Game Preview // 14/16 K-State Travels to Oklahoma State Saturday

• Drew Carter (play-by-play)
• Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
• Kyle Binder (producer)

 
RADIO
Okay-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 85 or 200
Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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• Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
• Stan Weber (analyst)

 
LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
okstate.statbroadcast.com
 
COACHES
Okay-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College ’07]
Record at Okay-State: 21-7/1st Year
Career Record: 23-7/1st Year+
vs. Oklahoma State: 1-0 [1-0 at K-State]
 
Oklahoma State: Mike Boynton, Jr. [South Carolina ’03]
Record at OSU: 103-85/sixth Year
Career Record: 103-85/sixth Year
vs. Okay-State: 5-6 [5-6 at OSU]
 
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Okay-State leads 84-58
Big 12 Era: Oklahoma State leads 23-18
In Stillwater: Oklahoma State leads 36-27
At Gallagher-Iba Arena: Oklahoma State leads 33-25
Active Streak: Okay-State, 1
Tang vs. Oklahoma State: 1-0 [1-0 at K-State]
Tang vs. Mike Boynton, Jr.: 1-0 [0-0 on the road]
 
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the final sport)
14/16 Kansas State (21-7, 9-6 Big 12)
G: #1 Markquis Nowell
G: #5 Cam Carter
G: #13 Desi Sills
F: #11 Keyontae Johnson
F: #35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin
 
Oklahoma State (16-12, 7-8 Big 12)
G: #1 Bryce Thompson
G: #4 Woody Newton
G: #5 Caleb Asberry
G: #51 John-Michael Wright
F: #22 Kalib Boone
 
OPENING TIP
No. 14/16 Okay-State (21-7, 9-6 Big 12) continues its stretch run to the top of the common season on Saturday afternoon, because the Wildcats journey to Stillwater, Okla., to tackle Oklahoma State (16-12, 7-8 Big 12) at Gallagher-Iba Arena for a 1 p.m., CT tip on ESPNU. Okay-State used a 9-2 run to finish the sport to grind out a 65-57 win towards one of many nation’s prime inside defensive groups within the first assembly on Jan. 10 at residence. Senior Markquis Nowell led 3 gamers in double figures with 20 factors and a game-high 7 assists. The Wildcats haven’t swept the season collection from the Cowboys since 2019, which can be the final time they received a sport in Gallagher-Iba Arena.        

KEY STORYLINES

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• Okay-State completed off a season sweep of No. 9/10 Baylor for the primary time since 2019 with a dominant second-half efficiency in a 75-65 win at residence on Tuesday. The Wildcats scored 44 factors after halftime on 57.7 p.c taking pictures with 22 coming within the paint, whereas holding the explosive Bears to simply 31 factors on 37 p.c taking pictures. Senior Keyontae Johnson paced a balanced assault with a game-high 25 factors, whereas fellow senior Markquis Nowell turned the primary Wildcat to publish at the very least 10 assists and have 0 turnovers.
• Okay-State was amongst 5 Big 12 groups to examine into the top-16 seeds within the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee’s bracket preview on Feb. 18, because the Wildcats got here in as a No. 3 seed. The Wildcats had been joined by No. 1 seed Kansas, No. 2 seeds Baylor and Texas and fellow No. 3 seed Iowa State. No different league had greater than 2 among the many top-16 projections. 
• Okay-State earned its thirty first 20-win season and first since 2018-19 within the win over No. 19/18 Iowa State Feb. 18. The 21-7 report ties 4 different groups for the fifth-best begin by a Wildcat group prior to now 50 seasons and is just surpassed by the 1972-73 (23-5), 2009-10 (24-4), 2012-13 (23-5) and 1976-77 (22-6) groups. Among the 15 wins within the final 21 outings is a 9-game streak from Dec. 3, 2022 to Jan. 10, 2023 and a tie for probably the most AP Top 25 wins (7) in class historical past.
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• Okay-State’s 21-7 begin underneath head coach Jerome Tang ranks among the many perfect by all first-year Division I coaches, simply forward of Missouri’s Dennis Gates (20-8), Xavier’s Sean Miller (20-8) and Duke’s Jon Scheyer (20-8). He is the fourth Okay-State coach to win 20 video games in his first season, becoming a member of Lon Kruger [1986-87], Bob Huggins [2006-07] and Frank Martin [2007-08]. 
• Johnson (17.6 ppg.) and Nowell (16.8 ppg.) have been some of the prolific tandems, as they mix to common 34.4 factors per sport on 45 p.c (310-of-692) taking pictures. They had been named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy Watch Lists, whereas every had been chosen to their respective place award (Bob Cousy and Julius Irving) lists.
• Nowell turned the varsity’s single season help chief vs. TCU on Feb. 7, breaking the 35-year-old mark of Steve Henson (186; 1987-88). He ranks second in each assists per sport (7.6 apg.) and whole assists (212). In the win over No. 9/10 Baylor, he turned simply the twelfth Division I participant since 1996-97 to publish at the very least 10 assists with 0 turnovers vs. an AP Top 10 opponent.

