Preview // K-State Begins March with Road Trip to Cincinnati Saturday

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GAME 29
KANSAS STATE (17-11, 7-8 Big 12) at CINCINNATI (16-12, 5-10 Big 12)
Saturday, March 2, 2024 >> 6 p.m. CT >> Fifth Third Arena (12,012) >> Cincinnati, Ohio

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

Eric Rothman (play-by-play)
Jess Settles (analyst)
Trevor Towle (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 391
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 43-21/Second Year
Career Record: 45-21*/Second Year
vs. Cincinnati: 0-0 [0-0 on the road]

Cincinnati: Wes Miller [North Carolina '07]
Record at Cincinnati: 57-40/3rd Year
Career Record: 242-175/13th Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (17-11, 7-8 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #4 Dai Dai Ames
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
C: #20 Jerrell Colbert

Cincinnati (16-12, 5-10 Big 12)
G: #1 Day Day Thomas
G: #0 Dan Skillings Jr.
G: #15 John Newman III
F: #31 Simas Lukosius
F: #55 Aziz Bandaogo

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Cincinnati leads 7-1
Big 12 Era: First meeting
On the Road: Cincinnati leads 2-0
At Fifth Third Arena: First meeting
Active Streak: Cincinnati, 7
Last Meeting: L, 61-75 [3/17/2017 in Sacramento, Calif.]
Jerome Tang vs. Wes Miller: First meeting

K-STATE BEGINS MARCH WITH ROAD TRIP TO CINCINNATI SATURDAY
Kansas State (17-11, 7-8 Big 12) begins the stretch run of the regular season on Saturday night, as the Wildcats meet Cincinnati (16-12, 5-10 Big 12) for the first time as Big 12 foes at Fifth Third Arena at 6 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the schools in more than 55 seasons and the first overall matchup since the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats own a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series with 7 straight victories. The Wildcats have not won in the series since the first meeting in the 1958 NCAA Tournament.

K-State will continue to try and reverse its fortunes on the road, where the Wildcats are a combined 3-8 away from home, including a 2-6 mark in true road games. The team won their first 2 road games (LSU, West Virginia) but has since lost 6 in a row. The struggles on the road contrast with their record at home, where the Wildcats are 14-3 overall and 13-3 at Bramlage Coliseum and includes 3 Top 25 wins (No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas and No. 25/21 BYU).

KEY STORYLINES

K-State's improbable run in overtime games continued on Monday night, as the Wildcats won their 12th consecutive overtime game dating back to last season, including breaking the Division I single-season record with their seventh this season, with a 94-90 comeback win over a scrappy West Virginia team at Bramlage Coliseum.
The 7 overtime wins are now the Division I single-season record, snapping a tie of 6 with Wake Forest (1983-84), Chattanooga (1988-89) and Lafayette (2007-08). The current 12-game overtime streak is the second-longest since 1950.
Winning consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 16 and 20, K-State continued to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with 3 Quad 1 opportunities remaining. Among the Wildcats' 17 wins are 7 Quad 1 or 2 victories (Providence, Villanova, LSU, UCF, No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas and No. 25/21 BYU). The team is 7-3 in games decided by 5 points or less.
A game after junior Arthur Kaluma posted the team's first 20-point, 10-rebound effort (28 points and 10 rebounds) in the win over No. 25/21 BYU on Feb. 24 to earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors, senior Tylor Perry did him one better in the win over West Virginia, posting a season-best 29 points on just 12 shots with a season-tying 6 made 3-pointers. It was his team-leading ninth 20-point game of the season, including his fourth in the last 8 games.
Perry (15.6 ppg.), along with junior Cam Carter (15.2 ppg.), and Kaluma (14.9 ppg.) give the Wildcats a strong 1-2-3 scoring punch, as they are responsible for 63 percent of the team's scoring (45.7 out of 72.6 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 ninth and Kaluma 10th. The trio have continued that scoring in Big 12 play, averaging a combined 45 points per game.
K-State broke its Big 12 high in back-to-back games against No. 25/21 BYU and West Virginia because it was finally able to knock down shots from the perimeter, where the Wildcats went a combined 22-of-46 (47.8 percent) from 3-point range, including 15 vs. the Mountaineers.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Extend its overall winning streak to 3 games.
Snap a 6-game road losing streak.
Snap a 7-game losing streak to Cincinnati.
Be the first against Cincinnati since the 1st meeting in 1958.
Be the 1,739th in the program history, including 2nd vs. UC.

