Feb 06, 2021

K-State begins homestand Saturday vs. Texas Tech

Posted Feb 06, 2021 12:21 PM

MANHATTAN, Kan.—Kansas State (5-14, 1-9 Big 12) returns to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday, as the Wildcats begin a 2-game homestand against ranked opponents with a visit from No. 13/11 Texas Tech (13-5, 5-4 Big 12) at 3 p.m. CT. The Red Raiders will be looking to sweep the series for the second consecutive season and will attempt to win back-to-back games in Manhattan for the first time since 2005 and 2007. Saturday's game will air on KHMY MY93.1fm locally in Hutchinson.

  1. This will be the Wildcats' seventh matchup against a Top 25 opponent this season, including the second of 3 in a row (No. 23/22 Kansas, No. 13/11 Texas Tech and No. 6/6 Texas). K-State has lost 11 consecutive against ranked opponents, including the earlier 82-71 setback to the Red Raiders on Jan. 5, while the Wildcats have suffered 4 consecutive defeats to ranked teams at home. K-State is 119-268 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes a 4-6 mark vs. the AP's No. 13 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 career wins against Top 25 foes.
  2. K-State saw its losing streak hit 9 games on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats dropped a 74-51 decision at No. 23/22 Kansas in the 294th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Allen Fieldhouse. K-State has lost 15 in a row to Kansas in Lawrence with the last win coming in 2006. The Jayhawks used a strong start to the second half to break open a tight contest, scoring 10 of the first 14 points while forcing the Wildcats into 3 turnovers and 3 missed shots. Overall, Kansas outscored K-State, 23-7, in the first 10 minutes of the second half to build as much as a 26-point lead. The Jayhawks held a 38-18 advantage in the paint and a 16-5 edge in points off turnovers.
  3. The Wildcats shot a season-low 34 percent (18-of-53), including 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from 3-point range, while tying a season-low with 18 points in the paint. Senior Mike McGuirl and freshman Nijel Pack led the way with 10 points each. Pack also had team-highs in both assists (3) and steals (1) while playing 36 minutes.
  4. K-State played without sophomore DaJuan Gordon, who was injured in the first half in the game against Texas A&M last Saturday. Gordon is the eighth Wildcat to miss a game this season due to either injury or COVID-19 related protocols, while only McGuirl is the only player to start all 19 games. The 8 Wildcats have combined to miss 52 games this season, including 4 of the 5 opening-game starters (Kaosi Ezeagu, Pack, Gordon and Montavious Murphy). Gordon is expected to be out against on Saturday, while Murphy is expected to miss the rest of the season.
  5. K-State started 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) for the eighth time this season, including the fifth time in a Big 12 game, against Kansas on Tuesday. The team has started at least 2 true freshmen in each of the last 13 games with Bradford and Pack each starting 15 games and Miguel starting 12. The Wildcats are one of 6 teams to start at least 3 true freshmen in at least one game, while the 42 combined starts by true freshmen tying for second nationally with Washington State behind Kentucky's 48.


NOTES ON 13/11 TEXAS TECH

  1. No. 13/11 Texas Tech (13-5, 5-4 Big 12) enters Saturday's game with wins in 5 of its last 7 outings, including consecutive wins at LSU (76-71) and against No. 9/14 Oklahoma (57-52) at home. The Red Raiders were led by Sixth Man of the Year candidate Terrence Shannon, Jr., who scored 15 points off the bench in the win over the Sooners. 
  2. Texas Tech is averaging 74.5 points on 43.4 percent shooting, including 33.2 percent from 3-point range, to go with 36.7 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.2 blocks per game, while allowing a Big 12-best 61.7 points on 40.3 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range. The team is averaging 73.2 points in Big 12 play on 42.5 percent shooting, including 32.4 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 69.7 points on 43.8 percent shooting, including 40.2 percent from 3-point range.
  3. The Red Raiders have done an impressive job of mixing transfers with players who have developed in the program, as they boast 3 transfers (Mac McClung, Jamarius Burton and Marcus Santos-Silva) with sophomores Kevin McCullar and Terrence Shannon, Jr. McClung is one of 3 players averaging in double figures, as he is leading the way with 16.8 points per game on 43 percent shooting, including 34 percent from 3-point range, to go with 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. 
  4. Texas Tech is led by 2018-19 National Coach of the Year Chris Beard, who has posted a 107-49 (.686) record in his fifth season. He has a 278-99 (.737) overall record in his 12th season as a head coach, which includes stints at McMurry (2012-13), Angelo State (2013-15) and Little Rock (2015-16).


