KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball tonight announced the finalists for the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards, which recognizes and commemorates the top performances by players during the regular season. The selections for the All-MLB team, which was established in 2019, will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 16.

For the second consecutive season, Kansas City’s&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;is on the All-MLB Team ballot at shortstop.

Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT, fans may vote for their 2023 All-MLB choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot" target="_blank">https://www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot</a>. Fan voting will count for 50% of the official vote, and a media panel vote will determine the other half.

Fans and panelists will vote for their top choice at catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, three outfielders (without regard for left/center/right) and designated hitter, along with five starting pitchers and two relief pitchers on both the first and second teams. All choices will be based on the regular season, without regard for American League or National League affiliation.

Witt Jr., who last week was named a finalist for the American League Louisville Silver Slugger Award, recorded 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases during his age-23 season in 2023, becoming the first player in Royals history with a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign. Only four other players in Major League history have matched Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs and stolen bases in a season, a feat that was also achieved by&nbsp;Eric Davis&nbsp;(1987),&nbsp;Barry Bonds&nbsp;(1990),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2012) and&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.&nbsp;(2023).

Witt Jr. ranked 3rd&nbsp;in the American League in 2023 with 177 hits, trailing&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(185) and&nbsp;Julio Rodríguez&nbsp;(180), and he led the Majors with 11 triples, the most by a Royal since&nbsp;Carlos Beltrán&nbsp;had 12 triples in 2001. Witt Jr. became the sixth American League player in the last 75 years with at least 30 home runs and 10 triples in a season, following&nbsp;Joe DiMaggio&nbsp;(1950),&nbsp;Mickey Mantle&nbsp;(1955),&nbsp;Jim Rice&nbsp;(1977 and 1978),&nbsp;Nomar Garciaparra&nbsp;(1997) and&nbsp;Curtis Granderson&nbsp;(2011).

Witt Jr. led Major League shortstops in stolen bases and total bases (317), tied World Series MVP&nbsp;Corey Seager&nbsp;for 2nd&nbsp;in RBI (96), ranked 2nd&nbsp;to Seager in extra-base hits (69) and 3rd&nbsp;in home runs to Seager (33) and&nbsp;Francisco Lindor&nbsp;(31).

On defense, Witt Jr. ranked 4th&nbsp;among Major League shortstops with 14&nbsp;Baseball Savant’s&nbsp;Outs Above Average metric, trailing three National League players at the position in&nbsp;Dansby Swanson&nbsp;(20),&nbsp;Willy Adames&nbsp;(16) and&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar&nbsp;(16).

Witt Jr. is hoping to join teammate&nbsp;Salvador Perez, who was named All-MLB First Team at catcher in 2020 and 2021, as Royals to earn All-MLB honors since the award was established in 2019.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Major League Baseball tonight announced the finalists for the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards, which recognizes and commemorates the top performances by players during the regular season. The selections for the All-MLB team, which was established in 2019, will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 16.For the second consecutive season, Kansas City’s&nbsp;Bobby Witt Jr.&nbsp;is on the All-MLB Team ballot at shortstop.Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. CT, fans may vote for their 2023 All-MLB choices at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot" target="_blank">https://www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot</a>. Fan voting will count for 50% of the official vote, and a media panel vote will determine the other half.Fans and panelists will vote for their top choice at catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, three outfielders (without regard for left/center/right) and designated hitter, along with five starting pitchers and two relief pitchers on both the first and second teams. All choices will be based on the regular season, without regard for American League or National League affiliation.Witt Jr., who last week was named a finalist for the American League Louisville Silver Slugger Award, recorded 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases during his age-23 season in 2023, becoming the first player in Royals history with a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign. Only four other players in Major League history have matched Witt Jr.’s combination of home runs and stolen bases in a season, a feat that was also achieved by&nbsp;Eric Davis&nbsp;(1987),&nbsp;Barry Bonds&nbsp;(1990),&nbsp;Mike Trout&nbsp;(2012) and&nbsp;Ronald Acuña Jr.&nbsp;(2023).Witt Jr. ranked 3rd&nbsp;in the American League in 2023 with 177 hits, trailing&nbsp;Marcus Semien&nbsp;(185) and&nbsp;Julio Rodríguez&nbsp;(180), and he led the Majors with 11 triples, the most by a Royal since&nbsp;Carlos Beltrán&nbsp;had 12 triples in 2001. Witt Jr. became the sixth American League player in the last 75 years with at least 30 home runs and 10 triples in a season, following&nbsp;Joe DiMaggio&nbsp;(1950),&nbsp;Mickey Mantle&nbsp;(1955),&nbsp;Jim Rice&nbsp;(1977 and 1978),&nbsp;Nomar Garciaparra&nbsp;(1997) and&nbsp;Curtis Granderson&nbsp;(2011).Witt Jr. led Major League shortstops in stolen bases and total bases (317), tied World Series MVP&nbsp;Corey Seager&nbsp;for 2nd&nbsp;in RBI (96), ranked 2nd&nbsp;to Seager in extra-base hits (69) and 3rd&nbsp;in home runs to Seager (33) and&nbsp;Francisco Lindor&nbsp;(31).On defense, Witt Jr. ranked 4th&nbsp;among Major League shortstops with 14&nbsp;Baseball Savant’s&nbsp;Outs Above Average metric, trailing three National League players at the position in&nbsp;Dansby Swanson&nbsp;(20),&nbsp;Willy Adames&nbsp;(16) and&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar&nbsp;(16).Witt Jr. is hoping to join teammate&nbsp;Salvador Perez, who was named All-MLB First Team at catcher in 2020 and 2021, as Royals to earn All-MLB honors since the award was established in 2019.

BOBBY WITT JR. NAMED FINALIST FOR ALL-MLB TEAM

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;said he came to ‘elevate’ the program and he continued that process on Wednesday (Nov. 8) with the signing of consensus top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.])&nbsp;to a National Letter of Intent.