NOTES ON CINCINNATI (16-12, 5-10 Big 12)

Under third-year head coach Wes Miller, Cincinnati has posted a 16-12 record, including a 5-10 mark in its inaugural season in the Big 12. The Bearcats have lost 5 of their last 6 games, including 3 straight, after Tuesday's 67-59 setback at No. 1/1 Houston. The team is 12-5 at home this season, including 2-5 in Big 12 play.
Cincinnati is averaging 74.4 points on 44.1 percent shooting, including 32.5 percent from 3-point range, with 40.5 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game, while allowing 67.9 points on 42.1 percent shooting, including 32.9 percent from 3-point range. The Bearcats are connecting on 68.5 percent from the free throw line.
Cincinnati is one of the top rebounding teams in the country, ranking eighth in rebounding margin (+8.9), 10th in offensive rebounds (14.04) and 12th in rebounds/game (40.46).
The Bearcats are a balanced scoring team with 7 players averaging 7 or more points per game, including 3 double-digit scorers in sophomore Dan Skillings Jr. (11.9 ppg.), junior Day Day Thomas (10.3 ppg.) and junior Simas Lukosius (10.0 ppg.). Thomas leads the way in assists (87). Skillings is second in rebounding (6.4 rpg.) while he is third in steals (21) and blocks (20). Lukosius has a team-leading 53 made 3-pointers, while reserve C.J. Fredrick is hitting on a team-best 42.6 percent from long range. Big men Viktor Lakhin (9.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and Aziz Bandaogo (7.4 ppg., 7.7 rpg.) nearly average a double-double and combine for 54 blocked shots.
Miller is in his 13th season as a head coach with a 242-175 overall record, including a 57-40 mark in his third season at UC. The former walk-on who won a NCAA title at North Carolina (2004-07) spent 10 seasons at UNC Greensboro (2011-21), where he won 20 or more games each of his last 5 seasons with 4 postseason appearances (2 NITs, 2 NCAA Tournaments).

SERIES HISTORY

Cincinnati leads the series, 7-1, including 2-0 in games played at home. This will be the first regular-season meeting since an 86-70 Bearcat win at home on Dec. 2, 1968, while it will be the first overall meeting since a 75-61 victory in the 2017 NCAA Tournament in Sacramento, Calif.
Four of the schools' 8 meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament, including its most recent meeting in 2017. K-State's lone win in the series came in double-overtime in the 1958 NCAA Midwest Region, 83-80.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS [1-7]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
3/14/1958	3/2	W	83-80 [2 OTs]	Lawrence, Kan.+
3/14/1959	1/5	L	75-85	Lawrence, Kan.+
3/18/1961	4/2	L	64-69	Lawrence, Kan.+
12/14/1962	—/1	L	61-75	Manhattan
12/23/1963	—/4	L	70-72	Cincinnati
12/16/1967	—/—	L	56-58 [OT]	Manhattan
12/2/1968	—/14	L	70-86	Cincinnati
3/17/2017	—/18	L	61-75	Sacramento, Calif.+

LAST MEETING:
18/17 CINCINNATI 75, K-STATE 61 [3/17/2017]

Cincinnati connected on 62.8 percent from the field with 3 double-digit scorers en route to posting a 75-61 win over K-State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 17, 2017 at the Golden I Center in Sacramento.

