Preview // K-State Returns Home Tuesday to Take On 23/24 Oklahoma

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2023-24 Record Book Available Here
2023-24 TV/Radio Speed Chart Available Here

GAME 21
KANSAS STATE (14-6, 4-3 Big 12) vs 23/24 OKLAHOMA (15-5, 3-4 Big 12)
Tuesday, January 30, 2024 >> 7:01 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Joe McCoy (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 386
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

TICKETS
$24.75, $30, $40, $50
kstatesports.com/tickets

LIVE STATS
kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 40-16/Second Year
Career Record: 42-16*/Second Year
vs. Oklahoma: 1-1 [1-0 at home]

Oklahoma: Porter Moser [Creighton '90]
Record at Oklahoma: 49-38/3rd Year
Career Record: 342-280/20th Year
vs. K-State: 4-1 [1-1 on the road]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (14-6, 4-3 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N'Guessan
C: #15 Will McNair Jr.

23/24 Oklahoma (15-5, 3-4 Big 12)
G: #12 Milos Uzan
G: #2 Javian McCollum
G: #3 Otega Oweh
F: #14 Jalen Moore
F: #10 Sam Godwin

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Oklahoma leads 113-104
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma leads 21-19 [6-14 on the road]
At Home: K-State leads 65-37
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 19-9
Active Streak: K-State, 1
Last Meeting: W, 85-69 [March 1, 2023, in Manhattan]
Jerome Tang vs. Porter Moser: Tied 1-1

K-STATE RETURNS HOME TO FACE 23/24 OKLAHOMA TUESDAY
Kansas State (14-6, 4-3 Big 12) returns to the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats conclude the month of January with a visit from No. 23/24 Oklahoma (15-5, 3-4 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. The Sooners will be the sixth ranked opponent of the season, including the fourth in the last 5 games and third in row. Four of the Wildcats' 6 losses this season have come to Top 25 opponents, including back-to-back losses on the road last week to No. 23/18 Iowa State and No. 4/4 Houston.

Both teams enter the game with urgency, as they are each riding a 2-game losing streak after winning consecutive games the previous week. Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 113-104, including 21-19 in the Big 12 era. At 217 games, it is the fifth-most played rivalry in school history, as Tuesday's game will be the only regular-season meeting in 2024 and the last regular- season matchup as conference opponents. The teams split their 2 meetings in 2023 with the Wildcats snapping a 3-game skid in the series with an 85-69 win at home on March 1.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State suffered consecutive losses for the first time with road defeats at No. 23/18 Iowa State (67-78) and No. 4/4 Houston (52-74), which are a combined 25-0 at home. Despite the losses, the Wildcats have still won 11 of their last 15 games, including a 4-3 start to Big 12 play. Among their 14 wins are 5 Quad 1/2 victories (Villanova, Providence, LSU, UCF and Baylor).
Turnovers continue to be a challenge for the Wildcats, as they rank 336th nationally and last in the Big 12 with 15.0 turnovers/game. Last week against 2 of the top defenses in the country, the team averaged 17.5 turnovers/game while yielding 21.0 points/game off those miscues.
K-State's defense has been strong in the early going of Big 12 play, allowing 65.9 points on 37.7 percent (153-of-406) shooting, including 27.7 percent (46-of-166) from 3-point range, through 7 games. The Wildcats rank in the top-4 in first in 3-point field goal percentage defense, second in field goal percentage defense and blocks (5.0 bpg.) and third in scoring defense.
K-State has also had a strong presence at the rim, racking up 91 blocked shots through the first 20 games, which is just 9 shy of the 100 posted in 2022-23.
Despite the losses last week to Iowa State and Houston, K-State has shown the ability to be clutch in close games, posting a 5-1 mark in games decided by 4 points or less this season after wins over No. 9/9 Baylor and Oklahoma State. The Wildcats are also 10-0 under Tang in overtime games, including 5-0 this season (Providence, ORU, North Alabama, Villanova and Baylor).
The Wildcats have a strong scoring trio of junior Cam Carter (16.3 ppg.), junior Arthur Kaluma (15.0 ppg.) and senior Tylor Perry (14.0 ppg.), who are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (45.3 out of 73.0 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 10th and Perry 12th. The trio have continued that scoring in Big 12 play, averaging a combined 42.6 points per game.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 2-game losing streak.
Give it to 2 in a row in the series vs. Oklahoma.
Be the 1,736th in the program history, including 104th vs. OU.
Be the 26th in the last 28 home games under Jerome Tang.
Be the 12th in the last 13 Big 12 home games under Tang.