“We’re excited to welcome David and his family to K-State,” said Tang. “We signed a dude today. He's a leader. He's a winner. He has won two gold medals with USA Basketball, winning at the FIBA U16 Championships then again at the U17 World Cup. To show his leadership abilities, he got hurt and wasn’t able to play this past summer and the team didn’t even medal. So, the man is just a winner. He understands what it takes to win and lead.

“Before his injury, he was considered a top-20 player. So, he was a little out of sight and out of mind. But it didn’t change who he is as a player. We can’t thank the Castillo family enough for trusting us, for believing in us. It was a big win for the Wildcats.”

Castillo is rated among the top 50 players nationally by three of the four recruiting services, including No. 42 by&nbsp;Rivals, No. 45 by&nbsp;247Sports&nbsp;and No. 50 by ESPN, while is among the top-10 point guards, including No. 7 by&nbsp;247Sports, No. 8 by&nbsp;Rivals&nbsp;and No. 9 by&nbsp;On3.

A native of Bartlesville, Okla., Castillo played three years at Bartlesville High School before transferring to prep powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., for his senior season in 2023-24. Playing for K-State alum&nbsp;Clent Stewart, he left Bartlesville as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,594 points, averaging 23.7 points per game in his 67-game career. He was twice named to the&nbsp;Tulsa World&nbsp;All-State Team and was a finalist for the&nbsp;World’s&nbsp;2023 State Player of the Year.

In addition to his high school accolades, Castillo has led Team USA to a pair of gold medals, including the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He was also invited to the 2023 Team USA Junior National Team minicamp in April but could not play due to a foot injury.

Castillo played for Team Griffin in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), where he was mentored by&nbsp;Rod Thompson.

Castillo, whose parents migrated from Honduras to New York, was born in Houston. He has three siblings (Letricia,&nbsp;Antonio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gloria). His older sister,&nbsp;Letricia, played basketball (2003-07) at the Air Force Academy, where she was a 3-time team captain and an honorable mention All-Mountain West selection in 2003-04.

Castillo received more than 20 high-major offers before picking the Wildcats.

The commitment of Castillo comes on the heels of Tang and his coaching staff signing a top-30 recruiting class in 2023, which includes current true freshmen&nbsp;Dai Dai Ames,&nbsp;R.J. Jones&nbsp;and&nbsp;Macaleab Rich. All 3 players were among the top 150 players as high school seniors in 2023.

David Castillo&nbsp;(6-1, 170, PG, Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.])

[Recruiting Ranking: #42&nbsp;Rivals,&nbsp;#45&nbsp;247Sports, #50 ESPN, #60&nbsp;On3]

Castillo enters his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., as a 4-star and consensus top-50 prospect by three of the four major recruiting services. As a junior in 2022-23, he averaged 22.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Bartlesville en route to earning&nbsp;Tulsa World&nbsp;All-State honors as well as being a finalist for the&nbsp;World’s&nbsp;Player of the Year. He was also named to the Watch List for the USA Today HSSA Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In one game against Sapulpa, he scored 42 points to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

As a sophomore, Castillo averaged 24.7 points and 5.4 rebounds for Bartlesville in 2021-22 before earning First Team All-State and First Team All-Frontier Valley Conference honors. As a freshman, he averaged 23.7 points, which was the most by any Bartlesville player since 2005-06.

Castillo set the school record with 1,594 points in his 67-game career at Bartlesville, along with 378 rebounds, 248 assists and 79 steals.

Castillo has extensive experience playing internationally, winning gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He led the U16 National Team to a 6-0 record and gold at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Xalpala, Mexico. He finished with 14 points and 3 assists in the 90-75 win over Argentina in the gold medal game. He helped the Team USA to another perfect 7-0 record at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, where he averaged 10.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 assists. He scored 12 points against Lithuania in the semifinals as well as against host Spain in the gold medal game.

Castillo attended the 2023 USA Men’s Junior National Team minicamp but did not participate due to injury.

On the type of player David Castillo is…

“He's fast. He’s got some pop to him, and he can score the ball. But he's very unselfish. It doesn't hurt him to give the ball up. And then he's a communicator up and down the floor. Like he just connects people. And he's very poised. And you need poise. It’s like rebounding. If you rebound in high school, you rebound in college, then you will rebound in the NBA.&nbsp; Poise translates as well. If you're poised in high school, you'll be poised in college and that deploys to the next level, and he's got that.”

On the decision to attend K-State…

“I stand before you with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and humility as I sign my National Letter of Intent to join the Kansas State family. This is a tremendous honor, not just for myself, but my family, to represent this prestigious university in the world of collegiate sports.

While I’m acutely aware of the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that has brought me to this moment, I’m deeply thankful for the unwavering support from my family, coaches, teammates, mentors and most of all – God and the Holy Spirit – who have guided me through this journey. The trust that Kansas State has put in me is not taken lightly. I promise to give my absolute best on and off the court to contribute to the proud traditions of this institution and to make everyone associated with this institution proud.”

"One, Coach Tang is a Godly man and me and my family trust God and believe in God. Coach Tang lets his guards play. I want to play. I want to compete. I want to go out there and have fun.”

Bartlesville Head Coach&nbsp;Clent Stewart

On Castillo signing with K-State…

“I wanted what was best for him and obviously we had some conversation about fit and what team fit his play style the best. But I’m a ‘Cat and I’m very happy he chose Kansas State, but I wouldn’t supported whatever his decision was.”

K-State will host Bellarmine (0-1) in the home opener on Friday (Nov. 10) at 7 p.m., CT. It will be the first of two games in a 3-day span for the Wildcats, which plays South Dakota State (1-0) on Monday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., CT.<a></a><a>&nbsp;Tickets continue to go fast with six games already sold out for the 2023-24 season. November home games (minus Bellarmine) start at only $15, while the Bellarmine and Big 12 midweek games start at $30. Tickets can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), by logging in online at&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>, and in-person at the main southwest Bramlage Coliseum ticket office.

