Preview // K-State Returns Home to Host 12/11 Houston Saturday

GAME 15
KANSAS STATE (7-7, 1-2 Big 12) vs. 12/11 HOUSTON (11-3, 3-0 Big 12)
Saturday, January 11, 2025 >> 5 p.m., CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS
Single-game ticket start at $38
kstatesports.com/tickets

PROMOTIONS
Wear White
Wear your best white gear to ensure a K-State White Out for the conference class vs. Houston. Purchase your official white out shirt here, available only at Rally House.

TELEVISION
ESPN+ (online link)

Mark Neely (play-by-play)
Jess Settles (analyst)
Todd Jones (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 385
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS
kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 52-32/3rd Year
Career Record: 54-32*/3rd Year+
vs. Houston: 0-1 [0-0 at home]

Houston: Kelvin Sampson [UNC Pembroke '78]
Record at Houston: 274-82/11th Year
Career Record: 774-352/36th Year
vs. K-State: 12-4 [4-3 on the road]

LAST GAME STARTERS:
K-State (7-7)
G: #0 Dug McDaniel
G: #11 Brendan Hausen
G: #2 Max Jones
W: #33 Coleman Hawkins
W: #1 David N'Guessan

12/11 Houston (11-3)
G: #7 Milos Uzan
G: #4 L.J. Cryer
G: #21 Emanuel Sharp
F: #13 J'Wan Roberts
F: #11 Joseph Tugler

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 5-4
Big 12 Era: Houston lead 1-0
In Manhattan: Tied 1-1
At Bramlage Coliseum: First meeting
Active Streak: Houston, 1
Last Meeting: L, 52-74 [1/27/2024 in Houston]
Jerome Tang vs. Kelvin Sampson: 0-1

K-STATE RETURNS HOME TO HOST 12/11 HOUSTON SATURDAY
K-State (7-7, 1-2 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats play host to No. 12/11 Houston (11-3, 3-0 Big 12) at 5 p.m., CT. The game will air on ESPN+. It will be the first two consecutive home games, which includes Tuesday's tilt with Texas Tech (11-3, 2-1 Big 12). The Wildcats are 5-1 at Bramlage Coliseum this season, including 1-0 in Big 12 play.

This will be just the 10th all-time meeting between K-State and Houston, including the first in Manhattan since 1971. The Wildcats hold a narrow 5-4 edge in the all-time series, including 1-1 in games played in Manhattan (1956 and 1971). The last of those 5 wins came in 1974. The Cougars won the first-ever meeting as Big 12 foes with a 74-52 victory at home on Jan. 27, 2024.

K-State will hope the return home to Bramlage Coliseum will help spark them, as the Wildcats play just their second home game in the last 41 days. The Wildcats are 34-5 (.872) at home under head coach Jerome Tang, including 16-3 in Big 12 play. The team has been even better at home against AP Top 25 (10-2) under Tang, including a 70-67 win over No. 17/17 Cincinnati on Dec. 30.

LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma State blew open a tight contest with a 15-0 run to end the first half, as the Cowboys earned their first Big 12 win of the season with a 79-66 win over K-State on Tuesday before 5,540 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU led just 28-24 with 3:54 left in the first half before the pivotal run, which flipped a two-possession game into a 19-point halftime advantage for the Cowboys.

K-State twice cut the lead to 11 points in the second half, including 52-41 after an 11-2 run with 12:46 to play, but a 3-pointer from senior Bryce Thompson with the shot clock running down
ignited a 9-0 run that pushed the lead back to 20 at 61-41 near the midway point of the half.

Most of the damage came off 19 Wildcat turnovers that the Cowboys converted into 31 points. The 31 points off turnovers tie for the fourth-most ever by an opponent and the most since 2021.

