Game Preview // K-State Travels to 23/22 Oklahoma State Saturday

GAME 22
KANSAS STATE (5-16, 1-11 Big 12) at 23/22 OKLAHOMA STATE (12-6, 5-6 Big 12)
Saturday, February 13, 2021 >> 11:01 a.m. CT >> Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) >> Stillwater, Okla.
 
TELEVISION
ESPNU / WatchESPN

• Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play)
• Robbie Hummel (analyst)
• Greg Pike (producer)

 
RADIO
K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580
XM 381 // Internet 971
Online: TuneIn.com [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

 
LIVE STATS
www.okstate.com
okstate.statbroadcast.com [media only]
 
TICKETS
Gallagher-Iba Arena will be open to approximately 25 percent capacity (3,350).
 
COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)
Overall: 479-281/23^rd season
At K-State: 166-126/9^th season
vs. Oklahoma State: 11-8 (3-5 on the road)
 
Oklahoma State: Mike Boynton, Jr. (South Carolina ’03)
Overall: 63-55/4^th season
Record at OSU: 63-55/4^th season
vs. K-State: 3-4 (1-2 at home)
 
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (5-16)
G: #21 Nijel Pack
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #2 Selton Miguel
F: #11 Antonio Gordon
F: #21 Davion Bradford
       
Oklahoma State (12-6)
G: #0 Avery Anderson III
G: #14 Bryce Williams
G: #13 Isaac Likekele
G: #2 Cade Cunningham
F: #22 Kalib Boone
 
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 82-56
Current Streak: Oklahoma State, 3
In Big 12 Play: Oklahoma State leads 21-16
In Stillwater: Oklahoma State leads 34-27
At Gallagher-Iba Arena: Oklahoma State leads 31-25
Last Meeting: L, 54-70 [1/9/21 in Manhattan, Kan.]
Weber vs. Boynton, Jr.: 4-3 [2-1 on the road]
 
OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (5-16, 1-11 Big 12) hits the road this weekend, as the Wildcats travel to Stillwater, Okla., to take on No. 23/22 Oklahoma State (12-6, 5-6 Big 12) at 11 a.m., CT at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys will be looking to sweep the series for the second consecutive season and earn its second straight win at home in the series. Saturday’s game will air on Big 12 Now with Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call.
• This will be the Wildcats’ ninth matchup against a Top 25 opponent this season, including the fourth in a row (No. 23/22 Kansas, No. 13/11 Texas Tech, No. 13/13 Texas and No. 23/22 Oklahoma State). It will mark the first time in school history that a team has faced 4 consecutive Top 25 foes. K-State has lost 13 in a row against ranked opponents, including Tuesday’s 80-77 loss to No. 13/13 Texas, while the Wildcats have 8 consecutive defeats to ranked teams on the road since 2019. K-State is 119-270 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes a 5-6 mark vs. the AP’s No. 23 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 wins vs. Top 25 foes.
• K-State nearly rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit, closing to within one point with 42.7 seconds left, before No. 13/13 Texas iced it from the free throw line with 6 consecutive makes in an 80-77 win on Tuesday night. The loss extended the Wildcats’ losing streak to 11 games, including 10 in Big 12 play.
• The loss spoiled perhaps the best offensive effort of the season for the young Wildcats, which started 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) for the third consecutive game and saw 4 rookies combined to play 100 minutes. The 77 points marked a season-high, while was it was the second-highest field goal percentage (51.0%/26-of-51) and the highest since the start of Big 12 play. The Wildcats hadn’t eclipsed 70 points since the Texas Tech game on Jan. 5.
• Pack and senior Mike McGuirl combined for more than half of K-State’s point total on 44.4 percent (12-of-27) shooting, including 6 of the team’s 9 3-pointers. Pack recorded his second 20-point game and his first in Big 12 play with 22 points on 7-of-14 field goals, while McGuirl added 18 on 5-of-13 shooting. The duo has combined for 463 points this season on 40 percent shooting, including 87 of the team’s 146 3-pointers, and are 1-2 in assists with a combined 136 on the season.
• K-State played its third straight game without sophomore DaJuan Gordon, who was injured against Texas A&M on Jan. 30. Gordon is the eighth Wildcat to miss a game due to either injury or COVID-19 related protocols, while only Mike McGuirl is the only player to start all 21 games. The 8 Wildcats have combined to miss 56 games, including 4 of the 5 opening-game starters (Kaosi Ezeagu, Pack, Gordon and Montavious Murphy). Gordon is questionable for Saturday, while Murphy is out for the rest of the season.
• K-State started 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) for the 10th time this season, including the seventh time in a Big 12 game, against Texas on Tuesday. The team has started at least 2 true freshmen in each of the last 15 games with Bradford and Pack each starting 17 games and Miguel starting 14. The Wildcats are one of 8 teams to start at least 3 true freshmen in at least one game, while the 48 combined starts by true freshmen rank second nationally behind Kentucky’s 54 and just ahead of Washington State’s 45.