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;said he came to ‘elevate’ the program and he continued that process on Wednesday (Nov. 8) with the signing of consensus top-50 high school prospect&nbsp;David Castillo&nbsp;(Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.])&nbsp;to a National Letter of Intent.“We’re excited to welcome David and his family to K-State,” said Tang. “We signed a dude today. He's a leader. He's a winner. He has won two gold medals with USA Basketball, winning at the FIBA U16 Championships then again at the U17 World Cup. To show his leadership abilities, he got hurt and wasn’t able to play this past summer and the team didn’t even medal. So, the man is just a winner. He understands what it takes to win and lead.“Before his injury, he was considered a top-20 player. So, he was a little out of sight and out of mind. But it didn’t change who he is as a player. We can’t thank the Castillo family enough for trusting us, for believing in us. It was a big win for the Wildcats.”Castillo is rated among the top 50 players nationally by three of the four recruiting services, including No. 42 by&nbsp;Rivals, No. 45 by&nbsp;247Sports&nbsp;and No. 50 by ESPN, while is among the top-10 point guards, including No. 7 by&nbsp;247Sports, No. 8 by&nbsp;Rivals&nbsp;and No. 9 by&nbsp;On3.A native of Bartlesville, Okla., Castillo played three years at Bartlesville High School before transferring to prep powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., for his senior season in 2023-24. Playing for K-State alum&nbsp;Clent Stewart, he left Bartlesville as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,594 points, averaging 23.7 points per game in his 67-game career. He was twice named to the&nbsp;Tulsa World&nbsp;All-State Team and was a finalist for the&nbsp;World’s&nbsp;2023 State Player of the Year.In addition to his high school accolades, Castillo has led Team USA to a pair of gold medals, including the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He was also invited to the 2023 Team USA Junior National Team minicamp in April but could not play due to a foot injury.Castillo played for Team Griffin in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), where he was mentored by&nbsp;Rod Thompson.Castillo, whose parents migrated from Honduras to New York, was born in Houston. He has three siblings (Letricia,&nbsp;Antonio&nbsp;and&nbsp;Gloria). His older sister,&nbsp;Letricia, played basketball (2003-07) at the Air Force Academy, where she was a 3-time team captain and an honorable mention All-Mountain West selection in 2003-04.Castillo received more than 20 high-major offers before picking the Wildcats.The commitment of Castillo comes on the heels of Tang and his coaching staff signing a top-30 recruiting class in 2023, which includes current true freshmen&nbsp;Dai Dai Ames,&nbsp;R.J. Jones&nbsp;and&nbsp;Macaleab Rich. All 3 players were among the top 150 players as high school seniors in 2023.David Castillo&nbsp;(6-1, 170, PG, Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.])[Recruiting Ranking: #42&nbsp;Rivals,&nbsp;#45&nbsp;247Sports, #50 ESPN, #60&nbsp;On3]Castillo enters his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., as a 4-star and consensus top-50 prospect by three of the four major recruiting services. As a junior in 2022-23, he averaged 22.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Bartlesville en route to earning&nbsp;Tulsa World&nbsp;All-State honors as well as being a finalist for the&nbsp;World’s&nbsp;Player of the Year. He was also named to the Watch List for the USA Today HSSA Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In one game against Sapulpa, he scored 42 points to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.As a sophomore, Castillo averaged 24.7 points and 5.4 rebounds for Bartlesville in 2021-22 before earning First Team All-State and First Team All-Frontier Valley Conference honors. As a freshman, he averaged 23.7 points, which was the most by any Bartlesville player since 2005-06.Castillo set the school record with 1,594 points in his 67-game career at Bartlesville, along with 378 rebounds, 248 assists and 79 steals.Castillo has extensive experience playing internationally, winning gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. He led the U16 National Team to a 6-0 record and gold at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Xalpala, Mexico. He finished with 14 points and 3 assists in the 90-75 win over Argentina in the gold medal game. He helped the Team USA to another perfect 7-0 record at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, where he averaged 10.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.9 assists. He scored 12 points against Lithuania in the semifinals as well as against host Spain in the gold medal game.Castillo attended the 2023 USA Men’s Junior National Team minicamp but did not participate due to injury.Head coach&nbsp;Jerome TangOn the type of player David Castillo is…“He's fast. He’s got some pop to him, and he can score the ball. But he's very unselfish. It doesn't hurt him to give the ball up. And then he's a communicator up and down the floor. Like he just connects people. And he's very poised. And you need poise. It’s like rebounding. If you rebound in high school, you rebound in college, then you will rebound in the NBA.&nbsp; Poise translates as well. If you're poised in high school, you'll be poised in college and that deploys to the next level, and he's got that.”Signee&nbsp;David CastilloOn the decision to attend K-State…“I stand before you with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and humility as I sign my National Letter of Intent to join the Kansas State family. This is a tremendous honor, not just for myself, but my family, to represent this prestigious university in the world of collegiate sports.While I’m acutely aware of the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that has brought me to this moment, I’m deeply thankful for the unwavering support from my family, coaches, teammates, mentors and most of all – God and the Holy Spirit – who have guided me through this journey. The trust that Kansas State has put in me is not taken lightly. I promise to give my absolute best on and off the court to contribute to the proud traditions of this institution and to make everyone associated with this institution proud.”On Coach Tang…"One, Coach Tang is a Godly man and me and my family trust God and believe in God. Coach Tang lets his guards play. I want to play. I want to compete. I want to go out there and have fun.”Bartlesville Head Coach&nbsp;Clent StewartOn Castillo signing with K-State…“I wanted what was best for him and obviously we had some conversation about fit and what team fit his play style the best. But I’m a ‘Cat and I’m very happy he chose Kansas State, but I wouldn’t supported whatever his decision was.”K-State will host Bellarmine (0-1) in the home opener on Friday (Nov. 10) at 7 p.m., CT. It will be the first of two games in a 3-day span for the Wildcats, which plays South Dakota State (1-0) on Monday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., CT.<a></a><a>&nbsp;Tickets continue to go fast with six games already sold out for the 2023-24 season. November home games (minus Bellarmine) start at only $15, while the Bellarmine and Big 12 midweek games start at $30. Tickets can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), by logging in online at&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>, and in-person at the main southwest Bramlage Coliseum ticket office.

