Preview // K-State Concludes Brief Homestand with West Virginia Monday

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GAME 28
KANSAS STATE (16-11, 6-8 Big 12) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (9-18, 4-10 Big 12)
Monday, February 26, 2024 >> 6 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
ESPN2 / WatchESPN (link here)

Brian Custer (play-by-play)
King McClure (analyst)
Alex Wheat (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 84
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
kstatesports.com/tickets
$25

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 42-21/Second Year
Career Record: 44-21*/Second Year
vs. West Virgina: 2-1 [1-0 at home]

West Virginia: Josh Eilert [Kansas State '04, '07]
Record at WVU: 9-18/1st Year
Career Record: 9-18/1st Year
vs. K-State: 0-1 [0-0 on the road]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (16-11, 6-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #4 Dai Dai Ames
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
C: #20 Jerrell Colbert

West Virginia (9-18, 4-10 Big 12)
G: #3 Kerr Kriisa
G: #2 Kobe Johnson
G: #21 RaeQuan Battle
F: #11 Quinn Slazinski
C: #7 Jesse Edwards

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: West Virginia leads 16-11
Big 12 Era: West Virginia leads 15-10
At Home: K-State leads 7-4
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 7-4
Active Streak: K-State, 1
Last Meeting: W, 81-67 [1/9/2024 in Morgantown, W.Va.]
Jerome Tang vs. Josh Eilert: 1-0

K-STATE WRAPS UP HOMESTAND VS. WEST VIRGINIA ON MONDAY
Kansas State (16-11, 6-8 Big 12) concludes its brief 2-game homestand on Monday night, as the Wildcats welcome K-State alumnus Josh Eilert and his West Virginia Mountaineers (9-18, 4-10 Big 12) for a 6 p.m., tip at Bramlage Coliseum on ESPN2. K-State will be attempting to sweep the season series for the first time since 2019 after posting an 81-67 win in Morgantown way back on Jan. 9 in the second game of Big 12 play. WVU owns a 16-11 advantage in the all-time series, but K-State is 7-4 all-time at home in the series with wins in 2022 and 2023.

Eilert, who replaced the legendary Bob Huggins as interim head coach on June 24, was both a player (2002-04) and a graduate assistant (2006-07) at K-State. A native of Osborne, Kan., he played in 8 games for the Wildcats from 2002-04 before joining the coaching staff as a graduate assistant during Huggins' lone season in Manhattan in 2006-07.

K-State will be looking to defend its home court again after Saturday's 84-74 win over No. 25/21 BYU, which gave the Wildcats their third Top 25 win (following No. 4/4 Kansas and No. 9/9 Baylor). The team is 13-3 at home this season, including 12-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State snapped a 3-game skid on Saturday with its best offensive performance in Big 12 play, connecting on 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the field en route to posting an 84-74 win over No. 25/21 BYU. The 84 points were the fourth-most in a game this season, including the most in regulation since scoring 100 points vs. Central Arkansas on Nov. 22, 2023. It was also the most points in a Big 12 game, surpassing the 81 scored at West Virginia on Jan. 9.
Among the Wildcats' 16 wins are 7 Quad 1 or 2 victories (Villanova, Providence, LSU, UCF, No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas and No. 25/21 BYU). The team has tied an NCAA single-season record with 6 overtime wins, extending Jerome Tang's mark to 11-0 in overtime games in his tenure. The 11-game overtime winning streak is the second-longest such streak since 1950.
K-State has remained competitive in Big 12 play due to its ability to hold teams to a field goal percentage of 40.2, which ranks 20th nationally. In Big 12 play, the Wildcats rank first in both field goal percentage defense (39.6) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.1).
Junior Arthur Kaluma was sensational in the win over No. 25/21 BYU on Saturday, posting the team's first 20-point, 10-rebound effort since Keyontae Johnson did at No. 8/8 Kansas on Jan. 31, 2023. Kaluma posted a career-best 28 points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds, as he led five Wildcats in double figures for the first time in Big 12 play.
Kaluma (15.0 ppg.), along with senior Tylor Perry (15.1 ppg.) and junior Cam Carter (15.1 ppg.) give the Wildcats a strong 1-2-3 scoring punch, as they are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (45.2 out of 71.8 ppg.). K-State is the only Big 12 member to have 3 players rank in the league's top-10 in scoring, as Perry ranks seventh, Carter eighth and Kaluma ninth. The trio have continued that scoring in Big 12 play, averaging a combined 43.9 points per game.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Sweep the season series from WVU for first time since 2019.
Boost home record to 14-3 and 13-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Be the 28th in the last 32 home games under Jerome Tang.
Be the 14th in the last 17 Big 12 home games under Tang.
Be the 1,738th in the program history, including 12th vs. WVU.

