Dec 05, 2023

🏀 MBB: K-State hosts Villanova in Big 12/Big East Battle

Posted Dec 05, 2023 2:22 PM
Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics.
Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics.

Courtesy of Kansas State Athletics 

K-State Notes (pdf)     Villanova Notes (pdf)     Watch (ESPN2)     Listen

GAME 9
KANSAS STATE (6-2) vs VILLANOVA (6-3)
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
6 p.m. CT
Bramlage Coliseum (11,010)
Manhattan, Kan.
Fourth Annual Big 12/BIG EAST Battle Series  

TELEVISION
ESPN2 / WatchESPN (link here)

  1. Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
  2. King McClure (analyst)
  3. Thomas Morrissey (producer)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Ch. 385
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

  1. Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
  2. Stan Weber (analyst)

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com 

COACHES
K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]
Record at K-State: 32-12/Second Year
Career Record: 34-12/Second Year+
vs. Villanova: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

Villanova: Kyle Neptune [Lehigh '07]
Record at Villanova: 23-20/2nd Year
Career Record: 39-36/3rd Year
vs. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 on the road] 

PROBABLE STARTERS
K-State (6-2)
G: #2 Tylor Perry
G: #4 Dai Dai Ames
G: #5 Cam Carter
W: #24 Arthur Kaluma
W: #1 David N'Guessan

Villanova (6-3)
G: #0 T.J. Bamba
G: #2 Mark Armstrong
G: #5 Justin Moore
F: #23 Tyler Burton
F: #43 Eric Dixon 

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: First meeting
Overall: Villanova leads 1-0
At Home: First meeting
At Bramlage Coliseum: First meeting
Active Streak: Villanova, 1
First Meeting: L, 34-51 [12/27/1940 in Philadelphia]
Last Meeting: L, 34-51 [12/27/1940 in Philadelphia]
Jerome Tang vs. Kyle Neptune: First meeting  

K-STATE TO FACE VILLANOVA IN BIG 12/BIG EAST BATTLE TUESDAY

  1. Kansas State (6-2) wraps up its 4-game homestand on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to 3-time NCAA champion Villanova (6-3) in the fourth annual Big 12/BIG EAST Battle at Bramlage Coliseum at 6 p.m., CT. The Wildcats are winless in their 3 previous matchups in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle, losing at home to Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and at Butler in 2022.
  2. K-State's 14-game home non-conference winning streak will be put to the ultimate test against Villanova, which recently won the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. The streak dates to the Wildcats' 64-63 loss to Marquette in the last home Big 12/BIG EAST Battle game on Dec. 8, 2021. K-State is 5-0 at home after Saturday's 75-74 overtime win over North Alabama and has posted a 124-12 non-conference record at Bramlage Coliseum since 2006-07.

KEY STORYLINES

  1. K-State continued its success in overtime games under head coach Jerome Tang, as the Wildcats scored 13 straight points, including the last 5 in regulation to force overtime, to grab the momentum and overtake a determined UNA squad, 75-74. The Wildcats are now 8-0 under Tang in overtime games, including 3-0 this season. The back-to-back overtime wins are the first since doing it in 3 consecutive games vs. Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri on Feb. 3-15, 1964.
  2. Five Wildcats scored in double figures for the second consecutive game led by senior Tylor Perry, who had a hand in the 11 of the team's 13 consecutive points in regulation and overtime, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 8 seconds left. It marked the sixth time in his Division I career that Perry has made a shot to either win a game or send the game into overtime.
  3. Perry ranks in the Big 12's top-10 in 6 categories, including tops in minutes (36.0), second in 3-point field goals (3.0) and free throw percentage (92.0), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (3.1), fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and sixth in assists (5.4 apg.).
  4. Despite an off-night game against UNA, the K-State offense has still been potent through the first 8 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 82.8 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting from the field, including 8.5 3-pointers per game and 36.5 points in the paint, and 73.6 percent shooting from line. The scoring average is the best through the first 8 games since the 1997-98 team averaged 84.5 points per game. At least four players have scored in double figures in 7 games, while three (Tylor Perry, Cam Carter, Arthur Kaluma) are averaging double digits.
  5. K-State ranks among the best rebounding teams in the nation, as the Wildcats place in the top-25 in 2 categories, including fourth in offensive rebounds (16.0) and 24th in rebounds. (42.0). The team has outrebounded 6 of their 8 opponents, holding a +7.5 rebounding margin.
  6. They have corralled at least 35 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.
  7. The Wildcats took advantage of their opportunities at the line vs. UNA, as their 34 makes were the most since 2015 (36 vs. South Dakota) and 48 attempts were the most since 2014.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD


  1. Extend its home non-conference winning streak to 15 games.
  2. Push its non-conference record to 178-55 since 2006-07.
  3. Push its home non-conference mark to 125-12 since 2006-07.
  4. Be the first in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle (1-3).
  5. Be the first in the series vs. Villanova.

NOTES ON VILLANOVA (6-3)

  1. Under second-year head coach Kyle Neptune, Villanova is off to a fast start, winning 6 of its first 9 games, including victories over Texas Tech, North Carolina and Memphis to win the Battle 4 Atlantic Tournament. The Wildcats have dropped consecutive games to Big Five rivals Saint Joseph's and Drexel.
  2. Villanova is averaging 74.3 points per game on 41.8 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 64.9 points on 40.7 percent shooting, including 38.2 percent from long range. The Wildcats are among the best free throw shooting teams in the country, ranking second nationally at 82.4 percent from the line.
  3. Two players are averaging in double figures led by senior Eric Dixon, who is averaging 14.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range. Graduate Justin Moore is averaging 14.4 points on 39.8 percent shooting, including a team-best 17 3-pointers. In all, five players are averaging better than 8 points per game. Graduate Tyler Burton is averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds, while Dixon is averaging 6.6 per game.
  4. Villanova was picked fourth in the preseason BIG EAST poll after the Wildcats returned 9 lettermen, including 2 starters, from a team that posted a 17-17 record and earned a bid to the NIT in 2022-23. The Wildcats also added a number of high-profile transfers in T.J. Bamba (Washington State), Hakim Hart (Maryland), Lance Ware (Kentucky) and Burton (Richmond).
  5. A longtime assistant to Jay Wright at Villanova from 2013-21, Neptune returned as head coach in 2022 after a one-year stint at Fordham. He is 39-36 in his career, including 23-20 at Villanova. He is just the sixth head coach at Villanova since 1936.

SERIES HISTORY

  1. K-State and Villanova have met just once with the blue Wildcats earning a 51-34 win over purple Wildcats on Dec. 27, 1940, in Philadelphia.
  2. K-State is 25-27 all-time vs. BIG EAST opponents, including an 11-4 mark at home. The Wildcats snapped a 4-game losing streak to BIG EAST foes with a 73-70 overtime win against Providence on Nov. 17. The last win against a BIG EAST foe at home came against Xavier (71-56) on Dec. 8, 2009.
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