KEY STORYLINES

Newcomers have combined to score 799 (75.6 percent) of the team's 1057 points, accounting for 36 of 49 double-digit scoring games. Senior returner David N'Guessan has scored in double figures in 13 games, but the next 6 highest scorers are newcomers, including 9 double-digit scoring efforts by junior Brendan Hausen, 8 by senior Coleman Hawkins and 7 by junior Dug McDaniel.
N'Guessan has been the Wildcats' most consistent player, as he leads the team in both scoring (13.2 rpg.) and rebounding (7.3 rpg.) while connecting on 66.4 percent (75-of-113). He posted his best all-around game at Oklahoma State, collecting his sixth career double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go with a career-best 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Hawkins is the only player in Division I averaging at least 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game this season. He is the team's leading scorer in Big 12 play at 16.3 points per game, while averaging 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 2-game overall losing streak.
Be the first win against Houston since 1974.
Be the first against the Cougars at home since 1956.
Give the Wildcats consecutive wins over Top 25 opponents.
Give the Wildcats a 2-0 start in Big 12 play at home.

NOTES ON 12/11 HOUSTON

Led by longtime head coach Kelvin Sampson, No. 12/11 Houston is 11-3 on the season, including 3-0 in Big 12 play after a 65-46 win over TCU at home on Monday night. The Cougars have won 7 straight since a 73-70 loss to San Diego State on Nov. 30 at the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas. Their only other losses have come to current top-5 teams Auburn and Alabama.
Houston is averaging 76.4 points on 45.8 percent shooting, including 41.4 percent from 3-point range, while allowing an NCAA-best 54 points on 34.3 percent shooting from the field, including 28.1 percent from 3-point range. The Cougars are hitting on 74.8 percent from the free throw line.
Houston has the best defensive team in the country, not only ranking first in scoring defense, but also first in field goal percentage defense and scoring margin (+22.4). They also 11th in blocks (5.6 bpg.), 18th in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 19th in turnover margin (+4.9). Offensively, the Cougars have the second-best 3-point field goal percentage (41.4) and are 18th with just 9.7 turnovers per game.
Five players are averaging 8.8 points per game or better, including a pair of double-digit scorers in L.J. Cryer (14.3 ppg.) and Emanuel Sharp (14.0 ppg.), who have combined for 78 of the 128 made 3-pointers. Big men J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler are averaging 6.8 and 5.7 rebounds per game, while transfer Milos Uzan has dished out a team-best 71 assists.
Sampson has a 774-352 overall record in his 36th season as a head coach, which includes stints at Montana Tech (1980-85), Washington State (1987-94), Oklahoma (1994-2006), Indiana (2006-08) and Houston (2014-present). He has a 274-82 mark in his 11th season with the Cougars. He is 12-4 all-time vs. K-State, including 4-3 in Manhattan.

LAST GAME OUT

Houston forced TCU into a season-high 19 turnovers en route to a 65-46 win over the Horned Frogs at home on Monday night. Junior Emanuel Sharp and graduate J'Wan Roberts scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State leads the all-time series, 5-4, including a 1-1 mark in Manhattan. Three of the 9 previous meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament (1956, 1961 and 1970). Houston won the first Big 12 matchup in 2024.
This will be the third meeting between the schools in Manhattan and the first-ever at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State won the first matchup, 97-78, on Dec. 1, 1956 before Houston earned a 73-71 win on Jan. 23, 1971.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS [5-4]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
12/21/1955	—/—	L	79-86	Houston
3/17/1956	—/17	W	89-70	Lawrence, Kan.+
12/1/1956	—/—	W	97-78	Manhattan
3/17/1961	4/—	W	75-64	Lawrence, Kan.+
12/16/1968	—/12	L	84-87 [OT]	Houston
3/14/1970	—/12	W	107-98	Lawrence, Kan.+
1/23/1971	—/—	L	71-73	Manhattan
12/21/1974	—/—	W	91-90	Houston
1/27/2024	—/4	L	52-74	Houston

+NCAA Tournament

LAST MEETING
4/4 HOUSTON 74, K-STATE 52 [Jan. 27, 2024]

K-State felt the wrath of the nation's top-ranked defense, as No. 4/4 Houston held the Wildcats to just 52 points while forcing 18 turnovers en route to posting a 74-52 win in the last meeting between the schools on Jan. 30, 2024 at the Fertitta Center.