 
NOTES ON OKLAHOMA STATE

• Oklahoma State (16-12, 7-8 Big 12) enters Saturday on a 3-game shedding streak after dropping back-to-back highway tilts at TCU and West Virginia. The Cowboys had received 5 in a row prior to its current skid, which included residence wins over TCU and Texas Tech and a highway victory at Iowa State, which is the Cyclones’ lone residence loss.
• Oklahoma State is averaging 69.6 factors on 44.2 p.c taking pictures, together with 32.2 p.c from 3-point vary, with 36.2 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 5.9 steals and 5.0 blocks per sport, whereas permitting simply 66.3 factors on 40.1 p.c taking pictures, together with 30.8 p.c from 3-point vary. The Cowboys are connecting on 70.3 p.c from the free throw line.
• Oklahoma State is likely one of the greatest defensive groups within the nation, rating twenty first nationally in subject objective share protection, thirty eighth in 3-point subject objective share protection and sixteenth in blocked photographs/sport.
• Two gamers – juniors Kalib Boone (11.8 ppg.) and Bryce Thompson (11.8 ppg.) – are averaging double figures, whereas two others (John-Michael Wright (9.9 ppg.) and Caleb Asberry (8.5 ppg.) are averaging higher than 8.5 factors. Junior Moussa Cisse averages a team-best 8.1 rebounds and a couple of.1 blocks per sport. Cisse and Boone have a mixed 82 blocked photographs.
• Oklahoma State is led by sixth-year head coach Mike Boynton, Jr., who has a 103-85 report. He is 5-6 all-time vs. Okay-State.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• Okay-State holds an 84-58 lead within the all-time collection which dates all the best way again to 1922 and features a 27-36 mark on the highway. Oklahoma State has a 23-18 benefit within the Big 12 period, together with 23-15 within the common season.
•  The Cowboys have received the final 3 video games at Gallagher-Iba Arena towards the Wildcats, all by 7 factors or much less, together with an 82-79 time beyond regulation thriller final season. The final Okay-State win in Stillwater got here on Feb. 2, 2019.

 
LAST 10 MEETINGS [5-5]
Date                    Rank     Result   Score                  Location
2/14/2018          —/—     W          82-72                  Stillwater
2/2/2019            —/—     W          75-57                  Stillwater
2/23/2019          23/—    W          85-46                  Manhattan
2/11/2020          —/—     L             59-64                  Manhattan
3/4/2020            —/—     L             63-69                  Stillwater
1/9/2021            —/rv     L             54-70                  Manhattan
2/13/2021          —/23    L             60-67                  Stillwater
2/2/2022            —/—     W          71-68                  Manhattan
2/19/2022          —/—     L             79-82 (OT)          Stillwater
1/10/2023          11/—    W          65-57                  Manhattan
 
LAST MEETING:
11/13 Okay-STATE 65, OKLAHOMA STATE 57 [Jan. 10, 2023]

