GAME 4

KANSAS STATE (2-1) vs PROVIDENCE (3-0)

Friday, November 17, 2023 >> 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET) >> Baha Mar Convention Center (2,000) >> Nassau, The Bahamas

Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship (website)

TELEVISION

CBS Sports Network / Paramount Plus (link here)

• Chris Sylvester (play-by-play)
• Kyle Macy (analyst)
• Sam Hyman (sideline reporter)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Ch. 375

Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

• Brian Smoller (play-by-play)
• Ben Boyle (analyst)

LIVE STATS

kstatesports.com

kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS

bahamarhoops.ticketsocket.com

Tournament Pass: $180

Single Day: $100

PREGAME FUNCTION

Fan Fest event (2:30-5:30 p.m., ET)

Hibiscus Lawn (map) / New Providence Terrace and Foyer (backup)

Activities include Steel Drum Band, Face Painting, Games, Concessions, Photo Opportunities, Baha Mar’s Famous Flamingos (starting at 4:30 pm ET)

COACHES

K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ‘07]

Record at K-State: 28-11/Second Year

Career Record: 30-11/Second Year+

1. Providence: 0-0 [0-0 at neutral sites]

Providence: Kim English [Missouri ‘12]

Record at Providence: 3-0/1st Year

Career Record: 37-29/3rd Year

1. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 at neutral sites]

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 1-0

At Neutral Sites: K-State leads 1-0

In Nassau, The Bahamas: First meeting

Active Streak: K-State, 1

First Meeting: W, 87-80 [3/12/1977 in Norman, Okla.]

Last Meeting: W, 87-80 [3/12/1977 in Norman, Okla.]

Jerome Tang vs. Kim English: First meeting

K-STATE PLAYS PROVIDENCE IN BAHA MAR HOOPS BAHAMAS CHAMPIONSHIP FRIDAY

Kansas State (2-1) travels south to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship in Nassau, The Bahamas this week, as the Wildcats take on BIG EAST foe Providence (3-0) on Friday night. The teams will play in the second game of the tournament at 5 p.m., CT, following the first one between Georgia (2-1) and No. 12/11 Miami (3-0) for the right to advance to the Championship final on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., CT. Both games will air nationally on the CBS Sports Network.

K-State is 180-114 all-time in-season tournament play dating to its first such appearance in 1905. The Wildcats have won 17 in-season tournament titles, including in their last two trips to the Caribbean at the 2018 Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) and 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.

KEY STORYLINES

• K-State plays its second neutral game of the season on Friday after opening the year with an 82-69 loss to No. 21/22 USC at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Wildcats went 6-2 at neutral site locations a year ago, including a 3-0 mark in winning the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.
• K-State earned its second win at home in a 4-day span on Monday night, as the Wildcats turned in their most complete game of the season with a 91-68 victory over preseason Summit League favorite South Dakota State. The squad knocked down 14 3-point field goals, including a combined 10 from senior Tylor Perry and junior Cam Carter, as they posted season-highs for points (91), field goals (35), field goal percentage (57.4), 3-point field goal percentage (56.0) and points in the paint (40). The 14 made 3-pointers tie for the fifth-most in school history.
• After allowing 78.5 points on 50 percent shooting in the first 2 games, K-State had a better defensive performance in the win over South Dakota State. The Wildcats held the Jackrabbits to 41.5 percent (27-of-65) shooting, including 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from 3-point range, and a season-low 68 points. Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Zeke Mayo was held to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting after entering game with an average of 28 points per game.
• K-State has been getting most of their offensive production from beyond the arc, where the Wildcats are averaging 11.3 made 3-point field goals per game, which ranks 18th nationally and second in the Big 12. The team is 28th in 3-point attempts per game (29.7) and 69th in 3-point percentage (38.2). Senior Tylor Perry ranks second nationally in total 3-point field goals made (14) and third in 3-pointers per game (4.67), while he is 13th in 3-point attempts (29).
• Perry (20.7 ppg.) and backcourt mate Cam Carter (19.0 ppg.) are averaging a combined 39.7 points per game. Carter scored a career-best 25 points in the win over South Dakota State, while Perry put up his second 20-point game of the season with a season-tying 22 points.
• The win over South Dakota State was even more impressive, as the team played with just 10 available players after an injury sidelined Preseason All-Big 12 selection Arthur Kaluma. He is expected to return for this week’s tournament. The team is already playing without a pair of

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

• Put the Wildcats in Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship.
• Extend its in-season tournament record to 181-114.
• Snap its 4-game losing streak vs. BIG EAST foes.
• Make them 2-0 all-time vs. Providence.
• Give it 3 straight wins after starting 0-1.

