GAME 9

KANSAS STATE (6-2) vs VILLANOVA (6-3)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 >> 6 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) >> Manhattan, Kan.

Fourth Annual Big 12/BIG EAST Battle Series

TELEVISION

ESPN2 / WatchESPN (link here)

• Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play)
• King McClure (analyst)
• Thomas Morrissey (producer)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Ch. 385

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: 32-12/Second Year

Career Record: 34-12/Second Year+

1. Villanova: 0-0 [0-0 at home]

Villanova: Kyle Neptune [Lehigh ‘07]

Record at Villanova: 23-20/2nd Year

Career Record: 39-36/3rd Year

1. K-State: 0-0 [0-0 on the road]

PROBABLE STARTERS

K-State (6-2)

G: #2 Tylor Perry

G: #4 Dai Dai Ames

G: #5 Cam Carter

W: #24 Arthur Kaluma

W: #1 David N’Guessan

Villanova (6-3)

G: #0 T.J. Bamba

G: #2 Mark Armstrong

G: #5 Justin Moore

F: #23 Tyler Burton

F: #43 Eric Dixon

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: First meeting

Overall: Villanova leads 1-0

At Home: First meeting

At Bramlage Coliseum: First meeting

Active Streak: Villanova, 1

First Meeting: L, 34-51 [12/27/1940 in Philadelphia]

Last Meeting: L, 34-51 [12/27/1940 in Philadelphia]

Jerome Tang vs. Kyle Neptune: First meeting

K-STATE TO FACE VILLANOVA IN BIG 12/BIG EAST BATTLE TUESDAY

Kansas State (6-2) wraps up its 4-game homestand on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to 3-time NCAA champion Villanova (6-3) in the fourth annual Big 12/BIG EAST Battle at Bramlage Coliseum at 6 p.m., CT. The Wildcats are winless in their 3 previous matchups in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle, losing at home to Marquette in 2019 and 2021 and at Butler in 2022.

K-State’s 14-game home non-conference winning streak will be put to the ultimate test against Villanova, which recently won the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. The streak dates to the Wildcats’ 64-63 loss to Marquette in the last home Big 12/BIG EAST Battle game on Dec. 8, 2021. K-State is 5-0 at home after Saturday’s 75-74 overtime win over North Alabama and has posted a 124-12 non-conference record at Bramlage Coliseum since 2006-07.

KEY STORYLINES

• K-State continued its success in overtime games under head coach Jerome Tang, as the Wildcats scored 13 straight points, including the last 5 in regulation to force overtime, to grab the momentum and overtake a determined UNA squad, 75-74. The Wildcats are now 8-0 under Tang in overtime games, including 3-0 this season. The back-to-back overtime wins are the first since doing it in 3 consecutive games vs. Nebraska, Colorado and Missouri on Feb. 3-15, 1964.
• Five Wildcats scored in double figures for the second consecutive game led by senior Tylor Perry, who had a hand in the 11 of the team’s 13 consecutive points in regulation and overtime, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 8 seconds left. It marked the sixth time in his Division I career that Perry has made a shot to either win a game or send the game into overtime.
• Perry ranks in the Big 12’s top-10 in 6 categories, including tops in minutes (36.0), second in 3-point field goals (3.0) and free throw percentage (92.0), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (3.1), fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and sixth in assists (5.4 apg.).
• Despite an off-night game against UNA, the K-State offense has still been potent through the first 8 games, as the Wildcats are averaging 82.8 points per game on 43.9 percent shooting from the field, including 8.5 3-pointers per game and 36.5 points in the paint, and 73.6 percent shooting from line. The scoring average is the best through the first 8 games since the 1997-98 team averaged 84.5 points per game. At least four players have scored in double figures in 7 games, while three (Tylor Perry, Cam Carter, Arthur Kaluma) are averaging double digits.
• K-State ranks among the best rebounding teams in the nation, as the Wildcats place in the top-25 in 2 categories, including fourth in offensive rebounds (16.0) and 24th in rebounds. (42.0). The team has outrebounded 6 of their 8 opponents, holding a +7.5 rebounding margin.
• They have corralled at least 35 rebounds in every game this season with a season-best 63 vs.

