Preview // K-State Hosts Oklahoma State on Legends Weekend

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GAME 18
KANSAS STATE (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) vs. OKLAHOMA STATE (8-9, 0-4 Big 12)
Saturday, January 20, 2024 >> 6:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

PROMOTION
Legends Weekend (fans encouraged to wear lavender)
Doubleheader with women's basketball team

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Shawn Kenney (play-by-play)
Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
Jacob Garza (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 383
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
Sold out

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 39-14/Second Year
Career Record: 41-14*/Second Year
vs. Oklahoma State: 2-0 [1-0 at home]

Oklahoma State: Mike Boynton Jr. [South Carolina '03]
Record at Oklahoma State: 115-98/7th Year
Career Record: 115-98/7th Year
vs. K-State: 5-7 [2-4 on the road]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N'Guessan
C: #15 Will McNair Jr.

Oklahoma State (8-9, 0-4 Big 12)
G: #1 Bryce Thompson
G: #5 Quion Williams
G: #12 Javon Small
F: #2 Eric Dailey Jr.
C: #23 Brandon Garrison

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 85-58
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma State leads 23-19 [8-11 on the road]
At Home: K-State leads 42-18
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 15-12
Active Streak: K-State, 2
Last Meeting: W, 73-68 [2/25/2023 in Stillwater]
Jerome Tang vs. Mike Boynton Jr.: Tang leads 2-0

K-STATE HOSTS OKLAHOMA STATE ON LEGENDS WEEKEND
Kansas State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) concludes its 2-game homestand on Saturday night, as the Wildcats play host to Oklahoma State (8-9, 0-4 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Legends Weekend at Bramlage Coliseum. The matchup will be the first of 2 regular-season meetings between the schools, as they have met home-and-home every year since the 2012-13 season.

K-State will welcome back its men's basketball lettermen this weekend, honoring those in attendance at halftime. In addition, the contest will be the second game of a doubleheader with the No. 7/7 women's team playing host to archrival Kansas at 1 p.m., CT. Tickets are still available for the women's game starting at $10, while the men's game is sold out.

K-State leads the all-time series, 85-58, including 42-18 at home. However, Oklahoma State has a slight 23-19 edge in the Big 12 era, including an 8-11 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with a season sweep in 2023.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State rebounded from its first Big 12 loss at Texas Tech with a gritty 68-64 overtime win over No. 9/9 Baylor on Tuesday night. The Wildcats are now 10-0 under head coach Jerome Tang in overtime games, including 5-0 this season. The team has wins in 10 of their last 12 outings, including a 5-game winning streak from Nov. 22 to Dec. 9. Among their 13 wins are 5 Quad 1/2 victories (Villanova, Providence , LSU, UCF and Baylor), while the 4 losses have all come to Quad 1 or 2 teams (USC, Miami, Nebraska and Texas Tech).
K-State has been impressive in home games under Jerome Tang, posting a 26-2 record (24-2 record at Bramlage Coliseum) in his tenure with a 10-1 mark against Big 12 opponents. The Wildcats have posted a 10-1 record this season at home, including 2-0 in Big 12 play.
K-State's success of late can be attributed to its play on the defensive end, where the team has allowed just 60 points on 36.8 percent (178-of-484) shooting, including 27.3 percent (50-of-183) from 3-point range in the last 8 games. The Wildcats have allowed 60 points or less 5 times in that span, including holding Baylor to 22 points under their season scoring average (86.1 ppg.) on a season-low 32.9 percent shooting, including 17.9 percent from long range.
The Wildcats have a strong scoring trio of junior Cam Carter (16.6 ppg.), senior Tylor Perry (15.3 ppg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (14.7 ppg.), who are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (46.6 out of 74.8 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 fifth, Perry eighth and Kaluma 12th. The trio has been even more impressive in the 13 wins, averaging 48 points per game.
Rebounding has been a strength so far for the Wildcats, as they rank in the top-40 nationally in 2 categories, including 25th in offensive rebounds (13.47) and 38th in rebounding/game (40.06). They have outrebounded 12 of their 17 opponents. Senior David N'Guessan (8.1 rpg.) and junior Arthur Kaluma (8.0 rpg.) rank among the Big 12's top-5 in rebounding.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Extend its winning streak over Oklahoma State to 3 games.
Be the 1,734th in program history, including 86 vs. OSU.
Be the 25th in the last 27 home games under Jerome Tang.
Be the 11th in the last 12 Big 12 home games under Tang.
Be the 40th by Tang in his K-State career.