NOTES ON PROVIDENCE (3-0)

• Under first-year coach Kim English, Providence (3-0) enters this week’s tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country after wins over Columbia (78-59), Milwaukee (79-69) and Wisconsin (72-59).
• Providence is averaging 76.3 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from 3-point range, while allowing just 62.3 points on 33.5 percent shooting, including 22.2 percent from long range. The Friars are shooting 65.3 percent from the free throw line. They are also averaging 39.7 rebounds per game with 4 players averaging 5 or more boards.
• The Friars are one of the nation’s top defensive teams, as they rank 17th in field goal percentage defense (33.5), including 24th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (22.2), while are 11th in blocks per game (7.0 bpg.).
• Four players average in double figures led by junior Devin Carter, who is averaging 15.7 points on 57.1 percent shooting, while fellow junior Bryce Hopkins averages 13.3 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Jayden Pierre (12.7 ppg.) and grad transfer Josh Oduro (10.7 ppg.) also average in double figures.
• Providence was picked seventh in the preseason BIG EAST poll after the Friars returned 7 lettermen, including 3 starters, from a team that went 21-12 overall in 2022-23, and tied for fourth in the standings with a 13-7 mark.
• Led by a name familiar to K-State fans in former Missouri star Kim English who is in his third season as a head coach, including his first at Providence. The former Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee assistant has a 37-29 record, which includes a 20-win season at George Mason in 2022-23. He went 3-5 against K-State as a player from 2009-12.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Providence have met just once with the Wildcats earning an 87-80 win over the Friars in the 1977 NCAA Tournament in Norman, Okla.
• The teams nearly faced each other in the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Kentucky defeated Providence, 61-53, before K-State beat Montana State then Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16.
• K-State is 24-27 all-time vs. BIG EAST opponents, including a 9-7 mark in neutral site game. The Wildcats have lost 4 straight to BIG EAST foes with the last win coming against Creighton in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Providence will be the first of 2 matchups with a BIG EAST competition, as the Wildcats will face Villanova (2-1) in the fourth annual Big 12/BIG EAST

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

*NCAA Tournament

LAST MEETING:

K-STATE 87, PROVIDENCE 80 [3/12/1977]

• In the lone meeting in 1977, which featured Hall of Fame coaches Jack Hartman and Dave Gavitt, the Wildcats rallied from a 40-37 halftime deficit behind the play of Curtis Redding (32 points) and Mike Evans (20 points), who combined for 52 points in the 87-80 victory.

UP NEXT: GEORGIA OR 12/11 MIAMI

• Georgia (2-1) has won 2 straight over Wake Forest (80-77) and NC Central (64-54) after the season-opening loss to Oregon in Las Vegas. Senior Jabari Abdur-Rahim is averaging 16 points per game.
• No. 12/11 Miami (3-0) is averaging 91.7 points in wins over NJIT (101-60), UCF (88-72) and FIU (86-80). Five Hurricanes are averaging in double figures led by junior Wooga Poplar’s 20.7 points per game.

IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• K-State will play in its 88th in-season tournament this week at the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship, including its 12th outside the continental United States. This is the first such tournament in The Bahamas, but the sixth in the Caribbean (2002 and 2018 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., 2009 and 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-off and 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.
• K-State has a 180-114 overall record in playing in its 87 previous in-season tournaments with 17 tournament titles to its credit.
• Last season, the Wildcats captured their first in-season tournament title since 2018 at the Cayman Islands Classic with wins over Rhode Island (77-57), Nevada (96-87 in overtime) and LSU (61-59) on Nov. 21-23, 2022. Former Wildcat Markquis Nowell was selected as the tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by then senior Keyontae Johnson.
• K-State has won its last 2 tournaments played in the Caribbean, winning the Paradise Jam on Nov. 16-19, 2018, with wins over Eastern Kentucky, Penn and Missouri and the Cayman Islands Classic. The Wildcats have also won the last 3 titles outside the continental U.S., in 2011 Diamond Head Classic (Hawai’i), 2018 Paradise Jam (U.S.V.I.) and 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.
• The Wildcats have played in 11 tournaments outside the continental U.S., starting with the 1985 Maui Invitational. Others include the 1989 Great Alaska Shootout (runner-up), 1993 Hawai’i Nike Festival (champion), 2011 Diamond Head Classic, Maui Invitational (1985, 1998 and 2014), Paradise Jam (2002 and 2018), Puerto Rico Tip-Off (2009 and 2013) and 2022 Cayman Islands Classic.

PERRY BEEN HERE BEFORE

• Senior Tylor Perry is making his second straight trip to a Baha Mar Hoops Tournament, having been named to the 2022 Baha Mar Nassau Championship All-Tournament team after leading North Texas to wins over San Jose State (69-54) and Long Beach State (68-47) before a 55-51 loss to UNC Wilmington.
• Perry led the eight-team tournament in scoring at 64 points (21.3 ppg.), including a career-best 35-point night against San Jose State on Nov. 25, 2022, in which, he went 9-of-12 from the field, including 7-of-7 from beyond the arc. He followed with 12 points against Long Beach State on Nov. 26 before a 17-point effort vs. UNCW on Nov. 27 in the tournament final.
• Perry has twice been named MVP of an in-season tournament in his career, having earned the honor at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Jerry Colangelo Classic vs. Grand Canyon on Dec. 10, 2022, and in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on Dec. 17 vs. UMass, while playing at North Texas.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

• K-State has posted a 173-54 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 131-14 (.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 121-12 (.908) 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. The 12 wins last season matched the 2008-09 and 2010-11 teams for the second-most in that span.

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 enter the 2023-24 season with a 1,723-1,224 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 91, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 68

• Kansas State connected on 14 3-point field goals, including a combined 10 from senior Tylor Perry and junior Cam Carter, as the Wildcats led from wire-to-wire in an impressive 91-68 win over preseason Summit League favorite South Dakota State before 9,421 fans at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.
• The 14 made 3-point field goals tied for the fifth-most in school history and the most since the Wildcats knocked down 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
• Carter scored a career-high 25 points, connecting on 10-of-20 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, while Perry also netted 20 points, tying his season-high with 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. They are the first Wildcat teammates this season to each post a 20-point game and the first since Keyontae Johnson (22) and Markquis Nowell (20) did it against Michigan State in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• Freshman R.J. Jones notched the other 4 3-point field goals, finishing with a season-high 14 points on 4-of-6 field goals, including 4-of-5 from 3-point land. In all, four registered double figures, as senior big man Will McNair Jr. tallied a season-high 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 7 rebounds.
• Buoyed by the stellar night from 3-point range, K-State (2-1) scored a season-high 91 points on a season-best 57.4 percent (35-of-61) shooting from the field, including 56 percent (14-of-25) from 3-point range, and 77.8 percent (7-of-8) from the free throw line. The Wildcats scored 40 points in the paint, while they had 17 fast-break points, 16 second-chance points and 15 points off turnovers. They had an assist on 24 of their 35 field goals.
• The defense was equally impressive, holding the Jackrabbits (1-2) to 41.5 percent (27-of-65) shooting, including 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from long range, while they made just 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the free throw line.
• Coming off a game on Friday night where they allowed Bellarmine to cut a 19-point lead into single digits in the last minute, the Wildcats were determined from the tip to not let that happen again.
• The team jumped out to an 18-6 lead after a 4-point play from Jones right before the second media timeout with 11:52 to play before halftime. They stayed ahead, although the Jackrabbits recovered from a 3-for-16 start to cut the deficit to 27-22 after a 3-pointer from senior Luke Appel with 7:23 remaining.
• Carter, who at one point scored 9 straight points and had 15 points in the first half for the second straight game, was able ignite an 11-2 run with a jumper on the next possession that pushed the lead back into double figures at 38-24. Five straight by the Jackrabbits cut the deficit to single digits at the half.
• Perry opened the second half was his third 3-pointer then a fourth triple put K-State ahead in double figures for good with just over 16 minutes remaining. The lead grew to 20 points with 9:24 to play after a layup by redshirt freshman Dorian Finister and another 3-pointer by Carter.
• South Dakota State saw three players score in double figures led by senior Charlie Easley’s 21 points on 9-of-13 field goals to along with 4 rebounds and a career-best 6 steals. Fellow senior Luke Appel posted 16 points.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