Central Arkansas, which were the most since they had 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997.

• The Wildcats took advantage of their opportunities at the line vs. UNA, as their 34 makes were the most since 2015 (36 vs. South Dakota) and 48 attempts were the most since 2014.

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

• Extend its home non-conference winning streak to 15 games.
• Push its non-conference record to 178-55 since 2006-07.
• Push its home non-conference mark to 125-12 since 2006-07.
• Be the first in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle (1-3).
• Be the first in the series vs. Villanova.

NOTES ON VILLANOVA (6-3)

• Under second-year head coach Kyle Neptune, Villanova is off to a fast start, winning 6 of its first 9 games, including victories over Texas Tech, North Carolina and Memphis to win the Battle 4 Atlantic Tournament. The Wildcats have dropped consecutive games to Big Five rivals Saint Joseph’s and Drexel.
• Villanova is averaging 74.3 points per game on 41.8 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 64.9 points on 40.7 percent shooting, including 38.2 percent from long range. The Wildcats are among the best free throw shooting teams in the country, ranking second nationally at 82.4 percent from the line.
• Two players are averaging in double figures led by senior Eric Dixon, who is averaging 14.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range. Graduate Justin Moore is averaging 14.4 points on 39.8 percent shooting, including a team-best 17 3-pointers. In all, five players are averaging better than 8 points per game. Graduate Tyler Burton is averaging a team-best 7.0 rebounds, while Dixon is averaging 6.6 per game.
• Villanova was picked fourth in the preseason BIG EAST poll after the Wildcats returned 9 lettermen, including 2 starters, from a team that posted a 17-17 record and earned a bid to the NIT in 2022-23. The Wildcats also added a number of high-profile transfers in T.J. Bamba (Washington State), Hakim Hart (Maryland), Lance Ware (Kentucky) and Burton (Richmond).
• A longtime assistant to Jay Wright at Villanova from 2013-21, Neptune returned as head coach in 2022 after a one-year stint at Fordham. He is 39-36 in his career, including 23-20 at Villanova. He is just the sixth head coach at Villanova since 1936.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Villanova have met just once with the blue Wildcats earning a 51-34 win over purple Wildcats on Dec. 27, 1940, in Philadelphia.
• K-State is 25-27 all-time vs. BIG EAST opponents, including an 11-4 mark at home. The Wildcats snapped a 4-game losing streak to BIG EAST foes with a 73-70 overtime win against Providence on Nov. 17. The last win against a BIG EAST foe at home came against Xavier (71-56) on Dec. 8, 2009.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

LAST MEETING:

VILLANOVA 51, K-STATE 34 [Dec. 27, 1940]

• No boxscore exists in the K-State archives for the last meeting between the school, but records indicate that Villanova posted a 51-34 victory at home on Dec. 27, 1940, in a matchup of Final Four coaches Jack Gardner (K-State/1948, 1951) and Alexander Severance (Villanova/1939).
• The matchup with Villanova was part of 5-game road trip for K-State that included Villanova, George Washington, Seton Hall, Illinois and Nebraska from Dec. 27, 1940, until Jan. 7, 1941.

BIG 12/BIG EAST BATTLE HISTORY

• K-State is 0-3 all-time against BIG EAST schools in the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle, twice losing at home to Marquette in 2019 and 2021 before last year’s 76-64 loss at Butler on Nov. 30, 2022.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS [0-3]

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

• K-State has posted a 176-55 (.762) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 134-14 (.901) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 124-12 (.908) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State’s 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. The 12 wins last season matched the 2008-09 and 2010-11 teams for the second-most in that span.

