🏀 MBB: K-State to host Iowa State

K-State vs Iowa State Saturday at Bramlage

OPENING TIP

No. 12/14 K-State (19-7, 7-6 Big 12) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday for the start of back-to-back Top 25 matchups, as the Wildcats play host to No. 19/18 Iowa State (17-8, 8-5 Big 12) for a 1 p.m., CT tip on ESPN. The Cyclones won the first meeting, 80-76, at home on Jan. 24 in a highly competitive game in which both teams shot better than 50 percent. They have split the last 8 meetings at Bramlage Coliseum, including 74-73 victory last season.

KEY STORYLINES

K-State has lost 4 of its last 5 games, including consecutive road losses to Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Sooners broke open a tight contest with a 12-0 run early in the second half, as they finished with 43 points in the half on 61.1 percent shooting. They tied an opponent-high with 11 makes from 3-point range, including 3 during the pivotal 12-0 run, to upend what had been the Big 12’s best 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.6 percent. Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s second double double.
K-State is still off to one of its better starts, as the 19-7 record ties 2 others for the seventh-best record in the past 50 seasons, trailing only the 1972-73 (22-4), 2009-10 (22-4), 2012-13 (21-5), 1976-77 (20-6), 1981-82 (20-6) and 2018-19 (20-6) teams. Among the 13 wins in the last 19 outings is a 9-game streak from Dec. 3, 2022 to Jan. 10, 2023, which was the longest by the Wildcats since a 10-game winning streak in 2013-14, and a 4-0 start in Big 12 play.
K-State’s 19-7 start under head coach Jerome Tang is the second-best by a first-year coach in school history, just behind the 15-2 record by Zora G. Clevenger (1916-17). Tang’s 19-7 start also ranks among the very best by all first-year coaches in Division I, tying Missouri’s Dennis Gates (19-7) and Xavier’s Sean Miller (19-7) for the best mark. His next victory will make him just the fourth K-State head coach (Lon Kruger [1986-87], Bob Huggins [2006-07] and Frank Martin [2007-08]) to win 20 or more games in his first season.
Seniors Keyontae Johnson (17.5 ppg.) and Markquis Nowell (16.8 ppg.) have been one of the most prolific tandems in the country, as they combine to average 34.3 points per game on 45 percent (287-of-638) shooting, including 36.5 percent (89-of-244) from 3-point range, and 80.6 percent (228-of-283) from the free throw line. They are the fourth-most prolific scoring duo among the power conferences, including the second-best in the Big 12. They were each named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists, while each were selected to their respective position award (Bob Cousy and Julius Irving) Top 10 lists.
Nowell joined elite company in the win over TCU on Feb. 7, as his 7 assists allowed him to pass Steve Henson (186; 1987-88) to become the school’s single-season leader. His current total of 197 assists ranks third nationally, while he is third in assists per game (7.6 apg.). He is one of 4 active Division I player with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals. In addition, he has accumulated 253 career steals, which are first among active Division I players.

NOTES ON 19/18 IOWA STATE

No. 19/18 Iowa State (16-8, 8-5 Big 12) snapped a 2-game losing streak with a 70-59 win over No. 22/24 TCU on Wednesday night at home. The Cyclones were led by senior Aljaz Kunc, who paced all scorers with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5 3-pointers.
Iowa State is averaging 70.1 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 34.8 percent from 3-point range, with 33.5 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 9.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game, while allowing a Big 12-best 61.6 points on 41.7 percent shooting, including 32.2 percent from 3-point range. The Cyclones are connecting on 66.8 percent from the free throw line.
Iowa State is among the best defensive teams in the country, ranking in the top-10 in 4 categories, including 10th in turnover margin (+4.5) and turnovers forced/game (17.5), 12th in steals/game (9.3) and 14th in scoring defense (61.6). They lead the Big 12 in all 4 categories, while they are third in field goal percentage defense (41.7).
Three players (Jaren Holmes, Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill) are averaging in double figures, while two others averaging nearly 9 points per game. Holmes and Kalscheur are averaging 13.6 and 12.4 points per game, while Grill is averaging 10 points per outing. The trio have combined for 134 of the Cyclones’ 169 made 3-pointers. Freshman Tamin Lipsey leads the team in assists (4.7 apg.), while Aljaz Kunc is tops in rebounding (5.1 rpg.).
Iowa State is led by second-year head coach T.J. Otzelberger, who has a 39-21 record. He guided the Cyclones to 22 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2021-22. Overall, he is 138-84 in his seventh season as a head coach.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State holds a 144-92 advantage in the all-time series with Iowa State, including an 83-29 record at home and 23-11 mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
The teams have split the last 10 meetings with Iowa State winning twice in the last 4 at Bramlage Coliseum, including a 74-73 win last season.

LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]

Date Rank Result Score Location

1/12/2019 —/20 W 58-57 Ames

2/16/2019 18/23 L 64-78 Manhattan

3/15/2019 15/— L 59-63 Kansas City

2/8/2020 —/— L 63-73 Ames

3/7/2020 —/— W 79-63 Manhattan

12/15/2020 —/— W 74-65 Ames

3/6/2021 —/— W 61-56 Manhattan

2/12/2022 —/— W 75-69 [OT] Ames

2/26/2022 —/— L 73-74 Manhattan

1/24/2023 5/12 L 76-80 Ames

LAST MEETING:

12/13 IOWA STATE 80, 5/5 K-STATE 76

In a game befitting the first top-15 matchup in the 246-game history between the schools, No. 12/13 Iowa State made the right plays at the right moments to hold off a late rally by No. 5/5 Kansas State for 80-76 win on Jan. 24 before a sold-out crowd of 14,267 fans at Hilton Coliseum.
Down 59-49 with 8:12 to play, K-State made a late charge behind the play of senior Markquis Nowell, who scored 5 points in a 10-1 run that closed to 60-59 at the 5:43 mark. However, senior Caleb Grill made his only shot – a 3-pointer – on the next possession after a big offensive rebound from freshman Tamin Lipsey that gave ISU a 63-59 lead and more breathing room.
Five times down the stretch, the Wildcats closed to within one possession but each time the Cyclones seemed to answer any big shot with one of their own to remain perfect (11-0) at home. Nowell, who continued his stellar play with a game-tying 23 points and a game-high 9 assists, missed a layup with 14 seconds left that would’ve pulled K-State to within 76-75. Lipsey grabbed the defensive rebound and Grill sink a pair of free throws for a 78-73 lead.
Nowell continued his stellar play with another near double-double, scoring a game-tying 23 points to go with a game-high 9 assists in 38 minutes. He was one of four Wildcats in double figures, as senior Keyontae Johnson grabbed his fourth double-double, including his second straight, with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore Cam Carter and junior Ismael Massoud finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

LAST MEETING IN MANHATTAN:

IOWA STATE 74, K-STATE 73 [Feb. 26, 2022]

K-State nearly rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit, closing to within 72-70 and possession with 16 seconds to play, but Iowa State was able to hold on in the final seconds to pick up a 74-73 victory in the last meeting between the schools at Bramlage Coliseum on Feb. 26, 2022.
Down 70-58 with 2:14 to play, K-State nearly made a remarkable rally behind their defensive pressure and clutch free throw shooting by Markquis Nowell, who converted on 10 consecutive attempts to close to within 72-70 with 49 seconds. However, ISU was able to force a turnover with 4 seconds.
Sophomore Nijel Pack led three Wildcats in double digits with 32 points.

LAST TIME OUT: OKLAHOMA 79, 12/14 K-STATE 65

Oklahoma hit on an opponent season-tying 11 3-pointers, including 3 during a key 12-0 run early in the second half, as the Sooners earned a 79-65 win over No. 12/14 K-State on Tuesday before a crowd 5,167 at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Oklahoma saw five players connected on at least one 3-pointer, including 3 each by senior Grant Sherfield and freshman Milos Uzan, as the Sooners tied an opponent season-high with 11 made triples while making 47.8 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. The Wildcats entered with the Big 12’s best and nation’s 12th-best 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.6 percent.
Sherfield led all scorers with 22 points to go with a game-tying 6 assists and 8 rebounds to help the Sooners snap a 4-game losing streak.
Oklahoma carried the momentum of a 3-pointer by Sherfield that knotted the score at 36-all right before halftime into the second half, using the 12-0 run to build a double-digit lead with just over 16 minutes to play. Sherfield, senior Tanner Groves and Uzan all hit treys during the run.
Down 60-45 midway through the second half, the Wildcats got some positive momentum with an 8-1 run that cut the deficit to 61-53 with over 7 minutes to play. However, the Sooners ended any hopes of a further comeback with a 9-1 run, which was capped by a 3-pointer from sophomore Bijan Cortes – the team’s 11th trey – that extended the lead to 70-54 with 4:50 remaining.
Overall, the Sooners scored their 79 points on 51 percent (25-of-49) shooting, including 43 points after halftime on 61.1 percent (11-of-18) shooting.
K-State saw four players score in double figures led by junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who collected his second double-double with 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Seniors Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson each scored 14 points, while fellow senior Abayomi Iyiola added 11 points.
Sherfield was joined in double figures by Groves, who had 16 points on 5-of-7 field goals, including 2-of-3 from long range, as well as Uzah and senior Jalen Hill, who scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Oklahoma has now won 3 straight in the series with K-State.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

