GAME 11

KANSAS STATE (8-2) vs. NEBRASKA (8-2)

Sunday, December 17, 2023 >> 2 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION

Big 12 Now / WatchESPN (link here)

• Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
• Stan Weber (analyst)
• Sophie Smith (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]

• Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
• Matt Walters (analyst)

LIVE STATS

kstatesports.com

kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS

kstatesports.com/tickets

$30

COACHES

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

Record at K-State: 34-12/Second Year

Career Record: 36-12*/Second Year

1. Nebraska: 1-0 [1-0 at home]

Nebraska: Fred Hoiberg [Iowa State ‘95]

Record at Nebraska: 48-85/5th Year

Career Record: 163-141/10th Year

1. K-State: 7-8 [0-2 at Nebraska]

PROBABLE STARTERS

K-State (8-2)

G: #2 Tylor Perry

G: #5 Cam Carter

W: #24 Arthur Kaluma

W: #1 David N’Guessan

C: #15 Will McNair Jr.

Nebraska (8-2)

G: #3 Brice Williams

G: #10 Jamarques Lawrence

G: #30 Keisei Tominaga

F: #4 Juwan Gary

F: #51 Rienk Mast

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 128-93

At Home: K-State leads 70-35

At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 18-5

Active Streak: K-State, 7

First Meeting: L, 14-50 [2/19/1906 in Manhattan]

Last Meeting: W, 71-56 [12/17/2022 in Kansas City]

Jerome Tang vs. Fred Hoiberg: Tang leads 1-0

K-STATE RETURNS HOME TO FACE NEBRASKA SUNDAY

Kansas State (8-2) returns from the semester exam break to play host to former conference rival Nebraska (8-2) on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The game is close to a sellout with only a few hundred remaining tickets available. Sunday’s tilt will conclude a 3-game series between the schools that began in 2021 with K-State winning 67-58 in Lincoln on Dec. 19, 2021, and 71-56 in Kansas City last season on Dec. 17, 2022. Overall, the Wildcats have won 7 straight in the series with the Cornhuskers dating back to Big 12 play in 2009.

K-State enters Sunday’s contest with a 5-game overall winning streak and a 15-game home non-conference winning streak, as the Wildcats are 6-0 at Bramlage Coliseum this season. The team is 179-55 in non-conference play since 2006-07 with a 125-12 mark in home venues (Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena and T-Mobile Center) in that span.

KEY STORYLINES

• K-State’s current 5-game winning streak is the longest since winning 9 straight from Dec. 3, 2022, to Jan. 10, 2023. Prior to winning to that 9-game winning streak last season, the last time the Wildcats had a longer streak was a 10-game streak from Nov. 24, 2013, to Jan. 7, 2014.
• Junior Arthur Kaluma was named one of 5 national players of the week by the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy on Tuesday afternoon after averaging a double-double in wins over Villanova and LSU last week. The Creighton transfer averaged 21.5 points on 76.2 percent (16-of-21) shooting, including 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 10 rebounds in the pair of victories. He scored a game- and season-high 26 points in the win over Villanova on Dec. 5 then added his fifth double-double, including his second in a Wildcat uniform, with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the road win at LSU last Saturday.
• Kaluma is among 3 Wildcats averaging better than 16 points per game, as K-State is the only Big 12 school to have 3 players rank in the Big 12’s top-20 in scoring. The team has had at least four players score in double figures in 8 of 10 games this season. Junior Cam Carter enjoyed an impressive performance in his return to his home state of Louisiana on Dec. 9, as he collected his third 20-point game of the season with a game-high 21 points.
• The K-State offense continues to be potent through the first 10 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 80.9 points on 44.7 percent shooting from the field, including 8.4 3-pointers per game and 35.9 points in the paint, and 73.8 percent shooting from line. The scoring average is the best through the first 10 games since the 2009-10 team averaged 81.6 points, while it marks just the third time in last 25 seasons that a team has averaged 80 points in the first 10 games.
• K-State ranks among the better rebounding teams in the nation, as the Wildcats place in the top-40 in 2 categories, including 17th in offensive rebounds (14.5) and 39th in rebounding  (40.9). They have corralled at least 34 rebounds in every game this season with a season-best 63 vs. Central Arkansas, which were the most since they had 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Two Wildcats (Kaluma and David N’Guessan) rank among the Big 12’s top-10 in rebounding.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

• Extend its winning streak to 6 games, longest since January.
• Extend its home non-conference winning streak to 16 games.
• Extend its winning streak over Nebraska to 8 games.
• Push its non-conference record to 180-55 since 2006-07.
• Push its home non-conference mark to 126-12 since 2006-07.