• Senior Markquis Nowell continued his spectacular play with a team-high 20 factors and game-high 7 assists, as No. 11/13 Okay-State received its first sport as a ranked group in almost 4 seasons with a gritty 65-57 win over Oklahoma State on Jan. 10 earlier than a sold-out crowd of 11,000 at Bramlage Coliseum.
• As anticipated, the Wildcats took the very best shot of an extended and athletic Oklahoma State group, which leads the Big 12 in scoring protection (61.5) and ranks third nationally in subject objective share protection (36.4).
• The Cowboys rode that elite protection to a lot as a 5-point lead within the first half, together with 32-30 at halftime. However, the Wildcats scored 5 of the primary 7 factors out of halftime to take the lead for good on a trey by junior Ish Massoud at 35-34 and power a timeout by coach Mike Boynton, Jr., on the 17:17 mark.
• Okay-State twice constructed a 10-point lead, together with 51-41, with simply over 10 minutes remaining to cap a 9-0 run and 56-46 after a layup by junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin with simply over 7 minutes left. However, OSU make a livid comeback with 9 straight factors to reduce the deficit to 56-55 with 3:10 to play.
• The Wildcats had been ready to make key performs down the stretch to finish the sport on a 9-2 run, which included a spotlight alley-oop dunk by senior Keyontae Johnson from Nowell with 38 seconds left. This 9-2 ending included a pair of free throws from senior Abayomi Iyiola and Nowell, the dunk by Johnson and three free throws from reserve senior Desi Sills.
• Nowell was joined in double figures by Johnson, who saved his double-digit scoring streak alive at 16 video games with 12 factors on 5-of-11 taking pictures to go together with 6 rebounds and a couple of assists, and Sills, who added 11 factors on 3-of-8 subject objectives and 5-of-6 free throws to go together with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a couple of steals.

 
LAST MEETING IN STILLWATER:
OKLAHOMA STATE 82, Okay-STATE 79 [OT] [Feb. 19, 2022]

• Sophomore Avery Anderson III’s 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds proved to be distinction in time beyond regulation, as Oklahoma State earned an 82-79 win over the Okay-State within the final assembly at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Feb. 19, 2022.
• Okay-State scored 7 of the final 8 factors to tie the sport at 66-all with 1:05 left, however was unable to rating on the final possession. In time beyond regulation, sophomore Nijel Pack was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all 3 free throws to tie the sport at 79-all with 12 seconds left earlier than Anderson’s game-winner.
• Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by 16 factors from Pack and Markquis Nowell, whereas Mark Smith had a double-double.

 
LAST TIME OUT: 14/16 Okay-STATE 75, 9/10 BAYLOR 65

• No. 14/12 Okay-State rallied from a halftime deficit for the second consecutive sport with a dominant second-half efficiency because the Wildcats tied the school-record for AP Top 25 wins with seven in a 75-65 win over No. 9/10 Baylor on Tuesday night time earlier than a sellout crowd of 11,000 at Bramlage Coliseum.
• Down 34-31 on the break, Okay-State scored 44 factors within the second half on 57.7 p.c (15-of-26) taking pictures with 22 coming within the paint. For the sport, the Wildcats linked on 48.3 p.c (28-of-58) from the sector, together with 64.9 p.c (24-of-37) contained in the 3-point arc, and held a decisive 42-16 benefit within the paint. The group had a season-low 7 turnovers, whereas meting out 20 assists on 28 made subject objectives with senior Markquis Nowell gathering a game-high 10 assists and not using a single turnover.
• Senior Keyontae Johnson led three Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 25 factors on 11-of-17 subject objectives, together with 2-of-4 from past the arc. Overall, it was a balanced all-around night time for Okay-State, as 7 of the 8 gamers who noticed motion had at the very least 2 made subject objectives. Joining Johnson in double figures was Nowell with 14 factors to go along with his game-high 10 assists and sophomore Cam Carter, who added 10 factors to go together with career-tying 8 rebounds. It was Nowell’s 14th profession double-double, together with sixth this season.
• The Wildcats led by 10 factors with simply over 7 minutes to play within the first half earlier than the Bears obtained sizzling from 3-point vary to take a 34-26 lead with 1:32 left earlier than halftime. Junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin was ready to go on a 5-0 run to reduce the deficit to 34-31 to give the squad some momentum heading into halftime.
• A 3-pointer by Johnson tied the sport at 34-all on the primary possession of the second half, as Okay-State snatched the lead for good on back-to-back soar photographs by their senior with 15:29 to play. The consecutive baskets began a 12-3 run by the Wildcats, which included factors from junior David N’Guessan, Nowell and Carter, that prolonged the lead to 49-43 and compelled Baylor head coach Scott Drew to name a timeout with 12:19 remaining.
• Okay-State saved the stress on out of the timeout, scoring 3 consecutive baskets all from totally different gamers to push the lead to 55-44 and power one other Baylor timeout with simply over 8 to play. The lead grew to as many as 14 factors after 2 Nowell free throws on the 4:23 mark, as he completed off the Wildcats’ scoring from the road with 6 consecutive makes as a part of an ideal 10-of-10 efficiency.
• As spectacular because the offense was within the second half, the protection was equally as spectacular, because the Wildcats held the Big 12’s second-best scoring offense (78.5 ppg.) and the very best in Big 12 play (77.4 ppg.) to 65 factors on 40 p.c taking pictures, together with 39.3 p.c from 3-point vary. The Bears scored simply 31 factors after halftime on 37 p.c taking pictures, together with 33.3 p.c from lengthy vary.
• The win enabled Okay-State to sweep the season collection for the primary time since 2019, because the Wildcats evened the all-time collection with the Bears at 25 wins every.