K-State Announces the Signing of David Castillo

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22847&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Jerome Tang’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/jerome-tang-press-conference-november-8-2023-/4855" target="_blank">Listen to Jerome Tang’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/kstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2023/11/8/MBB_Weekly_Media_Availability.pdf" target="_blank">Quotes</a>&nbsp;(.pdf)

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;met with the media on Wednesday morning (Nov. 8) to preview the Wildcats’ home opener against Bellarmine on Friday night (Nov. 10) at Bramlage Coliseum. Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang’s availability are above.

K-State (0-1) will welcome Bellarmine (0-1) on Friday night in the first of two games in three games with the Wildcats hosting Summit League preseason favorite South Dakota State (0-1) on Monday (Nov. 13) at 7 p.m., CT. The team then leaves for The Bahamas on Tuesday (Nov. 14) before playing Providence on Friday, Nov. 17 and either Georgia (0-1) or Miami (1-0) on Sunday, Nov. 19 in the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship.

K-State is 96-23 all-time in home openers, including 29-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.

Under legendary head coach&nbsp;Scott Davenport, the Knights are in their fourth season in Division I after transitioning from the Division II ranks where they went to 4 Final Fours and won the 2011 NCAA Championship. They return 9 lettermen, including 4 starters, from a team that went 15-18 overall and 9-9 in Atlantic Sun play.

Tickets can be&nbsp;purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), by logging in online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>, and in-person at the main southwest Bramlage Coliseum ticket office.

<a></a><a></a><a>On the biggest takeaways from the USC loss…</a>

“We beat ourselves a lot. There were a whole lot of self-inflicted wounds and things that we can definitely correct. They are a very good team, so some of our mistakes were because of USC. But a whole lot more of our mistakes were on us. So that's what we're going to work on. And like, there's no fairy dust to fix this thing, right? It's a little bit at a time. 1% better every day, you know, we use the people talk about trusting the process, it's gonna be a process. And everybody's got to buy into getting better every day and, and we will get to where we want to be.”

On Bellarmine and getting back to Bramlage Coliseum…&nbsp;

“Well, I know they're a really good shooting team. And they've won in the past. So, they've got some guys who know what winning is about and they shoot the ball, they move, they cut. So, we're gonna defend them before the catch and not just allow them to be comfortable and move the ball.

“What I love about basketball is that we don't have to wait a whole week before we play again. I think they would hate me after a week or so if that were the case. We’re excited about the opportunity to get back to Bramlage (Coliseum0. Our students are gonna be there and our fans will be rocking the Octagon of Doom. It's a special place. We’re excited about the opportunity, and we will be ready.”

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22847&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Jerome Tang’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/jerome-tang-press-conference-november-8-2023-/4855" target="_blank">Listen to Jerome Tang’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/kstate.sidearmsports.com/documents/2023/11/8/MBB_Weekly_Media_Availability.pdf" target="_blank">Quotes</a>&nbsp;(.pdf)MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head men’s basketball coach&nbsp;Jerome Tang&nbsp;met with the media on Wednesday morning (Nov. 8) to preview the Wildcats’ home opener against Bellarmine on Friday night (Nov. 10) at Bramlage Coliseum. Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang’s availability are above.K-State (0-1) will welcome Bellarmine (0-1) on Friday night in the first of two games in three games with the Wildcats hosting Summit League preseason favorite South Dakota State (0-1) on Monday (Nov. 13) at 7 p.m., CT. The team then leaves for The Bahamas on Tuesday (Nov. 14) before playing Providence on Friday, Nov. 17 and either Georgia (0-1) or Miami (1-0) on Sunday, Nov. 19 in the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship.K-State is 96-23 all-time in home openers, including 29-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.Under legendary head coach&nbsp;Scott Davenport, the Knights are in their fourth season in Division I after transitioning from the Division II ranks where they went to 4 Final Fours and won the 2011 NCAA Championship. They return 9 lettermen, including 4 starters, from a team that went 15-18 overall and 9-9 in Atlantic Sun play.Tickets can be&nbsp;purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287), by logging in online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">www.kstatesports.com/tickets</a>, and in-person at the main southwest Bramlage Coliseum ticket office.HEAD COACH JEROME TANG<a></a><a></a><a>On the biggest takeaways from the USC loss…</a>“We beat ourselves a lot. There were a whole lot of self-inflicted wounds and things that we can definitely correct. They are a very good team, so some of our mistakes were because of USC. But a whole lot more of our mistakes were on us. So that's what we're going to work on. And like, there's no fairy dust to fix this thing, right? It's a little bit at a time. 1% better every day, you know, we use the people talk about trusting the process, it's gonna be a process. And everybody's got to buy into getting better every day and, and we will get to where we want to be.”On Bellarmine and getting back to Bramlage Coliseum…&nbsp;“Well, I know they're a really good shooting team. And they've won in the past. So, they've got some guys who know what winning is about and they shoot the ball, they move, they cut. So, we're gonna defend them before the catch and not just allow them to be comfortable and move the ball.“What I love about basketball is that we don't have to wait a whole week before we play again. I think they would hate me after a week or so if that were the case. We’re excited about the opportunity to get back to Bramlage (Coliseum0. Our students are gonna be there and our fans will be rocking the Octagon of Doom. It's a special place. We’re excited about the opportunity, and we will be ready.”

Jerome Tang Previews Home Opener

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie announced the signing of one player to a National Letter of Intent (NLI) during the Fall National Signing period on Wednesday.

The new additions to the K-State roster for the 2024-25 season are: forward Finley Ohnstad (Elko New Market, Minnesota).

Ohnstad, who preps at Lakeville South High School, is a three-time All-South Suburban Conference selection and earned All-Metro honors in 2022-23 as she averaged 18 points per game.

In addition to her all-league honors, Ohnstad was a finalist for the St. Paul&nbsp;Pioneer Press&nbsp;East Metro Girls Basketball Player of the Year honor in 2023 and prior to the start of the 2022-23 season was a player to watch by the Minneapolis&nbsp;Star Tribune.

Ohnstad comes from a basketball family, as both her parents played basketball at Minnesota.

