GAME 32

(10 seed) KANSAS STATE (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) vs. (7 seed) TEXAS (20-11, 9-9 Big 12)

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 >> 6 p.m. CT >>  T-Mobile Center (18,972) >> Kansas City, Mo.

Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship

TELEVISION

Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

• Jon Sciambi (play-by-play)
• Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
• Kris Budden (reporter)
• Scott Gustafson (producer)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Ch. 139 or 199

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

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

LIVE STATS

kstatesports.com

kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES

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

Record at K-State: 44-23/Second Year

Career Record: 46-23*/Second Year

1. Texas: 1-2 [0-0 at neutral sites]

Texas: Rodney Terry [St. Edward’s 90]

Record at Texas: 42-19/2nd Year

Career Record: 205-175/12th Year

1. K-State: 2-1 [0-0 at neutral sites]

PROBABLE STARTERS

K-State (18-13, 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

Texas (20-11, 9-9 Big 12)

G: #3 Max Abmas

G: #4 Tyrese Hunter

G: #9 Ithiel Horton

F: #23 Dillon Mitchell

F: #1 Dylan Disu

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 24-23

At Big 12 Championship: Tied 1-1

In Kansas City: K-State leads 1-0

At T-Mobile Center: K-State leads 1-0

Active Streak: Texas, 2

Last Meeting: L, 56-62 [2/19/24 in Austin, Texas]

Jerome Tang vs. Rodney Terry: 1-2 [0-0 at neutral sites]

K-STATE PLAYS TEXAS AT THE PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP

Kansas State (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) opens play in the 28th Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as the No. 10 seed and will play No. 7 Texas (20-11, 9-9 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Wednesday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. This will be the third meeting between the schools at the Big 12 Championship with the Longhorns winning 61-58 in the 2009 quarterfinals in Oklahoma City and the Wildcats winning 66-49 in the 2013 quarterfinals in Kansas City. The winner will face No. 2 seed and No. 7/8 Iowa State (24-7, 13-5 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Thursday.

Texas won the lone matchup in the regular season, as senior Dylan Disu scored a game-high 20 points, including 6 big points in the final 36 seconds, to help the Longhorns hold off a late push from K-State to post a 62-56 win at home on Feb. 19.

K-State is 37-44 all-time at the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to 1977, including 17-26 at the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats have won 2 titles (1977, 1980) and advanced to the finals on 8 occasions (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1993, 2010 and 2013). They have lost 3 straight at the Championship with the last win coming against TCU in 2021.

KEY STORYLINES

• K-State ended the regular season with a strong showing against No. 6/6 Iowa State, as the Wildcats collected their third Top 10 win with a 65-58 victory over the Cyclones. Juniors Arthur Kaluma (23 points) and Cam Carter (21 points) combined for 45 points, while senior David N’Guessan notched his third double-double with 11 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
• K-State continues to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with another Quad 1 opportunity vs. Texas at the Big 12 Championship. Among the Wildcats’ 18 wins are 8 Quad 1 or 2 victories (Providence, Villanova, LSU, UCF, No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas, No. 25/21 BYU and No. 6/6 Iowa State). In addition, the team is 10-0 against Quad 3 and 4 opponents.
• The victory over No. 6/6 Iowa State helped K-State finish the home schedule with a 15-3 overall record, including a 14-3 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 3-10 away from home, including 1-2 at neutral sites. They do have a win already at the T-Mobile Center in a 69-60 victory over Wichita State on Dec. 21 in the Wildcat Classic. Overall, the team is 23-22 all-time at the T-Mobile Center, including a 10-14 mark at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
• K-State has been the kings of overtime under head coach Jerome Tang, as the Wildcats have won 12 straight overtime games, including breaking the Division I single-season record with their seventh this season with a 94-90 comeback win over West Virginia on Feb. 26.
• The Wildcats have a strong 1-2-3 scoring punch in senior Tylor Perry (15.2 ppg.), Carter (14.9 ppg.) and Kaluma (14.8 ppg.), as they are responsible for 63 percent of the team’s scoring (44.9 out of 72.2 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 eighth, Carter ninth and Kaluma 11th. 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 quarterfinals to play No. 2 seed Iowa State.
• Snap a 3-game losing streak at the Big 12 Championship.
• Boost its record to 38-44 at Big Eight/12 Championship.
• Boost its record to 18-26 at the Big 12 Championship.
• Be the 1,740th in the program history, including 25th vs. UT.