• Three different players had at least 4 treys, including a season-high 6 by Tylor Perry on 8 attempts. Junior Cam Carter and freshman R.J. Jones each connected on 4 made 3-pointers. The 6 made triples by Perry are the most by a Wildcat since Markquis Nowell also made 6 at West Virginia on March 4, 2023.
• K-State extended its home non-conference winning streak to 11 games. The Wildcats are now 121-12 in home non-conference games since 2006-07.

NEW OFFENSE, MORE 3-POINTERS

• K-State made the switch to the 5-out offense in the offseason to utilize its versality in talent, as the offense is structured around spacing with all 5 players required to pass, cut, screen, dribble and shoot.
• The Wildcats eclipsed the 100-point barrier in exhibition play for the first time since 1993 with a 102-68 win over nationally ranked Division II opponent Emporia State on Nov. 1 then scored 83 points in the home opener against Bellarmine (11/10/23) before posting 91 vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
• The new offense has so far increased the number of 3-pointers, as the team has already attempted 89 from beyond the arc, including 33 in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), which ranked as the seventh-most in a game in school history. The Wildcats followed with 31 3-point attempts vs. Bellarmine (11/10/23), while hitting on double-digit makes (12) for the first time.
• In the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23), K-State knocked down 14 3-pointers, which tie for the fifth-most in school history and are the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
• The Wildcats have connected on 34 made 3-pointers so far this season, which is the most in the first 3 games of a season in school history. It eclipsed the mark of 33 set in the first 3 games of the 1993-94 season. The 26 3-pointers in the last 2 games are the most combined in consecutive games since also making 26 in games at Oklahoma State and at home to Kansas on Feb. 2 and 5, 2019.
• The Wildcats rank 18th nationally in 3-point field goals/game (11.3), while they are 28th in 3-point field goal attempts (29.7). The 89 3-point attempts are the most in the Big 12 ahead of Cincinnati’s 80. Senior Tylor Perry (14/2nd) and junior Cam Carter (10/27th) rank among the top-30 nationally in 3-point field goals made, while Perry is third in 3-point field goals/game (4.67).
• Eight players have attempted at least one 3-pointer this season, including 5 players making at least one triple. Perry (14) and Carter (10) have combined for 24 of the team’s 34 3-point makes, while freshman guards R.J. Jones and Dai Dai Ames have 6 and 3 treys, respectively.

BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT

• K-State will need to continue to improve its defensive effort after allowing 225 points (75 ppg.) in the first 3 games on 47.1 percent shooting. The Wildcats did take a step in the win over South Dakota State, holding the Jackrabbits to 41.5 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
• The Wildcats currently rank 13th in the Big 12 in scoring defense (78.5 ppg.) and 14th in field goal percentage defense (47.1), while they are 10th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.3).