LAST TIME OUT:
OKLAHOMA STATE 79, K-STATE 66

Oklahoma State blew open a tight contest with a 15-0 run to end the first half, as the Cowboys earned their first Big 12 win of the season with a 79-66 win over K-State on Tuesday night before 5,540 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Oklahoma State (9-5, 1-2 Big 12) held a narrow 28-24 lead at the final media timeout of the first half with 3:54 to play before a driving layup by senior guard Khalil Brantley spurred a 15-0 run that flipped a two-possession game into a 19-point halftime advantage for the Cowboys.
Five players scored for OSU in the decisive run, including 4 each by Brantley and graduate Abou Ousmane, 3 by senior Bryce Thompson and 2 each by graduates Marchelus Avery and Brandon Newman. Brantley capped the impressive run with a steal and pullup jumper at the buzzer.
K-State twice cut the lead to 11 points in the second half, including 52-41 after an 11-2 run with 12:46 to play, but a 3-pointer from Thompson with the shot clock running down ignited a 9-0 run that pushed the lead back to 20 at 61-41 near the midway point of the half.
Most of the damage caused by the Cowboys came off 19 Wildcat turnovers that they converted into 31 points. The 31 points off turnovers tie for the fourth-most ever allowed an opponent and the most since Baylor scored 34 points off turnovers on Jan. 27, 2021.
Although plagued by the 19 turnovers, the K-State offense did connect on 50 percent or better from the field for the sixth time this season, finishing at 51.1 percent (24-of-47), including 60.9 percent (14-of-23) in the second half. However, the Wildcats were dismal from 3-point range, making just 21.4 percent (3-of-14) of their shots from beyond the arc.
Senior Coleman Hawkins led three Wildcats in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 32 minutes. Fellow senior David N'Guessan posted his sixth double-double, including his second in a row, with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks to his stat line. Senior Max Jones scored in double figures for the sixth time this season with 10 points.
For the game, Oklahoma State shot 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field, including 42.9 percent (9-of-21) from 3-point range, while making 14 of 18 attempts from the free throw line. In addition to a 31-14 advantage in points off turnovers, the Cowboys were 14-4 on fast-break points.
Ousmane led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-15 field goal attempts, while Avery and Thompson added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Brantley had game-highs in both assists (5) and steals (3) to go with his 6 points.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

The loss continued the Wildcats' struggles on the road, as they dropped their 13th consecutive game, including 10th straight on the road in Big 12 play.
K-State still leads the all-time series, 87-60, including 28-38 in games played in Stillwater and 26-35 at Gallagher-Iba Arena... The Cowboys have now won the last 2 games in the series since a 3-game losing streak.
It marked the sixth time this season that the Wildcats have connected on 50 percent or better from the field, including the first time in Big 12 play.
OSU scored 31 points off 19 K-State turnovers, which were the fourth-most points off turnovers allowed an opponent... In contrast, the Wildcats scored 14 points off 12 Cowboy turnovers.
K-State held a 38-34 advantage in points in the paint.

BETTER OFFENSE, BETTER SHOOTERS

K-State is averaging 75.5 points through 14 games on 45.8 percent shooting, including 34 percent from 3-point range, to go with 16.6 assists per game. The Wildcats rank in the top-55 nationally in assists (55th), while they are 113th in 3-point field goal attempts/game (24.8), 123rd in 3-pointers/game (8.4) and 169th in 3-point field goal percentage.
The Wildcats have scored 74 or more points in 6 of 7 wins, including 80 or more in 4 contests, highlighted by the school-record 120-point effort vs. UAPB (12/1/24). The 120 points topped the previous record of 116 set in a win at No. 6/6 Texas on Jan. 3, 2023, while they were the most in a home game, surpassing the 115 scored against Delaware State in 1991 and Fresno State in 1994.
K-State has hit on better than 50 percent from the field in 6 games, including a season-high 61.5 percent (40-of-65) vs. UAPB (12/1/24). The team connected on 57.8 percent vs. Cleveland State (11/9/24), 51.8 percent vs. GW (11/22/24), 58.9 percent vs. Longwood (11/25/24) and 51.1 percent at OSU (1/7/25).
Nine players are shooting better than 40 percent from the field led by senior David N'Guessan's 66.4 field goal percentage (75-of-113), which ranks eighth nationally and second in the Big 12 through 14 games.