1700 WINS AND COUNTING

• K-State’s overtime 96-87 win over Nevada on Nov. 22, 2022, 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 1,727-1,225 (.585) all-time record as a program, which includes 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and 21 conference championships.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 75, NORTH ALABAMA 74 [OT]

• K-State scored 13 straight points, including the last 5 in regulation to force overtime, as the Wildcats seized the momentum to overtake North Alabama, 75-74, in the extra period on Dec. 3 before 9,528 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State (6-2) won its third overtime game of the season, including its second in a row, as the Wildcats moved to 8-0 in overtime games under head coach Jerome Tang. He is the first head coach in school history to win his first eight overtime games, breaking a tie with Dana Altman, who was a perfect 7-0 in overtime games in his tenure from 1991-94.
• Senior Tylor Perry, who led five Wildcats in double figures with 16 points, helped rally the Wildcats from a 65-60 deficit with 27 seconds left, as he had a hand in the last 5 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 8 seconds left that sent the game to overtime at 65-all.
• It marked the sixth time in his Division I career that Perry has made a shot to either win a game or send the game into overtime, as he led the country with 5 as a junior at North Texas in 2021-22.
• In the overtime period, Perry had two assists on layups by senior David N’Guessan along with a jumper and a pair of free throws by junior Arthur Kaluma, as the Wildcats scored the first 8 points in overtime to take a 73-65 lead with 2:43 to play. However, North Alabama (4-4) got a 4-point play from junior Detalian Brown and two free throws from junior Will Soucie to close to within 73-71 with 9 seconds.
• K-State was able to execute a perfect inbounds play with a long pass and dunk by junior Cam Carter with 7 seconds to take 75-71 lead before a 3-pointer by freshman Canin Jefferson closed it to 75-74 with 0.9 seconds left. Carter missed both free throws on the ensuing possession, but the Lions couldn’t get a shot off before the clock expired.
• Perry was joined in double figures by Carter (14 points), Kaluma (12 points), N’Guessan (12 points) and redshirt sophomore Jerrell Colbert, who set career-highs in both points (10) and rebounds (8). Kaluma tied Colbert for the team lead in rebounds, while Perry dished out a team-best 6 assists for the fourth consecutive game and the fifth time overall.
• K-State connected on just 35.2 percent (19-of-54) from the field, including 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from 3-point range, while the Wildcats scored nearly half their points from the free throw line, where they made 34 of 48 attempts. The 34 makes were the most in a game since 2015, while the 48 attempts tied for the most since 2016. Both totals were just outside the school’s all-time top-10.
• North Alabama connected on just 35 percent (21-of-60) from the field but did make 10 3-pointers on 28 attempts and were stellar from the free throw line, making 22 of 28 attempts. Three players scored in double figures led by 19 points each from Brown and sophomore Jacari Lane. Lane dished out a game-high 11 assists, while senior Damian Forrest had a game-best 10 rebounds.

POSTGAME NEWS & NOTES

• K-State is now 7-0 under Tang when five or more players score in double digits.
• The Wildcats have now scored at least 75 points in 7 consecutive games.
• K-State held advantages in points off turnovers (16-10), points in the paint (30-16), fast-break points (19-3) and bench points (19-6).
• K-State’s 34 made free throws are the most in a game since hitting 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 20, 2015, while the 48 attempts were the most since also attempting 48 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014. Both were just outside the school’s all-time top-10.

NEW OFFENSE, MORE 3-POINTERS

• K-State made the switch to the 5-out offense in the offseason to utilize its versality in talent, as the offense is structured around spacing with all 5 players required to pass, cut, screen, dribble and shoot.
• After scoring 100 points in the exhibition play for the first time since 1993, the Wildcats eclipsed the 100-point barrier at home since 2010 and the second time under head coach Jerome Tang with a 100-56 victory over Central Arkansas on Nov. 22. The team has also scored 83 points twice (Bellarmine and No. 12/11 Miami), 91 vs. South Dakota State and 88 vs. Oral Roberts.
• The current 82.8 scoring average is the best through the first 8 games since the 1997-98 team averaged 84.5 points. It is the third time that the Wildcats have averaged better than 80 points through the first 8 games in the last 25 seasons, joining the 1997-98 (84.5 ppg.) and 2009-10 (81.3 ppg.) teams.
• The new offense has so far increased the number of 3-pointers, as the team has already attempted 197 from beyond the arc, including 33 in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), which ranked as the seventh-most in a game in school history. The Wildcats followed with 31 3-point attempts vs. Bellarmine (11/10/23), while hitting on double-digit makes (12) for the first time.
• In the win over South Dakota State (11/13/23), K-State knocked down 14 3-pointers, which tied for the fifth-most in school history and are the most since hitting 16 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 2, 2019.
• The Wildcats have connected on 68 3-pointers, which are the most through the first 8 games. The 26 combined 3-pointers in games vs. Bellarmine and South Dakota State were the most in back-to-back games since also making 26 in games at Oklahoma State and at home to Kansas on Feb. 2 and 5, 2019.
• The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal attempts (26.9) and fifth in 3-point field goals/game (8.5). The 215 3-point attempts are the second-most in the Big 12 behind BYU’s 231. Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the top-35 nationally in three 3-point categories, including 14th in attempts (70), 29th in makes/game (3.0) and 33rd in total makes (24).

