Preview // K-State Travels to Iowa for NIT First Round Tuesday

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GAME 34
KANSAS STATE (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) vs. IOWA (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten)
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 >> 8 p.m. CT >> Carver-Hawkeye Arena (14,998) >> Iowa City, Iowa
NIT First Round

TELEVISION
ESPN / WatchESPN (link here)

Pete Sousa (play-by-play)
Jess Settles (analyst)
Brian Boyle (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 390
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
Head Coach: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 45-24/Second Year
Career Record: 47-24*/Second Year
vs. Iowa: 0-0 [0-0 on the road]

Iowa: Fran McCaffery [Penn '82]
Record at Iowa: 279-190/14th Year
Career Record: 530-367/28th Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #4 Dai Dai Ames
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
C: #20 Jerrell Colbert

Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten)
G: #11 Tony Perkins
G: #4 Josh Dix
F: #20 Payton Sandford
F: #23 Ben Krikke
F: #32 Owen Freeman

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tied 4-4
At NIT: First meeting
In Iowa City: Iowa leads 3-1
At Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Iowa leads 1-0
Active Streak: Iowa, 2
Last Meeting: W, 65-63 [12/22/2008 in Las Vegas]
Jerome Tang vs. Fran McCaffery: 0-0

K-STATE TRAVELS TO IOWA FOR POSTSEASON NIT TUESDAY NIGHT
Kansas State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday night, as the Wildcats earned their eighth bid (1976, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2009, 2024) to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and their 40th postseason appearance. K-State received one of 20 at-large bids to the NIT and will play No. 3 seed Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten) in the first round at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday, March 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The winner will advance to play the winner of No. 2 seed Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) on Saturday, March 23 or Sunday, March 24.

The Wildcats are joined in the 8-team bracket by top-seed Villanova (18-15), 2-seed Utah, 3-seed Iowa and 4-seed UCF (17-15). In addition to the games between K-State/Iowa and Utah/UC Irvine, Villanova will host VCU (22-13) and UCF will host South Florida (24-7).

K-State has a 6-8 record in the NIT, including 4-3 in the first round. The Wildcats are 0-3 on the road in NIT, falling at Notre Dame in 1992, N.C. State in 1998 and San Diego State in 2009. The best finish came in 1994 when the team advanced to the semifinals.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State went 1-1 at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship last week, knocking off 7-seed Texas, 78-74, in the first round on March 13 before falling to 2-seed and No. 7/8 Iowa State, 76-57, in the quarterfinals on March 14. The Wildcats overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to the Longhorns with one of their best second-half performances of the year to earn their first win at the Championship since 2021. However, it was short-lived as the Wildcats ran into the eventual champion Cyclones, which scored 23 points off a season-worst 20 turnovers.
K-State reached the postseason for the 13th time in 18 seasons with a strong resume, which included 9 Quad 1 or 2 victories (Providence, Villanova, LSU, UCF, No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas, No. 25/21 BYU, No. 6/6 Iowa State and Texas). The Wildcats defeated 4 Top 25 teams, including 3 ranked in the Top 10. In addition, the team was 10-1 against Quad 3 and 4 opponents.
K-State will continue to try and reverse its fortunes on the road, where the Wildcats are a combined 4-11 away from home, including a 2-8 mark in true road games. The team won their first 2 road games (LSU, West Virginia) but has since lost 8 in a row.
K-State has been the kings of overtime under head coach Jerome Tang, as the Wildcats have won 12 consecutive overtime games, including a Division I single-season record 7 this season (Providence, ORU, North Alabama, Villanova, No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas, West Virginia).
The Wildcats have a strong 1-2-3 scoring punch in Tylor Perry (15.5 ppg.), Arthur Kaluma (14.7 ppg.) and Cam Carter (14.6 ppg.), as they are responsible for 62 percent of the team's scoring (44.8 out of 71.9 ppg.). K-State is the only Big 12 member to have 3 players rank in the league's top-15 in scoring, as Perry ranks seventh, Kaluma 11th and Carter 12th. The trio also performed well during the Big 12 regular season, averaging a combined 43.7 points per game.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Advance it to the second round to play Utah or UC Irvine.
Snap a 2-game losing streak to Iowa.
Snap an 8-game road losing streak.
Boost its all-time record to 7-8 in the NIT.
Be the 1,741st in the program history, including 5th vs. UI.

