including back-to-back vs. Rhode Island (11/21/22) and Nevada (11/22/22) and ACU (12/6/22) and UIW (12/11/22). The team hit on a season-best 60 percent (36-of-60) vs. Texas (1/3/23), which included a season-high 13 3-pointers, and a school-record performance from the free throw line of 93.9 percent (31-of-33).

DISHING THE ROCK

K-State ranks among the best in the country in sharing the basketball, as the Wildcats rank 13th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 16.7 assists per game. Among the 484 assists are 7 players with double-digit totals, including senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.6) and total assists (220). Nowell, who has double-digit assists in 7 games, became the school's single-season assist leader with his 7 dimes in the win over TCU.
The Wildcats also rank in the top-10 with a 64.4 assist percentage according to KenPom, which calculates assists (484) to made field goals (752). Only Lafayette (69.2), Tennessee (66.7), Xavier (66.4), Arizona (66.4), Virginia (65.9) and Air Force (65.3) have a better percentage nationally.
Although Nowell gets all the attention for his playmaking ability, the rest of the team has shared the ball, as the Wildcats have had 3 or more players dish out at least 2 assists in 22 of 29 games. The team had 7 players with 2 or more assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), while 6 vs. Nebraska (12/17/22) and Baylor (1/3/23) and 5 vs. UIW (12/11/22), Texas (1/3/23), TCU (twice) and Texas Tech (1/21/23).

TEAM FULL OF SCORERS

K-State is one of just 15 schools to have at least four 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,191 points), Keyontae Johnson (1,300 points), Markquis Nowell (1,801 points) and Desi Sills (1,351 points) have all reached the milestone in their Division I careers. Only Johnson, who did it against Radford (12/21/22), and Nowell have reached the mark while at K-State.
K-State has now six 1,000-point scorers if you count senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 points in his 4-year career at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at Monroe (2019-20) and Chipola Colleges (2020-22).
Missouri has 6 1,000-point scorers followed by Notre Dame, Penn State, San Diego, UAB and Youngstown State with 5, while K-State joins 13 other schools (including Big 12 foes Iowa State and Texas) with 4 such scorers.

BENCH PRODUCTION

K-State is getting solid production from its bench through the first 29 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 17.7 points per game. The team has scored 20 or more bench points in 4 of the last 7 games, including 29 vs. TCU.
The Wildcats got 41 points from its bench in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Ismael Massoud (10) and Desi Sills (10) all posting double-digit points. As a group, the bench connected on 14-of-29 from the field, including a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
Senior Desi Sills has been particularly impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 11 times, including a season-high 24 points in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He is fourth on the team in scoring in Big 12 play, averaging 8.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting. Junior Ismael Massoud has also proved to be a spark of the bench, posting 4 double-digit scoring games.

FORCING TURNOVERS

K-State's defense has forced 436 turnovers through the first 29 games, which includes 223 steals, while averaging 16.5 points per game off those miscues.
The 15.0 turnovers forced per game ranks 40th nationally, while it places fourth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, TCU and Texas. K-State ranks fifth in steals (7.7) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.0), while senior Markquis Nowell leads the Big 12 and places 15th nationally in steals (2.31 spg.).
K-State has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 6 times with a season-high 31 points off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers in the season opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ points off miscues in back-to-back games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 points) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 points) as well as ACU (12/6/22; 23 points), UIW (12/11/22; 28 points) and West Virginia (12/31/22; 22 points).

JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT

Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball court on Nov. 7 in the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after suffering a medical emergency against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He finished the night with 13 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a team-high 26 minutes.
Johnson was named the March Madness National Player of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14, as he averaged 14.5 points on 47.6 percent (10-of-21) shooting, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Wildcats' first 2 wins.
Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent (15-of-28) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.
Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time on Dec. 19 after his impressive effort vs. Nebraska, as he posted game-highs in points (23) and rebounds (11) to go with his career-tying 4 steals.
Johnson has been selected for the Newcomer award 3 more times since the start of Big 12 play, including Jan. 9 after posting consecutive 20-point games in wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor, Jan. 23 after his 24-point effort in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas and double-double vs. Texas Tech and Feb. 27 after averaging 21 points in wins vs. No. 9/10 Baylor and at Oklahoma State. The 5 total awards are the most since Michael Beasley won it 8 times in 2007-08.
Johnson has scored in double figures in a team-best 28 games, leading the Wildcats and ranking second in the Big 12 in scoring (17.6 ppg.). He is second in the league in field goal percentage (52.0), while he is in the top-15 in 5 other categories. He is one of two Big 12 players (Kansas' Jalen Wilson) rank in the league's top-5 in scoring and rebounding in overall and conference-only games. He became the 33rd Wildcat to top 500 points in a single season at OSU.

NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW

On a team with 13 new players and a new staff, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell once again has demonstrated he is still the guy running the show for the Wildcats, as he leads in both assists (7.6 apg.) and steals (2.3 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (17.0 ppg.). The 3-time Big 12 Player of the Week was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden and Naismith Trophy Award Midseason Watch Lists and Bob Cousy Award Top 10 List.
Nowell ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.6 apg.) and assists (220), while he is in the top-20 in five others, including eighth in steals (67), 11th in free throws (156), 15th in steals/game (2.3), 16th in free throw percentage and 20th in minutes/game (36.2). He is one of 3 Division I players with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals, while he just eclipsed 1,800 career points. He also ranks first among all active Division I players in steals (259).
Nowell was recognized for his MVP performance in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. It was his first weekly honor in the Big 12 and his fourth overall after winning it 3 times in the Sun Belt.
In wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell became the first Wildcat to record double-digit assists in consecutive games, while he became the second player in school history and the first since 1989 to post a 25-point/10-assist game with his 29-point, 11-assist effort in the overtime win over the Wolf Pack.
Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
Nowell capped his impressive week with the school's first 30-point, 10-assist game in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor, scoring 32 points while dishing a career-best 14 assists. He became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 with consecutive 30-point games, while his 14 assists tied the record for most in a conference game in school history. In addition to his second Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 9, he was named the NCAA March Madness, ESPN, Naismith Trophy and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
Nowell nearly posted the school's first triple-double in the win over Florida on Jan. 28, scoring 13 points on 4-of-9 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a career-tying 9 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists.
The school's single-season assists leader (220) with his 7 assists in the win over TCU, Nowell continued his historic season in the win over No. 9/10 Baylor, becoming just the 12th player in Division I since 1996-97 to dish out at least 10 assists without a single turnover vs. an AP Top 10 opponent.

AN INSTANT IMPACT

Junior transfer Nae'Qwan Tomlin has given K-State another scoring threat in the post, as the junior college All-American ranks third on the team in scoring (10.0 ppg.) while connecting 46.8 percent (111-of-237) from the field to go with 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. He ranks in the Big 12's top-10 in rebounding (10th) and blocks (ninth).
Tomlin was selected as the Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 26 after his near double-double in the win over Radford on Dec. 21. He led four Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 26 points, as he hit on 11-of-18 field goals, which included 4 dunks, a 3-pointer and 3 free throws, to go with 9 rebounds.
Tomlin scored in double figures in 7 consecutive games from Dec. 3 to Jan. 3, in which, he averaged 14.9 points on 55.4 percent (41-of-74) shooting to go with 6.3 rebounds per game. The streak began with 14 points vs. Wichita State and was highlighted by a career-best 26 points vs. Radford.
Tomlin has grabbed 10 rebounds 3 times this season, while posting his first career double-double (15 points/10 rebounds) in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He added a second double-double with 17 points and a season-tying 10 boards at Oklahoma. He has scored in double figures in 6 games in Big 12 play.
Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.

STARTER OFF THE BENCH

Although senior Desi Sills has earned the start in each of the last 3 games, he has mostly been a spark off the bench for the Wildcats, averaging 8.3 points on 43.5 percent (83-of-191) shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 29 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 12 times, including a season-high 24 points in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas.
Sills scored in double figures in 2 of the first 3 games, while he was pivotal in the win over LSU in the Cayman Islands Classic Championship game with 16 points. He has scored in double figures in 4 of the last 7 games, including 11 vs. Texas, 14 in the win over TCU and 10 in the win at Oklahoma State.
Although Sills went scoreless in the win over Wichita State, he had the play of the game with his block of Shammah Scott's breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.

UP NEXT: AT WEST VIRGINIA (17-13, 6-11 Big 12)

K-State wraps up the regular season on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats travel to Morgantown, W.Va., to take on a surging West Virginia squad (17-13, 6-11 Big 12) at 1 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 82-76, in overtime, on New Year's Eve.

Game Preview // 11/11 K-State Hosts Oklahoma on Senior Night

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Players Mentioned

Nate Awbrey

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Tykei Greene

Abayomi Iyiola

Keyontae Johnson

Taj Manning

Ismael Massoud

Mike McGuirl

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Desi Sills

Mark Smith

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // 11/11 K-State Hosts Oklahoma on Senior Night

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nate Awbrey

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Tykei Greene

Abayomi Iyiola

Keyontae Johnson

Taj Manning

Ismael Massoud

Mike McGuirl

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Nijel Pack

Desi Sills

Mark Smith

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

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