NOTES ON TEXAS (20-11, 9-9 Big 12)

• Under second-year head coach Rodney Terry, Texas enters the championship as the No. 7 seed with a 20-11 overall record and 9-9 mark in Big 12 play. The Longhorns have gone 3-2 since their 62-56 win over the Wildcats at home on Feb. 19. They are 6-7 away from home, including a 2-1 mark at neutral sites.
• Texas is averaging 76.6 points on 47.6 percent shooting, including 36.6 percent from 3-point range, with 34.6 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.5 blocks per game, while allowing 69.6 points on 43.2 percent shooting, including 34.8 percent from 3-point range. The Longhorns are connecting on 75.7 percent from the free throw line.
• Texas rates among the best offensive teams in the nation, ranking 36th in assists (15.9), 39th in field goal percentage (47.6), 42nd in 3-point field goal percentage (36.6) and 44th in free throw percentage (75.7).
• Four players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Second Team selection Max Abmas, who is averaging 16.8 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 86 made 3-pointers on 37.1 percent shooting. He also leads the team in assists (133). All-Big 12 First Team selection Dylan Disu is averaging 16.1 points on 50.2 percent shooting, including 51.3 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.9 rebounds per game. Junior Tyrese Hunter is averaging 11.4 points on 46 percent shooting, including 36 made 3-pointers on 36.1 percent shooting, while sophomore Dillon Mitchell is averaging a near double-double with 10 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds.
• Terry has posted a 205-175 record in his 12th season as a head coach, which includes stints at Fresno State and UTEP. He is 42-19 in his second year at Texas. He is 2-1 vs. K-State. This will be the first neutral site meeting.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State leads the all-time series, 24-23, which dates back to an 87-60 win by the Wildcats on Dec. 8, 1971. However, the Longhorns have won 8 of the last 11 meetings, including the lone meeting in 2024 at home.
• This will be the third meeting at the Big 12 Championship with Texas winning 61-58 on March 12, 2009 in Oklahoma City and K-State winning 66-49 on March 14, 2013 in Kansas City.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [3-7]

LAST MEETING:

TEXAS 62, K-STATE 56 [2/19/24]

• Senior Dylan Disu led all scorers with a game-high 20 points, including 6 big points in the final 36 seconds, as Texas held off a late K-State rally to post a 62-56 win on Feb. 19 before 10,905 fans at the Moody Center.

LAST MEETING IN KANSAS CITY:

11/12 K-STATE 66, TEXAS 49 [3/14/2013]

• Rodney McGruder led all scorers with 24 points, as No. 11/12 K-State posted a 66-49 win over Texas in the last meeting between the schools at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on March 14, 2013.

LAST TIME OUT:

K-STATE 65, 6/6 IOWA STATE 58

• On Senior Day, it was two juniors who stole the show for K-State, as Arthur Kaluma and Cam Carter combined for 45 points in helping the Wildcats collect their third Top 10 win with a 65-58 win over No. 6/6 Iowa State in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon before 9,311 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
• The win was fourth of the season against a Top 25 opponent, including the third vs. the Top 10 (No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas and No. 6/6 Iowa State). The 4 Top 25 wins tie for the seventh-most in a single season. Head coach Jerome Tang is now 11-13 vs. the Top 25 in his career, including 6-3 vs. the Top 10. His 6 Top 10 wins tie Jack Hartman for the fourth-most by a head coach.
• Kaluma led the way with 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, while Carter broke out of his scoring slump to post 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, to go with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 35 minutes.
• Senior David N’Guessan provided a lift from the bench, as he collected his third double-double of the season with a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 11 points and 2 blocks in 31 minutes. It was the most rebounds by a Wildcat since Mark Smith also had 16 boards at Ole Miss on Jan. 29, 2022.
• K-State was able to earn the victory by doing the things that Iowa State has been known for this season, winning the battle of points off turnovers (20-11), second-chance points (10-7) and fast-break points (15-2) while out-rebounding the Cyclones, 36-27. The 20 points off turnovers marked the the first time in Big 12 play that the Wildcats have had 20 points off turnovers.
• K-State was able to hold Iowa State to 58 points on 43.1 percent (22-of-51) shooting, including 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from 3-point range. The Wildcats moved to 16-0 under Tang, including 4-0 this season, when holding an opponent to less than 60 points.
• Offensively, K-State finished the night at 40.7 percent (22-of-54) shooting, including 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from 3-point range, and 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the free throw line.
• Things looked bleak to start the game, as Iowa State led 11-2 after less than 5 minutes of action. However, K-State settled down and slowly chipped away at the deficit. Back-to-back 3-pointer from Kaluma and Carter gave the Wildcats their first lead at 22-19, forcing a timeout by ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger with 2:03 to play in the half. The teams played nearly even the rest of the half, as K-State lead 28-24 behind 8 points each from Kaluma and N’Guessan.
• The Wildcats took control by scoring the first 9 points of the second half, all from Carter and Kaluma, to push ahead 37-24 less than 2 minutes into the half. The lead grew to 17 after a 3-pointer from Carter with 13:51 to play. However, the Cyclones didn’t go away, using a 10-0 run to close the deficit to 48-43 with 7 minutes left. However, the trio of Kaluma, Carter and N’Guessan answered back with 5 straight points to push it back out to double figures at 53-43.
• Iowa State pulled to within 63-58 after 2 free throws from Gilbert with 44 seconds left but Carter was able to respond with 2 free throws and N’Guessan blocked a layup by senior Tre King with 28 seconds to finish off the game.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