K-State has now lost 4 of their last 5 games, while they lost their fifth straight Big 12 road game after opening 2-0.
The 11 made 3-pointers by Oklahoma tied the opponent, as Texas (Jan. 3) and Kansas (Jan. 31) also hit on 11 treys in its matchups with K-State.
Oklahoma held a 32-31 edge on the glass, while K-State grabbed 11 offensive rebounds... The Wildcats are now 2-4 when losing the rebounding battle.
K-State got 20 points from its bench, which was the fourth game in a row with 20 or more bench points.
Tomlin collected his second double-double with 17 points on 8-of-15 field goals with a season-tying 10 rebounds... Both double doubles have come in Big 12 play... He has 15 double-digit scoring games, including 6 in Big 12 play.
With his 14 points, Nowell has now scored in double figures in 89 career games, including 42 at K-State and 23 this season... He added a game-tying 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 37 minutes.
Johnson also scored 14 points and now has in double figures in a team-high 25 of 26 games this season... He also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Iyiola scored in double figures for the fourth time with 11 points.

TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH

First-year head coach Jerome Tang enjoyed a successful a debut, as the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win against UTRGV on Nov. 7, becoming the 24th man and the first full-time black head coach in school history. He followed with his first road victory at Cal to start his tenure off with a 2-0 record. He is the sixth minority men’s head coach in K-State Athletics history, including the third in men’s basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
K-State’s 19-7 start under Jerome Tang is the second-best by a first-year coach in school history, just behind Zora G. Clevenger, who went 15-2 in 1916-17. The start ties for the best by any current first-year coach in Division I with Missouri’s Dennis Gates (19-7) and Xavier’s Sean Miller (19-7).
This is not Tang’s first time being a head coach, as he served as athletics director and head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas from 1993-2003, leading the school to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach at Baylor, leading the Bears to 4-0 record. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) during the 2012-13 season, while he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is only credited with the wins in 2013, moving his college head coaching record to 21-7.

A TEAM OF WINNERS

Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on a number of occasions that he recruited a team ‘full of winners’ as exemplified by the number of championships that the collective group has won.
There are a combined 8 state championships among the 15 players on the roster, including 2 each won by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister also won state titles during their senior seasons.
In addition to the high school success, a number of players have been a part of winning college programs, including Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas’ Elite Eight team in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N’Guessan (Virginia Tech) being a part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.
This championship mentality stretches to the staff, as associate head coach Urlic Maligi has been part of 5 NCAA Tournament and 5 conference title teams in his career. Assistant coach Jareem Dowling has been involved with teams that have won 4 conference titles and earned 4 postseason trips, while assistant coach Rodney Perry is coming off a 2021-22 year in which he led Link Academy to a national runner-up finish at the GEICO National Tournament before helping MOKAN Elite to its third Nike Peach Jam title.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

K-State’s overtime 96-87 win over Nevada 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 a 1,714-1,220 (.586) all-time record as a program, which includes 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

1,000-WIN CLUB

K-State is one of 11 Division I schools whose men’s and women’s basketball teams have both won more than 1,000 games. Joining K-State is this unique club is Baylor, Georgia, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, UConn and Western Kentucky.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

With the 64-50 win over Florida in the final SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, K-State completed its non-conference schedule with a 12-1 mark, including a perfect 8-0 in home games (Nebraska was played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City is considered a home game).
The 12-1 record is the best non-conference record since the Wildcats won a program-best 13 non-conference games in 2009-10. The teams also won 12 non-conference games in both 2008-09 (12-3) and 2010-11 (12-3). K-State had won just 19 non-conference games, including 16 at home, in the 3 seasons (2019-20 to 2021-22) before this season.
K-State has posted a 171-53 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07. During that span, the Wildcats have a 129-14 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City in non-conference play, including a 119-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