NOTES ON WEST VIRGINIA (9-18, 4-10 Big 12)

Under interim head coach Josh Eilert, West Virginia has a 9-18 record, including a 4-10 mark in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers snapped a 4-game losing streak with a 77-67 win over UCF on Feb. 20, but couldn't follow that up at No. 6/6 Iowa State, falling 71-64 on Saturday. The team is 0-7 in true road games this season.
West Virginia is averaging 68.6 points on 42.2 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range, with 34.4 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 4.4 steals and 3.7 blocks per game, while allowing 74.4 points on 43.5 percent shooting, including 33.5 percent from 3-point range. The Mountaineers are connecting on 72 percent from the free throw line.
West Virginia is a different team than the first meeting on Jan. 9, as the Mountaineers have their full complement of players, as senior Jesse Edwards is back in the lineup. He has played in 8 straight games with 7 starts, leading in scoring (14.3 ppg.) and rebounding (7.6 rpg.). In addition, seniors RaeQuan Battle (13.9 ppg.), Kerr Kriisa (11.0 ppg.) and Quinn Slazinski (10.4 ppg.) are also averaging double figures in Big 12 play.
Four Mountaineers are averaging in double figures led by Battle, who is averaging 16.2 points on 39.5 percent shooting, including 30.6 percent from 3-point range, and 81.7 percent from the free throw line. He scored 27 points against K-State in the NCAA Tournament last season while playing at Montana State. Edwards is averaging 14.6 points on 59.8 percent shooting with a team-best 8.2 rebounds in 18 games this season. Slazinski (12.9 ppg.) and Kriisa (10.8 ppg.) are also averaging double figures this season.
Eilert is a former player (2002-04) and graduate assistant (2006-07) at K-State. He played in 8 games as a player at K-State for then head coach Jim Wooldridge. He followed Bob Huggins to West Virginia in 2007 as director of operations before becoming an assistant coach and eventually interim head coach after the departure of Huggins this past summer.

SERIES HISTORY

West Virginia leads the all-time series, 16-11, which includes a 15-10 mark in the Big 12 era. K-State owns a 7-4 advantage in games played at Bramlage Coliseum, including consecutive wins in 2022 and 2023.
After its 81-67 win in Morgantown on Jan. 9, K-State is looking to sweep the season series for the first time 2019.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [4-6]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
1/18/2020	—/12	W	84-68	Manhattan
2/1/2020	—/12	L	57-66	Morgantown
1/23/2021	—/14	L	47-69	Manhattan
2/27/2021	—/10	L	43-65	Morgantown
1/8/2022	—/—	L	68-71	Morgantown
2/14/2022	—/—	W	78-73	Manhattan
3/9/2022	—/—	L	67-73	Kansas City
12/31/2022	—/24	W	82-76 (OT)	Manhattan
3/4/2023	11/—	L	81-89	Morgantown
1/9/2024	—/—	W	81-67	Morgantown

LAST MEETING:
K-STATE 81, WEST VIRGINIA 67 [1/9/2024]

Junior guard Cam Carter scored 15 of his game-high 23 points after halftime to help Kansas State surge to a big second half performance in an 81-67 win over West Virginia in the last meeting between the schools on Jan. 9 at the WVU Coliseum.