 
POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

• Okay-State earned its seventh AP Top 25 win, which ties the school-record set by the 2009-10 group… It is the third Top 10 win, together with the second at residence.
• Okay-State moved to 15-1 at residence, together with 14-1 at Bramlage Coliseum… The 14 wins at Bramlage Coliseum are probably the most since profitable 14 in 2017-18.
• Okay-State scored 42 of its 75 factors within the paint, which marked the tenth time (and fifth in Big 12 play) that the Wildcats have scored 40 or extra paint factors.
• Okay-State had 20 assists on 28 subject objectives, as 4 gamers had at the very least 2 assists.
• Okay-State had a season-low 7 turnovers, which had been the fewest since having 5 at Ole Miss on Jan. 29, 2022.

 
TANG DEBUTS AS HEAD COACH

• First-year head coach Jerome Tang loved a profitable a debut, because the Wildcats posted a 93-59 win towards UTRGV on Nov. 7, turning into the twenty fourth man and the primary full-time black head coach in class historical past. He adopted along with his first highway victory at Cal to begin his tenure off with a 2-0 report. He is the sixth minority males’s head coach in Okay-State Athletics historical past, together with the third in males’s basketball following interim head coach Darryl Winston (1984-85) and former full-time head coach Frank Martin (2007-12).
• Okay-State’s 21-7 begin underneath Jerome Tang is the second-best by a first-year coach in class historical past behind Zora G. Clevenger, who went 15-2 in 1916-17. The begin is the very best by any first-year coach in Division I, simply forward of Missouri’s Dennis Gates, Xavier’s Sean Miller and Duke’s Jon Scheyer, all at 20-8.
• Tang was named one in all 15 Watch List candidates for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award on Feb. 17, together with fellow Big 12 coaches T.J. Otzelberger of Iowa State and Rodney Terry of Texas.
• This is just 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, main the varsity to 5 TAPPS Division A State Championships.
• In addition, Tang twice served as interim head coach in his 19 seasons as an assistant and affiliate head coach at Baylor, main the Bears to 4-0 report. He helped Baylor to wins over Texas (86-79 in OT) and at Texas Tech (82-48) through the 2012-13 season, whereas he guided the squad to wins over Louisiana (112-82) and Washington (86-52) to open the 2020-21 season. Tang is just credited with the wins in 2013, transferring his school head teaching report to 22-7.

 
A TEAM OF WINNERS

• Head coach Jerome Tang has remarked on numerous events that he recruited a group ‘stuffed with winners’ as exemplified by the variety of championships that the collective group has received.
• There are a mixed 8 state championships among the many 15 gamers on the roster, together with 2 every received by seniors Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola and true freshmen Taj Manning. In addition, sophomore Jerrell Colbert and true freshman Dorian Finister additionally received state titles throughout their senior seasons.
• In addition to the highschool success, numerous gamers have been part of profitable school packages, together with Sills and Iyiola being members of Arkansas’ Elite Eight group in 2021 and senior Keyontae Johnson (Florida) and junior David N’Guessan (Virginia Tech) being part of 2 NCAA Tournaments.
• This championship mentality stretches to the employees, as affiliate head coach Urlic Maligi has been a part of 5 NCAA Tournament and 5 convention title groups in his profession. Assistant coach Jareem Dowling has been concerned with groups which have received 4 convention titles and earned 4 postseason journeys, whereas assistant coach Rodney Perry is coming off a 2021-22 12 months wherein he led Link Academy to a nationwide runner-up end on the GEICO National Tournament earlier than serving to MOKAN Elite to its third Nike Peach Jam title.