LAST MEETING IN CINCINNATI:
14 CINCINNATI 86, K-STATE 70 [12/2/1968]

Oscar Robertson had 19 points in an 86-70 win by the Bearcats in the last meeting between the schools in Cincinnati on Dec. 2, 1968.

LAST TIME OUT:
K-STATE 94, WEST VIRGINIA 90 [OT]

K-State's amazing streak in overtime games continued Monday night, as the Wildcats won their 12th consecutive overtime game, including their Division I record seventh this season, with a 94-90 comeback win over a scrappy West Virginia team before 8,813 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (17-11, 7-8 Big 12) received a standout performance from senior Tylor Perry, who scored 9 of his season-high 29 points in overtime in helping lift the Wildcats to consecutive wins for the first time in more than month.
Perry tied the game at 79-all with 2 free throws with 15.4 seconds left then gave K-State the lead for good at 82-80 with his season-tying sixth 3-pointer with just under 4 minutes left in overtime. He added a layup with 50 seconds left then made 4 consecutive free throws to push the Wildcats ahead 93-90 with 8 seconds left. After a defensive rebound off a miss by senior RaeQuan Battle, junior Cam Carter finished off the night with a free throw with 4 seconds left.
Perry, who perhaps had his most efficient night as a Wildcat, scored his 29 points on just 12 shots, finishing 7-of-12 from the field, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range, to go with a 9-of-10 effort from the free throws. He also added a game-tying 6 assists and 4 rebounds in nearly 42 minutes of action. It was his 28th career 20-point game, including his team-leading ninth this season.
Perry was joined in double figures by Carter, who finished with a near double-double with 19 points and 8 rebounds, as well as junior Arthur Kaluma and senior Will McNair Jr., who each had 13 points. Senior David N'Guessan, playing against his teammate on the Dutch National Team Jesse Edwards, also nearly had a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds and 8 points.
After watching a 25-point lead evaporate in the final 13:30, K-State willed itself to overtime with some clutch shooting and stellar defense in the final minute. Trailing 79-75 with 1:02 to play, the Wildcats got a layup from McNair and 2 free throws from Perry to tie the game at 79-all with 15.4 seconds. The Mountaineers had one last chance, but Kriisa's jumper missed at the buzzer.
K-State seemingly had the game in control after a strong offensive start to the game, as the Wildcats led 63-38 after Carter knocked down a 3-pointer with 13:39 to play. The team led 48-26 at the half behind 50 percent (17-of-34) shooting, including 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from 3-point range.
Battle and Kriisa wouldn't go away that easily, as the tandem combined for 36 points in the second half, in guiding the team to an improbable 39-11 run that gave the Mountaineers a 77-74 lead after a Kriisa 3-pointer with 2:13.
The near collapse overshadowed another strong offensive performance by the Wildcats, which broke their Big 12 season-high for scoring for the second straight game with 94 points behind a 3-point barrage that saw them connect on 15-of-31 attempts, including 11-of-19 in the first half.
The 15 made 3-point field goals tie for the third-most in school history and are the second-most in a Big 12 game and the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019. Perry led the way with 6 makes.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State is now 14-3 at home, including 13-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State sweeps the series from WVU for the first time since 2019... The Mountaineers still lead the series, 16-12, including 15-11 in the Big 12 era.