“Finley has good size for a versatile player,” said Mittie about the latest signee from the state of Minnesota. “She has good shooting ability that can play anywhere from a big guard to a small forward.”

The Wildcats return to action on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., as K-State visits Little Rock. Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.

Finley Ohnstad, Forward, Elko New Market, Minnesota, Lakeville South HS

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Kansas State women’s basketball head coach Jeff Mittie announced the signing of one player to a National Letter of Intent (NLI) during the Fall National Signing period on Wednesday.The new additions to the K-State roster for the 2024-25 season are: forward Finley Ohnstad (Elko New Market, Minnesota).Ohnstad, who preps at Lakeville South High School, is a three-time All-South Suburban Conference selection and earned All-Metro honors in 2022-23 as she averaged 18 points per game.In addition to her all-league honors, Ohnstad was a finalist for the St. Paul&nbsp;Pioneer Press&nbsp;East Metro Girls Basketball Player of the Year honor in 2023 and prior to the start of the 2022-23 season was a player to watch by the Minneapolis&nbsp;Star Tribune.Ohnstad comes from a basketball family, as both her parents played basketball at Minnesota.“Finley has good size for a versatile player,” said Mittie about the latest signee from the state of Minnesota. “She has good shooting ability that can play anywhere from a big guard to a small forward.”The Wildcats return to action on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., as K-State visits Little Rock. Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.Kansas State 2024 SigneesName, Position, Hometown, SchoolFinley Ohnstad, Forward, Elko New Market, Minnesota, Lakeville South HS

Mittie Signs Finley Ohnstad for 2024-25 Season

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football moved up five spots to No. 16 in the College Football Playoff Rankings, the organization announced on Tuesday evening.

The No. 16 ranking marks Kansas’ second-ever appearance in the CFP Rankings after making its initial appearance at No. 21 on Oct. 31.

Kansas (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) is off to its best start in the first nine games of its season since 2007, following a 28-21 victory over Iowa State on Nov. 4 in Ames, Iowa. The victory was Kansas’ first as a ranked team since the then-No. 16 ranked Jayhawks defeated Iowa State 41-36 on Oct. 10, 2009.

Following the win against Iowa State, Kansas climbed in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls, as the Jayhawks are ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Since 2014, the CFP has served as the postseason event to determine college football’s national champion on the field. The selection committee releases five rankings during the regular season, ranking teams based on the members’ evaluation of the teams’ performance on the field. Metrics taken into consideration include strength of schedule, head-to-head results and comparison of results against common opponents. The final CFP selections will be made on Sunday, Dec. 3.

Kansas will put its No. 16 ranking to the test as the Jayhawks return home for two straight home games against Texas Tech on Saturday, Nov. 11 before the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Kickoff between Kansas and Texas Tech is set for 11 a.m. CT with the game televised on FS1. Tickets to Kansas’ remaining two home games can be purchased by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">here</a>.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football moved up five spots to No. 16 in the College Football Playoff Rankings, the organization announced on Tuesday evening.The No. 16 ranking marks Kansas’ second-ever appearance in the CFP Rankings after making its initial appearance at No. 21 on Oct. 31.Kansas (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) is off to its best start in the first nine games of its season since 2007, following a 28-21 victory over Iowa State on Nov. 4 in Ames, Iowa. The victory was Kansas’ first as a ranked team since the then-No. 16 ranked Jayhawks defeated Iowa State 41-36 on Oct. 10, 2009.Following the win against Iowa State, Kansas climbed in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls, as the Jayhawks are ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.Since 2014, the CFP has served as the postseason event to determine college football’s national champion on the field. The selection committee releases five rankings during the regular season, ranking teams based on the members’ evaluation of the teams’ performance on the field. Metrics taken into consideration include strength of schedule, head-to-head results and comparison of results against common opponents. The final CFP selections will be made on Sunday, Dec. 3.Kansas will put its No. 16 ranking to the test as the Jayhawks return home for two straight home games against Texas Tech on Saturday, Nov. 11 before the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State on Saturday, Nov. 18.Kickoff between Kansas and Texas Tech is set for 11 a.m. CT with the game televised on FS1. Tickets to Kansas’ remaining two home games can be purchased by clicking&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">here</a>.

Kansas Football Moves up to No. 16 in College Football Playoff Rankings

John Harris from Junction City is Gridiron Glory's Week 9 winner! He won two tickets to the Chiefs vs. Eagles game on Nov. 20 at Arrowhead Stadium courtesy of the Salina Pain Clinic. Harris scored 13 out of 14 points.

Although the season has begun, you still have time to win!

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!

Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697036292966.png" alt="Gridiron Glory" />
 <figcaption>Gridiron Glory</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTJohn Harris from Junction City is Gridiron Glory's Week 9 winner! He won two tickets to the Chiefs vs. Eagles game on Nov. 20 at Arrowhead Stadium courtesy of the Salina Pain Clinic. Harris scored 13 out of 14 points.Although the season has begun, you still have time to win!<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/6457a6fe-ce1b-48df-a651-5d8582b478f7?contestid=3#registration/login">Sign up today</a>&nbsp;to make your picks for a chance to win great weekly prizes, including cash,&nbsp;gift cards, concert tickets, and Chiefs tickets.&nbsp;If you pick well, you'll also be in the running for the local season prize of $1,000 and a national season prize of a trip to Hawaii!Don't miss out on the state's best pro football pick'em contest!

Congratulations John Harris Gridiron Glory Week 9 Winner!

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22844&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-7-2023/4854" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-7-2023/4853" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-Gzr8EGCXEh" target="_blank">Media Download</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex as the Wildcats host Baylor on Saturday afternoon inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.

