Preview // K-State Concludes Road Trip at Texas Tech Saturday

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GAME 16
KANSAS STATE (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) at TEXAS TECH (13-2, 2-0 Big 12)
Saturday, January 13, 2024 >> 3:05 p.m. CT >> United Supermarkets Arena (15,300) >> Lubbock, Texas

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Pete Sousa (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Alex Wheat (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 389
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 38-13/Second Year
Career Record: 40-13*/Second Year
vs. Texas Tech: 1-1 [0-1 on the road]

Texas Tech: Grant McCasland [Morningside '10]
Record at Texas Tech: 13-2/1st Year
Career Record: 223-91/10th Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (12-3, 2-0 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N'Guessan
C: #15 Will McNair Jr.

Texas Tech (13-2, 2-0 Big 12)
G: #2 Pop Isaacs
G: #6 Joe Toussaint
G: #24 Kerwin Walton
F: #5 Darrion Williams
F: #22 Warren Washington

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 26-24
Big 12 Era: Texas Tech leads 21-19 [15-4 at home]
On the Road: Texas Tech leads 16-7
Active Streak: Texas Tech, 1
First Meeting: W, 89-70 [12/6/1955 in Manhattan]
Last Meeting: L, 71-63 [2/11/2023 in Lubbock]
Jerome Tang vs. Grant McCasland: First meeting

K-STATE CONCLUDES ROAD TRIP AT TEXAS TECH SATURDAY
Kansas State (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) concludes a 2-game road swing on Saturday, as the Wildcats travel to Texas Tech (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) for a 3 p.m., CT tipoff at the United Supermarket Arena. The matchup will be the first and only regular-season meeting between the schools, snapping a 12-year streak of playing home-and-home every year since the 2011-12 season.

The Red Raiders hold a narrow 21-19 lead in the series since the start of Big 12 play, but hold a dominant 15-4 record in Lubbock, including a 9-game win streak at the United Supermarkets Arena. The last Wildcat win in Lubbock came in a 60-56 victory on Feb. 25, 2014.

Storylines are abundant, most notably among the head coaches Jerome Tang and Grant McCasland, who will meet for the first time after spending 5 seasons on Scott Drew's coaching staff at Baylor from 2011-16. The duo was apart of 125 wins at Baylor, including an Elite Eight in 2012 and NIT Championship in 2013. In addition, assistant coach Jareem Dowling and strength coach Phil Baier spent time working for McCasland at Arkansas State and North Texas, while senior Tylor Perry played 2 seasons (2021-23) for McCasland at North Texas.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State enters Saturday's game with 9 wins in its last 10 outings, including a 5-game winning streak from Nov. 22 to Dec. 9. Among their 12 wins are 3 Quad 2 victories (Villanova, Providence and LSU), while the 3 losses have all come to Quad 2 (USC, Miami and Nebraska) teams. The Wildcats are 6-7 in true road games under Jerome Tang, including 2-0 this season.
K-State's success of late can be attributed to its play on the defensive end, where the team has allowed just 57.8 points on 37.4 percent (113-of-302) shooting, including 29.9 percent (32-of-107) from 3-point range in the last 6 games. The Wildcats have allowed 60 points or less 4 times in that span, including a season-low 52 points to UCF on 33.8 percent shooting, including 23.8 percent from 3-point range. It was the fewest points allowed to a Big 12 opponent under Jerome Tang and the fewest in a Big 12 opener since 2003.
The Wildcats have a strong scoring trio of junior Cam Carter (16.7 ppg.), junior Arthur Kaluma (15.2 ppg.) and senior Tylor Perry (15.1 ppg.), who are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (47 out of 76.3 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 seventh, Kaluma 11th and Perry 12th . The trio has been even more impressive in the 12 wins, averaging 48.1 points per game.
Rebounding has been a strength for the Wildcats, as they rank in the top-40 nationally in 3 rebounding categories, including 18th in offensive rebounds (13.93), 33rd in rebounding/game (40.47) and 41st in rebounding margin (+6.5). Senior David N'Guessan (8.4 rpg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (8.0 rpg.) rank among the Big 12's top-5 in rebounding.
Thanks to a Big 12-leading four overtime games, K-State has 3 players who rank in the Big 12's top-5 in minutes played, including league leader Tylor Perry (36.27 mpg.).

