MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Arthur Kaluma was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday afternoon (January 22) after helping Kansas State to wins over No. 9/9 Baylor and Oklahoma State last week.
Kaluma averaged 17.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting (11-of-21) shooting, including 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range, to go with 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 38.5 minutes per game in home victories over No. 9/9 Baylor on January 16 and Oklahoma State on January 20.
Kaluma connected on the game-winning 4-point play with 20 seconds left in the overtime win over the Bears. He finished with seventh career double-double, including his team-leading fourth this season, with 12 points on 4-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to go with game-high 10 rebounds in 40 minutes. The performance helped the Wildcats remain undefeated in overtime games (10-0) under head coach Jerome Tang.
Kaluma continued his impressive play in the come-from-behind win over the Cowboys, registering his eighth 20-point game, including his fourth this season, with a game-high 23 points on 7-of-12 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and 6-of-9 free throws. He also added a team-high 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in his 38 minutes of action. He eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his career with 11 points in the first half.
The weekly award is the second of the season for Kaluma, who was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week on December 11 after averaging a double-double in wins over Villanova and LSU. Overall, it is the fourth career weekly honor for Kaluma, who was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Feb. 14 and March 6, 2022, while playing at Creighton.
A 6-foot-7, 225-pound wing from Glendale, Ariz., Kaluma is currently averaging 15.2 points on 45.6 percent (83-of-182) from the field, including 41.1 percent (30-of-73) from 3-point range, and 75.6 percent (62-of-82) from the free throw line to go along with 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 35.1 minutes per game. He is one of just two players to rank in the Big 12’s top-10 in both scoring and rebounding, as he ranks 10th in scoring and third in rebounding.
K-State (14-4, 4-1 Big 12) begins a daunting 2-game road trip on Wednesday night when the Wildcats travel to No. 23/18 Iowa State (14-4, 3-2 Big 12) at 8 p.m., CT on ESPN2. The Cyclones are a perfect 11-0 at home this season. The team then travels to No. 4/4 Houston (16-2, 3-2 Big 12) for an 11 a.m., CT tip on Saturday morning on ESPN. The Cougars also unbeaten on the year, winning their 11 home games by nearly 34 points per game.
How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on K-State men’s basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Instagram and Facebook.