“Good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to see everybody. Tough, tough loss on Saturday. We had a pretty good meeting yesterday with our leadership council. A couple of things – one, how proud we were of the effort and how the guys fought and battled and played. Texas is really good; we all know that. I don't know if there's a lot of teams that can go in there, be down 17-0 and do nothing right the whole first half on offense, defense, or on teams, and then flip the game with the punt block to get at least competitive at halftime. Then we go down 27-7, things weren't going really great, and all of a sudden, we put a great drive together get to 27-14. Then we start creating some turnovers, and, lo and behold, we’re in the game and have a chance to win. It's a credit to the locker room. It’s a credit to the culture. Our guys are hurting. We had a chance, an opportunity, to win the game and didn't get it done. The biggest thing for us now is we've got to move forward. We always talk about how you respond. Well, this is a little bit different. We had a top five-team, in my opinion, on the ropes. They made some plays down the stretch and found a way to win. Hats off to them. Now, we've got to be able to move on. We've got so much story to write in this season and so many more things to accomplish and some awesome opportunities. The first one starts this Saturday with one of our last two for the seniors at The Bill. So, we had a really good practice after a meeting yesterday. We had a really good practice, good energy, good focus, and I'm confident the guys are going to come back and respond.”

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22844&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-november-7-2023/4854" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-november-7-2023/4853" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://we.tl/t-Gzr8EGCXEh" target="_blank">Media Download</a>MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex as the Wildcats host Baylor on Saturday afternoon inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – are above in addition to an audio link of player breakout interviews. A transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to see everybody. Tough, tough loss on Saturday. We had a pretty good meeting yesterday with our leadership council. A couple of things – one, how proud we were of the effort and how the guys fought and battled and played. Texas is really good; we all know that. I don't know if there's a lot of teams that can go in there, be down 17-0 and do nothing right the whole first half on offense, defense, or on teams, and then flip the game with the punt block to get at least competitive at halftime. Then we go down 27-7, things weren't going really great, and all of a sudden, we put a great drive together get to 27-14. Then we start creating some turnovers, and, lo and behold, we’re in the game and have a chance to win. It's a credit to the locker room. It’s a credit to the culture. Our guys are hurting. We had a chance, an opportunity, to win the game and didn't get it done. The biggest thing for us now is we've got to move forward. We always talk about how you respond. Well, this is a little bit different. We had a top five-team, in my opinion, on the ropes. They made some plays down the stretch and found a way to win. Hats off to them. Now, we've got to be able to move on. We've got so much story to write in this season and so many more things to accomplish and some awesome opportunities. The first one starts this Saturday with one of our last two for the seniors at The Bill. So, we had a really good practice after a meeting yesterday. We had a really good practice, good energy, good focus, and I'm confident the guys are going to come back and respond.”

K-State Discusses Game Against Baylor at Weekly Press Conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with the Texas Rangers and Surprise Stadium, the Kansas City Royals today announced home game times for their 31-game exhibition schedule for 2024. Game dates and opponents were announced in July.

The Royals will begin their 22nd&nbsp;season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 23 as the road team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers.

The Royals will host 2 night games during Cactus League play, on Tuesday, March 5 vs. the Chicago Cubs at 7:05 p.m. CT and Wednesday, March 20 vs. the Los Angeles Angels at 8:05 p.m. CT.

Seven of the Royals 1st&nbsp;8 home games will begin at 2:05 p.m. CT. Starting on Sunday, March 10, when Daylight Savings begins, 5 of the remaining 7 home games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.

Of the 14 other teams in the Cactus League, the Royals will play all but two of them at least twice, including 4 games vs. the Rangers and 3 games vs. the Guardians, Angels, Cubs and Rockies. They’re also scheduled for 2 games vs. the White Sox, Athletics, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Giants, Reds and Brewers. The Royals will play 1 game vs. the Padres. They are not scheduled to face the Dodgers.

The Royals have two scheduled off days during the spring, including Monday, March 4 and Monday, March 18. There are three split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Friday, March 15 and Thursday, March 21.

Kansas City’s spring finale is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 23 vs. the Rangers. Following four off days, the Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 28 at Kauffman Stadium vs. the Minnesota Twins.

Spring Training single game tickets go on-sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, Nov. 14 for as low as $8. Tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://surprisestadium.com/" target="_blank">surprisestadium.com</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 623.222.2222. The Surprise Stadium Box Office will open for in-person ticket sales on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 beginning at 8 a.m. MST. The box office is located at 15960 N. Bullard Ave.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—In conjunction with the Texas Rangers and Surprise Stadium, the Kansas City Royals today announced home game times for their 31-game exhibition schedule for 2024. Game dates and opponents were announced in July.The Royals will begin their 22nd&nbsp;season in the Cactus League on Friday, Feb. 23 as the road team vs. the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Kansas City’s schedule features 15 home games at Surprise Stadium, plus 2 games as the visiting team vs. the Rangers.The Royals will host 2 night games during Cactus League play, on Tuesday, March 5 vs. the Chicago Cubs at 7:05 p.m. CT and Wednesday, March 20 vs. the Los Angeles Angels at 8:05 p.m. CT.Seven of the Royals 1st&nbsp;8 home games will begin at 2:05 p.m. CT. Starting on Sunday, March 10, when Daylight Savings begins, 5 of the remaining 7 home games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.Of the 14 other teams in the Cactus League, the Royals will play all but two of them at least twice, including 4 games vs. the Rangers and 3 games vs. the Guardians, Angels, Cubs and Rockies. They’re also scheduled for 2 games vs. the White Sox, Athletics, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Giants, Reds and Brewers. The Royals will play 1 game vs. the Padres. They are not scheduled to face the Dodgers.The Royals have two scheduled off days during the spring, including Monday, March 4 and Monday, March 18. There are three split-squad dates, on which the Royals will field a pair of teams and play 2 games, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Friday, March 15 and Thursday, March 21.Kansas City’s spring finale is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 23 vs. the Rangers. Following four off days, the Royals will play their regular season opener on Thursday, March 28 at Kauffman Stadium vs. the Minnesota Twins.Spring Training single game tickets go on-sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, Nov. 14 for as low as $8. Tickets can be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://surprisestadium.com/" target="_blank">surprisestadium.com</a>&nbsp;or by phone at 623.222.2222. The Surprise Stadium Box Office will open for in-person ticket sales on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 beginning at 8 a.m. MST. The box office is located at 15960 N. Bullard Ave.

ROYALS ANNOUNCE HOME GAME TIMES  FOR 2024 SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self signed a lifetime contract Tuesday that will pay him $53 million over the first five years, easily surpassing Kentucky coach John Calipari for the richest deal ever given to a college basketball coach at a public university.