 
1700 WINS AND COUNTING

• Okay-State’s time beyond regulation 96-87 win over Nevada within the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic represented the 1,700th win in class historical past. The Wildcats are the forty third Division I group to eclipse 1,700 wins, together with the sixth Big 12 faculty.
• The Wildcats have a 1,716-1,220 (.586) all-time report as a program, which incorporates 31 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 convention championships.

 
1,000-WIN CLUB

• Okay-State is one in all 11 Division I faculties whose males’s and girls’s basketball groups have each received greater than 1,000 video games. Joining Okay-State is that this distinctive membership 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 within the ultimate SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, Okay-State accomplished its non-conference schedule with a 12-1 mark, together with an ideal 8-0 in residence video games (Nebraska was performed on the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City is taken into account a house sport).
• The 12-1 report is the very best non-conference report for the reason that Wildcats received a program-best 13 non-conference video games in 2009-10. The groups additionally received 12 non-conference video games in each 2008-09 (12-3) and 2010-11 (12-3). Okay-State had received simply 19 non-conference video games, together with 16 at residence, within the 3 seasons (2019-20 to 2021-22) earlier than this season.
• Okay-State has posted a 171-53 (.762) report in non-conference play for the reason that 2006-07. During that span, the Wildcats have a 129-14 (.901) mark at residence venues (contains video games at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City in non-conference play, together with a 119-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.

 
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

• Okay-State loved a particular night time on offense in its 116-103 win over No. 6/6 Texas, because the Wildcats not solely broke the varsity report for factors but additionally tied the Big 12 report in handing the Longhorns their first loss within the brand-new Moody Center earlier than a sold-out crowd of 10,763 followers on Jan. 3.
• The 116 factors eclipsed the earlier school-record mark of 115, which first got here vs. Delaware State on Dec. 7, 1991, then once more vs. Fresno State within the NIT on March 24, 1994. It was additionally the most-ever in a highway sport, surpassing the 108 at Iowa State on Jan. 29, 1975, whereas it was most in a convention sport, topping the 114 scored vs. Nebraska at residence on Jan. 10, 1987, and probably the most in a Big 12 sport, surpassing the 111 vs. Missouri at residence on Jan. 3, 1998.
• According to ESPN Stats & Info, Okay-State’s 116 factors within the win at No. 6/6 Texas marked probably the most by an unranked group in a win over a top-10 opponent since Missouri scored 119 towards Iowa State in 1988.
• All 5 starters scored in double figures, together with a career-best 36 factors from senior Markquis Nowell and a career-tying 28 by senior Keyontae Johnson. The 64 mixed factors tied for the fourth-most by a duo in class historical past and most since 2008, whereas it marked simply the sixteenth time (together with the second time this season) that tandem has every had at the very least 25 factors in a sport. Nowell’s 36 factors are the seventh-most factors by a Wildcat in a Big 12 sport and probably the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 factors vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
• As a group, the Wildcats linked on 61 p.c (36-of-59) from the sector, together with 56.5 p.c (13-of-23) from 3-point vary, and set a school-record by hitting on 93.9 p.c (31-of-33) from the free throw line. It marked the primary time the group has shot higher than 60 p.c towards a Big 12 opponent since 2018, whereas the 13 treys tied for the sixth-most made in a convention sport.