LAST MEETING IN MANHATTAN:
K-STATE 82, WEST VIRGINIA 76 [OT] [12/31/2022]

Senior Markquis Nowell scored 21 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and overtime to help K-State rally from a double-digit halftime deficit to hand No. 24/24 West Virginia an 82-76 loss in the last meeting between the schools at Bramlage Coliseum on Dec. 31, 2022.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 84, 25/21 BYU 74

Junior Arthur Kaluma paced five Wildcats in double figures with a career-best 28 points to go with a game-high 10 rebounds, as K-State snapped a 3-game losing streak with a wire-to-wire 84-74 win over No. 25/21 BYU on Saturday afternoon before 9,117 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (16-11, 6-8 Big 12) put together its best offensive performance of the Big 12 season, as the Wildcats connected on 56.3 percent (27-of-48) from the field, including 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from 3-point range, with assists on 20 of their 27 made field goals. The team also took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line, knocking down 23 of 31 attempts (74.2 percent).
The 84 points were the fourth-most in a game this season, including the most in a regulation game since scoring 100 points vs. Central Arkansas on Nov. 22, 2023. The point total was also the most in any Big 12 game this season, surpassing the 81 scored at West Virginia on Jan. 9.
The defense was also stellar in the win, holding BYU (19-8, 7-7 Big 12) to 40.8 percent (29-of-71) shooting, including 19.4 percent (6-of-31) from 3-point range. The Cougars boast one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 83.2 points on 46.9 percent shooting with 11.6 3-pointers per game.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures for the first time this season in Big 12 play led by Kaluma, who collected his first 25-point, 10-rebound performance of his career. He scored his career-high 28 points on 8-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 10-of-12 free throws to go with his game-high 10 rebounds in 39 minutes. It marked his eighth career double-double, including his team-leading fifth this season. His previous high of 27 points also came against BYU while playing at Creighton in 2022.
Kaluma was joined in double figures by 16 points from senior Tylor Perry, 12 points each from junior Cam Carter and senior David N'Guessan and 11 points from senior Will McNair Jr. N'Guessan has scored in double figures in 3 straight Big 12 games for the first time in his career.
K-State got off to a great start, scoring the game's first 8 points en route to take its first double-digit lead at 12-2, prompting a timeout by BYU head Mark Pope at the 16:39 mark. The lead grew to 16-4 after a 4-point play from Perry, but the Cougars rattled off 10 straight to close the deficit to 16-14 and force a timeout by head coach Jerome Tang with nearly 14 minutes to play.
K-State held the lead until a 4-0 run by BYU tied the game at 28-all at the 6:35 mark. A jumper by N'Guessan gave the Wildcats the lead as they finished off the half with 8 of the last 13 points for a 36-33 lead at the half break.
Much like the opening half, K-State was able to seize the momentum to open the second half with 5 straight points in the first 42 seconds to push ahead 47-38. The Wildcats remained ahead, building a 65-49 lead after a pair of free throws by McNair with 11 minutes remaining.
K-State kept a double-digit lead for most of the rest of the half before BYU got to within 81-74 with 30.2 seconds remaining. However, the Wildcats answered back with a layup from Carter on a long inbounds pass from Kaluma out of a timeout. Perry scored the first point from the free throw line.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

The teams split their season series with wins on their home courts, as K-State now leads the series, 5-4, against BYU including 2-0 at home.
K-State is now 3-6 vs. Top 25 teams this season, including 3-1 at home.
It marked the fifth time this season shooting 50 percent or better from the field and the 14th time under head coach Jerome Tang.

