Preview // K-State Returns Home to Face UCF Wednesday

Wednesday, January 14

Manhattan, Kan.

7 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

UCF

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Jan 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)UCF Notes (.pdf)Watch (Peacock)Listen Live (K-State Sports Network)Live Stats

This will be just the fifth meeting with each team 1-1 in the Big 12 era.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State (9-7, 0-3 Big 12) returns home on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats welcome UCF (13-2, 2-1 Big 12), which is receiving votes in both polls, to Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 7:02 p.m., CT and will air nationally on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.

K-State is off to a 0-3 start in Big 12 play for the first time since 2021-22 with 2 of those 3 losses coming to No. 10/10 BYU (83-73) at home and No. 1/2 Arizona (101-76) on the road. It marked the first time that the Wildcats have started league play with consecutive Top 10 opponents. The team is allowing 90.3 points through 3 games and ranks last in the Big 12 in defensive rebounds (50.0) and rebounding margin (-16.3) while foes are averaging 21.0 second-chance points per game.

Led by veteran coach Johnny Dawkins, the Knights are off to fantastic start with their lone losses coming to unbeaten Vanderbilt and at Oklahoma State. The loss in Stillwater snapped an 11-game winning streak that included wins over Texas A&M, Pittsburgh and No. 17/17 Kansas. The Knights are a balanced scoring team with 4 players in double figures led by senior Riley Kugel's 14.5 points per game while they have one of the top point guards in graduate Themus Fulks, who is second in the Big 12 in assists (7.0 apg).

This will be just the fifth meeting with each team winning on their own home court since the start of Big 12 play. The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time at home in the series, including a 77-52 win in the last such meeting on Jan. 6, 2024. The Knights won the last matchup, 80-76, at home on Feb. 26, 2025.

GAME 17
KANSAS STATE (9-7, 0-3 Big 12) vs. rv/rv UCF (13-2, 2-1 Big 12)
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | 7:02 p.m., CT | Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) | Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Peacock/NBC Sports Network (online link)

Pete Sousa (play-by-play)
Brendan Haywood (analyst)
Joel Kitay (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 392
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 70-49/4th Year
Career Record: 72-49*/4th Year+
vs. UCF: 1-1 (1-0 on the road)

UCF: Johnny Dawkins (Duke '86)
Record at UCF: 181-122/10th Year
Career Record: 337-237/18th Year
vs. K-State: 1-1 (0-1 on the road)

LAST GAME STARTERS:
K-State (9-7)
G: #4 P.J. Haggerty
G: #1 Abdi Bashir Jr.
G: #34 Nate Johnson
W: #0 Elias Rapieque
W: #21 Khamari McGriff

UCF (13-2)
G: #1 Themus Fulks
G: #2 Riley Kugel
G: #4 Jamichael Stillwell
F: #99 Jordan Burks
C: #7 John Bol

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 3-1
In Manhattan: K-State leads 2-0
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 2-0
Active Streak: UCF, 1
First Meeting: K-State won 71-59 (1/6/2003)
Last Meeting: UCF won 80-76 (2/26/2025)
Jerome Tang vs. Johnny Dawkins: 1-1

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Snap a 3-game losing streak in Big 12 play.
Give the Wildcats a 4-1 edge in the all-time series with UCF.
Move coach Jerome Tang to 47-12 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Make the Wildcats 227-282 all-time in Big 12 play.
Give the Wildcats a 1766-1262 all-time record.

LAST TIME OUT
Kansas State made a furious rally to close a 9-point deficit to just one with 5 seconds left, but senior Moe Odum calmly sank a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to help Arizona State hold on for an 87-84 win on Saturday afternoon at Desert Financial Arena.

K-State had one last chance with 4.3 seconds remaining, but junior P.J. Haggerty's desperation 3-point attempt fell way short as the buzzer sounded. The guard led all scorers with 25 points, as he registered his 11th game of 20 or more points. He was joined in double figures by fellow junior Abdi Bashir Jr., who added 22 points with 6 made 3-pointers.

The near comeback came on the heels of a key 10-0 run midway through the second half that provided Arizona State (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) the difference in a back-and-forth game that included 9 lead changes and 9 ties.

The pivotal 10-0 run came after K-State took a 64-58 lead with 10:32 to play on a sixth 3-pointer from Bashir. The front court trio of Santiago Trouet, Massamba Diop and Allen Mukeba combined for all 10 points to help ASU go ahead 68-64 with 7:13 remaining. From there, the Sun Devils continued their momentum, scoring 8 of the next 11 points to take their largest lead at 76-67 and force a timeout by head coach Jerome Tang with 4:21 to play.