MORE THAN JUST THE 3

• K-State has showed its offense is more than just the 3-pointer, as the team is averaging 36.5 points in the paint this season, including 44.5 in the last 4 games. The Wildcats scored 50 or more points in the paint in back-to-back games vs. No. 12/11 Miami and Central Arkansas.
• K-State scored 56 points in the paint against the Hurricanes, which tied for the most in a single game in school history (stat kept since 2000-01), and the most since scoring 56 against South Dakota on Jan. 3, 2010.

POINT OF EMPHASIS

• Ever since the loss to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, in which K-State was out-rebounded 44-22, rebounding has been a point of emphasis by head coach Jerome Tang. So far that message has been received, as the Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 and 24th nationally in rebounds/game (42.0), including first in the league and seventh nationally in offensive rebounds/game (16.0).
• K-State has been out-rebounded twice this season (Providence and UNA), while posting an +7.5 rebounding margin, which ranks 46th nationally.
• K-State posted its highest rebound total in more than 25 seasons in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23), corralling 63 rebounds, which were the most since totaling 64 vs. Kansas City on Dec. 3, 1997. Among those 63 boards were 26 on the offensive end, which they converted into 34 second-chance points. The 26 offensive rebounds were the most since grabbing 29 vs. North Florida on Nov. 18, 2012, while the 37 defensive rebounds were one shy of the top-10.

CONVERTING FROM THE LINE 

• K-State has taken advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, averaging 17.8 makes per game while converting 73.6 percent from the line. The Wildcats rank among top-50 nationally in both makes (17.8) and attempts (24.1) per game, as the squad places second in the Big 12 and 36th nationally in makes and third in the Big 12 and 48th nationally in attempts.
• No game were free throws more important than the North Alabama win, as K-State converted on 34 of 48 attempts. The 34 makes were the most in a game since hitting 36 vs. South Dakota on Nov. 20, 2015, while the 48 attempts were the most since also attempting 48 vs. Southern Utah on Nov. 14, 2014. Both were just outside the school’s all-time top-10.

BETTER DEFENSIVE EFFORT

• K-State will need to continue to improve its defensive effort after allowing 594 points (74.3 ppg.) in the first 8 games on 42.7 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent (65-of-188) from 3-point range.
• The Wildcats currently rank last in the Big 12 in both scoring defense (74.2 ppg.) and field goal percentage defense (42.7), while they are 12th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (34.6). The team is also 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.17) and 12th in turnover margin (-0.4).
• K-State has shown the ability to be a good defensive team, holding South Dakota State (11/13/23) and Providence (11/17/23) to an average of 69 points on 38.3 percent (51-of-133) shooting, including 27.9 percent (12-of-43) from 3-point range. The Wildcats held Central Arkansas to just 56 points on 27.9 percent (19-of-68) shooting, including 17.9 percent (7-of-39) in the first half.
• In the overtime win over Providence (11/17/23), the defense matched and, at times, exceeded that of the Friars (which entered the game 17th nationally in field goal percentage defense), holding them to a season-low 35.3 percent (24-of-68) shooting, including 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from 3-point range.