BETTER FROM 3-POINT RANGE

One of the top priorities for head coach Jerome Tang and his coaching staff this offseason was getting better production from the 3-point line. Last season, K-State ranked last in the Big 12 and 289th nationally in 3-point percentage at 31.8, while the Wildcats were eighth in the league and 183rd in the nation in 3-point field goals made/game at 7.4.
Through 14 games, the Wildcats have made some improvement in that area, as they rank 169th nationally and 13th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (34.5) and 123rd in the nation and eighth in the league in 3-point field goals/game (8.4). They are also fifth in the Big 12 in attempts (24.8).
K-State has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in 4 games, including a near school-record 21 triples vs. UAPB (12/1/24). The 21 3-pointers are the second-most in school history and the most since hitting a record 23 in vs. Fresno State on March 24, 1994. In addition, the Wildcats made 13 treys vs. New Orleans (11/5/24), 10 vs. Cleveland State (11/9/24) and 11 vs. Longwood (11/25/24).
Three Wildcats have already registered double-digit 3-pointers led by junior Brendan Hausen's 42 makes. Hausen ranks second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (42) and 3-pointers/game (3.00) and third in 3-point attempts (105). He ranks among the top-80 nationally in all 4 categories. Ten different players have at least 2 made 3-pointers this season, including 18 by senior Max Jones, 17 by senior Coleman Hawkins and 10 by junior Dug McDaniel.

OVERTIME STREAK ENDS

K-State saw its 12-game winning streak in overtime games end in the 73-70 loss to unbeaten Drake on Dec. 21 in the Wildcat Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. In a game in which they trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, the Wildcats seemingly tied the game at 70-all in overtime on a 3-pointer by senior Coleman Hawkins with 13 seconds before the Bulldogs' Bennett Stirtz's 3-pointer with 4 seconds left proved to be the game-winner.
K-State's 12-game overtime winning streak was the second-longest 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 set the Division I single-season record with 7 overtime wins in 2023-24, which included Providence (73-70), Oral Roberts (88-78), North Alabama (75-74) and Villanova (72-71) in non-conference play and No. 9/9 Baylor (68-64), No. 4/4 Kansas (75-70) and West Virginia (94-90) in Big 12 action.
The 7 overtime wins in 2023-24 set 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 broke the school record of 5, while it was the most overtime games in school history (5 total set in 1992-93 and 2022-23). The 6 overtime home wins were also the Division I mark.
The loss also snapped coach Jerome Tang's 13-game personal winning streak in overtime game, which dated back to an overtime win as interim head coach at Baylor in 2013 over Texas.