PERRY MORE THAN JUST A SCORER

• Senior Tylor Perry proved that he is more than just a scorer in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23) in Las Vegas, leading the team in assists (6) and steals (4) to go with 6 rebounds and his team-best 22 points. Currently, he is averaging 20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.1 minutes per game.
• The performance was the first in his Division I career that he posted 20 or more points, had 6 or more rebounds, 6 or more assists and 4 or more steals. Only once did he even accomplish three of those stats, as he had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists against Sam Houston in the 2023 NIT First Round.
• Perry’s 6 assists were one shy of a career-high and the most since he had 7 vs. Paul Quinn on Nov. 22, 2022. His 4 steals were also one shy of a career-high, which he recorded in his last game against UAB in 2023 NIT Championship game. His 6 rebounds also fell one board short of his career-high of 7, which he did on 3 occasions at North Texas in 2022-23.
• Perry missed his first 8 field goals, including his first 6 from 3-point range, before making his acrobatic 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. The shot seemed to spark the fifth-year senior, as he finished the game making 5 of his last 9 field goals, including 4 of his last 6 3-point baskets.
• Perry’s 22 points were the most by a Wildcat newcomer in a debut since Michael Beasley scored 32 points in his first game against Sacramento State on Nov. 9, 2007. In fact, Perry is the first Wildcat to post a 20-point game in a season opener since Mike McGuirl had 22 points vs. Drake on Nov. 25, 2020.
• After posting 18 points vs. Bellarmine and tying his season-high with 22 vs. South Dakota State, Perry has now scored in double figures in 12 straight games dating back to his last season at North Texas in 2022-23. He has scored 20 or more points in 6 of last 8 games, also dating back to last season.
• Perry leads the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (4.67), while he is third in scoring (20.7 ppg.) and assist/turnover ratio (4.0), fourth in free throw percentage (94.1), tied for sixth in assists (5.3 apg.) and 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (48.3).
• Perry recently eclipsed 2,000 career points in his college career, which includes stints at Coffeyville Community College (2019-21) and North Texas (2021-23). He currently has 1,105 points at the Division I level.
• Perry has at least 4 3-pointers in each of the first 3 games, while he had a season-high 6 treys against South Dakota State (11/13/23). He now has made at least 4 3-pointers in 26 career games at the Division I level, while he hast 6 or made triples in 4 games (7 vs. San Jose State (11/25/22) and 6 at UAB (2/19/22), 6 vs. Sam Houston (3/19/23) and 6 vs. South Dakota State).

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 3 games, averaging 19 points per game. He leads the Wildcats in field goals made (21) and steals (9), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 3-point field goals (10).
• After tying his career-high with 17 points in the win over Bellarmine (11/10/23), Carter played his best game in a Wildcat uniform vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23), posting his first career 20-point game with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-20 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, to go with 6 assists and 3 steals in 33 minutes.
• Carter’s 17 vs. Bellarmine came on 7-of-14 shooting to go with a career-best 4 steals, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 34 minutes. He also electrified the home crowd with a pair of dunks. He opened the year with a 15-point effort in the loss to No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), tying a career-best with 4 3-pointers, to go with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in just under 28 minutes.
• Carter ranks third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (3.33) and steals (3.0 spg.), fourth in scoring (19.0 ppg.) and ninth in minutes (31.8 mpg.).
• Carter has now scored in double figures in 13 games, including 11 times as a Wildcat. Six of those double-digit totals have come in the last 12 games.
• His performance in the first 3 games came after Carter led the team in the exhibition win over Emporia State (11/1/23) with a game-high 20 points.

MASTER OF THE BOARDS

• Senior David N’Guessan has been dominating so far on the glass, ranking third in the Big 12 in rebounding at 10.0 boards per game. He also ranks first in the league in offensive rebounds (5.0 orpg.), while he is eighth in defensive rebounds (5.0 drpg.). He has double-digit rebounds in 2 of his first 3 games, including a career-best 11 in the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23).
• N’Guessan grabbed his first career double-double in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), as he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 field goals to go with a then career-best 10 rebounds in just over 27 minutes.
• The 10 rebounds vs. USC surpassed his previous-high of 9 against Cornell (12/8/21) while playing at Virginia Tech and 2 more than he had as a Wildcat last season. He registered double-digit points for the 12th in his career with his 10 points vs. the Trojans, including his eighth time in a K-State uniform. He now has 10 or more points in 3 of the last 7 games dating back to last season.
• N’Guessan gained valuable experience this past summer training with the Dutch National Team, as the Orange Lions competed in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkiye August 13-16.
• N’Guessan averaged 9 points on 55.6 percent shooting with 6.3 rebounds in the 3-game pool play tournament. He opened with a near double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds in the Lions’ narrow overtime loss to Sweden.

BIG MAN SHOWING PROMISE

• Senior Will McNair is off to solid start to the season, averaging 8.7 points on a team-best 81.3 percent shooting to go along with 5.3 rebounds through the first 3 games in 16.4 minutes per game.
• McNair scored 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) in the opener then earned starts vs. Bellarmine (11/10/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23), averaging 9 points and 6.5 rebounds. He registered a season-high 10 points vs. the Jackrabbits.