OVERTIME SUCCESS

K-State moved to 12-0 in overtime games, including 7-0 this season, under head coach Jerome Tang after the 94-90 victory over West Virginia on Feb. 26. After watching a 25-point lead evaporate in the final 13:30, K-State willed itself to overtime with some clutch shooting and stellar defense in the final minute. The Wildcats trailed 79-75 with 1:02 to play before a layup from senior Will McNair Jr. and 2 free throws from senior Tylor Perry to tied it at 79-all with 15.4 seconds. Perry gave K-State the lead for good with a 3-pointer a minute into overtime, as he scored 9 of his season-high 29 points in the extra period.
In addition to the win over West Virginia, K-State has overtime victories this season over Providence (73-70), Oral Roberts (88-78), North Alabama (75-74), Villanova (72-71), No. 9/9 Baylor (68-64) and No. 4/4 Kansas (75-70).
K-State's 12-game overtime winning streak is the second-longest such streak in Division I history since 1950 and the second-longest current streak behind Florida State (14; 2018-current) and right ahead of Winthrop (10; 2017-current).
K-State's 7 overtime wins are now the Division I single-season record, snapping a tie of 6 with Wake Forest (1983-84), Chattanooga (1988-89) and Lafayette (2007-08). The 7 overtime wins also continue to break the school record of 5, set in 1992-93 and 2022-23, while it is the most overtime games in school history (5 total set in 1992-93 and 2022-23). The 6 overtime home wins are also the Division I mark, snapping a tie of 5 with Cincinnati in 1966-67.
K-State has outscored its opponents, 91-63, in overtime, as the Wildcats have connected on 62.2 percent (23-of-37) from the field, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range, and 80.9 percent (38-of-47) from free throw line.
Tang is the first head coach in school history to win his first 12 overtime games, surpassing Dana Altman (1990-94), who was a perfect 7-0 in overtime games in his tenure. The 12 total overtime wins are the third-most by a head coach, trailing Tex Winter (15) and Jack Hartman (14).

BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT

K-State has made strides on the defensive end during Big 12 play, allowing 70.1 points on a Big 12-best 39.6 percent (361-of-912) shooting, including 28.3 percent (97-of-343) 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 15 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 (28.3), second in defensive rebounds/game (26.40) and fourth in blocks/game (4.36). The Wildcats had been holding teams to 68.7 points in Big 12 play before allowing 90 to West Virginia on Monday.
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 70th nationally in rebounds/game (37.93), including third in the league and 86th nationally in defensive rebounds/game (26.46). Last season, the team ranked 175th or worse in all 4 rebounding categories.
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 16 times in 28 games, while posting a +2.8 rebounding margin, which ranks 99th nationally.
K-State has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in 10 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 close to breaking the single-season mark for 3-point attempts for the second time in 3 seasons, as the Wildcats have already attempted 660 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 23.6 attempts per game, which ranks third in the Big 12.
K-State has connected on 208 3-pointers, which marks the seventh time in the last 8 seasons that the team has topped 200 or more triples. The Wildcats have double-digit 3-pointers in 5 games after their season-high 15 triples in the overtime win over West Virginia (2/26/24). Those 15 makes tied for the third-most in school history and are the most since hitting 16 at OSU on Feb. 2, 2019.
Senior Tylor Perry is among the top 3-point shooters, as he ranks among the top-50 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 15th in attempts (235), 46th in 3-point field goals/game (2.75) and 49th in total 3-pointers (77).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 31.6 points in the paint this season, including 29.1 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 15.6 makes per game while converting on 73.2 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-80 in both makes (15.3/60th) and attempts (21.4/80th) per game, as the squad places second 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 17.8 makes on 24 attempts in their 17 wins, while they average just 12.3 makes on 17.3 attempts in their 11 losses. In contrast, their opponents average 11.4 makes on 16.5 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 1,738-1,233 (.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.
According to Synergy, Perry is one of the top clutch players in all of NCAA Division I, as his 73 points in clutch situations (last 5 mins/OT) ranks 7th nationally with 1.12 PPP (points/possessions).