NOTES ON 23/24 OKLAHOMA (15-5, 3-4 Big 12)

Under third-year head coach Porter Moser, No. 23/24 Oklahoma is off to 15-5 start, including a 3-4 mark in Big 12 play after an 85-84 loss to No. 20/22 Texas Tech on Saturday. The Sooners have lost 4 of their last 6 games, including consecutive setbacks at home to Texas and Texas Tech, after a 13-1 mark to open the season. They are 4-3 away from home this season, including 1-2 in true road games.
Oklahoma is averaging 78.6 points on 48 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range, with 37.3 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 6.8 steals and 3.5 blocks per game, while allowing 66.6 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 29 percent from 3-point range. The Sooners are connecting on 75.3 percent from the free throw line.
Oklahoma ranks 13th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage, while the Sooners are 33rd in field goal percentage, 35th in scoring margin (+12.0) and 36th in rebounding margin (+6.2).
Two Sooners (junior Javian McCollum and sophomore Otega Oweh) are averaging in double figures, while 5 others are averaging between 7.1 and 9.6 points per game. McCollum paces the team with 14.3 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting, including a team-best 42 3-pointers, to go with 77 assists and 17 steals. He is connecting on 91.5 percent from the line. Oweh is averaging 13.9 points on 54.3 percent shooting, including 53.1 percent from 3-point range, with a team-best 37 steals. Fellow sophomore Milos Uzan has a team-high 89 assists to go with 9.0 points per game. Junior Jalon Moore is one of 3 Sooners averaging 5 or more rebounds per game.
Oklahoma was picked to finish 12th in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll. The Sooners posted a 15-17 record, including a 5-13 mark in Big 12 play, in 2022-23. They returned 3 lettermen and added 9 newcomers.
Moser is 342-280 in his 20th season as a head coach, including a 49-38 in year three at Oklahoma. A disciple of the late Rick Majerus, he has been a head coach at Little Rock, Illinois State, Loyola Chicago and now Oklahoma… He is 4-1 vs. K-State in his career, including 1-1 on the road.

SERIES HISTORY

Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 113-104, while K-State has a 65-37 advantage in Manhattan, including 19-9 at Bramlage Coliseum. It is the 5th-most played rivalry in school history, as the teams have played each other for 97 consecutive seasons dating to Feb. 5, 1927.
K-State snapped a 3-game losing streak to Oklahoma with an 85-69 win in the home finale on March 1. The teams have split the last 10 meetings.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
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
3/3/2023	11/--	W	85-69	Manhattan

LAST MEETING:
11/11 K-STATE 85, OKLAHOMA 69
[March 1, 2023]

A 9-0 run to end the first half fueled an explosive second-half effort by No. 11/11 K-State, as the Wildcats snapped a 3-game skid to Oklahoma with an 85-69 victory on March 1, 2023, in the last meeting between the schools. Four Wildcats scored in double figures in the win.