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.
• Kaluma averaged double-figure scoring both seasons at Creighton, totaling 758 points (11.1 ppg.) on 43.3 percent shooting (270-of-624), including 29.1 percent (68-of-234) from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent (150-of-210) from the free throw line in 68 games with 67 starts. As a sophomore, he averaged 11.8 points on 42.3 percent (146-of-345) shooting to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in starting all 37 games for the Bluejays.
• 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.
• Perry scored 1,043 points in his North Texas career on 43.1 percent (299-of-694) shooting from the field, including 41.3 percent (184-of-445) from 3-point range, and 85.9 percent (261-of-304) from the free throw line. He was the Mean Green’s leading scorer (17.3 ppg.) in 2022-23 while leading the C-USA in 3-point field goal percentage (41.3), free throw percentage (87.2) and minutes (34.2) and placing second in 3-pointers/game (3.11) and fourth in scoring. He scored in double figures in 33 of 36 games played with 14 20-point performances highlighted by his career-best 35-point effort vs. San Jose State on Nov. 25.

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.

‘CATS CRACK 100 IN LONE EXHIBITION

• K-State connected on 52.1 percent from the field, including 55.6 percent in the second half, as the Wildcats eclipsed 100 points in home exhibition play for the first time since 1993 in a 102-68 win over Division II Emporia State on Nov. 1 before 9,268 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. It was the team’s first and only public exhibition before the start of the 2023-24 season.
• It was the first 100-point game in home exhibition play since a 101-80 win over Fort Hood on Nov. 22, 1993, while it was the most in a home exhibition game since scoring 111 in a win over Michigan AAU on Nov. 15, 1991. The victory also extended K-State’s winning streak in home exhibition play to 29 games, which dates to 2003, and includes 6 wins over Emporia State.
• Junior Cam Carter paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 field goals in just 14 minutes to go with 3 assists and 2 steals, while sophomore Jerrell Colbert added 13 points off the bench on 5-of-5 shooting, along with 5 rebounds, also in 14 minutes. Freshman Dai Dai Ames and junior Arthur Kaluma also broke double-digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman Macaleab Rich collected a game-high 9 rebounds to go with his 8 points off the bench. Senior Tylor Perry, who picked up 2 early fouls, dished out a team-best 5 assists to go with 8 points.
• The 100-point game was the eighth in the school’s exhibition history since 1964, including the fifth in Bramlage Coliseum. K-State scored its 102 points on 38 made field goals, including 29 coming inside the 3-point line, while knocking down 17 of 19 attempts (89.5 percent) from the free throw line. The Wildcats scored 56 points in the paint to go along with 25 fast-break points, 21 points off turnovers and 53 bench points. They also had assists on 26 of their 38 field goals with 9 players having at least 2 assists led by Perry’s team-high 5.

K-STATE, TANG AGREE TO EXTENSION THROUGH 2029-30 SEASON

• After a record-setting first season, head coach Jerome Tang agreed to a new 7-year contract through the 2029-30 season to continue his leadership of the Kansas State men’s basketball program, Director of Athletics Gene Taylor announced on September 25.
• The new contract replaces his original 6-year deal that Tang agreed to become the 25th men’s basketball coach in school history on March 21, 2022. Tang now has 7 years left on his agreement that runs until April 30, 2030. The second-year head coach will be paid $3 million in 2023-24 and receive a $100,000 increase to his salary in each remaining contract year culminating in a $3.6 million base for the 2029-30 season. There are also four retention bonuses of $200,000 following the 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
• Armed with just two returning players, the Wildcats posted a 26-10 overall record in Tang’s inaugural season, which included a tie for third place in the nation’s most difficult conference – the Big 12 – with an 11-7 mark and the school’s 13th appearance in the Elite Eight and the first since 2017-18. The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win campaign.

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: GEORGIA OR 12/11 MIAMI

• K-State will play either Georgia (2-1) or No. 12/11 Miami (3-0) on Sunday at either 11 a.m., CT (consolation game) or 1:30 p.m., CT (championship game) in the Baha Mar Bahamas Hoops Championship. Both games will air on CBS Sports Network.