 
POTENT OFFENSIVE ATTACK

• Okay-State is averaging 75.4 factors this season on 45 p.c (728-of-1617) taking pictures, together with 33.6 p.c (192-of-572) from 3-point vary, whereas hitting on 75 p.c (462-of-617) from the free throw line. The Wildcats are tops within the Big 12 in free throw share, second in assists (16.8 apg.), fifth in help/ turnover ratio (1.20) and sixth in scoring offense.
• The present scoring common (75.4 ppg.) is simply outdoors the varsity’s top-10 however nonetheless the best for the reason that 2007-08 group averaged 78.0 factors per sport. The 45.0 subject objective share can be simply outdoors the top-10 within the shot clock period (1985-86) and the best since 2017-18 (46.3 p.c).
• Okay-State has scored 80 or extra factors 9 instances, together with 5 video games of 90 or extra factors highlighted by the school-record 116-point effort within the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which was the primary 100-point sport since 2011. It is probably the most video games of 80 or extra factors since posting 11 in 2017-18 and most video games of 90 or extra factors since additionally totaling 5 in 2009-10.
• The 93 factors vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) had been the fourth-most in a season opener within the final 25 seasons and probably the most since scoring 98 vs. Southern Utah to open the 2014-15 season. The Wildcats additionally topped the 90-point barrier in a 96-87 time beyond regulation win over Nevada (11/22/22) on the Cayman Islands Classic, whereas the squad fell 2 factors wanting their first 100-point sport 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 gamers (Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson) rating 25 or extra factors in the identical sport, which hadn’t occurred since 2010. Nowell (29) and Johnson (28) mixed for 57 factors within the time beyond regulation win over Nevada (11/22/22) earlier than they went for 64 within the win at No. 6/6 Texas (1/3/23), which ties for the fourth-most by a duo in class historical past and probably the most since Michael Beasley and Bill Walker at Baylor in 2008.
• Okay-State has linked on higher than 50 p.c of its subject objectives in 7 video games, together with 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 group hit on a season-best 60 p.c (36-of-60) vs. Texas (1/3/23), which included a season-high 13 3-pointers, and a school-record efficiency from the free throw line of 93.9 p.c (31-of-33).

 
DISHING THE ROCK

• Okay-State ranks among the many greatest within the nation in sharing the basketball, because the Wildcats rank eleventh nationally and second within the Big 12 with 16.8 assists per sport. Among the 470 assists are 7 gamers with double-digit totals, together with senior Markquis Nowell, who ranks second nationally in assists/sport (7.6) and whole assists (212). Nowell, who has double-digit assists in 7 video games, turned the varsity’s single-season help chief along with his 7 dimes within the win over TCU.
• The Wildcats additionally rank within the top-10 with a 64.6 help share in accordance to KenPom, which calculates assists (470) to made subject objectives (728). Only Lafayette (69.6), Xavier (66.7), Arizona (66.6), Virginia (66.5), Tennessee (66.0) and Air Force (65.0) have a greater share nationally.
• Although Nowell will get all the eye for his playmaking means, the remainder of the group has shared the ball, because the Wildcats have had 3 or extra gamers dish out at the very least 2 assists in 22 of 28 video games. The group had 7 gamers with 2 or extra assists vs. UTRGV (11/7/22), whereas 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

• Okay-State is one in all simply 15 faculties to have at the very least 4 1,000-point scorers on its roster, as Wildcats Tykei Greene (1,191 factors), Keyontae Johnson (1,283 factors), Markquis Nowell (1,779 factors) and Desi Sills (1,341 factors) have all reached the milestone of their Division I careers. Only Johnson, who did it towards Radford (12/21/22), and Nowell have reached the mark whereas at Okay-State.
• Okay-State has now six 1,000-point scorers when you depend senior walk-on Nate Awbrey, who scored 1,032 factors in his 4-year profession at Manhattan Christian College, and junior Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who scored greater than 1,000 factors in his junior school profession at Monroe (2019-20) and Chipola Colleges (2020-22).
• Missouri has 6 1,000-point scorers adopted by Notre Dame, Penn State, San Diego, UAB and Youngstown State with 5, whereas Okay-State joins 13 different faculties (together with Big 12 foes Iowa State and Texas) with 4 such scorers.

 
BENCH PRODUCTION

• Okay-State is getting stable manufacturing from its bench by way of the primary 28 video games, because the Wildcats are averaging 18.0 factors per sport. The group has scored 20 or extra bench factors in 4 of the final 6 video games, together with 29 vs. TCU.
• The Wildcats obtained 41 factors from its bench within the opener vs. UTRGV (11/7/22) with 3 reserves (Abayomi Iyiola (12), Ismael Massoud (10) and Desi Sills (10) all posting double-digit factors. As a gaggle, the bench linked on 14-of-29 from the sector, together with a collective 11-of-17 effort by Iyiola, Massoud and Sills.
• Senior Desi Sills has been notably impactful from the bench, scoring in double figures 11 instances, together with a season-high 24 factors within the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He is fourth on the group in scoring in Big 12 play, averaging 8.1 factors on 43.7 p.c taking pictures. Junior Ismael Massoud has additionally proved to be a spark of the bench, posting 4 double-digit scoring video games.