• It marked the first time since the overtime win over Oral Roberts on Nov. 28, 2023, that two Wildcats scored 20 or more points in the same game.
• K-State has now out-rebounded 18 of 31 opponents this season.
• K-State finished the home schedule with a 14-3 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

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 fourth in the Big 12 and 77th nationally in rebounds/game (37.58), including third in the league and 85th nationally in defensive rebounds/game (26.42).
• Last season, the team ranked 175th or worse in all 4 rebounding categories.
• K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 18 times in 31 games, while posting a +2.8 rebounding margin, which ranks 99th nationally.
• K-State has grabbed 40 or more rebounds in 10 games, including a season-best 63 in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23). The 63 rebounds were the most in a game in more than 25 seasons since corralling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which were the most since grabbing 29 vs. North Florida on Nov. 18, 2012, while the 37 defensive rebounds were one shy of the top-10.

OFFENSE CREATING MORE 3-POINTERS

• Although the single-season mark for 3-point attempts seems to be safe, the Wildcats have still attempted 729 this season, which rank as the fourth-most in school history. The team set the record with 754 in 2021-22 while the 752 in 2022-23 were a close second on the list.
• K-State has connected on 232 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 17th in attempts (256), 46th in total 3-pointers (85) and 48th in 3-point field goals/game (2.74). His 85 treys are the seventh-most in a single-season in school history.

BETTER OFFENSE

• K-State has been better offensively in the last 5 games, averaging 76.6 points on 45.7 percent (122-of-267) shooting, including 40 percent (46-of-115) from 3-point range, and 69.9 percent (93-of-133) 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 15.6 makes per game while converting on 72.6 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-75 in both makes (15.6/64th) and attempts (21.5/71st) per game, as the team places fourth in the Big 12 in both categories.
• 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 17.6 makes on 23.8 attempts in their 18 wins, while they average just 12.8 makes on 18.2 attempts in their 13 losses. In contrast, their opponents average 11.3 makes on 16.4 attempts in the wins compared to 16.5 makes on 23.3 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.

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 1,739-1,234 (.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 82 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 (15.2 ppg.) and assists (4.5 apg.) while he is second in steals (1.2 spg.) and fifth in rebounds (3.0 rpg.). Perry ranks in the Big 12’s top-10 in scoring (8th), assists (6th), free throw percentage (3rd) and 3-pointers (3rd).
• Perry has scored in double figures in 22 times with a team-best 10 20-point games. His 20-point games include 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23), 24 vs. Providence (11/17/23), 20 vs. ORU (11/28/23), 25 vs. UCF (1/6/24), 23 vs. No. 23/24 Oklahoma (1/30/24), 26 vs. No. 4/4 Kansas (2/5/24), 24 vs. TCU (2/17/24), 29 vs. West Virginia (2/26/24) and 26 at Cincinnati (3/2/24).
• Perry ranks the Big 12’s top 15 in 7 categories, including tops in minutes (36.76), third in free throw percentage (91.0) and 3-point field goals (2.74), sixth in assists (4.52 apg.), eighth in scoring (15.2 ppg.), 11th in 3-point field goal percentage (33.2) and 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.69).
• 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 per game against West Virginia and Cincinnati. He connected on 63.6 percent (14-of-22) from the field, including 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from 3-point range.
• In addition to leading the team in scoring in 14 games, Perry has led the way in assists in 21 games, while he has been the leader in steals in 9 games. He has dished out a season-high 6 assists on 9 occasions, while he has collected a season-best 4 steals 3 times this season.

