MANHATTAN, Kan. – Four Saturday home games, including its annual rivalry game with Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, highlight the Big 12 Conference portion of the 2021-22 Kansas State men’s basketball schedule released today (Wednesday) by conference officials.
The announcement includes just dates as times and TV designations will be released once they are finalized.
The Wildcats’ 18-game Big 12 schedule is highlighted by the four marquee Saturday home games, which begin in mid-January when K-State hosts Texas Tech (January 15) and Kansas (January 22) on consecutive Saturdays. The home games come in a key stretch in the schedule that includes four consecutive 2021 NCAA Tournament participants (Texas Tech, at Texas, Kansas and at Baylor). The Wildcats will then conclude the season with consecutive home Saturday contests against Iowa State (February 26) and Oklahoma (March 5).
In addition to the four Saturday home contests, K-State will play host to former head coach Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Big Monday on Valentine’s Day.
The Big 12 schedule is bookended with the Oklahoma Sooners, as K-State travels to Norman to open the conference schedule on Saturday, January 1 before hosting Oklahoma for Senior Day on Saturday, March 5. The Wildcats will play Texas in the Big 12 home opener on Tuesday, January 4.
Every team will play its 18-game conference schedule plus its Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup over a 10-week period without the benefit of a bye. The Wildcats will play eight conference contests (four home and four on the road) from January 1-25 before its road game at Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday, January 29 then finish with 10 consecutive league games (five home and five on the road) from February 2 to March 5.
In all, K-State will play 14 of its 18 league games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including seven in Bramlage Coliseum, including the defending NCAA champion Baylor Bears.
The nine-game home slate includes the four Saturday games, three Wednesday tilts against TCU (January 12), Oklahoma State (February 2) and Baylor (February 9), a Tuesday game against Texas (January 4) and the Monday contest against West Virginia (February 14).
The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be played Wednesday-Saturday, March 9-12, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. It will mark the 12th consecutive season that the Championship has been played in Kansas City.
Non-Conference Schedule Set
Eight home games at Bramlage Coliseum, including a marquee matchup with Marquette, the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center on November 22-23 and road contests against regional foes Wichita State (December 5) and Nebraska (December 19) highlight the 2021-22 non-conference schedule.
K-State will open the season with four of its first six games at home, including back-to-back contests to open the season against Florida A&M on Wednesday, November 10 and Omaha on Wednesday, November 17.
After a trip to Kansas City for the Hall of Fame Classic, the Wildcats will return home for games against North Dakota on Sunday, November 28 and Albany on Wednesday, December 1.
Other non-conference home games include a rematch with Marquette in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle on Wednesday, December 8 to go with matchups against Green Bay on Sunday, December 12, McNeese State on Tuesday, December 21 and Morgan State on Wednesday, December 29.
In addition to the home schedule, K-State will play a likely preseason Top 10 Arkansas squad on November 22 at the aforementioned Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City followed by a matchup with either future Big 12 member Cincinnati or Illinois on November 23.
The Wildcats will face in-state rival Wichita State for the first time since 2003 on December 5 at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, while they will open a three-game series with former conference foe Nebraska on Sunday, December 19 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
The Wildcats At A Glance
K-State returns four of its top-5 scorers, including super senior Mike McGuirl and rising sophomores Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack, for the 2021-22 season. In all, the Wildcats return nine lettermen, including juniors Kaosi Ezeagu and Carlton Linguard, Jr., and sophomores Luke Kasubke and Seryee Lewis.
The only senior in 2020-21, McGuirl paced the team in field goals (112), 3-point field goals (60), assists (3.6 apg.) and steals (1.0 spg.) and was second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) while starting all 29 games. Pack (12.7 ppg.) became the first true freshman to lead the Wildcats in scoring since 2013-14, while shooting at a clip of 41.8 percent from the field, including 40.5 percent from 3-point range, and 79.4 percent from the free throw line. Bradford (7.7 ppg.) and Miguel (7.2 ppg.) were fourth and fifth in scoring, respectively, while Bradford recorded the second-highest single-season field goal percentage (62.1) in school history.