NOTES ON IOWA (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten)

Under 14th-year head coach Fran McCaffery, Iowa has a 18-14 overall record, including a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-10 mark. The Hawkeyes dropped their last 2 games, including 90-78 in the Big Ten Tournament. The team is 12-4 at home this season, including 6-0 outside of Big Ten play.
Iowa is averaging 82.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, including 34.7 percent from 3-point range, with 35.4 rebounds, 17.8 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.9 blocks per game, while allowing 79.0 points on 45.8 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from 3-point range. The Hawkeyes are connecting on 77.8 percent from the free throw line.
Iowa is among the best offensive teams in the country, ranking second in assist/turnover ratio (1.87), eighth in fastbreak points (15.03), ninth in assists/game (17.8), 14th in scoring offense (82.9) and turnovers/game (9.5) and 16th in free throw percentage (77.8).
Four Hawkeyes (Payton Sandfort, Tony Perkins, Ben Krikke and Owen Freeman) are averaging in double figures, while 2 others (Josh Dix and Patrick McCaffery) are averaging better than 8.6 points per game. Sandfort is averaging a team-best 16.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting,

including a team-best 87 made 3-pointers on 37.5 percent shooting, to go with 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Perkins is averaging 14.5 points on 43.9 percent shooting with a team-best 4.6 assists per game. Krikke and Freeman are averaging 13.5 and 10.6 points per game, while Freeman has a team-best 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

McCaffery has a 530-367 record in 28 seasons as a head coach, including 279-190 in 14 seasons at Iowa. He has also been the head coach at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro and Siena. He has taken the Hawkeyes to the postseason on 10 occasions, including 7 NCAA Tournaments and 3 NITs.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the ninth meeting with both schools winning 4 times in a series that dates back to 1946. Iowa has won the last 2 meetings, including 89-70 in the first and only matchup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 22, 2001. The Hawkeyes led the series, 3-1, at home.
This will be the first postseason meeting and the first overall since Iowa earned a last-second 65-63 win in the Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 29, 2008.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS [4-4]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
12/7/1946	—/—	L	41-54	Iowa City
12/22/1956	10/—	L	83-85	Iowa City
12/14/1957	5/—	W	86-69	Manhattan
12/13/1972	20/—	W	68-62	Iowa City
12/11/1973	15/—	W	105-67	Manhattan
12/23/2000	—/19	W	86-78	Manhattan
12/22/2001	—/12	L	70-89	Iowa City
11/29/2008	—/—	L	63-65	Las Vegas

LAST MEETING:
IOWA 65, K-STATE 63 [11/29/2008]

Cyrus Tate's layup at the buzzer lifted Iowa to a 65-63 win over K-State in the last meeting between the schools in the third-place game of the Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 29, 2008.

LAST MEETING IN IOWA CITY:
IOWA 89, K-STATE 70 [12/22/2001]

Luke Recker scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the first half and No. 12 Iowa held off a second-half rally by K-State for an 89-70 win in the last meeting between the schools at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 22, 2001.