NOTES ON NEBRASKA (8-2)

• Under fifth-year head coach Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska is off to a strong start to the season with 7 straight wins to open the season before snapping a 2-game skid with an impressive 77-70 home win over preseason top-10 Michigan State on Sunday.
• Nebraska is averaging 77.3 points on 44.6 percent shooting, including 32.7 percent from 3-point range, with 40.0 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 4.9 steals and 2.7 blocks per game, while allowing 66.8 points on 39 percent shooting, including 29.7 percent from 3-point range. The Cornhuskers are connecting on 75.1 percent from the free throw line. The team ranks among the top-50 nationally in defensive rebounds (28.6/37th), assist/turnover ratio (1.49/ 39th) and free throws made/game (16.9/48th).
• Four players are averaging in double figures led junior forward Juwan Gary, who is averaging 14.7 points on 58.8 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range. Senior Keisei Tominaga is the team’s 3-point specialist, connecting on a team-best 16 triples on 35.6 percent shooting while averaging 14.0 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting overall.
• Junior Brice Williams is also averaging 14 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting. Transfer Rienk Mast is averaging a near double-double with 12.4 points on 44.9 percent shooting with a team-best 9.7 rebounds per game. Mast and sophomore Jamarques Lawrence have a team-high 30 assists.
• Nebraska was picked 12th in the preseason Big Ten media poll after the Cornhuskers returned 7 lettermen, including 3 starters, from a team that posted a 16-16 overall record, including a 9-11 mark in Big Ten play, in 2022-23. Tominaga was selected to the Preseason All-Big Ten team.
• Hoiberg has a 163-141 overall record in his 10th season as a head coach, including a 48-85 mark in his 5th season at Nebraska. He also served as a head coach with the  Chicago Bulls (2015-18) after a successful stint at Iowa State, leading his alma mater to 4 straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

TEAMMATES NOW OPPONENTS

• K-State’s David N’Guessan and Nebraska’s Rienk Mast played together on the Dutch National Team this past summer, as the Orange Lions competed in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul August 13-16.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State leads the all-time series, 128-93, which includes a 70-35 mark in games played at home venues. This will be the 222nd meeting between the former conference rivals, which ranks as the fourth-most played series in school history behind Kansas (299), Iowa State (237) and Missouri (237).
• K-State holds a 70-35 mark in games played in Manhattan, including an 18-5 mark at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats have won 5 straight at home in the series, in this, the first meeting in Manhattan since Feb. 2, 2011.

LAST 5 MEETINGS

LAST MEETING:

K-STATE 71, NEBRASKA 56 [Dec. 17, 2022]

• Senior Keyontae Johnson collected his second double-double of the season to pace four Wildcats in double figures, as K-State earned a 71-56 win over Nebraska in the schools’ last meeting on Dec. 17, 2022, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Wildcats were able to use a strong first half in the victory, hitting on 48.4 percent, including 40 percent from 3-point range, to take a 39-26 lead at the half behind Johnson’s 11 points.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

• K-State has posted a 178-55 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 135-14 (.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 125-12 (.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 have 1,729-1,225 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 75, LSU 60

• Louisiana native Cam Carter led four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 21 points in his return to his home state, as K-State ran its winning streak to 5 games with a 75-60 road win over LSU on Dec. 9 before 7,413 fans at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
• The 15-point win was the largest in a road game since a 75-57 victory at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019. The Wildcats are now 5-7 in true road games under head coach Jerome Tang, who is a perfect 4-0 against SEC competition (LSU (twice), Florida and Kentucky) in his career.
• A native of Donaldsonville, La., which is just 40 miles from the LSU campus, Carter played a memorable first half in front of countless family and friends, scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, in helping the Wildcats build an 8-point lead at the half.
• K-State opened the second half by scoring 14 of the first 19 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Tylor Perry and junior Arthur Kaluma, to build a 17-point lead with 14 minutes to play. However, LSU (5-4) wouldn’t go away that easily, as the Tigers forced the Wildcats into bad shots and turnovers to use a 16-2 run to cut the deficit to 58-55 with 10 minutes to play.
• With the momentum shifting to the home team, Kaluma made a huge play off a missed 3-pointer by Perry as the shot clock was expiring, grabbing the rebound, and laying it up to ignite a run of 7 straight points that pushed the lead back out to 65-55 with 7 minutes remaining. Kaluma, who finished with his fifth career double-double, scored 5 of the 7 points in the stretch, including a pivotal 3-pointer, which was his third of the game.
• The Wildcats held strong the rest of the way, ending the game on a 17-5 run, as senior David N’Guessan and Perry finished the scoring with a pair of layups, four free throws and a jumper.
• Joining Carter in double figures was Kaluma, who finished with 17 points on 6-of-8 field goals, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 11 rebounds, while Perry and fellow senior Will McNair Jr. added 14 and 13 points, respectively.
• For the game, K-State connected on 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field, including 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from 3-point range, while hitting on 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the free throw line. The Wildcats had 30 points in the paint, as they shot 58.1 percent (18-of-31) inside the 3-point line.
• After shooting nearly 60 percent (59.1/13-of-22) in the first half, LSU (5-4) was held to just 29 percent (9-of-31) in the second half, including 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from 3-point range, as the Tigers finished 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the field. Two players registered double figures led by graduate Jordan Wright, who scored 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

