GAME 27

12/14 KANSAS STATE (19-7, 7-6 Big 12) vs. 19/18 IOWA STATE (17-8, 8-5 Big 12)

Saturday, February 18, 2023 >> 1:05 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,000) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION

ESPN / WatchESPN (link here)

• Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play)
• Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
• Bryan Shapiro (producer)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Sirius XM 158 or 199

Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

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

LIVE STATS

www.kstatesports.com

kstate.statbroadcast.com

TICKETS

Sold out

COACHES

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

Record at K-State: 19-7/1st Year

Career Record: 21-7/1st Year+

1. Iowa State: 0-1 [0-1 at K-State]

Iowa State: T.J. Otzelberger [UW-Whitewater ‘01]

Record at Iowa State: 39-21/2nd Year

Career Record: 138-84/7th Year

1. K-State: 3-2 [2-1 at Iowa State]

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 144-92

Big 12 Era: Iowa State leads 29-27

In Manhattan: K-State leads 83-29

At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 23-11

Active Streak: Iowa State, 2

Tang vs. Iowa State: 0-1 [0-1 at K-State]

Tang vs. T.J. Otzelberger: 0-1 [0-0 at home]

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP (Based off the last game)

12/14 Kansas State (19-7, 7-6 Big 12)

G: #1 Markquis Nowell

G: #5 Cam Carter

F: #11 Keyontae Johnson

F: #35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin

F: #3 David N’Guessan

Iowa State (17-8, 8-5 Big 12)

G: #3 Tamin Lipsey

G: #13 Jaren Holmes

G: #22 Gabe Kalscheur

F: #5 Aljaz Kunc

C: #21 Osun Osunniyl

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.