NOTES ON OKLAHOMA STATE (8-9, 0-4 Big 12)

Under seventh-year head coach Mike Boynton Jr., Oklahoma State is off to an 8-9 start, including an 0-4 mark in Big 12 play. The Cowboys lost in overtime, 75-70, to Baylor to open league play before setbacks at Texas Tech (90-73) and Iowa State (66-42) and a home loss to No. 3/4 Kansas (90-66) on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma State is averaging 72.4 points on 45.3 percent shooting, including 35.7 percent from 3-point range, with 36.1 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.1 blocks per game, while allowing 69.4 points on 43.7 percent shooting, including 32.3 percent from 3-point range. The Cowboys are connecting on 66.3 percent from the free throw line.
Two Cowboys are averaging in double figures led by junior Javon Small, who is averaging 14 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 38.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 4.5 assists per game. Senior Bryce Thompson is averaging 13.1 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 37.3 percent from 3-point range. Sophomore Quion Williams is averaging a team-best 6.2 rebounds to go with 7.0 points per game. Freshman Brandon Garrison has a team-high 1.7 blocks to go with 6.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Oklahoma State was picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll. The Cowboys posted a 20-16 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2022-23. They had to replace 8 lettermen, including 43 starters.
Oklahoma State is led by Boynton, Jr., who has a 115-98 record. He is 5-7 all-time vs. K-State.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State holds an 85-58 lead in the all-time series which dates all the way back to 1922 and includes a 42-18 mark at home. Oklahoma State has a 23-19 advantage in the Big 12 era, including 23-16 in the regular season.
The Wildcats have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with the Cowboys, including home matchups in 2022 and 2023. OSU had won 4 straight in 2020 and 2021 before the current streak.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
2/2/2019	--/--	W	75-57	Stillwater
2/23/2019	23/--	W	85-46	Manhattan
2/11/2020	--/--	L	59-64	Manhattan
3/4/2020	--/--	L	63-69	Stillwater
1/9/2021	--/rv	L	54-70	Manhattan
2/13/2021	--/23	L	60-67	Stillwater
2/2/2022	--/--	W	71-68	Manhattan
2/19/2022	--/--	L	79-82 (OT)	Stillwater
1/10/2023	11/--	W	65-57	Manhattan
2/25/2023	14/--	W	73-68	Stillwater

LAST MEETING
14/16 K-STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68 [Feb. 25, 2023]

Consecutive 3-point field goals by senior Keyontae Johnson and junior Ish Massoud late in the second half gave No. 14/16 K-State the lift it needed in a tight contest, as the Wildcats swept the season series from Oklahoma State with a 73-68 win in the last meeting between the schools on Feb. 25, 2023, at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Senior Markquis Nowell led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 22 points, while Johnson and senior Desi Sills added 17 and 10 points, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 68, 9/9 BAYLOR 64 [OT]

K-State's magic in overtime games under coach Jerome Tang continued on Tuesday, as the Wildcats ended the game on a 9-0 run, highlighted by junior Arthur Kaluma's 4-point play with 20 seconds left, to collect a 68-64 overtime win over No. 9/9 Baylor before 10,055 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) are now 10-0 in overtime games under Tang, including 5-0 this season. The 5 overtime wins tie the school record for the second consecutive season and third time overall. The 10 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach in school history.
Down 64-59 with 1:12 remaining in the extra period, the Wildcats started their game-ending 9-0 run with a 3-pointer from freshman R.J. Jones with just over a minute to play. Following a stop on defense, senior David N'Guessan got a big offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer from redshirt freshman Dorian Finister, delivering it to Jones who got it to Kaluma at the top of the key where he nailed the 3-pointer before being fouled with 20 seconds.
After Kaluma's free throw gave K-State a 66-64 lead, Baylor (14-3, 3-1 Big 12) had another opportunity to respond but redshirt freshman Langston Love's 3-pointer from the corner was off the mark and senior Tylor Perry snagged the rebound before being fouled with 6 seconds left. Perry nailed both free throws to finish off the win and complete the night 11-of-12 from the line.
The Wildcats needed special heroics to even get to overtime, as they trailed the Bears, 52-46, with 1:53 to play. After a timeout by Tang, Kaluma started a run of 7 consecutive points that pulled the Wildcats ahead 53-52 after 2 free throws by Perry with 34 seconds. A layup by junior Jayden Nunn gave Baylor the lead with 16 seconds to play but Perry was fouled bringing the ball up the floor just 2 seconds later. He made 1-of-2 from the line to tie the game at 54-all before Nunn's 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
K-State led for just 4 minutes and 9 seconds compared to more than 36 minutes by Baylor.
The overtime win was highlighted by another stellar defensive effort by K-State, which held one of the nation's top scoring teams (86.1 ppg.) to nearly 22 points under its scoring average and its second-fewest points of the season. Baylor scored its 64 points on a season-low 32.9 percent (25-of-76) shooting, including 17.9 percent (5-of-28) from 3-point range.
K-State finished the night shooting 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from the field, including 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point range, while hitting on 77.3 percent (17-of-22) from the free throw line.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 18 points from junior Cam Carter and Perry, while Kaluma added his team-leading fourth double-double with 12 points and team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Jerrell Colbert and redshirt freshman Dorian Finister came up big off the bench with 6 and 5 points, respectively. Finister added 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State earned its 53rd Top 10 victory in school history, including its fourth under Tang... The Wildcats now have 21 Top 10 wins at Bramlage Coliseum.
Tang has 8 career Top 25 wins, including 6 at home, and 4 career Top 10 wins.
K-State now has 47 Top 25 wins in Bramlage Coliseum history, including 44 vs. ranked Big 12 opponents... The team has a Top 25 win in 18 straight seasons.
Tang is now 3-0 all-time vs. his former boss Scott Drew after his Wildcats swept both games in 2022-23... This will be the only regular-season meeting, snapping a 12-year streak of playing home-and-home every year since 2011-12.