SERIES HISTORY

  1. K-State and Texas Tech will meet for the 44th time in their histories with the Wildcats holding a 24-19 advantage in the series, while the Wildcats are 16-4 at home, including 12-4 in the Big 12 era. The Red Raiders own a slight 18-17 edge since the start of Big 12 play in 1997.
  2. Texas Tech has won 10 of the last 13 meetings, including a 7-2 mark under head coach Chris Beard. Last season, the Red Raiders have won the last 3 meetings, including 82-71 earlier this season in Lubbock.
  3. Head coach Bruce Weber is 8-9 all-time against Texas Tech, including a 6-2 mark at home, while Weber is 2-7 against head coach Chris Beard.


YOUNG 'CATS PERFORM WELL AT TECH

  1. Despite dropping an 82-71 loss at No. 18/19 Texas Tech on Jan. 5, K-State became the first team to eclipse 70 points in regulation against Texas Tech this season, including posting the highest field goal percentage by a Red Raider foe this season at 49.1 percent (27-of-55) from the field, including 61.2 percent (19-of-31) from inside the 3-point line. Texas Tech had entered the game, allowing a Big 12-best 56.3 points on 37.4 percent shooting.
  2. Four Wildcats scored in double figures against Texas Tech, including a team-leading 17 points each by freshmen Nijel Pack and Selton Miguel. Miguel tied his season-high on 6-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a game-high 6 assists, while Pack collected a season-high 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-7 from long range. Fellow freshmen Davion Bradford and senior Mike McGuirl each added 10 points.


LAST TIME OUT: 23/22 KANSAS 74, K-STATE 51

  1. No. 23/22 Kansas used a strong start to the second half to break open a tight contest, as the Jayhawks posted a 74-51 win over K-State in the 294th Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
  2. Leading 33-25 at the half, Kansas scored 10 of the first 14 points to start the second half while forcing K-State into 3 turnovers and 3 missed shots. Despite a timeout by coach Bruce Weber at the 15:20 mark, the Jayhawks continued their all-around play, using a 13-3 run capped by 3-pointers from redshirt freshman Jalen Wilson and sophomore Christian Braun to build a 56-32 lead midway through the half. All told, the Jayhawks outscored the Wildcats, 23-7, in nearly the first 10 minutes coming out of halftime.
  3. K-State could never catch up after allowing Kansas to hit its first 4 field goals and scoring the game's first 9 points. Senior Mike McGuirl ended the early scoring drought with a pair of free throws at the 16:54 mark then knocked down the Wildcats' first field goal just over a minute later.
  4. McGuirl, along with freshman Nijel Pack, led all Wildcats scorers with 10 points each. The Jayhawks harassed Pack all night, holding him to 4-of-10 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and forcing him into a season-high 4 turnovers. Pack was coming off a season-26 point effort in the loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.
  5. Kansas connected on 43.3 percent from the field, including 45.7 percent (16-of-35), in the second half, while posting a 38-18 advantage in points in the paint and a 16-5 edge in points off turnovers. Four of five Jayhawk starters scored in double figures led by junior David McCormack's fourth double-double of a game-tying 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting with a game-high 10 rebounds. Braun also scored 18 points on 6-of-11 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, while junior Ochai Agbaji added 14 points.
  6. K-State shot a season-low 34 percent (18-of-53), including 23.8 percent (5-of-21) from 3-point range. The Wildcats tied a season-low with 18 points in the paint, while they scored just 5 points off 6 Jayhawk turnovers.
  7. K-State played without sophomore starter DaJuan Gordon, who missed the first game of his Wildcat career. He is the eighth player to miss at least one game this season.