Self will make more than $13 million this season in base pay, professional services and royalties along with a one-time signing bonus and retention payments, including some that were deferred during the pandemic. At the conclusion of each year, another is added to the deal, and Self will earn a one-time, $5 million retention bonus if he serves out the first five.

The deal includes a provision that allows the renegotiation of terms, including Self's pay package, after the 2025-26 season. It already surpasses the deal signed by Calipari that will pay him $8.5 million to lead the Wildcats this season.

“Bill Self is undoubtedly the most consistent coach in college basketball, and a restructuring of his contract terms were long overdue,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said. “In an ever-changing collegiate athletics environment, our strong commitment to Coach Self positions KU basketball to maintain and enhance its status as the most storied program in the country."

The top-ranked Jayhawks opened this season by routing North Carolina Central on Monday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699390154366.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self signed a lifetime contract Tuesday that will pay him $53 million over the first five years, easily surpassing Kentucky coach John Calipari for the richest deal ever given to a college basketball coach at a public university.Self will make more than $13 million this season in base pay, professional services and royalties along with a one-time signing bonus and retention payments, including some that were deferred during the pandemic. At the conclusion of each year, another is added to the deal, and Self will earn a one-time, $5 million retention bonus if he serves out the first five.The deal includes a provision that allows the renegotiation of terms, including Self's pay package, after the 2025-26 season. It already surpasses the deal signed by Calipari that will pay him $8.5 million to lead the Wildcats this season.“Bill Self is undoubtedly the most consistent coach in college basketball, and a restructuring of his contract terms were long overdue,” Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said. “In an ever-changing collegiate athletics environment, our strong commitment to Coach Self positions KU basketball to maintain and enhance its status as the most storied program in the country."The top-ranked Jayhawks opened this season by routing North Carolina Central on Monday night.

Bill Self signs richest college basketball contract ever given by a public university

Game 10Baylor at&nbsp;rv/rv&nbsp;K-State Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023 Kickoff: 2 p.m. Location: Manhattan, Kan. Stadium: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) Series: Series Tied, 10-10 TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/95eed7cc-0151-4d3c-9c0a-ef3c2a6b7a35" target="_blank">watch</a>) Noah Reed (Play-by-Play) Barrett Brooks (Analyst) Tori Petry (Sidelines) Radio: K-State Sports Network;&nbsp;<a href="http://k-statesports.com/" target="_blank">k-statesports.com</a>&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Live=5608&amp;type=Live" target="_blank">Listen</a>)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wyatt Thompson (Play-by-Play)&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stan Weber (Analyst)

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Matt Walters (Sidelines)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Ch. 132 or 200; SXM App 954

THE TOP 51)&nbsp;Following a tough 33-30 overtime loss at No. 7 Texas – a game in which K-State rallied from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter– the Wildcats return to Bill Snyder Family Stadium to host Baylor on Saturday. The game will kick at 2 p.m. and be shown on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Noah Reed (play-by-play), former K-State offensive lineman Barrett Brooks (analyst) and Tori Petry (sidelines) on the call.

2)&nbsp;The Cats are one of seven Power 5 teams to rank in the top 18 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They enter play this week ranked 17th by scoring 36.6 points per game. Since Collin Klein took over as offensive coordinator for the 2021 Texas Bowl, K-State is averaging 34.3 points per game, which includes hitting the 40-point mark in all five home games this season.

3)&nbsp;K-State's ground game has led the way as it checks in at No. 11 in the country with 204.6 rushing yards per game. Senior quarterback Will Howard has had a resurgence over the last three weeks, throwing for 645 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception on 51-of-75 (68.0%) aim. He threw for a career-high 327 yards and a school-record tying four touchdowns last week at Texas.

4)&nbsp;Over the last three weeks, Kansas State has outscored its opponents, 112-36, and has won the turnover battle with a plus-6 margin thanks to seven interceptions, including two last week by Jacob Parrish. Over the last two seasons, K-State has held 15 of its 16 Big 12 opponents under its season scoring averaging entering the game.

5)&nbsp;The K-State defense enters the week ranked in the top 25 nationally in third down defense (4th – 27.1%), pass efficiency defense (15th – 113.0) and scoring defense (18th – 17.8 ppg). Since the Cats switched to a 3-3-5 alignment to start the 2021 season (36 games), K-State has allowed just 20.5 points per game to tie for 17th in the nation and first in the Big 12.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHTS204.6&nbsp;–&nbsp;Rushing yards per game this season by K-State, which ranks 11th nationally heading into this weekend.

79.5&nbsp;–&nbsp;Red-zone touchdown percentage by the Wildcats this season (35-of-44), which ranks fourth nationally.

27.1&nbsp;–&nbsp;Third down percentage allowed by K-State, ranking fourth nationally and standing as its best mark since 1999 (22%).

14&nbsp;– Total point margin in the Cats' three losses this season, all of which have come against teams currently ranked in Top 16.

9&nbsp;–&nbsp;Number of turnovers the Wildcat defense has forced over the last four games (3-1 record in those games).

• • Down 27-7 in the third quarter at No. 7 Texas, K-State battled back to force overtime thanks in part to a blitz of 20 points over a span of 2 minutes, 42 seconds before eventually falling, 33-30. The defense held the Horns to 171 yards in the second half, special teams blocked a punt, and Will Howard finished with a career high in passing yards (327) and tied his career highs in completions (26) and touchdown passes (4).

• In K-State's last home game, the Wildcats dominated in all three phases in a 41-0 shutout win over Houston. Howard started the game 12-for-12 through the air and finished 15-of-17 for 164 yards and two touchdowns. His 88.2% accuracy ranked third in school history for a single game and was the best mark since current K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein had a 90.4% rate at West Virginia in 2012.

• Defensively, the Cats shut out the Cougars while forcing two turnovers. It was the first time a Houston team had been kept off the scoreboard since 2000. Houston had been averaging 28.9 points per game entering the contest.