K-State enjoyed a special night on offense in its 116-103 win over No. 6/6 Texas, as the Wildcats not only broke the school record for points but also tied the Big 12 record in handing the Longhorns their first loss in the brand-new Moody Center before a sold-out crowd of 10,763 fans on Jan. 3.
The 116 points eclipsed the previous school-record mark of 115, which first came vs. Delaware State on Dec. 7, 1991, then again vs. Fresno State in the NIT on March 24, 1994. It was also the most-ever in a road game, surpassing the 108 at Iowa State on Jan. 29, 1975, while it was most in a conference game, topping the 114 scored vs. Nebraska at home on Jan. 10, 1987, and the most in a Big 12 game, surpassing the 111 vs. Missouri at home on Jan. 3, 1998.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, K-State’s 116 points in the win at No. 6/6 Texas marked the most by an unranked team in a win over a top-10 opponent since Missouri scored 119 against Iowa State in 1988.
All 5 starters scored in double figures, including a career-best 36 points from senior Markquis Nowell and a career-tying 28 by senior Keyontae Johnson. The 64 combined points tied for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and most since 2008, while it marked just the 16th time (including the second time this season) that tandem has each had at least 25 points in a game. Nowell’s 36 points are the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
As a team, the Wildcats connected on 61 percent (36-of-59) from the field, including 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from 3-point range, and set a school-record by hitting on 93.9 percent (31-of-33) from the free throw line. It marked the first time the team has shot better than 60 percent against a Big 12 opponent since 2018, while the 13 treys tied for the sixth-most made in a conference game.

POTENT OFFENSIVE ATTACK

K-State is averaging 75.9 points this season on 45.1 percent (682-of-1511) shooting, including 34.2 percent (181-of-530) from 3-point range, while hitting on 74.7 percent (429-of-574) from the free throw line. The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in assists (16.8 apg.), while they are third in free throw percentage and fifth in scoring offense and assist/turnover ratio (1.17).
The current scoring average (75.9 ppg.) is on pace to be the ninth-best in school history and the highest since the 2007-08 team averaged 78.0 points per game. The 45.1 field goal percentage is on pace to finish in the top-10 in the shot clock era (1985-86) and the highest since 2017-18 (46.3 percent).
K-State has scored 80 or more points 9 times, including 5 games of 90 or more points highlighted by the school-record 116-point effort in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which was the first 100-point game since 2011. It is the most games of 80 or more points since posting 11 in 2017-18 and most games of 90 or more points since also totaling 5 in 2009-10.
The 93 points vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) were the fourth-most in a season opener in the last 25 seasons and the most since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah to open the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats also topped the 90-point barrier in a 96-87 overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) at the Cayman Islands Classic, while the squad fell 2 points short of their first 100-point game since 2010-11, totaling 98 vs. UIW (12/11/22) behind a school-record first 7 double-digit scorers.
Twice this season the Wildcats have had 2 players (Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson) score 25 or more points in the same game, which hadn’t happened since 2010. Nowell (29) and Johnson (28) combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada (11/22/22) before they went for 64 in the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which ties for the fourth-most by a duo in school history and the most since Michael Beasley and Bill Walker at Baylor in 2008.
K-State has connected on better than 50 percent of its field goals in 7 games, including back-to-back vs. Rhode Island (11/21/22) and Nevada (11/22/22) and ACU (12/6/22) and UIW (12/11/22). The team hit on a season-best 60 percent (36-of-60) vs. Texas (1/3/23), which included a season-high 13 3-pointers, and a school-record performance from the free throw line of 93.9 percent (31-of-33).