INJURIES, YOUTH DEFINE SEASON SO FAR FOR K-STATE 

  1. Very few teams in the country have had to deal with the mixture of injuries, COVID-19 protocols and youth quite like K-State has in 2020-21. Already one of the country's most inexperienced teams with just 4 returning lettermen (only 4 schools have fewer) and 11 underclassmen (only 6 schools have more), the Wildcats have seen 8 different players combined to miss 52 games this season, while senior Mike McGuirl is the only player to start all 19 games with 8 different starting lineups.


GAMES MISSED IN 2020-21 [52]

  1. Montavious Murphy - 15 (expected to miss rest of season)
  2. Luke Kasubke - 13 (saw first action at Texas)
  3. Kaosi Ezeagu - 10 (returned to action at Oklahoma)
  4. Antonio Gordon - 4 (returned to action at Texas)
  5. Carlton Linguard, Jr. - 4 (returned to action vs. Fort Hays State)
  6. Nijel Pack - 4 (returned to action at Baylor)
  7. Seryee Lewis - 1 (returned to action at Texas)
  8. DaJuan Gordon - 1 (no timetable for return)
  1. K-State is one of just 6 schools nationally (Duke, Kentucky, James Madison, North Carolina and Washington State) to start at least 3 true freshmen in one game this season, while the 42 combined starts by Wildcat true freshmen tied for second nationally to Kentucky's 48.


PACK OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START

  1. Freshman Nijel Pack came up with a special performance in K-State's 68-61 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge Jan. 30, as the rookie scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-16 field goals, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in just his second game back from missing 4 games due to COVID-19 protocols.
  2. The 26-point effort was the most by a Wildcat true freshman since Marcus Foster scored 34 points against Texas on Feb. 8, 2014. The 8 3-pointers tie for the second-most in a game in school history and are the most-ever by a Wildcat freshman. His 8 treys are only surpassed by Askia Jones' school-record 14 against Fresno State on March 24, 1994, while Steve Henson (vs. Iowa State on Feb. 17, 1990) and Cortez Groves (vs. Texas A&M on March 23, 2000) also had 8 treys in a game. It was his team-leading eighth game of at least 5 assists, while he tied his season-high with 3 steals.
  3. The performance continues what has been an impressive start to his rookie season in Manhattan, as he ranks among team leaders in several categories, including scoring (11.7 ppg./1st), double-digit scoring games (9/2nd), field goals made (67/2nd), 3-point field goals made (34/2nd), assists (56/2nd), steals (19/2nd) and minutes per game (32.8/2nd).
  4. Before missing the Oklahoma State game on Jan. 9, Pack had started to hit his scoring groove, scoring in double figures in 3 of 4 games, including a then season-high 17 points at No. 18/19 Texas Tech (1/5/21). He has scored in double figures in 6 of the last 7 games, in a stretch, where he is averaging 14.4 points on 48.7 percent (38-of-78) shooting, including 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from 3-point range, with 3.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals.
  5. Pack ranks fifth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.27), as he has knocked down at least 3 triples in 6 games, including a season-high 8 vs. Texas A&M (1/30/21). His 34 makes have already tied for 10th in the freshman Top 10, while his 39.5 3-point field goal percentage is on pace to be the fourth-best by a freshman and best since Foster in 2013-14.
  6. Pack ranks second in the Big 12 with a 2.33 assist/turnover ratio, while he is also in the Top in minutes (ninth/32.84) and assists (10th/3.73). He is second in minutes per game among freshmen to Cade Cunningham (33.3). He had a season-high 7 assists (with zero turnovers) against UNLV (12/5/20).
  7. Pack became the first Wildcat true freshmen to start the first 12 games of the season since Kamau Stokes started the first 17 games in 2015-16.


