Game Preview // 15/13 K-State to Play Kentucky for Sweet 16 Berth

Complete Release Available Here
NCAA Tournament History Available Here
Clip Packet Available Here
2022-23 Season Guide Available Here
2022-23 TV/Radio Speed Chart Available Here

GAME 34
15/13 [3-seed] KANSAS STATE (24-9, 11-7 Big 12) vs. [6-seed] KENTUCKY (22-11, 12-6 SEC)
NCAA East Regional Second Round
Sunday, March 19, 2023 >> 1:40 p.m. CT >> Greensboro Coliseum (20,000) >> Greensboro, N.C.

TELEVISION
CBS / March Madness App (link here)

Ian Eagle (play-by-play)
Jim Spanarkel (analyst)
Evan Washburn (sideline reporter)
Craig Silver (producer)

NATIONAL RADIO
Westwood One [link here]
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM Ch. 134 or 202

Bill Rosinski (play-by-play)
Austin Croshere (analyst)

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

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

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
March Madness

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 24-9/1st Year
Career Record: 26-9/1st Year+
vs. Kentucky: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]

Kentucky: John Calipari [Clarion '82]
Record at Kentucky: 387-112/14th Year
Career Record: 832-252/31st Year
vs. K-State: 2-1 [1-1 at Kentucky]

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
NCAA Tournament [appearance/last]: 38-35 [32nd/2019]
East Regional [appearance/last]: 4-4 [5th/2012]
Second Round [East Regional]: 7-5 [1-0]
In Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Coliseum: 1-1/1-1
As No. 3 seed [appearance]: 1-0 [1st]
vs. No. 6 seed [appearance]: 0-2 [3rd]

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Kentucky leads 9-1
In NCAA Tournament: Kentucky leads 2-1
In Greensboro, N.C.: First meeting
Last Meeting: W, 61-58 [3/22/2018]
Active Streak: K-State, 1
Tang vs. Kentucky: 0-0 [0-0 at K-State]
Tang vs. John Calipari: 0-0 [0-0 at neutral site]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)
15/13 Kansas State (24-9, 11-7 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
G: #13 Desi Sills
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae'Qwan Tomlin

rv/rv Kentucky (22-11, 12-6 SEC)
G: #22 Cason Wallace
G: #12 Antonio Reeves
F: #24 Chris Livingston
F: #0 Jacob Toppin
F: #34 Oscar Tshiebwe

OPENING TIP
No. 15/13 K-State (24-9, 11-7 Big 12) earned its first NCAA Tournament win since 2018 and the first under head coach Jerome Tang on Friday night, as the Wildcats used hot shooting to earn a 77-65 win over 14-seed Montana State before a crowd of more than 17,000 at the Greensboro Coliseum. The victory earned a date with 6-seed Kentucky (22-11, 12-6 SEC) in the second round of East Regional at 1:40 p.m., CT on Sunday afternoon. The game will air on CBS with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst) and Evan Washburn (reporter) on the call. The winner will advance to play either No. 2 Marquette (29-6, 17-3 BIG EAST) or No. 7 seed Michigan State (20-12, 11-8 Big Ten) next weekend at Madison Square Garden.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State and Kentucky will meet for the 11th time overall, including the fourth time in the NCAA Tournament following games in 1951, 2014 and 2018. The SEC Wildcats have dominated the series, holding a 9-1 advantage, including 2-1 in NCAA Tournament play. Kentucky won matchups in the 1951 NCAA Championship game, 68-58, and the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, 56-49, before K-State earned a 61-58 win in the 2018 Sweet 16.
K-State had an all-around impressive offensive performance in the 77-65 win over 14-seed Montana State on Friday to earn its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2018. The Wildcats hit on 58.2 percent (32-of-55) from the field, including 65.4 percent (17-of-26) in the second half, to snap a 2-game skid in NCAA Tournament play. It was the fifth-highest field goal percentage in an NCAA Tournament game in school history and the highest since the 2017 First Four. They also tied the school record for assists (21) in an NCAA Tournament game.
Seniors Keyontae Johnson (18 points) and Markquis Nowell (17 points) combined for 35 points to lead four Wildcats in double figures in the Montana State win. It was right on average for the duo, who are averaging 34.5 points per game to rank fourth among power conferences. They were both selected as Third Team All-Americans by The Associated Press, becoming the first duo in school history to earn the honor. In all, they are just the eighth and ninth players to earn recognition to the First, Second or Third All-American teams by the AP and the first since 2011.
Johnson is the comeback story of the year in sports after arriving at K-State in August having not played basketball in nearly 2 seasons since his medical emergency while playing at Florida on Dec. 12, 2020. He has led the Wildcats in both scoring (17.7 ppg.) and rebounding (7.1 rpg.) while scoring in double figures in 32 of 33 games with 9 20-point games and 6 double-doubles. He paced the team in both scoring (18) and rebounding (8) vs. Montana State.
Nowell tallied his 16th career points/assists double-double, including his 11th in his K-State career and eighth this season, with his 17-point, 14-assist performance vs. Montana State. The 14 assists tied for the ninth-most in an NCAA Tournament game, while they were the most-ever by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game, eclipsing the 12 by Steve Henson in 1988. He ranks second nationally in assists/game (7.6 apg.) and third in total assists (257).
K-State earned its 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019 after winning 23 games, including 11 in the nation's top conference - the Big 12 - to finish in a tie for third place. The Wildcats combined for 13 Quad 1 and 2 wins, including 9 vs. Quad 1 competition. The team was one of 9 schools with at least 9 Quad 1 wins, while they tied a school-record with 7 wins against AP Top 25 opponents. This came after being selected 10th in the preseason Big 12 poll. The No. 3 seed is the second highest in school history after the No. 2 seed in 2010.
Big 12 Coach of the Year Jerome Tang is one of 7 first-year head coaches in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, including one of 3 first-time coaches, along with Duke's Jon Scheyer and Fairleigh Dickinson's Tobin Anderson. His 24 wins rank fifth among first-year coaches behind Scheyer (27-9), Xavier's Sean Miller (26-9), Fordham's Kyle Urgo (25-8) and Missouri's Dennis Gates (25-10). He is the fourth coach to take K-State to the NCAA Tournament in his first year, joining Lon Kruger [20/1986-87], Frank Martin [21/2007-08] and Bruce Weber [27/2012-13].

Game Preview // 15/13 K-State to Play Kentucky for Sweet 16 Berth

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cam Carter

Keyontae Johnson

Markquis Nowell

Desi Sills

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Kansas State University Athletics

Game Preview // 15/13 K-State to Play Kentucky for Sweet 16 Berth

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cam Carter

Keyontae Johnson

Markquis Nowell

Desi Sills

Nae'Qwan Tomlin

Related Videos