N'GUESSAN OFF TO STRONG START

Senior David N'Guessan is off to a strong start to his fifth and final year of college in 2024-25, as the De Lier, The Netherlands native has scored in double figures in a team-leading 13 games. He leads the Wildcats in scoring (13.2 ppg.), field goals made (75) and rebounding (7.9 rpg.) while connecting on a team-best 66.4 percent (75-of-113) from the field.
N'Guessan made quite the season debut against New Orleans on Nov. 5 becoming the first Wildcat with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in an opener since Wesley Iwundu (23 points, 10 rebounds) did it against UMES on Nov. 13, 2015. He scored his 21 points on 10-of-14 field goals to go with 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in nearly 31 minutes. It was his fourth career double-double and his first career 20-point, 10-rebound performance.
N'Guessan has double-doubles in each of the last 2 games, including 12 points and a career-best 17 rebounds at TCU (1/4/25) and 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds at Oklahoma State (1/7/25). His 17 boards tied for the third-most by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and were the most since Michael Beasley posted 17 rebounds against Missouri on Feb. 16, 2008.
N'Guessan, the last remaining member of the 2023 Elite Eight team, is in his third season at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech in 2022-23. He has scored 637 points in his Wildcat career, connecting on 63.8 percent from the field, to go with 441 rebounds, 81 assists, 56 blocks and 56 steals in 77 games played with 53 starts. He has 6 career double-doubles.
N'Guessan is coming off a career year in 2023-24, in which, he posted career-highs in points (265), double-digit scoring games (14), field goals made (111) and attempted (190), rebounds (230), assists (31), blocks (26), steals (24) and total minutes (935). He also collected 3 double-doubles.
N'Guessan has been a part of 90 victories in college, including 3 trips to the NCAA Tournament (2021, 2022, 2023), an NIT appearance in 2024, an ACC

MR. ALL-AROUND

Senior wing Coleman Hawkins has proven himself to be an elite all-around player for the Wildcats, as he leads in assists (3.9 apg.), steals (2.4 spg.), blocks (1.4 bpg.) and minutes (33.0 mpg.) while he is second in rebounding (7.1 rpg.) and third in scoring (10.7 ppg.).
Hawkins has registered at least 4 assists and 2 steals in 7 of 14 games played, while he has grabbed 5 or more rebounds on 11 occasions and has 7 games of at least 2 blocks. He has scored in double figures 8 times, including a season-high 20 points vs. No. 16/17 Cincinnati (12/30/24) on 7-of-13 field goals. It was his eighth career double-double, including his second as a Wildcat.
Hawkins ranks in the Big 12's top-15 in 6 categories, including steals (2.4 spg./3rd), minutes (3.0 mpg./4th), defensive rebounds (5.2/8th), blocks (1.4 bpg./8th), rebounds (7.1 rpg./10th) and assists (3.9 apg./14th).
Hawkins was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team on Nov. 25 after averaging 13.0 points on 55.6 percent (15-of-27) shooting from the field with 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game. He registered his first double-double as a Wildcat with his 19-point, 10-rebound effort vs. Longwood (11/25/24) which also included 5 assists.

HAUSEN GOOD FROM 3

Junior guard Brendan Hausen has given the Wildcats a scoring threat from 3-point range, as the Villanova transfer ranks second in the Big 12 in total 3-point field goals made (42) and 3-pointers/game (3.00), third in 3-point attempts (105) and seventh in 3-point percentage (40.0).
Hausen has connected on at least 2 made 3-pointers in 11 of 14 games while he had a season-high 6 makes against Cleveland State (11/9/24) and at St. John's (12/7/24). Three times he has 4 treys (UNO, Liberty and WSU), while he made 3 in back-to-back games vs. Longwood (11/25/24) and UAPB (12/1/24).
Hausen had his best game to date in the last outing at St. John's (12/7/24), as he posted his second 20-point game of the season with a career-best 27 points on 9-of-17 field goals, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. He scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half, becoming the 21st player in school history to score 20 or more points in an opening half.
A starter in all 14 games, Hausen ranks second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg.) while connecting on 41.1 percent from the field, including 40 percent from 3-point range. He is second on the team behind David N'Guessan with 9 double-digit scoring games, including 7 of the last 10 games.
Dubbed the 'Amarillo Assassin' for his 3-point ability in high school, Hausen has totaled 130 made 3-pointers in his 80-game college career, making 41 percent from the field. He was Villanova's top 3-point shooting threat in 2023-24, totaling 61 makes on 38.1 percent shooting from the bench.