 
NOTES ON 23/22 OKLAHOMA STATE (12-6, 5-6 Big 12)

• No. 23/22 Oklahoma State (12-6, 5-6 Big 12) is coming off a 78-66 loss at Kansas on Monday night, in which, the Cowboys were held to 34.9 percent shooting, including 26.9 percent from 3-point range. National Freshman of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 26 points.
• OSU is averaging 76.2 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 33.7 percent from 3-point range, to go with 39.6 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game, while allowing 71.9 points on 40.4 percent shooting, including 31.8 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 69.2 percent from the free throw line. OSU is averaging 75.2 points in the Big 12 play on 45.3 percent shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 37.9 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game.
• The Cowboys are a balanced scoring team with 7 players averaging 7 or more points, including a pair of double-digit scorers in Cunningham (18.7 ppg.) and Likekele (10.2 ppg.). A National Freshman of the Year candidate, Cunningham is averaging a Big 12-best 18.7 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting, including 42.3 percent from 3-point range, with 6.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. Likelele is averaging a near double-double with 10.2 points on 49.6 percent shooting with a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game to go with a team-best 68 assists in 34.5 minutes.
• Oklahoma State is led by fourth-year head coach Mike Boynton, who has posted a 63-55 (.534) record, which includes 30 wins the last 2 seasons.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Oklahoma State will meet for the 139th time in their histories with the Wildcats holding an 82-56 advantage in a series that dates back to 1922. The Cowboys are 34-27 all-time at home in the series, including a 31-25 mark at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Wildcats had won 3 straight in the series in Stillwater before the 69-63 loss last season on March 4.
• OSU is looking to sweep the season series after earning a 70-54 win over K-State at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 9. The Cowboys took advantage of a short-handed Wildcat squad, which played with just 8 available players.
• Head coach Bruce Weber is 11-8 all-time against Oklahoma State, including a 3-5 mark on the road, while he is 4-3 against head coach Mike Boynton. Boynton is 3-4 against K-State, including 1-2 at home.

 
LAST TIME OUT: 13/13 TEXAS 80, K-STATE 77

• K-State nearly rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit, closing to within one point with 42.7 seconds remaining, before No. 13/13 Texas iced it from the free throw line with 6 consecutive makes in an 80-77 win on Tuesday night in front of a limited capacity crowd of 752 at Bramlage Coliseum.
• In game where both teams connected on exactly 51 percent (26-of-51) of their field goals, it was Texas’ shooting from 3-point range that proved to be difference. The Longhorns hit on 50 percent of its 26 attempts from long range, including 66.7 percent (8-of-12) in an impressive first-half shooting display, compared to 41.7 percent (9-of-23) for the Wildcats.
• Junior Andrew Jones led all scorers with 24 points and was one of four Longhorns in double figures and one of five with at least one 3-pointer. Jones connected on 8-of-14 field goals, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
• The loss spoiled perhaps the best offensive effort of the season for the young Wildcats, which started 3 true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) for the 10th time, and saw 4 rookies combine to play over 100 minutes. The 77 points marked a season-high, while it was the second-highest field goal percentage and the highest in Big 12 play.
• Pack and senior Mike McGuirl combined for more than half (40) of K-State’s point total on 44.4 percent (12-of-27) shooting, including 6 of the team’s 9 3-pointers. Pack recorded his second 20-point outing in his last 4 games with 22 points on 7-of-14 field goals, while McGuirl added 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Bradford and sophomore Antonio Gordon chipped in 9 and 8 points, respectively, while Gordon had a game-tying 9 rebounds.
• Down 62-45 with 13:07 to play, the Wildcats started the rally with a 3-point field goal from Pack, who scored 12 of his team-high 22 points in the second half. K-State would score 19 of the next 25 points to close to within 68-64 at the final media timeout at the 3:57 mark.
• After Texas extended it to 71-64 with 3 minutes, K-State closed to 74-73 with 42.7 seconds left on 2 free throws by Pack and a 3-pointer by McGuirl. However, that would be the closest they would get, as the Longhorns went 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the last 20 seconds to earn the win.

 
INJURIES, YOUTH DEFINE SEASON SO FAR FOR K-STATE 

• 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 56 games this season, while senior Mike McGuirl is the only player to start all 21 games with 8 different starting lineups.

 
GAMES MISSED IN 2020-21 [56]

 

• K-State is one of just 8 schools (Duke, Kentucky, James Madison, Marist, North Carolina, Sacred Heart and Washington State) to start at least 3 true freshmen in one game, while the 48 combined starts by Wildcat true freshmen rank second nationally to Kentucky’s 54.