• K-State now has back-to-back wins over LSU after defeating the Tigers in the championship game of the 2022 Cayman Islands Classic. The teams will conclude the home-and-home series with a matchup at Bramlage Coliseum in 2024-25.
• In addition to being 5-7 in true road games under Tang, the Wildcats won at least one non-conference road games for the third consecutive season.
• K-State dominated the glass, holding a 39-26 advantage in rebounding. The Wildcats collected 13 offensive rebounds, converting those into an 11-4 edge in second-chance points. The team has now out-rebounded 7 of 10 opponents.
• With four against LSU, K-State is now 19-5 under Tang when at least four players score in double figures, including 7-1 this season.

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.
• After scoring 100 points in the exhibition play for the first time since 1993, the Wildcats eclipsed the 100-point barrier at home since 2010 and the second time under head coach Jerome Tang with a 100-56 victory over Central Arkansas on Nov. 22. The team has also scored 83 points twice (Bellarmine and No. 12/11 Miami), 91 vs. South Dakota State and 88 vs. Oral Roberts.
• The current 80.9 scoring average is the best through the first 10 games since the 2009-10 team averaged 81.6 points. It is the third time that the Wildcats have averaged better than 80 points through the first 10 games in the last 25 seasons, joining the 1997-98 (83.3 ppg.) and 2009-10 (81.6 ppg.) teams.
• The new offense has so far increased the number of 3-pointers, as the team has already attempted 261 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 tied 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 84 3-pointers, which are the most through the first 10 games. The 26 combined 3-pointers in games vs. Bellarmine and South Dakota State were the most in back-to-back games since also making 26 in games at Oklahoma State and at home to Kansas on Feb. 2 and 5, 2019.
• The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal attempts (26.1) and fifth in 3-point field goals/game (8.4). The 261 3-point attempts are the second-most in the Big 12 behind BYU’s 330. Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the top-55 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 15th in attempts (87), 49th in total makes (28) and 54th in makes/game (2.80).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

• K-State has shown its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 35.9 points in the paint this season, including 41.0 in the last 6 games. 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.

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 39th nationally in rebounds/game (40.9), including second in the league and 17th nationally in offensive rebounds/game (14.5).
• K-State has out-rebounded its opponents 7 times in 10 games, while posting an +6.9 rebounding margin, which ranks 48th nationally.
• K-State posted its highest rebound total in more than 25 seasons in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23), corralling 63 rebounds, which were the most since totaling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which they converted into 34 second-chance points. The 26 offensive rebounds 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.

CONVERTING FROM THE LINE

• K-State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, averaging 16.3 makes per game while converting on 73.8 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-85 nationally in both makes (16.3) and attempts (22.1) per game, as the squad places fourth in the Big 12 and 65th nationally in makes and fifth in the Big 12 and 85th nationally in attempts.
• No game were free throws more important than the North Alabama (12/2/23) win, as K-State converted on 34 of 48 attempts. The 34 makes were the most in a game since hitting 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 20, 2015, while the 48 attempts were the most since also attempting 48 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014. Both were just outside the school’s all-time top-10.

BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT

• K-State will need to continue to improve its defensive effort after allowing 725 points (72.5 ppg.) in the first 10 games on 41.8 percent (259-of-620) shooting, including 34.3 percent (82-of-239) from 3-point range.
• The Wildcats currently rank last in the Big 12 in scoring defense (72.5 ppg.), while they are 11th in field goal percentage defense (41.8) and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (34.3). The team is also 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.11) and 12th in turnover margin (-1.00).
• K-State has shown the ability to be a good defensive team, holding South Dakota State (11/13/23) and Providence (11/17/23) to an average of 69 points, while holding Central Arkansas (11/22/23) to a season-low 56 points on 27.9 percent (19-of-68) shooting. The defense also performed well in the win at LSU (12/9/23), holding the Tigers to 60 points on 41.5 percent shooting.

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.

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 16.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 36.6 minutes per game.
• Perry has scored in double figures in 9 of the first 10 games, as his 14-game streak of double-digit scoring games ended with 6 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23). Among those 9 double-digit scoring games is a team-best four 20-point games, which includes 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23) and a season-best 24 in the win over Providence (11/17/23).
• Perry ranks the Big 12’s top 10 in five categories, including tops in minutes (36.6) and free throw percentage (92.9), fourth in 3-point field goals (2.89) and fifth in assists (5.5 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (2.75). He is also ranks 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (32.5) and 13th in scoring (16.2 ppg.).
• 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 1,205 points at the Division I level.
• Perry had at least 4 3-pointers in 4 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 27 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).