Three transfers – senior Mark Smith (Missouri), junior Markquis Nowell (Little Rock) and sophomore Ismael Massoud (Wake Forest) – have been added to the roster to go along with a pair of incoming freshmen in Maximus Edwards and Logan Landers. The transfer trio have accounted for nearly 400 3-pointers (383-of-1061; 36.1 percent) in their college careers.
Season Tickets Now On Sale
Season tickets for the upcoming 2021-22 men’s basketball season went on sale on July 21.
Fans have a variety of ticket prices and locations from which to choose from, with bench season tickets starting at just $250 each. With the Wildcat 4-Pack, fans can purchase four season tickets in the bench or Cat Cushion areas starting at $752, depending on location, for a savings of $62 per ticket.
New full season-ticket requests will be able to select their seat during the ordering process from any seat location available from the 2019-20 season. An Ahearn Fund contribution is required for all premium, chairback and cushioned seating. Specific required giving levels by section are listed at www.AhearnFund.com.
In addition to the home schedule, season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to pre-order tickets for the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City and the game at INTRUST Bank Arena against Wichita State.
Fans can purchase season tickets in a variety of ways, including toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
News and Notes from the 2022 Big 12 Schedule
- Breaking down the 18 conference games, there are nine games on a Saturday (five on the road, four at home), four on Tuesday (one at home, three on the road), three on Wednesday (all at home) and two on Monday (one at home, one on the road)… By month, there will be eight games in January, nine in February and one in March.
- In addition, four of the nine home league contests will also fall on a Saturday, including the last two of the regular season… These Saturday matchups include Iowa State and NCAA Tournament Oklahoma.
- K-State will play eight conference games (four at home and four on the road) before playing at Ole Miss in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday, January 29… The team will finish with 10 straight conference games (five at home and five on the road) from Wednesday, February 2 to Saturday, March 5.
- K-State will mostly alternate home and road games in Big 12 with the notable exceptions of back-to-back home games against TCU (January 12) and Texas Tech (January 15) and consecutive road games against Oklahoma State (February 19) and Kansas (February 22).
- K-State will play 14 of its 18 Big 12 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago, including seven in Bramlage Coliseum… Overall, the Wildcats could play as many as 18 games against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2020-21.
- K-State will open the conference schedule against Oklahoma for the fourth time in the Big 12 era and the second time in the last three seasons in Norman… The Wildcats are 5-9 against the Sooners in conference openers, but just 1-5 on the road with the lone victory coming 84-82 on January 12, 2008.
- K-State will open Big 12 play at home against Texas for the third time in series history, including the first time since hosting the Longhorns to open the 2018-19 campaign.
- K-State will play Texas twice in the first eight conference games, while the Wildcats will play Oklahoma State and Iowa State twice in the last 10 league contests.
- The first edition of the Sunflower Showdown will be Saturday, January 22 at Bramlage Coliseum, while the return trip to Lawrence will be Tuesday, February 22.
- The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be played Wednesday-Saturday, March 9-12, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City… It will mark the 12th consecutive season that the Championship has been played in Kansas City, all having been at the T-Mobile Center.
2022 Big 12 Schedule
Day Date Opponent (Time/TV)
Saturday Jan. 1 at Oklahoma (TBD/TBD)
Tuesday Jan. 4 Texas (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Jan. 8 at West Virginia (TBD/TBD)
Wednesday Jan. 12 TCU (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Jan. 15 Texas Tech (TBD/TBD)
Tuesday Jan. 18 at Texas (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Jan. 22 Kansas (TBD/TBD)
Tuesday Jan. 25 at Baylor (TBD/TBD)
Wednesday Feb. 2 Oklahoma State (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Feb. 5 at TCU (TBD/TBD)
Wednesday Feb. 9 Baylor (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Feb. 12 at Iowa State (TBD/TBD)
Monday Feb. 14 West Virginia (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Feb. 19 at Oklahoma State (TBD/TBD)
Tuesday Feb. 22 at Kansas (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Feb. 26 Iowa State (TBD/TBD)
Monday Feb. 28 at Texas Tech (TBD/TBD)
Saturday Mar. 5 Oklahoma (TBD/TBD)