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 9-game losing streak to Tech in Lubbock.
Give it a 3-0 start to Big 12 play for the second straight year.
Move Jerome Tang to 7-7 in true road games in his tenure.
Give the Wildcats their third true road win of the season.
Give Tang his 41st win as a head coach in his career.

NOTES ON TEXAS TECH (13-2, 2-0 Big 12)

Under first-year head coach Grant McCasland, Texas Tech is off to a strong 13-2 start, including a 2-0 mark in Big 12 play after a 90-73 win over Oklahoma State at home on Tuesday night. The Red Raiders have won 8 straight dating to a 103-95 overtime loss at Butler on Nov. 30. They are a perfect 9-0 at home this season.
Texas Tech is averaging 78.8 points on 47 percent shooting, including 36.8 percent from 3-point range, with 36.5 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 5.9 steals and 3.5 blocks per game, while allowing 65.2 points on 41.1 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range. The Red Raiders are connecting on 77.6 percent from the free throw line.
Six Red Raiders are averaging 9 or more points, including three in double figures, led by sophomore Pop Isaacs, who is averaging 16.7 points on 37.8 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range. Isaacs has a team-high 35 3-pointers. Senior transfer Joe Toussaint is averaging 14.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting to go with a team-best 4.1 assists. Senior Warren Washington (9.9 ppg.), sophomore Darrion Williams (9.7 ppg.) and senior Chance McMillian (9.1 ppg.) are all averaging better than 9 points per game. Washington has a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game, while Williams is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.
Texas Tech was picked eighth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll. The Red Raiders posted a 16-16 record, including a 5-13 mark in the Big 12, in 2022-23. They had to replace 7 lettermen, including 4 starters.
McCasland has posted a 223-91 mark in 10 seasons as a head coach, which includes a 6-year stint at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to 135 wins, 4 postseason appearances, 2 C-USA regular season titles (2020, 2022) and the 2023 NIT title. Overall, he has won 365 games in his head coaching career, which includes Midland College (2004-09), Midwestern State (2009-11) and Arkansas State (2016-17).

SERIES HISTORY

K-State holds a 26-24 advantage in the all-time series with Texas Tech, which includes a 7-16 mark in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have a slight 21-19 edge in the Big 12 era and won 9 of the last 12 meetings in the series.
The team split their 2 meetings in 2023 with K-State winning its second straight at home in the series with a 68-58 win on Jan. 21 before Texas Tech earned a 71-63 win in the last meeting in Lubbock on Feb. 11. The last road win by K-State in the series came in a 60-56 victory on Feb. 25, 2014.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [3-7]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
1/5/2019	--/11	L	57-63	Lubbock
1/22/2019	--/14	W	58-45	Manhattan
1/14/2020	--/23	L	63-77	Manhattan
2/19/2020	--/--	L	62-69	Lubbock
1/5/2021	--/18	L	71-82	Lubbock
2/6/2021	--/13	L	62-73	Manhattan
1/15/2022	--/19	W	62-51	Manhattan
2/28/2022	--/12	L	68-73	Lubbock
1/21/2023	13/--	W	68-58	Manhattan
2/11/2023	12/--	L	63-71	Lubbock

LAST MEETING
TEXAS TECH 71, 12/11 K-STATE 63 [Feb. 11, 2023]

Texas Tech forced a season-high 23 turnovers, converting those into 28 points, as the Red Raiders ran their home winning streak over the Wildcats to 9 games with a 71-63 upset in the last meeting between the schools on Feb. 11, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena.
Markquis Nowell led three Wildcats in double figures with 18 points, while Desi Sills had 12 points off the bench.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 81, WEST VIRGINIA 67