 
FORCING TURNOVERS

• Okay-State’s protection has compelled 425 turnovers by way of the primary 28 video games, which incorporates 215 steals, whereas averaging 16.7 factors per sport off these miscues.
• The 15.2 turnovers compelled per sport ranks thirty ninth nationally, whereas it locations fourth within the Big 12 behind Iowa State, TCU and Texas. Okay-State ranks sixth in steals (7.7) and seventh in turnover margin (+1.2), whereas senior Markquis Nowell leads the Big 12 and locations seventeenth nationally in steals (2.3 spg.).
• Okay-State has scored 20 or extra factors off turnovers 6 instances with a season-high 31 factors off 26 UTRGV (11/7/22) turnovers within the season opener. The Wildcats scored 20+ factors off miscues in back-to-back video games vs. Kansas City (11/17/22; 26 factors) and Rhode Island (11/21/22; 21 factors) in addition to ACU (12/6/22; 23 factors), UIW (12/11/22; 28 factors) and West Virginia (12/31/22; 22 factors).

 
JOHNSON MAKES RETURN TO COURT

• Junior Keyontae Johnson made his triumphant return to basketball courtroom on Nov. 7 within the season opener with UTRGV after a 2-year absence after struggling a medical emergency towards Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020. He completed the night time with 13 factors, 4 assists and a couple of 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 factors on 47.6 p.c (10-of-21) taking pictures, together with 57.1 p.c (4-of-7) from 3-point vary, to go together with 5.5 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists within the Wildcats’ first 2 wins.
• Johnson helped the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic and was named to the All-Tournament group, as he averaged a team-best 19.3 factors on 53.6 p.c (15-of-28) taking pictures, together with 50 p.c (4-of-8) from 3-point vary, to go together with a team-best 6.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per sport.
• Johnson earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season on Dec. 19 after his spectacular efficiency in Okay-State’s win over Nebraska, as he posted game-highs in each factors (23) and rebounds (11) to go along with his career-tying 4 steals. It was his seventh profession double-double with at the very least 20 factors and 10 rebounds, whereas it was his eleventh profession 20-point sport.
• Johnson was chosen for the Newcomer award for the third time on Jan. 9 after posting consecutive 20-point video games in wins at No. 6/6 Texas and No. 19/17 Baylor whereas including a game-high 9 rebounds in every contest. He continued his spectacular play with the game-winning dunk to cap a 24-point effort within the win over No. 2/2 Kansas earlier than logging his third double-double with 15 factors 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 27 video games, main the Wildcats and rating second within the Big 12 in scoring (17.6 ppg.). He is second within the league in subject objective share (51.9), whereas he’s within the top-15 in 5 different classes. He is one in all two Big 12 gamers (Kansas’ Jalen Wilson) rank within the league’s top-5 in scoring and rebounding in total and conference-only video games.

 
NOWELL STILL RUNNING THE SHOW

• On a group with 13 new gamers and a brand new employees, fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell as soon as once more has demonstrated he’s nonetheless the man operating the present for the Wildcats, as he leads in each assists (7.6 apg.) and steals (2.3 spg.) whereas averaging the second-most factors (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 second nationally in assists/sport (7.6 apg.) and assists (212), whereas he’s within the top-25 in 5 others, together with eleventh in free throws (147), twelfth in steals (63), seventeenth in steals/sport (2.3), 18th in free throw share and twenty fourth in minutes/sport (36.2). He is one in all 3 Division I gamers with at the very least 1,500 factors, 500 assists and 200 steals, whereas he’s closing in on 1,800 profession factors. He additionally ranks first amongst all energetic Division I gamers in steals (255).
• Nowell was acknowledged for his MVP efficiency in serving to the Wildcats win the Cayman Islands Classic, as he was chosen because the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28. He averaged 18.7 factors, 9.0 assists and three.7 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per sport. It was his first weekly honor within the Big 12 and his fourth total after profitable it 3 instances within the Sun Belt.
• In wins vs. Rhode Island and Nevada, Nowell turned the primary Wildcat to report double-digit assists in consecutive video games, whereas he turned the second participant in class historical past and the primary since 1989 to publish a 25-point/10-assist sport along with his 29-point, 11-assist effort within the time beyond regulation win over the Wolf Pack.
• Nowell was a part of the primary Wildcat duo since 2010 to every acquire at the very least 25 factors in a sport, as he and fellow senior Keyontae Johnson mixed for 57 factors within the time beyond regulation win over Nevada. He capped the event with a game-high 18 factors on 6-of-14 taking pictures within the title sport win over LSU, as he helped the Wildcats rally from an 11-point second-half deficit.
• Nowell loved a particular efficiency within the historic win at No. 6/6 Texas, scoring a career-best 36 factors on 9-of-15 taking pictures, together with 6-of-10 from 3-point vary, to go together with an ideal 12-of-12 effort from the free throw line. It was the seventh-most factors by a Wildcat in a Big 12 sport and probably the most since Barry Brown, Jr., scored 38 factors vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 10, 2018.
• Nowell capped his spectacular week with the varsity’s first 30-point, 10-assist sport within the win at No. 19/17 Baylor, scoring 32 factors whereas dishing a career-best 14 assists. He turned the primary Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 with consecutive 30-point video games, whereas his 14 assists tied the report for many in a convention sport in class historical past. 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 almost posted the varsity’s first triple-double within the win over Florida on Jan. 28, scoring 13 factors on 4-of-9 subject objectives, together with 2-of-4 from 3-point vary, to go together with a career-tying 9 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists.
• The faculty’s single season assists chief (212) along with his 7 assists within the win over TCU, Nowell continued his historic season within the win over No. 9/10 Baylor, turning into simply the twelfth participant in Division I since 1996-97 to dish out at the very least 10 assists and not using a single turnover vs. an AP Top 10 opponent and the primary to ever do it in a sport at Okay-State.