LAST TIME OUT:
4/4 HOUSTON 74, K-STATE 52

K-State felt the wrath of the nation's top-ranked defense, as the No. 4/4 Houston held the Wildcats to just 52 points while forcing 18 turnovers en route to posting a 74-52 win on Saturday before 7,260 fans at the Fertitta Center.
K-State (14-6, 4-3 Big 12) was held without a field goal for the first 5:48 minutes, falling behind 11-0, and could never really recover in dropping its second consecutive game on the road to a Top 25 opponent.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures, including 16 points from junior Cam Carter, who posted double-figure points for the 14th consecutive game. Fellow junior Arthur Kaluma and freshman Dai Dai Ames each added 11 points. It was the most points by Ames in a Big 12 game.
Houston's defensive prowess was on full display against K-State, holding the Wildcats to their second-fewest points under head coach Jerome Tang on 40.4 percent (19-of-47) shooting while harassing them into 18 turnovers, including 11 steals, which the Cougars converted into 25 points. The home team ranks in the top-20 in 7 defensive categories, including first in scoring defense (51.9 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (34.8) and scoring margin (+22.1).
After jumping out an 11-0 lead, Houston (18-2, 5-2 Big 12) had an answer for any attempt by K-State to make a comeback. The Wildcats got to within 13-7 after a jumper by Carter and a 3-pointer by senior Tylor Perry, but the Cougars responded with 16 of the next 21 points to take a commanding 17-point lead and force a timeout by Tang with 6:22 to play before halftime.
K-State closed the deficit to 32-21 on 3-pointers by Ames and Kaluma, but Houston ended the half on a 9-0 run to go 41-21 at the break. Out of halftime, the Wildcats scored 8 of the first 10 points to get to within 43-29 but again the Cougars had a response with 10 of the next 13 to take a commanding lead and thwart any further comeback attempt.
Houston continued its dominance at home, moving to 12-0 at the Fertitta Center where the Cougars are beating teams by an average of 32.8 points per game. Coach Kelvin Sampson also earned a pair of milestones, earning both the 750th win in his career and the 250th win while in charge of the Cougars.
The Cougars were efficient on the offensive end, scoring their 74 points on 40 percent (22-of-55) shooting, including 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from 3-point range, while taking advantage of their opportunities from the free throw line, making 23-of-34 attempts. They had just 8 turnovers.
Three players scored in double figures led by senior Jamal Shead, who led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 3-of-4 free throws. Fellow senior J'Wan Roberts had 14 points and 6 rebounds, while senior Damian Dunn had 13 points off the bench.
This was the first and only regular season meeting between the schools and the first since a 91-90 win by the Wildcats in Houston on Dec. 21, 1974.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State still leads the all-time series, 5-4, but is now just 1-3 at Houston.
Four of the 6 losses have been to Top 25 teams, falling to 1-4 on the year.
K-State is 26-85 all-time vs. Top 5 teams, including 3-18 vs. the No. 4 team.
The 22-point loss was the largest of head coach Jerome Tang's tenure.
K-State lost the rebounding battle, 38-28, for the third straight game.
Houston held the edge in points off turnovers (25-11), paint points (28-18), second-chance points (15-7), fast-break points (8-4) and bench points (25-18).

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 11 games, allowing 63.5 points on 37.9 percent (244-of-643) 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 7 Big 12 games, K-State ranks among the top-4 in 4 defensive categories, including first in 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.7), second in field goal percentage defense (37.7) and blocked shots (5.0 bpg.) and third in scoring defense (65.86).
The 52 points allowed to UCF were the fewest allowed in a Big 12 opener since 2003. K-State held Texas Tech (60 points) and No. 9/9 Baylor (64 points) were held to nearly 20 points under their scoring average.

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 sixth in the Big 12 and 91st nationally in rebounds/game (37.95), including seventh in the league and 63rd nationally in offensive rebounds/game (12.30).
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 12 times in 20 games, while posting a +3.2 rebounding margin, which ranks 96th 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 corralling 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 15.2 makes per game while converting on 72.9 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-100 nationally in both makes (15.2) and attempts (20.9) per game, as the squad places fifth in the Big 12 and 97th nationally in makes and fifth in the Big 12 and 112th 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.