Junior guard Cam Carter scored 15 of his game-high 23 points after halftime to help K-State surge to a big second half performance in an 81-67 win over West Virginia on Tuesday night before 10,063 fans at the WVU Coliseum.
With the win, the Wildcats (12-3, 2-0) snapped a 4-game losing streak to the Mountaineers (5-10, 0-2 Big 12) in Morgantown, as they earned their first victory at the WVU Coliseum since a 65-51 win on Feb. 18, 2019. It was just the fourth victory (1949, 2013 and 2019) at West Virginia in 13 all-time visits.
Down 42-40 at the half, the Wildcats used a 17-5 run to start the second half to take control of the game and build their first double-digit lead (57-47) with just over 13 minutes to play. Four different players contributed to the run, including a combined 13 points from Carter (7 points) and fellow junior Arthur Kaluma (6 points).
The Mountaineers were able to close to within 5 points on 3 occasions, including 61-56 at the third media timeout with 7:21 to play, but the Wildcats answered with a decisive 12-2 run to end any notion of a comeback and push ahead by a game-high 15 points (73-58) with 3:43 to play. Carter was responsible for 6 of the 12 points during the run. WVU got no closer than 8 points the rest of the way in dropping its fifth game in the last 6 outings.
After allowing 42 points in the first half on 48 percent (12-of-25) shooting, including 50 percent (6-of-12) from 3-point range, K-State held West Virginia to just 25 points in the second half on 30.8 percent (8-of-26) shooting, including 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from long range.
Carter led four Wildcats in double figures with his fourth 20-point game of the season, as he finished the game 6-of-14 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Kaluma and senior David N'Guessan each added 17 points, as N'Guessan tallied both his season-high and Big 12 high in going 7-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Senior Will McNair Jr. nearly tallied a double-double with 12 points and a season-high 9 rebounds.
In addition to the four double-digit scorers, the Wildcats got another solid night from redshirt freshman guard Dorian Finister, who tied his season-high with 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in a career-tying 22 minutes of action.
K-State shot better than 50 percent from the field for the third time this season, connecting on 53.8 percent (28-of-52) of its field goals with 44 of its 81 points coming in the paint. Although both teams turned it over 13 times, the Wildcats were able to post a 17-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
West Virginia was held to just 39.2 percent (20-of-51) shooting, including 30.8 percent (8-of-26) in the second half. The Mountaineers had 3 players score in double figures led by senior transfer RaeQuan Battle, who finished with 21 points on 5-of-13 field goals and 9-of-12 free throws.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

The 81 points tied for the most points against West Virginia on the road in the series, while the 14-point margin of victory tied for the most in the 13 career games in Morgantown and most since the last win in 2019.
K-State held a 35-22 edge in rebounding, including 9 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points... The Wildcats also held the advantage in points off turnovers (17-5), points in the paint (44-2) and fast-break points (13-8).
K-State is now 10-1 when 4 or more players score in double figures.
Senior David N'Guessan scored a season- and Big 12-high of 17 points, while fellow senior Will McNair Jr. grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds.

NEW OFFENSE CREATING EXCITEMENT

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.
K-State has scored 77 points vs. UCF and 81 points vs West Virginia to open Big 12 play to boost its scoring average to 76.3 points per game, which is the third-best through the first 15 games in the past 15 seasons behind the 2009-10 (82.5 ppg.) and the 2022-23 (79.7 ppg.).

NEW OFFENSE, MORE 3-POINTERS

The new offense has so far increased the number of 3-pointers, as the team has already attempted 366 from beyond the arc, including 33 in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), which ranks 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 112 3-pointers, which are the second-most through the first 15 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 third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal attempts (24.4) and eighth in 3-point field goals/game (7.5). Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the top-65 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 19th in attempts (129), 49th in 3-point field goals/game (2.80) and 63rd in total 3-pointers (42).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 34.8 points in the paint this season, including 37.1 in the last 11 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 32nd nationally in rebounds/game (40.47), including third in the league and 18th nationally in offensive rebounds/game (13.93).
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 11 times in 15 games, while posting an +6.5 rebounding margin, which ranks 44th nationally.
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 16.5 makes per game while converting on 73.6 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-55 nationally in both makes (16.5) and attempts (22.5) per game, as the squad places third in the Big 12 and 40th nationally in makes and second in the Big 12 and 53rd 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

After allowing 75 points or more 4 times in the first 9 games, K-State has made strides on the defensive end in the last 6 games, allowing just 59.3 points on 37.7 percent (133-of-353) shooting. The Wildcats have held 4 opponents to 60 points or less in that span, including 55 to Chicago State and 52 to UCF.
The 52 points allowed to UCF were the fewest allowed in a Big 12 game under Jerome Tang and the fewest in a Big 12 opener since surrendering 44 to No. 25 Texas Tech on Jan. 11, 2003.
It is not the first instances that K-State has shown the ability to be a good defensive team, as the Wildcats held South Dakota State (11/13/23) and Providence (11/17/23) to an average of 69 points, while Central Arkansas (11/22/23) scored a season-low 56 points on 27.9 percent (19-of-68) shooting.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 181-56 (.764) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 137-15 (.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 126-13 (.907) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
At 10-3, K-State earned double-digit wins in non-conference play for the second straight season and the 14th time in the last 19 seasons (since 2006-07). The 10 wins marked the second-most in that span in the last 6 seasons.