PERRY MORE THAN JUST A SCORER

• Senior Tylor Perry proved that he is more than just a scorer in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23) in Las Vegas, leading the team in assists (6) and steals (4) to go with 6 rebounds and his team-best 22 points. Currently, he is averaging 17.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 36 minutes per game.
• The performance was the first in his Division I career that he posted 20 or more points, had 6 or more rebounds, 6 or more assists and 4 or more steals. Only once did he even accomplish three of those stats, as he had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists against Sam Houston in the 2023 NIT First Round.
• Perry missed his first 8 field goals, including his first 6 from 3-point range, before making his acrobatic 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. The shot seemed to spark the fifth-year senior, as he finished the game making 5 of his last 9 field goals, including 4 of his last 6 3-point baskets.
• Perry’s 22 points were the most by a Wildcat newcomer in a debut since Michael Beasley scored 32 points in his first game against Sacramento State on Nov. 9, 2007. In fact, Perry is the first Wildcat to post a 20-point game in a season opener since Mike McGuirl had 22 points vs. Drake on Nov. 25, 2020.
• Perry has scored in double figures in 7 of the first 8 games, as his 14-game streak of double-digit scoring games ended with 6 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23). Among those 7 double-digit scoring games is a team-best four 20-point games, which includes 22 vs. USC (11/6/23) and South Dakota State (11/13/23) and a season-best 24 in the win over Providence (11/17/23).
• Perry has a 20-point game in 8 of last 13 games, also dating to last season.
• Perry ranks the Big 12’s top 10 in six categories, including tops in minutes (36.0), second in 3-point field goals (3.0) and free throw percentage (92.0), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (3.1), fifth in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and sixth in assists (5.4 apg.). He is 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.3).
• Perry recently eclipsed 2,000 career points in his college career, which includes stints at Coffeyville Community College (2019-21) and North Texas (2021-23). He currently has 1,105 points at the Division I level.
• Perry had at least 4 3-pointers in each of the first 3 games, while he had a season-high 6 treys against South Dakota State (11/13/23). He now has made at least 4 3-pointers in 27 career games at the Division I level, while he hast 6 or made triples in 4 games (7 vs. San Jose State (11/25/22) and 6 at UAB (2/19/22), 6 vs. Sam Houston (3/19/23) and 6 vs. South Dakota State).

EXCELLING FROM THE FREE THROW LINE

• Senior Tylor Perry ranks among the best from the free throw line, hitting on 92 percent (46-of-50). He ranks 35th nationally and second in the Big 12. He made 34 straight free throws before missing in overtime vs. Oral Roberts.
• Among Perry’s 24 points in the win over Providence (11/17/23) was a perfect 14-of-14 performance from the free throw line, which tied for the third-best in school history and the best since Michael Beasley went 15-of-15 from the line at Baylor on Feb. 23, 2008. Only Beasley and Steve Henson, who went a school-best 17-of-17 from the stripe at Iowa State on Feb. 24, 1988, have enjoyed a better performance from the free throw line.

BUCKET GETTER

• Head coach Jerome Tang has said that he wants guard Cam Carter to be a bucket getter and that’s what the junior has delivered in the first 8 games, averaging 16.5 points per game. He leads the Wildcats in field goals (50) and attempts (123), while he is second to Tylor Perry in 3-point field goals (17).
• After recording his first 20-point game vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-20 field goals, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, Carter took it to another level vs. No. 12/11 Miami (11/19/23).
• Carter scored a career-best 28 points vs. the Hurricanes, including 24 in the second half when the Wildcats cut a 24-point deficit to just 7 points in the last 45 seconds. He finished the game 12-of-22 from the field (10-of-16 in the second half) with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block in 38 minutes.
• In addition to scoring in double figures in 6 games, Carter notched his first career double-double vs. Oral Roberts (11/28/23), posting 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting with a career-best 10 rebounds, 5 assists and team-high 3 steals.
• Carter ranks in the Big 12’s top 20 in five categories, including second in minutes (35.35), fourth in steals (2.5), ninth in scoring (16.5 ppg.), 12th in 3-point field goals made/game (2.13) and 14th in 3-point field goal percentage (32.0).
• Carter has now scored in double figures in 16 games, including 14 times as a Wildcat. Nine of those double-digit totals have come in the last 17 games.