 
PACK OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 (12.5 ppg./1st), double-digit scoring games (11/2nd), field goals made (79/2nd), 3-point field goals made (41/2nd), assists (60/2nd), steals (20/2nd) and minutes per game (32.8/2nd).
• 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 8 of the last 9 games, in a stretch, where he is averaging 15.4 points on 50.5 percent (50-of-99) shooting, including 45.2 percent (28-of-62) from 3-point range, with 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals.
• Pack ranks third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made per game (2.41), as he has knocked down at least 3 triples in 8 games, including a season-high 8 vs. Texas A&M (1/30/21). His 41 makes already rank fourth by a true freshman in school history, while his 41.4 3-point field goal percentage is on pace to be the best-ever by a freshman.
• Pack ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a 2.00 assist/turnover ratio, while he is also in the Top 20 in scoring (12.5/19th), assists (12th/3.53) and minutes (11th/32.8). His per game minute average is second among freshmen to Cade Cunningham (33.3).
• 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

• 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 (250), double-digit scoring games (15), field goals made (83) and attempted (229), 3-point field goals made (46) and attempted (137), assists (76) and minutes (33.8). He is second in scoring (11.9 ppg.) and steals (20).
• McGuirl ranks in the Top 15 in several categories in the Big 12, including 11th in assists (3.62 apg.), 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.52), eighth in 3-point field goals made (2.19) and seventh in minutes (33.8 mpg.).
• McGuirl has led the team in scoring a team-best 8 times, while he has led  in rebounding twice, in assists 10 times and in steals on 6 occasions.
• McGuirl’s 15 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 vs. Fort Hays State (12/8/20). He has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 13 games, where he is averaging 11.6 points per game.
• In addition to his scoring, McGuirl has also set up his teammates, dishing out a team-best 76 assists (to 50 turnovers). He has 8 games at least 5 assists this season, including a career-best 8 vs. Milwaukee (12/11/20).

 
MR. DO-EVERYTHING

• 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).
• Gordon is 1 of 3 guards (OSU’s Isaac Likekele and OU’s Austin Reaves) to rank in the Big 12’s Top 15 in rebounding, as he is 11th with 5.8 rebounds per game, while he is 12th in the league in defensive rebounds (4.3).
• Gordon’s 3 double-doubles tie 2 others (TCU’s Kevin Samuel and Kansas’ Jalen Wilson) for the fourth-most among Big 12 players and are surpassed only by WVU’s Derek Culver (9), Texas’ Greg Brown (4) and Kansas’ David McCormack (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 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.
• 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.
• Gordon is also the leader on the Wayne McClain Play Hard Chart with 119 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

• 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.
• Miguel, a starter in 14 of the last 16 games, is having a solid freshman campaign, averaging 7.9 points on 35.8 percent shooting, including 8.4 points on 36.3 percent shooting in Big 12 play. He is fourth on the team in scoring and steals (14), while his third in 3-pointers (18).
• Miguel’s 7 double-digit scoring games have come in the last 17 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

• 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 17 games. He is averaging 7.0 points on a team-best 61.7 percent shooting (58-of-94) with 4.0 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game.
• 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 11 games, including team-high 14 points at No. 4/4 Texas (1/16/21).
• Bradford has already shown the ability to finish at the rim, totaling a team-high 25 dunks through 21 games, which in comparison surpasses Makol Mawien’s entire total of 17 in 32 games played in 2019-20 season.

 
AGORDON LEARNING HIS ROLE

• Despite an up-and-down season, in which, he missed 5 games due to COVID-19 protocols in late December and early January, sophomore Antonio Gordon is starting to settle into his role with the Wildcats. He is averaging 5.4 points on 43 percent shooting with 5.2 rebounds in 17 games, including 6.4 points on 50 percent shooting with 5.6 rebounds in Big 12 play.
• Gordon came off the bench with a big game against No. 2/2 Baylor (12/19/20) by collecting a career-high 23 points on 9-of-9 field goals. The 23 points tied for the eighth-most by reserve in a conference game and were the most since Marcus Foster had 23 against TCU on Jan. 7, 2015.
• Since returning to start at No. 4/4 Texas (1/16/21), Gordon is averaging 5.1 points on 36.8 percent shooting with 5.9 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game. He has started each of the last 3 games (all against Top 25 opponents), averaging 6.3 points on 37.5 percent shooting (6-of-16) and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from the free throw line with 8.7 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game.

 
IRON ‘CATS

• 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.
• 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.
• 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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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

• 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 17 games this season. Murphy, who was the opening day starter vs. Drake (11/25/20), saw action in 4 games, including the first 3.
• Murphy, who became just the fourth true freshman to start an opener under Bruce Weber in 2019-20, has now missed 30 games in his career due to injury, including the last 6 games of his freshman season.
• 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: RV/RV KANSAS (14-7, 8-5 Big 12)

• K-State returns home on Wednesday night, as the Wildcats play host to No. rv/rv Kansas (14-7, 8-5 Big 12) in the 295th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Big 12 Now. It will be the second meeting between the schools in 2 weeks after the Jayhawks posted a 74-51 win over the Wildcats at home on Feb. 2. Kansas will attempt to sweep the season series for the second year in a row and earn its second straight win at Bramlage Coliseum.