OVERTIME SUCCESS

K-State moved to 11-0 in overtime games, including 6-0 this season, under head coach Jerome Tang after Monday's 75-70 victory over No. 4/4 Kansas. In a game that included 12 lead changes and 15 ties, the Wildcats received a big effort from senior Tylor Perry, who scored 21 of his season-high 26 points in the second half and overtime, to rally from an 11-point second-half deficit, in defeating the Jayhawks for the second consecutive season at home in overtime.
In addition to the win over No. 4/4 Kansas, K-State has overtime victories this season over Providence (73-70), Oral Roberts (88-78), North Alabama (75-74), Villanova (72-71) and No. 9/9 Baylor (68-64).
K-State's 11-game overtime winning streak ties for the second-longest such streak in Division I history since 1950 with UMass (1991-97) and Loyola (Md.) (2011-15) and the second-longest current streak behind Florida State (14; 2018-current) and right ahead of Winthrop (10; 2017-current).
K-State's 6 overtime wins this season tie the Division I single-season record, along with Wake Forest (6-1) in 1984, Chattanooga (6-0) in 1989 and Lafayette (6-1) in 2008. The 6 overtime wins also break the school record, set in 1992-93 and tied in 2022-23, while it is the most overtime games. The 5 overtime home wins also tie the Division I mark, set by Cincinnati (5-0) in 1966-67. In addition, the 3 consecutive overtime games (ORU, North Alabama and Villanova) marked the first such occurrence since winning 3 straight overtime games from Feb. 3-15, 1964.
K-State has outscored its opponents, 76-52, in overtime, as the Wildcats have connected on 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from the field, including 54.6 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range, and 82.8 percent (30-of-37) from free throw line.
Tang is the first head coach in school history to win his first 11 overtime games, surpassing Dana Altman (1990-94), who was a perfect 7-0 in overtime games in his tenure. The 11 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach, trailing Tex Winter (15) and Jack Hartman (14).

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 during Big 12 play, allowing 68.7 points on 39.6 percent (331-of-835) shooting, including 27.1 percent (84-of-310) from 3-point range. The Wildcats have allowed fewer than 70 points in 6 Big 12 games, including 52 to UCF (1/6/24), 60 to Texas Tech (1/13/24), 64 to No. 9/9 Baylor (1/16/24) and 62 to Texas (2/19/24).
Through 14 Big 12 games, K-State ranks among the top-4 in 4 defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense (39.6) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.1), second in defensive rebounds/game (25.93), third in scoring defense (68.71) and fourth in blocks/game (4.36).
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) 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 fifth in the Big 12 and 83rd nationally in rebounds/game (37.56), including fourth in the league and 101st nationally in defensive rebounds/game (26.22).
Last season, the team ranked 175th or worse in all 4 rebounding categories.
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 15 times in 27 games, while posting a +2.6 rebounding margin, which ranks 103rd nationally.
K-State has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in 9 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.

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 629 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 23.3 attempts per game, which ranks fourth in the Big 12.

K-State has connected on 193 3-pointers, which are the fifth-most through the first 27 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-80 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 16th in attempts (224), 68th in 3-point field goals/game (2.63) and 73rd in total 3-pointers (73).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 31.9 points in the paint this season, including 29.5 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.

CONVERTING FROM THE LINE

K-State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, averaging 15.3 makes per game while converting on 73.4 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-100 nationally in both makes (15.3) and attempts (20.9) per game, as the squad places fourth in the Big 12 in makes.
One of the major factors in K-State's wins and losses has been its ability to get to the free throw line while preventing their opponent from getting to the line. The Wildcats average 17.4 makes on 23.3 attempts in their 16 wins, while they average just 12.3 makes on 17.3 attempts in their 11 losses. In contrast, their opponents average 11.1 makes on 15.9 attempts in the wins compared to 16.5 makes on 24.0 attempts in the losses.