STARTING TO FIND A RHYTHM

• Junior Arthur Kaluma is starting to find a rhythm after a slow start to the season, becoming a double-double threat nearly every night. He has scored in double figures in 6 consecutive games, averaging 16.7 points on 45 percent shooting (32-of-71) to go with 8.3 rebounds per game.
• Kaluma was named to the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship All-Tournament Team after averaging 18.0 points on 52.2 percent (12-of-23) shooting with 9.5 rebounds. After scoring 18 in the OT win over Providence, including a pivotal 3-pointer, he had his first double-double as a Wildcat and fourth in his career with 18 points and 12 rebounds vs. 12/11 Miami.
• Kaluma scored a season-high 20 points in consecutive games against Central Arkansas (11/22/23) and Oral Roberts (11/28/23), connecting on 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from the field while grabbing 8 rebounds in each contest.
• Kaluma is one of 8 Big 12 players to rank in the top-20 in both scoring and rebounding, as he places 16th in scoring (15.1 ppg.) and tied for fourth in rebounding (8.43 rpg.).

MASTER OF THE BOARDS

• Senior David N’Guessan has been impressive so far on the glass, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in rebounding at 8.1 boards per game. He ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (3.38 orpg.), while he is 12th in defensive rebounds (4.75 drpg.). He has double-digit rebounds in 3 of his first 8 games.
• N’Guessan grabbed his first career double-double in the opener vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23), as he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 field goals to go with a then career-best 10 rebounds in just over 27 minutes.
• N’Guessan broke his career-high with 11 rebounds vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23) then matched it in the win over Central Arkansas (11/22/23) while collecting his second double-double with a season-high 11 points.
• N’Guessan gained valuable experience this past summer training with the Dutch National Team, as the Orange Lions competed in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkiye August 13-16.
• N’Guessan averaged 9 points on 55.6 percent shooting with 6.3 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game in the 3-game pool play tournament. He opened the tournament with a near double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds in the Lions’ narrow overtime loss to Sweden on August 13.

BIG MAN OFF TO SOLID START

• Senior Will McNair is off to solid start to the season, averaging 7.9 points on a team-best 65.8 percent shooting to go along with 4.1 rebounds through the first 8 games in 18.3 minutes per game.
• McNair scored 8 points vs. USC (11/6/23) then earned starts in 6 straight games. He has double figures in 3 of those 6 starts, including 10 points each vs. South Dakota State and Providence and 11 vs. Oral Roberts.

FRESHMEN SHOWING PROMISE

• Three-man freshman class of Dai Dai Ames, R.J. Jones and Macaleab Rich have all shown promise after being pressed into early action. The trio were part of a consensus top-35 recruiting class.
• Ames has already scored in double figures in 4 games, including a season-best 14 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23), while he has dished out at least 3 assists in 6 of his 7 games played with a season-high 7 vs. South Dakota State.
• Jones is the only freshman to play in all 8 games, averaging 13.5 minutes per game. He ranks third on the team in 3-pointers (10), scoring in 6 of 8 games with a season-best 14 points vs. South Dakota State (11/13/23).
• Rich, whose dunk against Central Arkansas made the Sportcenter Top 10, has wowed fans with his potential, logging a near double-double vs. the Bears with a season-best 13 points and 8 rebounds in under 18 minutes.

KALUMA, PERRY NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

• Junior Arthur Kaluma and fifth-year senior Tylor Perry were each chosen as Honorable Mention selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the league coaches when the league office announced its annual preseason teams.
• Kaluma and Perry are the first Wildcats named to the Preseason All-Big 12 since Barry Brown Jr. and Dean Wade in 2018-19.
• A 6-foot-7, 225-pound wing, Kaluma transferred to K-State after an impressive 2-year stint (2021-23) at Creighton, where he helped the Bluejays to 47 wins, including 26 in BIG EAST play, a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2022, 2023) and the school’s first trip to the Elite Eight in 2022-23.
• A 5-foot-11, 182-pound guard, Perry came to K-State after a decorated 2-year career (2021-23) at North Texas, where he led the Mean Green to 56 total wins, including a school-record 31 in 2022-23, the 2023 NIT Championship and 2022 C-USA regular-season title. In addition to being the 2023 C-USA Player of the Year and NIT Most Outstanding Player, he was twice named to the C-USA First Team (2022, 2023) while was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2022.

KALUMA NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR JULIUS ERVING AWARD 

• Kaluma was also one of 20 players named to the preseason Watch List for the 2024 Julius Erving Award, which annually recognizes the nation’s top small forward, by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
• This is the second time that Kaluma has been named to a preseason Watch List after he was chosen to the Watch List for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award in 2022-23 while playing at Creighton.