POINT GUARD BY COMMITTEE

A weakness a year ago, head coach Jerome Tang made it a point to have options at the point guard position in 2024-25, bringing in transfers C.J. Jones (UIC) and Dug McDaniel (Michigan) to go with incoming freshman David Castillo. Throw in versatile big man Coleman Hawkins, who is tied for the lead with 3.9 assists/game, and the coaching staff have plenty of ball handlers.
K-State is averaging 16.6 assists through 14 games this season, which ranks 55th nationally and ninth in the Big 12, while the team has assists on more than 60 percent of their made baskets (233 out of 386). The Wildcats have dished out more than 20 assists 3 times, including 30 on 40 field goals while breaking the school scoring record (120) vs. UAPB (12/1/24). The 30 assists tied for the second-most and the most since the record of 34 was set in 1985.
Jones has started 8 games this season, averaging 6.9 points on 43 percent shooting with 2.1 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game. He has at least 2 assists in 9 games, including a season-high 4 twice, while he scored a season-high 12 points vs. Mississippi Valley State (11/19/24).
McDaniel has started each of the first 3 Big 12 games after coming off the bench much of the season. He is tied for the lead in assists (55) while is second in steals (25) while averaging 28.2 minutes per game. He has at least 3 assists in 10 games, including a career-best 10 against UAPB (12/1/24). He has scored in double figures in 7 of the last 11 games, including a season-best 18 points vs. UAPB to post his first career double-double.
Castillo, who had his first career double-digit scoring game (17 points) vs. UAPB (12/1/24), started vs. Drake (12/17/24) and Wichita State (12/21/24).

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 187-61 (.764) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 146-18 (.899) 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 130-14 (.907) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State's 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. Last season, the team went 10-3 in non-conference play, including 7-1 at Bramlage Coliseum.

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
2024-25	6-5	4-2	4-1
Total	187-61	146-18	130-14

'CATS PICKED 8TH IN BIG 12 POLL; HAWKINS NAMED CO-NEWCOMER

K-State was picked eighth in the new 16-team Big 12 preseason poll, while senior transfer Coleman Hawkins was named the league's co-Newcomer of the Year, alongside Baylor's Jeremy Roach.
Hawkins is the first Wildcat to be selected as the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and the fourth to be chosen for a preseason player honor, joining Michael Beasley (2007-08 Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year), Jacob Pullen (2010-11 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year) and Dean Wade (2018-19 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year).
Hawkins, who earned All-Big Ten honors at Illinois in 2023-24, was also selected to the preseason All-Big 12 Second Team by the league coaches, joining Baylor's Norchad Omier and Roach, Iowa State's Keshon Gilbert and Kansas' Dajuan Harris Jr.
Hawkins is also the first Wildcat to earn selection to one of the main preseason all-conference teams by the coaches since Barry Brown Jr. and Wade in 2018-19. He is one of eight players in school history to be chosen for preseason all-conference honors dating to Manny Dies in 1998-99. Others include Pullen and Curtis Kelly in 2010-11, Rodney McGruder in 2012-13 and Marcus Foster in 2014-15.
K-State received 133 points to place eighth in the poll, just two points behind seventh-place Texas Tech and 17 points ahead of ninth-place BYU.
Kansas was picked first with 215 points and nine first-place votes followed closely by Houston (211, five first-place votes), third-place Iowa State (194, one first-place vote), fourth-place Baylor (185) and fifth-place Arizona (179, one first-place vote).
Hawkins has also been named to the watch list for the Naismith Trophy as well as the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

K-State entered the 2024-25 season as one of the winningest programs in Division I history, as the Wildcats have posted a 1,740-1,238 (.584) all-time record which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.
The 1,740 wins tie Marquette for the 43rd-most in Division I history, including the seventh-most among current Big 12 schools.

Preview // K-State Returns Home to Host 12/11 Houston Saturday

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Players Mentioned

David Castillo

Brendan Hausen

Coleman Hawkins

C.J. Jones

Max Jones

Dug McDaniel

David N'Guessan

Kansas State University Athletics

Preview // K-State Returns Home to Host 12/11 Houston Saturday

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Players Mentioned

David Castillo

Brendan Hausen

Coleman Hawkins

C.J. Jones

Max Jones

Dug McDaniel

David N'Guessan

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