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 1,736-1,233 (.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 (4.6 apg.) while he is second in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and steals (1.3 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.0 rpg.). Perry ranks in the Big 12's top-10 in scoring (7th), assists (6th), free throw percentage (2nd) and 3-pointers (3rd).
Perry has scored in double figures in 20 games, including 9 times in Big 12 play. Among those 20 double-digit scoring games is a team-best 8 20-point games, which includes 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and SDSU (11/13/23), 24 vs. Providence (11/17/23), 20 vs. ORU (11/28/23), 25 vs. UCF (1/6/24), 23 vs. No. 23/24 Oklahoma (1/30/24), 26 vs. No. 4/4 Kansas (2/5/24) and 24 vs. TCU (2/17/24).
Perry ranks the Big 12's top 15 in 7 categories, including tops in minutes (36.63), second in free throw percentage (91.2), third in 3-point field goals (2.63), sixth in assists (4.6 apg.), seventh in scoring (15.1 ppg.), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (31.7) and 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.72).
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 1,452 points at the Division I level.
In addition to leading the team in scoring in 13 games, Perry has led the way in assists in 19 games, while he has been the leader in steals in 9 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 91.2 percent (124-of-136). He ranks 11th nationally and second in the Big 12. He leads the Big 12 in both free throws made (124) and attempted (136).
Three times this season Perry has knocked down 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. Following his 12-of-12 performance in the loss to TCU (2/17/24), he became the first Wildcat in school history to have multiple games of going 12-of-12 or better 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 27 games, averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game. He leads in field goals (144) and attempts (357), while he is second in double-digit scoring games (22), 20-point games (4), 3-pointers (47) and attempts (156). He has double figures in 18 of the last 21 games, including in 11 of 14 Big 12 games.
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 22 games, Carter tallied his second career double-double in the win over No. 4/4 Kansas (2/5/24), posting 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting with a career-best 11 rebounds in nearly 45 minutes.
Carter ranks in the Big 12's top 15 in 3 categories, including third in minutes (35.8), eighth in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and 12th in steals (1.48 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 a team-best 23 games, all coming in the last 25 games played, while totaling a team-best 5 double-doubles. He is third in scoring at 15.0 points per game, while averaging a team-best rebounds at 7.2 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 scored a season-high 26 points in the win over Villanova, hitting on 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 44 minutes. The 26 points were one shy of his career-high of 27 he had against BYU while playing at Creighton in 2022.
The national accolade came after being named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds against Providence (11/17/23) and No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23).
Kaluma is one of 3 players (Kansas' Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.) 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 seventh in the Big 12 in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game. He also ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (2.74 orpg.). 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 10 occasions, including in 3 consecutive Big 12 games for the first time in his career.

BIG MAN OFF TO SOLID START

Senior Will McNair is off to solid start to the season, averaging 7.5 points on 61.4 percent shooting to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks through 26 games with 19 starts in 23.1 minutes per game. K-State is 8-1 when he scores in double figures after his 11-point effort vs. No. 25/21 BYU (2/24/24).
McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then started the next 19 games before coming off the bench in the last 6 games. He has scored in double figures 9 times, including a season-best 13 points at LSU (12/9/23). He missed double-doubles at West Virginia (1/9/24) and at Oklahoma State (2/3/24) by just one rebound. He posted a season-high 10
rebounds in the loss at No. 21/19 BYU (2/10/24).

BOOST FROM THE BENCH

Redshirt freshman Dorian Finister has become a spark off the bench for the Wildcats, as he is averaging 15.7 minutes in 12 of the last 15 games with 16.3 minutes of action in Big 12 play. He is averaging 3.5 points on 37.8 percent shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 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 has scored in 7 of the 9 Big 12 games, including back-to-back 6-point efforts vs. UCF (1/6/24) and West Virginia (1/9/24). He has also twice grabbed a career-best 6 rebounds in Big 12 play.

LINDSEY EARNS SCHOLARSHIP

Senior walk-on Taymont Lindsey was rewarded with a scholarship for the rest of the season on Feb. 8. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound guard saw his first action as a Wildcat in the 77-52 win over UCF in the Big 12 opener on Jan. 6. He missed the first 11 games rehabbing an injury.
Lindsey joined the Wildcats in August after spending four seasons (2019-23) at Manhattan Christian College, where he helped the Thunder to an 86-40 record and consecutive NCCAA Final Four appearances in 2022 and 2023.

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 21 games, averaging 9.1 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 CINCINNATI (16-11, 5-9 Big 12)

K-State opens the month of March with a trip to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats (16-11, 5-9 Big 12) for the first time as a Big 12 member on Saturday at 6 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now.

Preview // K-State Concludes Brief Homestand with West Virginia Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Dorian Finister

Keyontae Johnson

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Taymont Lindsey

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Concludes Brief Homestand with West Virginia Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Dorian Finister

Keyontae Johnson

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Taymont Lindsey

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Markquis Nowell

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

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