OVERTIME SUCCESS

K-State moved to 10-0 in overtime games, including 5-0 this season, under head coach Jerome Tang after Tuesday's dramatic come-from-behind 68-64 victory over No. 9/9 Baylor. The Wildcats scored the last 9 points in the overtime period, including the game-clinching 4-point play from junior Arthur Kaluma with 20 seconds left, to earn the victory. This came after the squad rallied from a 6-point deficit with 1:53 to play to force the extra period.
K-State has outscored its opponents, 65-46, in the overtime period, as the Wildcats have connected on 62.1 percent (18-of-29) from the field, including 50 percent (5-of-10) from 3-point range, and 82.8 percent (24-of-29) from the line.
K-State's 5 overtime wins this season tie the school record for the second consecutive season and the third time overall (1992-93 and 2022-23). The 5 overtimes also tie for the most in a single season. The 3 consecutive overtime games (Oral Roberts, North Alabama and Villanova) earlier this year marked the first such occurrence since winning 3 straight overtime games in Feb. 3-15, 1964.
Tang is the first head coach in school history to win his first 10 overtime games, surpassing Dana Altman (1990-94), who was a perfect 7-0 in overtime games in his tenure. The 10 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach, trailing Tex Winter (15) and Jack Hartman (14).

OFFENSE CREATING MORE 3-POINTERS

K-State is on pace to break the single-season mark for 3-point attempts for the second time in 3 seasons, as the Wildcats have already attempted 412 shots from beyond the arc. The team set the record with 754 in 2021-22 while the 752 in 2022-23 were a close second on the list. So far, the Wildcats are averaging 24.2 attempts per game, which ranks third in the Big 12.
K-State has connected on 129 3-pointers, which are the second-most through the first 17 games. Four times the Wildcats have recorded double-digit 3-point makes, including a season-high 14 triples in the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23). Those 14 makes tied for the fifth-most in school history and were the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
Senior Tylor Perry is among the top 3-point shooters, as he ranks among the top-65 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 11th in attempts (148), 55th in 3-point field goals/game (2.76) and 62nd in total 3-pointers (47).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 33.4 points in the paint this season, including 34.9 in the last 13 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.

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 8 games, allowing just 60 points on 36.8 percent (178-of-484) shooting. The Wildcats have held 5 opponents to 60 points or less in that span, including 55 to Chicago State and 52 to UCF.
Through 4 Big 12 games, K-State ranks among the top-3 in 5 defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense (35.2) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (23.7), second in scoring defense (60.8) and defensive rebounds (26.75) and third in blocked shots (5.3 bpg.).
The 52 points allowed to UCF were the fewest allowed in a Big 12 game under head coach Jerome Tang and the fewest in a Big 12 opener since surrendering 44 to No. 25 Texas Tech on Jan. 11, 2003. K-State held Baylor to

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 38th nationally in rebounds/game (40.06), including fourth in the league and 25th nationally in offensive rebounds/game (13.47).
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 12 times in 17 games, while posting a +5.5 rebounding margin, which ranks 57th nationally.
K-State has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in 7 games, including a season-best 63 in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23). The 63 rebounds were the most in a game in more than 25 seasons since corraling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which 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 15.9 makes per game while converting on 73.8 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-80 nationally in both makes (15.9) and attempts (21.5) per game, as the squad places third in the Big 12 and 62nd nationally in makes and fifth in the Big 12 and 79th nationally in attempts.
K-State has converted on 20 or more free throw attempts in 3 games (all wins), including a 23-of-27 effort vs. Providence (11/17/23), a historic 34-of-48 performance vs. North Alabama (12/2/23) and a 23-of-29 effort vs. Wichita State (12/21/23). The 34 makes vs. UNA 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.