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

• Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 92.9 percent (52-of-56). He ranks 17th nationally and first in the Big 12. He made 34 straight free throws before missing in overtime vs. Oral Roberts.
• Among Perry’s 24 points in the win over Providence (11/17/23) was a perfect 14-of-14 performance from the free throw line, which tied for the third-best in school history and the best since Michael Beasley went 15-of-15 from the line at Baylor on Feb. 23, 2008. Only Beasley and Steve Henson, who went a school-best 17-of-17 from the stripe at Iowa State on Feb. 24, 1988, have enjoyed a better performance 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 in the first 10 games, averaging 16.9 points per game. He leads the Wildcats in field goals (64) and attempts (153), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 3-point field goals (22).
• 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 on 7-of-18 shooting with 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the win at LSU (12/9/23).
• In addition to scoring in double figures in 8 games, Carter notched his first career double-double vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23), posting 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting with a career-best 10 rebounds, 5 assists and team-high 3 steals.
• Carter ranks in the Big 12’s top 15 in five categories, including second in minutes (36.5), fourth in steals (2.30), seventh in 3-point field goals (2.20),  ninth in scoring (16.9 ppg.) and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (31.1).

STARTING TO FIND 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 8 consecutive games, averaging 17.9 points on 52.2 percent shooting (48-of-92) to go with 8.8 rebounds per game.
• 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 Tuesday afternoon after averaging a double-double in wins over Villanova (12/5/23) and LSU (12/9/23). He averaged 21.5 points on 76.2 percent (16-of-21) shooting, including 85.7 percent (6-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 10.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 39.6 minutes per game. He is just the third Wildcat to earn the weekly award from the USBWA, while it was the first of Kaluma’s career.
• Kaluma scored a game and season-high 26 points in the win over Villanova, knocking down 10-of-13 field goals, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists in a season-best 44 minutes. The 26 points were one shy of his career-high of 27 he had against BYU while playing at Creighton in 2022.
• Kaluma continued his impressive play in the road win at LSU, recording his fifth career double-double, including his second as a Wildcat, with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. He has now scored in double figures in 48 career games, including eight this season.
• The weekly honors came on the heels of being named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in games against Providence (11/17/23) and No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23). After scoring 18 in the OT win over Providence, including a pivotal 3-pointer, he had his first double-double as a Wildcat and fourth in his career with 18 points and 12 rebounds vs. 12/11 Miami.
• Kaluma and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson are the only two players in the Big 12 to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding, as he ranks fourth in rebounding (8.8 rpg.) and 10th in scoring (16.6 ppg.).

MASTER OF THE BOARDS

• Senior David N’Guessan has been impressive so far on the glass, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in rebounding at 8.2 boards per game. He ranks fourth in the league in offensive rebounds (3.00 orpg.), while he is eighth in defensive rebounds (5.20 drpg.). He has double-digit rebounds in 4 of his first 10 games.
• 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.
• N’Guessan broke his career-high with 11 rebounds vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) then matched it in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23) while collecting his second double-double with a season-high 11 points.
• 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. He averaged 9 points on 55.6 percent shooting with 6.3 rebounds in the 3-game tournament.

BIG MAN OFF TO SOLID START

• Senior Will McNair is off to solid start to the season, averaging 8.6 points on 63 percent shooting to go along with 4.4 rebounds through 9 games with 8 starts in 20.9 minutes per game.
• McNair came off the bench to score 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) in the opener then has earned starts in 8 straight games. He has double figures in 4 of those 8 starts, including 10 points vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) and Providence (11/17/23) and 11 points vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23). He scored a season-high 13 points in the win at LSU (12/9/23), connecting on 5-of-6 field goals.

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 4 games, including a season-best 14 points vs. UCA (11/22/23), while he has dished out at least 3 assists in 7 of his 9 games played with a season-high 7 vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
• Jones is the only freshman to play in all 10 games, averaging 12.2 minutes per game. He ranks third on the team in 3-pointers (10), scoring in 6 of 10 games with a season-best 14 points vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
• Rich, whose dunk against Central Arkansas made the Sportcenter Top 10, has wowed fans with his potential, logging a near double-double vs. the Bears with a season-best 13 points and 8 rebounds in under 18 minutes.

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.

UP NEXT: VS. WICHITA STATE (7-3)

• K-State makes its annual trip to Kansas City for the Wildcat Classic, as the Wildcats play host to Wichita State (7-3) on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m., CT at the T-Mobile Center. Tickets are still available at kstatesports.com/tickets.