LAST TIME OUT:
7/8 IOWA STATE 76, K-STATE 57

No. 7/8 Iowa State responded with a 14-2 run to push out ahead and advance to the semifinal round with a 76-57 win on March 14 before a sold-out crowd of 19,135 fans at the T-Mobile Center.
With the loss, K-State (19-14) ended its stay at the Big 12 Championship in the quarterfinal round, falling to 18-27 all-time at the event. The Wildcats are now 0-4 against the Cyclones at the event.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures, including 18 points from senior Tylor Perry. He was joined in double figures by junior Arthur Kaluma and senior Will McNair Jr., who finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively. McNair also added team-highs in both rebounds (6) and blocked shots (4).
Trailing by as many as 9 points in the first half, including 7 at the break, K-State scored 7 straight points to close to within 40-39 with 16:02 remaining. Kaluma started the run with a putback before McNair followed with a 3-point play and a jumper. However, a floater by junior Keshon Gilbert right before the first media timeout sparked the Cyclones to a 14-2 run, flipping the one-point advantage into a 54-41 lead with 11:10 to play.
A 3-pointer from junior Cam Carter out of the media timeout got K-State back to within 54-44, but Iowa State answered right back with 12 of the next 13 points to push its lead to its largest at 21 points (66-45) with 5:48 remaining. Over that pivotal 10-minute span, the Cyclones outscored the Wildcats, 26-6.
Four players scored in double figures for Iowa State, including 34 combined points from the senior frontcourt of Robert Jones (18 points) and Tre King (16 points). Gilbert added 12 points, 5 rebounds and a game-high 6 steals, while sophomore Tamin Lipsey had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Iowa State, which ranks among the top-5 in several defensive categories, including fifth in scoring defense (62.1 ppg.), held K-State to just 57 points on 38.3 percent (18-of-47) shooting, including 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from 3-point range. The Cyclones also forced the Wildcats into a season-tying 20 turnovers, including an opponent-high 14 steals, converting those into 23 points.
Iowa State connected on 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the field, including just 7.1 percent (1-of-14) from 3-point range, as 44 of its 76 points came in the paint. They also made 25 of 31 attempts from the free throw line and managed just 6 turnovers of their own.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State is now 38-45 all-time at the Big Eight/12 Championship since 1977, including 18-27 in the Big 12 era... The Wildcats are now 37-40 in conference championship games in Kansas City, including 11-15 at the T-Mobile Center.
Iowa State wins the rubber match after the teams split their 2 regular-season meetings... K-State still leads the all-time series, 146-94.
The 20 turnovers tied a season-low, which yielded 23 points.
K-State outrebounded Iowa State, 33-31, including 12 offensive rebounds that resulted in 11 second-chance points... The Wildcats have now outrebounded their opponent in 20 of 33 games.
Perry has now led the team in scoring in a team-best 17 games.
Kaluma has now scored in double figures in 68 career games, including a team-best 28 this season.
McNair has scored in double figures in 26 career games, including 12 this year... He also led the team in rebounding (6) and blocked shots (4).

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 made strides on the defensive end during Big 12 play, allowing 70.8 points on a league-best 40.5 percent (442-of-1091) shooting, including a Big 12-best 29.4 percent (116-of-394) from 3-point range. The Wildcats allowed fewer than 70 points in 7 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), 62 to Texas (2/19/24) and 58 to No. 6/6 Iowa State (3/9/24).
Through 18 Big 12 games, K-State ranked among the top-4 in 4 defensive categories, including first in field goal percentage defense (40.5), 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.4) and defensive rebounds/game (26.33), fourth in blocks/game (4.11) and fifth in scoring defense (70.78 ppg.).
The 52 points allowed to UCF were the fewest allowed in a Big 12 opener since 2003. K-State held Texas Tech (60 points), No. 9/9 Baylor (64 points) and No. 6/6 Iowa State (58 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 79th nationally in rebounds/game (37.48), including third in the league and 83rd nationally in defensive rebounds/game (26.39).
Last season, the team ranked 175th or worse in all 4 rebounding categories.
K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 20 times in 33 games, while posting a +2.9 rebounding margin, which ranks 90th 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 broke the single-season mark for 3-point field goal attempts for third consecutive season, as the 18 attempts vs. No. 7/8 Iowa State (3/14/24) gave the Wildcats 760 for the season, shattering the record of 754 set in 2021-22. The team nearly broke the mark in 2022-23 with 752 attempts.
K-State has connected on 243 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 19th in attempts (266), 34th in total 3-pointers (91) and 43rd in 3-point field goals/game (2.76). His 91 treys rank as the fifth-most in a single-season in school history.

BETTER OFFENSE

K-State has been better offensively in the last 7 games, averaging 74 points on 44.6 percent (140-of-314) shooting, including 39 percent (57-of-146) from 3-point range, and 70 percent (131-of-187) from the line. The Wildcats topped their Big 12 best in consecutive games with 84 points vs. No. 25/21 BYU (2/24/24) and 94 vs. West Virginia (2/26/24).