The Wildcats didn't go away quietly though, as a 3-pointer from Haggerty sparked a 17-9 run that closed the gap to 85-84 with 5 seconds. Haggerty was responsible for 9 of the 17 points, including a circus 3-pointer that made it 85-84, while Bashir and senior Khamari McGriff each had 4 points. The Sun Devils assisted the rally by making just 5-of-10 free throw attempts during this stretch.

With the game in the balance, the steady Odum absorbed the foul and essentially iced the game with his 2 free throws for an 87-84 lead with 4.3 seconds remaining.

A key stat in the game came in the paint, where ASU outscored K-State, 50-28, that came alongside a 48-34 rebounding advantage that included a combined 34 boards from the quartet of Trouet (10), Diop (9), Mukeba (8) and sophomore Noah Meeusen (7). The Sun Devils converted 18 offensive rebounds into a 24-20 narrow edge in second-chance points.

In addition, ASU scored 24 points at the free throw line, taking advantage of 27 fouls on K-State.

The Wildcats were able to stay competitive in the game with 13 made 3-pointers, including 6 from Bashir and 3 from Haggerty. It marked the ninth time this season that the team has registered double-digit 3-point field goals.

OFFENSE OFF TO A HOT START

K-State's offense is off to a hot start, as the Wildcats are averaging 86.4 points on 47.1 percent (493-of-1046) shooting, including 37.4 percent (165-of-441) from 3-point range, while connecting on 72.5 percent (232-of-320) from the free throw line. They rank among the top-35 in 5 offensive categories, including 16^th in assists (18.6), 22^nd in fastbreak points (16.6), 30^th in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4), 35^th in both scoring offense (86.4) and 3-point field goals/game (10.3).
The Wildcats have scored 90 or more points in 7 of the first 16 games for the first time in school history, while they have two 100-point games for the just the fifth time. The 1383 points scored are the most through the first 16 games, surpassing the 1325 scored by the 2009-10 team.
Junior P.J. Haggerty is the nation's No. 6 scorer at 22.9 points per game, while he ranks ninth in total points (366) and eighth in field goals made (127). Fellow junior Abdi Bashir Jr. ranks in the top-15 in 3-point field goals/game (3.63/13th), total 3-pointers (58/9th) and 3-point field goal percentage (45.7/13th).

POINTS IN THE FIRST 16 GAMES

1383, 2025-26 (94, 98, 99, 84, 98, 85, 69, 66, 67, 108, 83, 106, 94, 73, 76, 84 points)
1325, 2009-10 (92, 82, 80, 74, 83, 70, 83, 86, 71, 95, 87, 90, 85, 91, 68, 88 points)
1296, 2007-08 (94, 76, 77, 77, 73, 82, 77, 59, 82, 87, 90, 101, 77, 85, 84, 75 points)
1285, 1997-98 (93, 89, 89, 71, 101, 90, 67, 76, 70, 87, 111, 64, 62, 77, 62, 76 points)
1265, 2008-09 (96, 88, 82, 69, 83, 72, 63, 70, 74, 107, 73, 82, 83, 99, 53, 71 points)

'CATS SCORE 100+ POINTS TWICE

K-State has twice scored 100 or more points, including a season-high 108 vs. Mississippi Valley State (12/8/25) and 106 vs. South Dakota (12/20/25). The 2 100-point outings tie 4 other teams (1966-67, 1979-80, 1993-94 and 1997-98) for the most in a single season, while also matching the most at home.

MOST POINTS AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

K-State's 99-96 win over Cal on Nov. 13 made history, as the 195 combined points were the most-ever in Bramlage Coliseum, surpassing the 194 scored between K-State (106) and Marshall (88) on Dec. 2, 1995.
K-State posted the highest field goal percentage of the Jerome Tang era for the second straight game, as the Wildcats hit on 64.4 percent (38-of-59) from the field. It was the highest field goal percentage since shooting 66.0 percent vs. Wake Forest on March 14, 2017.

MOST POINTS AT T-MOBILE CENTER

The 98 points scored against Mississippi State (11/20/25) in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic, which are the most by the Wildcats in 50 games at the T-Mobile Center topping the 87 scored in the first-ever game in the building against Florida A&M on Dec. 17, 2007.

HAGGERTY JOINS ELITE COMPANY

After his 27-point performance vs. Nebraska, junior P.J. Haggerty became the first Wildcat to open a season with 6 consecutive games of 20 or more points, eclipsing a record shared with Michael Beasley in 2007-08. He is the first Wildcat to score in double figures in the first 16 games since Jacob Pullen in 2009-10, while his 366 points are the second-most by a player through the first 16 games and the most since Beasley's 393 points.

HAGGERTY HAS RARE 30-10 GAME

Junior P.J. Haggerty had 31 points and a career-tying 10 rebounds vs. Tulsa (11/17/25) to become the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 to post a rare 30-point, 10-rebound double-double. He scored 27 of his 31 points in the second half, which are the fifth-most in any half.