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	10-3	8-1	7-1
Total	180-56	137-15	126-13

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 1,733-1,226 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

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 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 36.3 minutes per game.
Perry has scored in double figures in 12 of the first 15 games, including in 7 of the last 9 games. Among those 12 double-digit scoring games is a team-best 5 20-point games, which includes 22 points vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23), 24 points vs. Providence (11/17/23), 20 points vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23) and a season-best 25 points in the win over UCF (1/6/24).
Perry ranks the Big 12's top 15 in 5 categories, including tops in free throw percentage (93.3) and minutes (36.27), fourth in 3-point field goals (2.80), fifth in assists (5.3 apg.) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (2.35). He is also ranks 12th in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and 14th in 3-point field goal percentage (33.3).
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 1,269 points at the Division I level.
Perry had at least 4 3-pointers in 5 games, while he had a season-high 6 treys against South Dakota State (11/13/23) and UCF (1/6/24). He now has made at least 4 3-pointers in 28 career games at the Division I level, while he hast 6 or made triples in 5 games (7 vs. San Jose State (11/25/22) and 6 at UAB (2/19/22), 6 vs. Sam Houston (3/19/23), 6 vs. South Dakota State and 6 vs. UCF).

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 93.3 percent (70-of-75). He ranks 10th 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 15 games, averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game. He also leads the team in double-digit scoring games (13), field goals (88) and attempts (221), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 20-point games (4), 3-pointers (28) and attempts (98).
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 in the win at LSU (12/9/23). He posted a fourth 20-point game with a game-high 23 points at West Virginia (1/9/24) on 6-of-14 field goals and 10-of-10 free throws.
In addition to scoring in double figures in his team-best 13 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 10 in 4 categories, including second in minutes (36.2), fourth in steals (2.07) and free throw percentage (86.8) and seventh in scoring (16.7 ppg.).

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 has scored in double figures in 12 games, all coming in the last 13 games played, while totaling a team-best 3 double-doubles. He is third in scoring at 15.2 points per game, while averaging the second-most rebounds at 8.0 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 Chicago State win, recording his sixth career double-double, including his third as a Wildcat, with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go with a season-high 13 rebounds in 38 minutes. He has now scored in double figures in 52 career games, including 12 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 3 players (Kansas' Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.) in the Big 12 to rank in the top-15 in both scoring and rebounding.

ATTACKING THE GLASS

Senior David N'Guessan has been impressive so far on the glass, ranking third in the Big 12 in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game. He ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (3.53 orpg.), while he is ninth in defensive rebounds (4.93 drpg.). He has a team-best double-digit rebounds in 5 games, including a career-best 14 boards vs. UCF (1/6/24).
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. He nearly had double-doubles vs. Wichita State (12/21/23) and Chicago State (1/2/24).
N'Guessan has increased his scoring output while continuing his impressive play on the glass, posting double-digit points in 3 of the last 4 games, including a season-high 17 points in the win at West Virginia (1/9/24).
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 8.1 points on 62.5 percent shooting to go along with 5.0 rebounds through 14 games with 13 starts in 21.5 minutes per game.
McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then has earned starts in 12 of the last 13 games. He has double figures in 6 of those 13 starts, including 13 points at LSU (12/9/23), while he had 11 points in the Big 12 opener with UCF (1/6/24) and 12 points at West Virginia (1/9/24).

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 14 games played with a season-high 7 vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
Jones has played in 13 games, averaging 10 minutes per game. He ranks third on the team in 3-pointers (10), scoring in 6 of 13 games played 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: 14/14 BAYLOR (13-2, 2-0 Big 12)

K-State begins a 2-game homestand on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to No. 14/14 Baylor (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT. Tickets are still available at kstatesports.com/tickets.

Preview // K-State Concludes Road Trip at Texas Tech Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Dorian Finister

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Desi Sills

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Concludes Road Trip at Texas Tech Saturday

Related News

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Dorian Finister

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Desi Sills

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