 
AN INSTANT IMPACT

• Junior switch Nae’Qwan Tomlin has given Okay-State one other scoring menace within the publish, because the junior school All-American ranks third on the group in scoring (10.1 ppg.) whereas connecting 46.2 p.c (108-of-234) from the sector to go together with 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.6 minutes per sport. He ranks within the Big 12’s top-10 in rebounding (eighth) and blocks (tenth).
• Tomlin was chosen because the Big 12 co-Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 26 after his close to double-double within the win over Radford on Dec. 21. He led 4 Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 26 factors, as he hit on 11-of-18 subject objectives, which included 4 dunks, a 3-pointer and three free throws, to go together with 9 rebounds.
• Tomlin scored in double figures in 7 consecutive video games from Dec. 3 to Jan. 3, wherein, he averaged 14.9 factors on 55.4 p.c (41-of-74) taking pictures to go together with 6.3 rebounds per sport. The streak started with 14 factors vs. Wichita State and was highlighted by a career-best 26 factors vs. Radford.
• Tomlin has grabbed 10 rebounds 3 instances this season, whereas posting his first profession double-double (15 factors/10 rebounds) within the win over No. 2/2 Kansas. He added a second double-double with 17 factors and a season-tying 10 boards at Oklahoma. He has scored in double figures in 6 video games in Big 12 play.
• Tomlin scored greater than 1,000 factors in his junior school profession at each Monroe College (2019-20) and Chipola College (2020-21) whereas connecting on 54.2 p.c from the sector. He averaged a team-leading 13.8 factors on 52.4 p.c taking pictures with 5.9 rebounds throughout his All-American season at Chipola, as he guided the varsity to the semifinals of the NJCAA National Tournament.

 
STARTER OFF THE BENCH

• Although senior Desi Sills has earned the beginning in every of the final 2 video games, he has largely been a activate the bench for the Wildcats, as he’s averaging 8.3 factors on 43.5 p.c (80-of-184) taking pictures with 3.4 rebounds and a couple of.3 assists in 29 minutes per sport. He has scored in double figures 11 instances, together with a season-high 24 factors within the win over No. 2/2 Kansas.
• Sills scored in double figures in 2 of the primary 3 video games, whereas he was pivotal within the win over LSU within the Cayman Islands Classic Championship sport with 16 factors. He has scored in double figures in 3 of the final 5 video games, together with 11 vs. Texas, 14 within the win over TCU and 12 at Texas Tech.
• Although Sills went scoreless within the win over Wichita State, he had the play of the sport along with his block of Shammah Scott’s breakaway layup with 1:42 to play with the Wildcats trailing 50-49.

 
UP NEXT: OKLAHOMA (13-15, 3-12 Big 12)  

• Okay-State concludes its residence season on Wednesday, March 1, because the Wildcats welcome Oklahoma (13-15, 3-12 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. The Sooners received the primary assembly, 79-65, at residence on Feb. 14.