TRIO OF 'CATS POST 20-POINT GAMES

K-State had three players record 20-point games in the win over Cal, as junior P.J. Haggerty led the way with 23 points to go with 21 from senior Khamari McGriff and 20 from senior Nate Johnson.
The trio is the first to each have 20-point games since Dean Wade (34 points), Kamau Stokes (23 points) and Barry Brown Jr. (21 points) did it against Iowa State on Dec. 29, 2017.

McGRIFF, CASTILLO GO PERFECT

Two Wildcats - senior Khamari McGriff and sophomore David Castillo - each went perfect from the field, becoming the 24th and 25th players in school history to go perfect from the field on 5 or more field goals in the 98-71 win over Bellarmine on Nov. 8. They are the first teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game.
Castillo scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, while McGriff totaled 16 points on 8-of-8 field goals. Castillo is just the eighth Wildcat to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, joining his high school coach Clent Stewart who was in attendance.

CASTILLO'S IMPROVEMENT

Junior David Castillo has scored in double figures in 9 of the first 16 games, including 6 of the last 9, as he continues to display the improvement that he has made in his second season. He ranks third on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg.) while connecting on 44.9 percent (70-of-156) from the field, including 35.7 percent (30-of-84) from 3-point range, and 81.3 percent (26-of-32) from the free throw line. He is tied for second in 3-pointers (30) and fourth in assists (35).
Castillo has more than doubled his point total (77 to 196) from his freshman year, while also posting 9 double-digit scoring games, including 5 in a row from Dec. 1-20. He scored a career-high 22 points vs. Bowling Green (12/1/25).

NOTES ON UCF

Led by veteran head coach Johnny Dawkins, UCF has won 13 of its first 15 games, including a 2-1 start to Big 12 play. The Knights' lone 2 losses have come to unbeaten Vanderbilt and at Oklahoma State last week that ended an 11-game win streak. They also have home wins over No. 17/17 Kansas and Cincinnati to start league play.
UCF is averaging 86.0 points on 48.8 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 75.5 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range. The Knights are out-rebounding their opponents, 39.6-31.4, and turn the ball over just 11.6 times per game. They are shooting 73.1 percent from the free throw line.
UCF is among the top rebounding teams in the country, including 27th in rebounding margin (+8.2), 31st in offensive rebounds (13.7) and 51st in total rebounds (39.6). They are 38th in scoring offense and 26th in 3-point field goal percentage with nearly 8.5 made 3-point field goals per game.
The Knights have 4 players averaging in double figures led by senior Riley Kugel's 14.5 points on 42.2 percent shooting, including 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Graduate Themus Fulks is averaging 13 points on 50.3 percent shooting with a team-high 7.0 assists per game. Junior Jordan Burks (12.6 ppg.) and senior Jamichael Stillwell (12.3 ppg.) are also averaging in double figures while Stillwell pulls down a team-best 8.1 rebounds per game.
The 2-time Duke All-American has a 337-237 record in his 18th season as a head coach, including a 181-122 record in 11 seasons at UCF. He has earned 5 trips to the postseason, including a runner-up finish at Crown last season.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be fifth meeting between K-State and UCF, including third since the Knights joined the Big 12. The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time at home with wins in 2003 and 2024, while the Knights earned their first win in the series with an 80-76 win at home in the last meeting on Feb. 26, 2025.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS [3-1]

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
1/6/2003	—/—	W	71-59	Manhattan
11/23/2007	—/—	W	73-71	Orlando
1/6/2024	—/—	W	77-52	Manhattan^
2/26/2025	—/—	L	76-80	Orlando^

^Big 12 game

LAST MEETING
UCF 80, K-STATE 76 (Feb. 26, 2025)

K-State nearly fought back from an 11-point second-half deficit, closing to within one possession several times in the last 2 minutes, before UCF held on for an 80-76 win at Addition Financial Arena in the last meeting.
The pivotal moment in the game came in the last 4 minutes off the first half and the first 3 minutes of the second half when UCF flipped a 34-31 deficit into a 47-36 lead. The Knights ended the first half on a 10-0 run then scored 6 of the first 8 points of the second half.
Senior Max Jones paced four Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 22 points on 6-of-17 field goals and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. He was joined in double figures by juniors C.J. Jones (12 points), Brendan Hausen (11 points) and Dug McDaniel (10 points).

UP NEXT:
K-State returns to the road on Saturday night, as the Wildcats travel to Stillwater, Okla., to take on Oklahoma State (13-3, 1-2 Big 12) at 9 p.m., CT on CBS Sports Network. OSU leads the series, 35-26 at Gallagher-Iba Arena with wins in 5 of the last 6 matchups, including a 79-66 win last season.