McGUIRL DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES

  1. Mike McGuirl is making the most of his senior season, as he is among the team leaders in nearly every category, including first in total points (216), double-digit scoring games (13), field goals made (73) and attempted (201), 3-point field goals made (39) and attempted (117), assists (67) and minutes (33.6). He is second in scoring (11.4 ppg.) and third in steals (18).
  2. McGuirl ranks in the Top 15 in several categories in the Big 12, including 13th in assists (3.53 apg.), 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.49), eighth in 3-point field goals made (2.05) and fifth in minutes (33.6 mpg.).
  3. McGuirl has led the team in scoring a team-best 7 times, while he has led in rebounding twice, in assists 9 times and in steals on 5 occasions.
  4. McGuirl's 13 double-digit scoring games have already surpassed his entire career total (10) that he had entering the 2020-21 season. He opened the year with his first career 20-point game vs. Drake on Nov. 25 with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. He equaled that mark with 22 points vs. Fort Hays State (12/8/20). He has scored in double figures in 9 of the last 11 games, where he is averaging 10.7 points per game.
  5. In addition to his scoring, McGuirl has also set up his teammates, dishing out a team-best 67 assists (to 45 turnovers). He has 7 games at least 5 assists this season, including a career-best 8 vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20).


MR. DO-EVERYTHING

  1. Sophomore DaJuan Gordon has proved to be K-State's Mr. Do Everything, as he is third on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game, while leading the way in both rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and steals (1.2 spg.). He is also second in free throws made (34), attempted (46) and percentage (73.9).
  2. Gordon is one of just 2 guards (OSU's Isaac Likekele) to rank in the Big 12's Top 10 in rebounding, as he places 10th with 5.8 rebounds per game, while he is 12th in the league in defensive rebounds (4.28).
  3. Gordon's 3 double-doubles tie 2 others (Kevin Samuel and Jalen Wilson) for the fourth-most among Big 12 players and are only surpassed by WVU's Derek Culver (9), Texas' Greg Brown (4) and Kansas' David McCormack (4).
  4. Gordon's 3 career double-doubles have all come in the last 13 games, including 2 in Big 12 play. He posted his first career double-double in the win at Iowa State (12/15/20), scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He followed that with a 13-point, 12-rebound effort vs. Jacksonville (12/21/20) before his latest double-double vs. Oklahoma State (1/9/21) with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a career-best 39 minutes. He has grabbed double-digit rebounds in 4 games, including in back-to-back contests vs. Jacksonville (12/21/20) and Omaha (12/29/20). He is the first Wildcat to post double-digit rebounds in back-to-back games since Wesley Iwundu in March 2017.
  5. Gordon has scored in double figures in 9 games this season, including a career-best 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting vs. TCU (1/2/21). Six of those 9 double-digit scoring games have come in the last 13 games.
  6. Gordon is also the leader on the Wayne McClain Play Hard Chart with 120 points, which includes leading the team in deflections/blocks (34), steals (23), loose balls (23), offensive rebounds (28) and charges (4).


MIGUEL HITS THE GAME-WINNER

  1. Freshman Selton Miguel connected on a 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds left to lift K-State to a 60-58 win over Omaha on Dec. 29.  It was the rookie's first game-winner, as he capped his 11-point effort with his third trey of the game.
  2. Miguel, a starter in 12 of the last 14 games, is having a solid freshman campaign, averaging 8.2 points on 35.2 percent shooting, including 9.1 points on 35.3 percent shooting in Big 12 play. He is fourth on the team in scoring and steals (14), while his third in 3-pointers (17).
  3. Miguel's 7 double-digit scoring games have come in the last 15 outings, including a team-tying 17 points at No. 18/19 Texas Tech (1/5/21). He also scored a season-tying 17 points vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20) on 7-of-14 field goals, while he had 14 vs. No. 2/2 Baylor (12/19/20).


IMPRESSIVE YOUNG BIG MAN

  1. With sophomore Kaosi Ezeagu out for an extended time, freshman Davion Bradford has had an opportunity to display his skills, earning starts in each of the last 14 games. He is averaging 6.9 points on a team-best 62.4 percent shooting (53-of-85) with 4.1 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.
  2. Bradford has scored in double figures in 5 games thus far, including scoring a season-high 18 points vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20). He also played a major role in the win at Iowa State (12/15/20) with 14 points on 5-of-7 field goals and a 4-of-4 effort from the line. He has posted double digits in 3 of the last 9 games, including team-high 14 points at No. 4/4 Texas (1/16/21).
  3. Bradford has already shown the ability to finish at the rim, totaling a team-high 25 dunks through 19 games, which in comparison surpasses Makol Mawien's entire total of 17 in 32 games played in 2019-20 season.