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 479 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 24.0 attempts per game, which ranks third in the Big 12.
K-State has connected on 152 3-pointers, which are the second-most through the first 20 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-100 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 20th in attempts (165), 90th in total 3-pointers (51) and 92nd in 3-point field goals/game (2.55).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 32.3 points in the paint this season, including 28.6 points in Big 12 action. 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.

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 1,735-1,229 (.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, as he leads the Wildcats in assists (5.0 apg.) while he is second in scoring (14.0 ppg.) and steals (1.4 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (2.9 rpg.). Perry is one of 2 Big 12 players (Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey) averaging 14 points and 5 assists per game.
Perry has scored in double figures in 14 of the first 20 games, including in 9 of the last 14 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 7 categories, including tops in free throw percentage (91.7) and minutes (35.74), fourth in 3-point field goals (2.55), fifth in assists (5.0 apg.), eighth in assist/turnover ratio (2.13), 12th in scoring (14.0 ppg.) and 15th in 3-point field goal percentage (30.9).
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 1,322 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 14 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 91.7 percent (88-of-96). He ranks 11th 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 20 games, averaging a team-best 16.3 points per game. He also leads in double-digit scoring games (18), field goals (116) and attempts (277), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 20-point games (4), 3-pointers (41) and attempts (125).
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 18 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 third in minutes (35.4), sixth in free throw percentage (84.1), seventh in scoring (16.3 ppg.) and ninth in steals (1.7 spg.).

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 17 games, all coming in the last 18 games played, while totaling a team-best 4 double-doubles. He is second in scoring at 15.0 points per game, while averaging the second-most rebounds at 7.3 per game.
Kaluma was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year on Jan. 22 after averaging 17.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting (11-of-21) shooting, including 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range, to go with 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 38.5 minutes per game in home victories over No. 9/9 Baylor (1/16/24) and Oklahoma State (1/20/24). He connected on the game-winning 4-point play with 20 seconds left in the overtime win over the Bears to highlight a double-double effort (12 points, 10 rebounds), while he registered his eighth 20-point game vs. the Cowboys.
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 2 players (Kansas' Hunter Dickinson) in the Big 12 to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding.

ATTACKING THE GLASS

Senior David N'Guessan has been impressive so far on the glass, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding at 7.4 boards per game. He ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (3.1 orpg.), while he is 11th in defensive rebounds (4.25 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 on 7 occasions, 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 7.5 points on 59.4 percent shooting to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks through 19 games with 18 starts in 22.9 minutes per game. After his 10-point effort vs. Oklahoma State (1/20/24), K-State is now 7-0 when he scores in double figures.
McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then has earned starts in 16 of the last 17 games. He has double figures in 7 of those 18 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.

BOOST FROM THE BENCH

Redshirt freshman Dorian Finister is starting to become a spark off the bench for the Wildcats, as he is averaging 15.8 minutes in the last 9 games with 16.7 minutes of action so far in Big 12 play. He is averaging 2.8 points on 40.0 percent shooting with 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 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 5 games, including a season-best 14 points vs. UCA (11/22/23). Jones has played in 18 games, averaging 9.3 minutes per game. He ranks fourth in 3-pointers (12), including a big triple in the overtime win over Baylor (1/16/24). Rich has played in 13 games, logging a near double-double vs. UCA (11/22/23) with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

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 OKLAHOMA STATE (9-11, 1-6 Big 12)

K-State returns to the road for the third time in 4 games with a trip south to Stillwater, Okla., and Gallagher-Iba Arena to take on Oklahoma State (9-11, 1-6 Big 12 ) at 1 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now.

Preview // K-State Returns Home Tuesday to Take On 23/24 Oklahoma

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Dorian Finister

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Returns Home Tuesday to Take On 23/24 Oklahoma

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Dorian Finister

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

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