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 1,734-1,227 (.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 has proven to be more than just a scorer this season, as he leads the Wildcats in assists (5.2 apg.) while he is second in scoring (15.3 ppg.) and steals (1.5 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.2 rpg.). Perry is the only Big 12 player averaging 15 points and 5 assists per game.
Perry has scored in double figures in 14 of the first 17 games, including in 9 of the last 11 games. Among those 14 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 6 categories, including tops in free throw percentage (93.3) and minutes (36.72), fourth in 3-point field goals (2.76), fifth in assists (5.2 apg.), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (2.2) and eighth in scoring (15.3 ppg.). He is also 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (31.8).
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 1,303 points at the Division I level.
In addition to leading the team in scoring in 9 games, Perry has led the way in assists in 12 games, while he has been the leader in steals in 6 games. He has dished out a season-high 6 assists on 8 occasions, while he has collected a season-best 4 steals 3 times this season.

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 93.3 percent (83-of-89). He ranks eighth nationally and first in the Big 12. He made 34 straight free throws before missing in overtime vs. Oral Roberts.
Twice this season Perry has knocked 10 or more free throws highlighted by a 14-of-14 performance to cap a 24-point effort in the win over Providence (11/17/23). The perfect performance from the line tied for the third-best in school history and the best since Michael Beasley went 15-of-15 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 17 games, averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game. He also leads in double-digit scoring games (15), field goals (101) and attempts (246), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 20-point games (4), 3-pointers (33) and attempts (108).
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 15 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 5 in 4 categories, including second in minutes (36.2), third in free throw percentage (85.7), fourth in steals (1.94), and fifth in scoring (16.6 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 14 games, all coming in the last 15 games played, while totaling a team-best 4 double-doubles. He is third in scoring at 14.7 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 overtime win over Baylor, recording his seventh career double-double, including his fourth as a Wildcat, with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes. He connected on the game-deciding 4-point play with 20 seconds left in overtime.
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 8.1 boards per game. He ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (3.41 orpg.), while he is eighth in defensive rebounds (4.65 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 has twice posted double-doubles, including the first of his career in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23) with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He pulled down a second double-double vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23) with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He nearly had double-doubles vs. Wichita State (13 points, 9 rebounds) and Chicago State (12 points and 9 rebounds).
N'Guessan has increased his scoring output while continuing his impressive play on the glass, posting double-digit points in 3 of the last 6 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 7.9 points on 61.1 percent shooting to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks through 16 games with 15 starts in 22.6 minutes per game.
McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then has earned starts in 14 of the last 15 games. He has double figures in 6 of those 15 starts, including a season-best 13 points at LSU (12/9/23). He had a terrific all-around effort in the loss at Texas Tech (1/13/24), nearly posting a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds to go with a career-best 5 blocks.

SIXTH MAN

Redshirt freshman Dorian Finister is starting to become a spark off the bench for the Wildcats, as he is averaging 17 minutes in the last 6 games with nearly 20 minutes of action so far in Big 12 play. He is averaging 5.3 points on 50 percent shooting with 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in Big 12 play.
After not playing for 5 games, Finister made his impact felt on the defensive end in wins over Wichita State (12/21/23) and Chicago State (1/2/24) before starting to make an impact on offense. He had back-to-back 6-point outings vs. UCF (1/6/24) and at West Virginia (1/9/24). He posted 5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in the overtime win over No. 9/9 Baylor (1/16/24).

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 15 games, averaging nearly 10 minutes per game. He ranks third on the team in 3-pointers (11), scoring in 6 of 14 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: AT 24/20 IOWA STATE (13-4, 2-2 BIG 12)

K-State begins another 2-game road trip, as the Wildcats travel to Ames, Iowa on Wednesday night to take on No. 24/20 Iowa State (13-4, 2-2 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2. The team then makes its first trip to No. 5/5 Houston (15-2, 2-2 Big 12) on Saturday at 11 a.m., CT.

Preview // K-State Hosts Oklahoma State on Legends Weekend

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Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Dorian Finister

Keyontae Johnson

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 Oklahoma State on Legends Weekend

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Dorian Finister

Keyontae Johnson

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

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