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

• Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 91 percent (141-of-155). He ranks 13th nationally and third in the Big 12. He leads the Big 12 in free throws (141) and is second in attempts (155).
• Three times this season Perry has knocked down 10 or more free throws highlighted by a 14-of-14 performance to cap a 24-point effort in the win over Providence (11/17/23). The perfect performance from the line tied for the third-best in school history and the best since Michael Beasley went 15-of-15 at Baylor on Feb. 23, 2008. Following his 12-of-12 performance in the loss to TCU (2/17/24), he became the first Wildcat in school history to have multiple games of going 12-of-12 or better from the free throw line.

BUCKET GETTER

• Head coach Jerome Tang has said that he wants guard Cam Carter to be a bucket getter and that’s what the junior has delivered this season, averaging 14.9 points per game. He leads in field goals (159) and attempts (401), while he is second in scoring, double-digit scoring games (25), 3-pointers (55) and attempts (179) and third in 20-point games (5). He has double figures in 21 of the last 25 games, including in 14 of 18 Big 12 games.
• After recording his first 20-point game vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-20 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, Carter took it to another level vs. No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23).
• Carter scored a career-best 28 points vs. the Hurricanes, including 24 in the second half when the Wildcats cut a 24-point deficit to just 7 points in the last 45 seconds. He finished the game 12-of-22 from the field (10-of-16 in the second half) with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block in 38 minutes.
• Carter added a third 20-point game in his return to his home state of Louisiana, as he poured in a game-high 21 points in the win at LSU (12/9/23). 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), eighth in free throw percentage (84.1), ninth in scoring (14.9 ppg.) and 12th in steals (1.45 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 26 games, all coming in the last 29 games played, while totaling a team-best 5 double-doubles. He is third in scoring at 14.8 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 6.9 boards per game. He also ranks second in the league in offensive rebounds (2.81 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 10 games, averaging 8.6 points on 58.3 percent (35-of-60) shooting with 6.5 rebounds per game. He has been even better in the last 8 games, averaging 9.8 points on 61.5 percent (32-of-52) shooting with 7.1 rebounds per game.

BIG MAN CONTINUES SOLID PLAY

• Senior Will McNair Jr. has been solid all season, averaging 7.7 points on 62.2 percent shooting to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks through 30 games with 19 starts in 23.2 minutes per game. K-State is 9-2 when he scores in double figures after his double-double at No. 14/15 Kansas (3/5/24).
• 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 10 games. He has scored in double figures 11 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 (3/5/24) to go 17 points to earn his first double-double as a Wildcat and third of his career.

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) 10 games ago, he is averaging 4.3 points on 41.2 percent (14-of-34) shooting, including 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from 3-point range, in 19.6 minutes per game. He had 10 points at No. 14/15 Kansas (3/5/24) on 3-of-6 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
• Ames opened the season by scoring in double figures in 4 of his first 6 games, including a season-high 14 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23).

LINDSEY EARNS SCHOLARSHIP

• Senior walk-on Taymont Lindsey was rewarded with a scholarship for the rest of the season on Feb. 8. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound guard saw his first action as a Wildcat in the 77-52 win over UCF in the Big 12 opener on Jan. 6. He missed the first 11 games rehabbing an injury.
• Lindsey joined the Wildcats in August after spending four seasons (2019-23) at Manhattan Christian College, where he helped the Thunder to an 86-40 record and consecutive NCCAA Final Four appearances in 2022 and 2023.

FRESHMEN SHOWING PROMISE

• Three-man freshman class of Dai Dai Ames, R.J. Jones and Macaleab Rich have all shown promise after being pressed into early action. The trio were part of a consensus top-35 recruiting class.
• Ames has already scored in double figures in 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.