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 15.8 makes per game while converting on 72.5 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-65 in both makes (15.8/59th) and attempts (21.8/61st) per game, as the team 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 17.9 makes on 24.2 attempts in their 19 wins, while they average just 12.9 makes on 18.5 attempts in their 14 losses. In contrast, their opponents average 11.6 makes on 16.8 attempts in the wins compared to 17.1 makes on 23.9 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 1,740-1,236 (.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 88 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 scoring (15.5 ppg.) and assists (4.4 apg.) while he is second in steals (1.1 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.0 rpg.). Perry ranks in the Big 12's top-10 in scoring (7th), assists (7th), free throw percentage (3rd) and 3-pointers (3rd).
Perry has scored in double figures in 24 times with a team-best 11 20-point games. His 20-point games include 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), 24 vs. TCU (2/17/24), 29 vs. West Virginia (2/26/24), 26 at Cincinnati (3/2/24) and 21 vs. Texas (3/13/24).
Perry ranks the Big 12's top 10 in 6 categories, including tops in minutes (36.46), third in free throw percentage (91.3) and 3-point field goals (2.76), seventh in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and assists (4.4 apg.) and 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.2).
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 passed 1,500 career points at the Division I level at Cincinnati (3/2/24).
Perry was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week on March 4 for the first time in his career after averaging 27.5 points in games vs. West Virginia and Cincinnati on 63.6 percent (14-of-22) shooting. In addition, Perry and junior Arthur Kaluma were both named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 91.3 percent (158-of-173). He ranks 10th nationally and third in the Big 12. He leads the Big 12 in free throws (158) and is second in attempts (173).
Four times 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. In addition, he went 11-of-12 from the line vs. Baylor (1/16/24), 12-of-12 vs. TCU (2/17/24) and 10-of-10 vs. Texas (3/13/24). He is the only Wildcat with multiple games of going 12-of-12 or better from the 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 this season, averaging 14.6 points per game. He leads in field goals (163) and attempts (416), while he is second in double-digit scoring games (26), 3-pointers (58) and attempts (185) and third in scoring and 20-point games (5).
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). His latest 20-point effort came in the win over No. 6/6 Iowa State (3/9/24), as he scored 21 points on 6-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range.
In addition to scoring in double figures in 25 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 4 categories, including second in minutes (35.7), seventh in free throw percentage (83.8), 12th in scoring (14.6 ppg.) and 14th in steals (1.36 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 28 games, all coming in the last 31 games played, while totaling a team-best 5 double-doubles. He is second in scoring at 14.7 points per game, while averaging a team-best rebounds at 7.1 per game.
Kaluma came through in a big way in the win over No. 6/6 Iowa State (3/9/24), pouring in a game-high 23 points on 8-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, to go with 7 rebounds and 3 steals in 37 minutes. It marked his sixth 20-point game, including his fourth in Big 12 play.
Kaluma was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year for the second time on Feb. 26 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.
Kaluma played his best game in a Wildcat uniform in the win over BYU (2/24/24), 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 first 20-point, 10-rebound performance by a Wildcat 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 for the first time 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. He had a double-double vs. the Bears, while he had 23 points 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 4 players (Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Emanuel Miller) in the Big 12 to rank in the top-15 in scoring and rebounding.

ATTACKING THE GLASS

Senior David N'Guessan has been impressive on the glass, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in rebounding at 6.8 boards per game. He also ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (2.76 orpg.). He has a team-best double-digit rebounds in 7 games, including a career-best 16 boards vs. No. 6/6 Iowa State.
N'Guessan has posted 3 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. His latest came in the win over No. 6/6 Iowa State, as he posted 11 points to go with his career-best 16 rebounds.
N'Guessan has increased his output since coming off the bench in the last 12 games, averaging 8.3 points on 57.8 percent (41-of-71) shooting with 6.3 rebounds per game. He has been even better in the last 10 games, averaging 9.1 points on 60.3 percent (38-of-63) shooting with 6.7 rebounds per game.

BIG MAN CONTINUES SOLID PLAY

Senior Will McNair Jr. has been solid all season, averaging 7.8 points on 61.9 percent shooting to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks through 32 games with 19 starts in 22.8 minutes per game. K-State is 9-3 when he scores in double figures after posting 13 points vs. No. 7/8 Iowa State (3/14/24).
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 12 games. He has scored in double figures 12 times, including season-best 17 points at No. 14/15 Kansas (3/5/24). He posted a season-high 10 rebounds in the loss at No. 21/19 BYU (2/10/24) before tying that high with 10 boards at No. 14/15 Kansas (3/5/24) to go 17 points to earn his first double-double as a Wildcat.

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 OSU (2/3/24) 12 games ago, he is averaging 4.8 points on 40 percent (20-of-50) shooting, including 38.5 percent (10-of-26) from 3-point range, in 21.3 minutes per game. He had 10 points in the win over Texas (3/13/24), hitting on 4-of-9 field goals to go with 3 assists and 2 steals.

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 6 games, including a season-best 14 points vs. UCA (11/22/23). Jones has played in 23 games, averaging 9.1 minutes per game. He ranks fourth in 3-pointers (15), including a big triple in the overtime win over Baylor (1/16/24). Rich has played in 15 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.

Preview // K-State Travels to Iowa for NIT First Round Tuesday

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 Travels to Iowa for NIT First Round Tuesday

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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