AGORDON STRONG OFF BENCH

  1. Although he has started 6 games, sophomore Antonio Gordon has shown the ability to provide some scoring off the bench, as he is averaging 5.3 points on 43.5 percent shooting with 4.7 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per game. He came up with a big game off the bench against No. 2/2 Baylor (12/19/20), collecting a career-high 23 points on 9-of-9 field goals.
  2. Gordon's 23 points tied for the eighth-most by reserve in a conference game in school history and were the most since Marcus Foster had 23 against TCU on Jan. 7, 2015. He also became the eighth Wildcats to go 9-of-9 or better from the field and the first since Dean Wade also went 9-of-9 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019 and the first at home since 2002.


IRON 'CATS

  1. Due to low numbers caused by injuries and COVID-19 protocols, K-State had just 8 available players - including 6 on scholarship - for its outing against Oklahoma State at home on Saturday, Jan. 9. To make the situation worse, sophomore Carlton Linguard, Jr., was on a minutes' limit due to a back injury (playing just over 14 minutes), while freshman Davion Bradford ended up playing just over 12 minutes due to foul issues.
  2. This caused the remaining 6 to play the bulk of the minutes, including walk-on Joe Petrakis logging a career-high 15 minutes of action.  Senior Mike McGuirl and junior Rudi Williams each played all 40 minutes, setting career-highs, while two others - sophomore DaJuan Gordon and freshmen Selton Miguel - each registered 39 minutes, also career-highs. All told, those 4 players were responsible for 158 of K-State's 200 total minutes.
  3. McGuirl and Williams are the first Wildcats to play all 40 minutes of a regulation game since Barry Brown, Jr., played all 40 against Baylor on March 2, 2019. It marked the first time two teammates played all 40 minutes in a regulation game in more than 30 years since Steve Henson and LaKeith Humphrey accomplished the feat against Oklahoma State in a 69-62 win at home on Feb. 5, 1989.


PETRAKIS EARNS SCHOLARSHIP

  1. Sophomore walk-on Joe Petrakis earned a scholarship for the rest of the 2020-21 season prior to the game with No. 14/15 West Virginia on Jan. 23.
  2. After redshirting in 2019-20, Petrakis took advantage of his opportunity with the loss numbers against Oklahoma State on Jan. 9, outscoring freshman All-American candidate Cade Cunningham (6 points to 5 points), while logging a career-high 15 minutes of action.
  3. Petrakis, who redshirt his first season in 2019-20 after playing one season at Dodge City College, scored his first career points with 6:13 left in the first half and finished with a career-high 6 points on 2-of-5 field goals, including his first 3-pointer, to go with 2 rebounds.


MURPHY EXPECTED TO MISS SEASON

  1. Sophomore Montavious Murphy has elected to have what is expected to be season-ending surgery to fix his ailing knee, which has caused him to miss 15 games this season. Murphy, who was the opening day starter vs. Drake (11/25/20), saw action in 4 games, including the first 3.
  2. Murphy, who became just the fourth true freshman to start an opener under Bruce Weber in 2019-20, has now missed 28 games in his career due to injury, including the last 6 games of his freshman season.
  3. Murphy had a solid freshman season in 2019-20, averaging 5.2 points on 40.7 percent shooting with 3.7 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game.


UP NEXT: VS. 6/6 TEXAS (11-4, 5-3 Big 12)

  1. K-State concludes its brief 2-game homestand against ranked opponents on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to No. 6/6 Texas (11-4, 5-3 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. It will be the second meeting between the schools after the Longhorns posted an 82-67 win over the Wildcats at home on Jan. 16. Texas will attempt to sweep the season series for the second year in a row and will its third consecutive game at Bramlage Coliseum.
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