DISHING THE ROCK

K-State ranks among the best in the country in sharing the basketball, as the Wildcats rank 13th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 16.8 assists per game. Among the 437 assists are 7 players with double-digit totals, including senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.6) and total assists (197). Nowell, who has double-digit assists in 6 games, became the school’s single season assist leader with his 7 dimes in the win over TCU.
The Wildcats also rank in the top-10 with a 64.1 assist percentage according to KenPom, which calculates assists (437) to made field goals (682). Only Lafayette (69.4), Virginia (66.9), Arizona (66.7), Xavier (66.7), Tennessee (66.0) and Air Force (64.3) have a better percentage nationally.
Although Nowell gets all the attention for his playmaking ability, the rest of the team has shared the ball, as the Wildcats have had 3 or more players dish out at least 2 assists in 20 of 26 games. The team had 7 players with 2 or more assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), while 6 vs. Nebraska (12/17/22) and Baylor (1/3/23) and 5 vs. UIW (12/11/22), Texas (1/3/23), TCU (twice) and Texas Tech (1/21/23).

TEAM FULL OF SCORERS

K-State is one of just 15 schools to have at least four 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,191 points), Keyontae Johnson (1,243 points), Markquis Nowell (1,745 points) and Desi Sills (1,331 points) have all reached the milestone in their Division I careers. Only Johnson, who did it against Radford (12/21/22), and Nowell have reached the mark while at K-State.
K-State has now six 1,000-point scorers if you count senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 points in his 4-year career at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at Monroe (2019-20) and Chipola Colleges (2020-22).
Missouri has 6 1,000-point scorers followed by Notre Dame, Penn State, San Diego and UAB with 5, while Alabama, Iowa State, K-State, Miami, UNC, Ohio State, Southern Utah, Texas, Xavier and Youngstown State have 4 such scorers.

BENCH PRODUCTION

K-State is getting solid production from its bench through the first 26 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 18.4 points per game. The team has scored 20 or more bench points in each of the last 4 games, including 29 vs. TCU.
The Wildcats got 41 points from its bench in the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Massoud (10) and Sills (10) all posting double-digit points. As a group, the bench connected on 14-of-29 from the field, including a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
Senior Desi Sills has been particularly impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 11 times, including a season-high 24 points in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He is fourth on the team in scoring in Big 12 play, averaging 8.6 points on 46.1 percent shooting. Junior Ismael Massoud has also proved to be a spark of the bench, posting 4 double-digit scoring games.

FORCING TURNOVERS

K-State’s defense has forced 398 turnovers through the first 26 games, which includes 205 steals, while averaging 16.6 points per game off those miscues.
The 15.3 turnovers forced per game ranks 36th nationally, while it places fourth in the Big 12 behind Iowa State, TCU and Texas. K-State ranks sixth in steals (7.8) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.1), while senior Markquis Nowell leads the Big 12 and places 12th nationally in steals (2.35 spg.).
K-State has scored 20 or more points off turnovers 6 times with a season-high 31 points off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers in the season opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ points off miscues in back-to-back games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 points) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 points) as well as ACU (12/6/22; 23 points), UIW (12/11/22; 28 points) and West Virginia (12/31/22; 22 points).

JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT

Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball court on Nov. 7 in the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after suffering a medical emergency against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He finished the night with 13 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds in a team-high 26 minutes.
Johnson was named the March Madness National Player of the Week and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 14, as he averaged 14.5 points on 47.6 percent (10-of-21) shooting, including 57.1 percent (4-of-7) from 3-point range, to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the Wildcats’ first 2 wins.
Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 points on 53.6 percent (15-of-28) shooting, including 50 percent (4-of-8) from 3-point range, to go with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.
Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season on Dec. 19 after his impressive performance in K-State’s win over Nebraska, as he posted game-highs in both points (23) and rebounds (11) to go with his career-tying 4 steals. It was his seventh career double-double with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, while it was his 11th career 20-point game.
Johnson was selected for the Newcomer award for the third time on Jan. 9 after posting consecutive 20-point games in wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor while adding a game-high 9 rebounds in each contest. He continued his impressive play with the game-winning dunk to cap a 24-point effort in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas before logging his third double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. Texas Tech to earn Newcomer honors for fourth time on Jan. 23.
Johnson has scored in double figures in a team-best 25 games, leading the Wildcats and ranking second in the Big 12 in scoring (17.5 ppg.). He is second in the league in field goal percentage (51.4), while he is in the top-15 in 6 other categories. He is one of two Big 12 players (Kansas’ Jalen Wilson) rank in the league’s top-5 in scoring and rebounding in overall and conference-only games.

NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW

On a team with 13 new players and a new staff, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell once again has demonstrated he is still the guy running the show for the Wildcats, as he leads in both assists (7.6 apg.) and steals (2.35 spg.) while averaging the second-most points (16.8 ppg.). He was named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden and Naismith Trophy Award Midseason Watch Lists and Bob Cousy Point Guard Award Top 10 List.
Nowell ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.6 apg.) and total assists (197), while he is in the top-30 in four other categories, including ninth in steals (61), 12th in steals/game (2.35), 13th in free throws (129) and 27th in minutes/ game (36.1). He is one of 3 Division I players with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 200 steals, while he recently eclipsed 1,700 points in his career. He also ranks first among all active Division I players in steals (253).
Nowell was recognized for his MVP performance in helping the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was selected as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 points, 9.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game. It was his first weekly honor in the Big 12 and his fourth overall after winning it 3 times in the Sun Belt.
In wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell became the first Wildcat to record double-digit assists in consecutive games, while he became the second player in school history and the first since 1989 to post a 25-point/10-assist game with his 29-point, 11-assist effort in the overtime win over the Wolf Pack.
Nowell was part of the first Wildcat duo since 2010 to each collect at least 25 points in a game, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson combined for 57 points in the overtime win over Nevada. He capped the tournament with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting in the title game win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
Nowell enjoyed a special performance in the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, to go with a perfect 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most points by a Wildcat in a Big 12 game and the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 points vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
Nowell capped his impressive week with the school’s first 30-point, 10-assist game in the win at No. 19/17 Baylor, scoring 32 points while dishing a career-best 14 assists. He became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 with consecutive 30-point games, while his 14 assists tied the record for most in a conference game in school history. In addition to his second Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 9, he was named the NCAA March Madness, ESPN, Naismith Trophy and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week.
Nowell nearly posted the school’s first triple-double in the win over Florida on Jan. 28, scoring 13 points on 4-of-9 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a career-tying 9 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists. He has 5 double-doubles (points/assists) this season and 13 in his career.
Nowell became the school’s single season assists leader (187) in the win over TCU, as he eclipsed the record of Steve Henson (186) set in 1987-88.

AN INSTANT IMPACT

Junior transfer Nae’Qwan Tomlin has given K-State another scoring threat in the post, as the junior college All-American ranks third on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg.) while connecting 45.8 percent (103-of-225) from the field to go with 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game. He ranks in the Big 12’s top-15 in rebounding (11th) and blocks (10th).
Tomlin was selected as the Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 26 after his near double-double in the win over Radford on Dec. 21. He led four Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 26 points, as he hit on 11-of-18 field goals, which included 4 dunks, a 3-pointer and 3 free throws, to go with 9 rebounds.
Tomlin scored in double figures in 7 consecutive games from Dec. 3 to Jan. 3, in which, he averaged 14.9 points on 55.4 percent (41-of-74) shooting to go with 6.3 rebounds per game. The streak began with 14 points vs. Wichita State and was highlighted by a career-best 26 points vs. Radford.
Tomlin has grabbed 10 rebounds 3 times this season, while posting his first career double-double (15 points/10 rebounds) in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He added a second double-double with 17 points and a season-tying 10 boards at Oklahoma. He has scored in double figures in 6 games in Big 12 play.
Tomlin scored more than 1,000 points in his junior college career at both Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) while connecting on 54.2 percent from the field. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 points on 52.4 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds during his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the school to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.

STARTER OFF THE BENCH

Senior Desi Sills has provided a spark for the Wildcats off the bench, as he is averaging 8.5 points on 44.5 percent (77-of-173) shooting with 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. He has scored in double figures 11 times, including a season-high 24 points in the win over No. 2/2 Kansas.
Sills scored in double figures in 2 of the first 3 games, including 10 in his first game as a Wildcat vs. UTRGV. He scored 16 points vs. LSU in the championship game of the Cayman Islands Classic, hitting on 6-of-9 field goals, before his 17-point effort at Butler, which all came in the second half. He has scored in double figures in 3 of the last 4 games, including 14 vs. TCU.
Although Sills went scoreless in the win over Wichita State, he had the play of the game with his block of Shammah Scott’s breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.

UP NEXT: 9/9 BAYLOR (20-7, 9-4 Big 12)

K-State continues its homestand with a visit from Big 12 leader and No. 9/9 Baylor (20-7, 9-4 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on ESPN2. The Wildcats won the first meeting, 97-95, in overtime on Jan. 7.