‘CATS CRACK 100 IN LONE EXHIBITION

• K-State connected on 52.1 percent from the field, including 55.6 percent in the second half, as the Wildcats eclipsed 100 points in home exhibition play for the first time since 1993 in a 102-68 win over Division II Emporia State on Nov. 1 before 9,268 fans at Bramlage Coliseum. It was the team’s first and only public exhibition before the start of the 2023-24 season.
• It was the first 100-point game in home exhibition play since a 101-80 win over Fort Hood on Nov. 22, 1993, while it was the most in a home exhibition game since scoring 111 in a win over Michigan AAU on Nov. 15, 1991. The victory also extended K-State’s winning streak in home exhibition play to 29 games, which dates to 2003, and includes 6 wins over Emporia State.
• Junior Cam Carter paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-13 field goals in just 14 minutes to go with 3 assists and 2 steals, while sophomore Jerrell Colbert added 13 points off the bench on 5-of-5 shooting, along with 5 rebounds, also in 14 minutes. Freshman Dai Dai Ames and junior Arthur Kaluma also broke double-digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman Macaleab Rich collected a game-high 9 rebounds to go with his 8 points off the bench. Senior Tylor Perry, who picked up 2 early fouls, dished out a team-best 5 assists to go with 8 points.
• The 100-point game was the eighth in the school’s exhibition history since 1964, including the fifth in Bramlage Coliseum. K-State scored its 102 points on 38 made field goals, including 29 coming inside the 3-point line, while knocking down 17 of 19 attempts (89.5 percent) from the free throw line. The Wildcats scored 56 points in the paint to go along with 25 fast-break points, 21 points off turnovers and 53 bench points. They also had assists on 26 of their 38 field goals with 9 players having at least 2 assists led by Perry’s team-high 5.

K-STATE, TANG AGREE TO EXTENSION THROUGH 2029-30 SEASON

• After a record-setting first season, head coach Jerome Tang agreed to a new 7-year contract through the 2029-30 season to continue his leadership of the Kansas State men’s basketball program, Director of Athletics Gene Taylor announced on September 25.
• The new contract replaces his original 6-year deal that Tang agreed to become the 25th men’s basketball coach in school history on March 21, 2022. Tang now has 7 years left on his agreement that runs until April 30, 2030. The second-year head coach will be paid $3 million in 2023-24 and receive a $100,000 increase to his salary in each remaining contract year culminating in a $3.6 million base for the 2029-30 season. There are also four retention bonuses of $200,000 following the 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
• Armed with just two returning players, the Wildcats posted a 26-10 overall record in Tang’s inaugural season, which included a tie for third place in the nation’s most difficult conference – the Big 12 – with an 11-7 mark and the school’s 13th appearance in the Elite Eight and the first since 2017-18. The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win campaign.

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP

‘CATS SPENT 10 DAYS IN AUGUST IN ISRAEL, ABU DHABI, U.A.E.

• K-State got a jump start on its preparations for the 2023-24 season with a historic 10-day trip to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [UAE] from August 9-20.
• During the Israeli portion of the trip, the team enjoyed walking tours of the Old City Jerusalem, the City of David, Bethlehem and Old City Jaffa, visits to the Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center – as well as the Western Wall and the Dead Sea. While in Abu Dhabi, they visited the Abraham Peace Accords House and the Grand Mosque.
• The Wildcats played 3 games on the tour, defeating the Israeli Select Team, 94-87, on August 15 in Tel Aviv before an 83-81 setback to Team Mexico on August 17 and a 112-72 win over Al-Sharjah on August 18, both in Abu Dhabi. Senior Tylor Perry paced 4 Wildcats in double figures on the tour, averaging 22.7 points on 56.8 percent shooting.
• K-State, along with the University of Arizona, are the first college teams to ever take a foreign tour to Abu Dhabi.
• The exhibition tour was generously sponsored by Athletes for Israel and its Founder Daniel Posner as well as the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board. In their efforts to combat antisemitism and racism, Athletes For Israel brings athletes to Israel so they can experience the Holy Land and