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 (15.6 ppg.) and steals (1.3 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.1 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 21 games, including 10 times in Big 12 play. He has a team-best 9 20-point games, which includes 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (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), 24 vs. TCU (2/17/24) and 29 vs. West Virginia (2/26/24).
Perry ranks the Big 12's top 15 in 7 categories, including tops in minutes (36.80), second in free throw percentage (91.1), third in 3-point field goals (2.75), sixth in assists (4.64 apg.), seventh in scoring (15.6 ppg.), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (32.8) and 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.76).
Perry has 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 1,481 points at the Division I level.
In addition to leading the team in scoring in 14 games, Perry has led the way in assists in 20 games, while he has been the leader in steals in 9 games. He has dished out a season-high 6 assists on 9 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 91.1 percent (133-of-146). He ranks 12th nationally and second in the Big 12. He leads the Big 12 in both free throws made (133) and attempted (146).
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 28 games, averaging 15.2 points per game. He leads in field goals (148) and attempts (370), while he is second in double-digit scoring games (23), 20-point games (4), 3-pointers (49) and attempts (161). He has double figures in 19 of the last 22 games, including in 12 of 15 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 second in minutes (36.1), ninth in scoring (15.2 ppg.) and 13th in steals (1.46 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 24 games, all coming in the last 26 games played, while totaling a team-best 5 double-doubles. He is third in scoring at 14.9 points per game, while averaging a team-best rebounds at 7.1 per game.
Kaluma was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year for the second time on Monday after averaging 22.5 points on 46.4 percent (13-of-28) shooting, including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point range, to go with 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 38 minutes per game in games against Texas and No. 25/21 BYU last week. He played his best game in a Wildcat uniform in the win over BYU, as he scored a 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 a game-high 10 rebounds, season-tying 4 assists and a steal in 39 minutes. It marked the Wildcats' first 20-point, 10-rebound performance since Keyontae Johnson posted 22 points and 12 rebounds at No. 8/8 Kansas on Jan. 31, 2023
Kaluma was selected as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 22 after averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in games vs. No. 9/9 Baylor and Oklahoma State.
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 6.8 boards per game. He also ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (2.75 orpg.). He has a team-best double-digit rebounds in 6 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 has double figures points in 10 games, including a season-high 17 points at West Virginia (1/9/24).
N'Guessan has increased his output since coming off the bench in the last 7 games, averaging 8.7 points on 61 percent (25-of-41) shooting with 5.9 rebounds per game. He has been even better in the last 5 games, averaging 10.6 points on 66.7 percent (22-of-33) shooting with 6.6 rebounds per game.
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 Jr. has been solid all season, averaging 7.7 points on 62.2 percent shooting to go along with 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks through 27 games with 19 starts in 23.3 minutes per game. K-State is 9-1 when he scores in double figures after his 13-point effort vs. West Virginia (2/26/24).
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 7 games. He has scored in double figures 10 times, including season-best 13 points at LSU (12/9/23) and West Virginia (2/26/24). 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).

AMES ADJUSTING TO STARTER'S ROLE

Freshman Dai Dai Ames is starting to adjust to his role in the starting lineup, as he has become a key factor in the Wildcats' improved play. Since becoming a starter at Oklahoma State (2/3/24) 7 games ago, he is averaging 4.3 points on 42.7 percent (10-of-24) shooting, including 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range, in nearly 20 minutes per game. He scored 9 points in Monday's win over West Virginia (2/26/24) on 3-of-6 shooting, including 3 treys.
Ames opened the season by scoring in double figures in 4 of his first 6 games, including a season-high 14 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23).

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 7/9 KANSAS (21-7, 9-6 Big 12)

K-State plays its final regular season road game on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on No. 7/9 Kansas (21-7, 9-6 Big 12) in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 8 p.m., CT on ESPN.

Preview // K-State Begins March with Road Trip to Cincinnati Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Keyontae Johnson

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Taymont Lindsey

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Begins March with Road Trip to Cincinnati Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dai Dai Ames

Cam Carter

Jerrell Colbert

Keyontae Johnson

R.J. Jones

Arthur Kaluma

Taymont Lindsey

Will McNair Jr.

David N'Guessan

Tylor Perry

Macaleab Rich

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