• Prior to that, the Cats recorded a 41-3 win over TCU. Howard and Avery Johnson both engineered a Wildcat offense that generated 406 total yards in the first half and 587 for the game. K-State ran for a season-high 343 yards on the ground as nine different Wildcats carried the ball, the most ball carriers since nine players also logged a rush at Kansas in 2021.

• Defensively, the Cats kept the Frogs out of the end zone for the first time this season and held them to three total points. TCU averaged more than 33 points per game entering the contest.

• Kansas State has been on a solid streak over the past three-plus games. Since Texas Tech took a 21-17 lead over the Cats with 7:31 left in the third quarter of the October 14 contest, K-State has outscored its opponents, 133-36.

• Other notables from the last four games include: 37.5 points scored per game, 444.0 average total yards and, perhaps most importantly, a plus-6 margin in turnovers.

• Prior to the Texas Tech game, K-State ranked 105th nationally in turnover margin (minus-3) but has since flipped that script as it currently ranks 38th nationally with a plus-3 margin.

• In the last four contests, K-State has forced nine turnovers (seven interceptions, two fumbles) while only committing three (two fumbles, one interception).

• Kansas State has three losses this season – all on the road – by a combined 14 points to teams ranked in the top 16 in this week's Associated Press Top 25.

• The Wildcats suffered a 30-27 loss at Missouri – now ranked No. 16 – on a last-second, SEC-record 61-yard field goal. Two games later, K-State lost, 29-21, at Oklahoma State, which is now ranked No. 15. Then, last week, the Wildcats came away three points short in a 33-30 overtime loss at No. 7 Texas.

• K-State has a total of 219 victories since 1996, which ranks 23rd nationally. Among current Big 12 teams, the Wildcats rank fifth behind Oklahoma (269), Texas (237), BYU (228) and TCU (228). Over the last 13 seasons, the Wildcats have won at least seven games 11 times.

•&nbsp;Kansas State has a strong history of being in the postseason, as the Cats will advance to their 24th bowl game since 1993 at the end of this season, including their 12th in the last 14 years.

• Entering the 2023 campaign, K-State’s 23 bowl trips since 1993 were tied for fourth among current Big 12 teams.

• In an era when over 80 teams play in a bowl game each year, the Cats are one of just 19 Power 5 teams to play in a bowl game 11 times in the previous 13 years.

• Kansas State has been one of the best Big 12 teams since the inception of the conference in 1996. The Wildcats are third with 137 conference victories, trailing only Oklahoma and Texas.

• The Wildcats are also third in the conference in winning percentage since non-divisional play began in 2011. They sit at 59.6% (68-46), trailing only Oklahoma (77.0%; 87-26) and Oklahoma State (65.8%; 75-39).

• During that stretch, the Wildcats are 38-19 (66.7%) at home in Big 12 play and 30-26 (53.6%) on the road.

• A proven winner with a championship history, Chris Klieman holds a 108-36 career record, as his 75.0% career winning percentage ranks fourth among current FBS coaches that have led programs for at least 10 seasons.

• Klieman, who is 36-23 since arriving at K-State prior to the 2019 season, is also one of just 16 current Power 5 head coaches with at least 100 wins.

• K-State is the nation’s best in non-offensive touchdowns over the last 24 seasons as it has 129 since 1999, five more than the next closest team (Alabama – 124).

• Of the 129 non-offensive scores since 1999, 44 have been punt returns, 40 interception returns, 33 kickoff returns, 10 fumble returns and 2 missed/blocked field goal returns.

OFFENSIVE NOTESSCORING SURGE• K-State has scored at least 38 points in eight of its last 11 regular-season contests dating back to last season, its most in an 11-game stretch since doing so 10 times over the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

• Since Collin Klein started calling plays for the 2021 Texas Bowl, K-State’s offense has averaged 34.3 points per game.

• The Cats currently rank 17th nationally and second in the Big 12 with 36.6 points per game this season, a figure that ranks seventh in school history.TOTAL OFFENSE• K-State has totaled at least 375 yards in 13 of 15 games against Big 12 foes dating back to last season, including the Big 12 Championship. During that stretch, the Wildcats held a 10-game conference game streak with 375 or more yards, the longest in school history.

• The 2023 opener against SEMO saw the Cats total 588 yards, the fifth-most in school history, most ever in a season opener.

• The Cats enter this week’s game ranked 22nd nationally by averaging 453.0 yards per game, a mark that currently ranks second in school history. They also currently rank second in school history with 6.22 yards per play.500 CLUB• The latest 500-yard output for the Wildcats came against TCU, a 587-yard effort that included 406 yards in the first half, which was the most by K-State in a half since at least 1999.

• It was the sixth-most yards in a game in school history but the most ever against a conference opponent.

• This is the first year K-State has at least three 500-yard games since 2003 (535 vs. California; 503 at Iowa State; 561 at Nebraska; 519 vs. Oklahoma) and the first time with at least two in Big 12 play since 2014 (505 vs. Kansas and 535 vs. Texas Tech).RUSHING TO VICTORY

• K-State has steadily been one of the top rushing attacks in the country this season as it ranks 11th nationally and second among Power 5 programs with 204.6 rushing yards per game.

• The Wildcats are also tied for 10th nationally and first in the Big 12 with 23 rushing touchdowns.

• As of late, the Wildcats have rushed for 200 or more yards in four of their six Big 12 games, their most in a six-game Big 12 stretch since doing so in six-straight games in 2016.

• A staple of K-State football over the past decade has been committing very few turnovers, as the Wildcats rank third among Power 5 teams in fewest turnovers since 2012 with 176.

• That figure leads returning Big 12 teams, as the Wildcats are 16 better than the next closest program (Oklahoma, 193).

• The Wildcats finished the 2022 season tied for eighth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in turnover margin (+0.86 / game) and head into this week's game ranked 38th (+0.33 / game).

PUTTING IT WHERE ONLY OUR GUY CAN GET IT• Since Collin Klein took over coaching the quarterbacks in 2017, K-State has only thrown 51 interceptions, equating to 0.61 per game.

• K-State’s 51 total interceptions thrown the last six-plus seasons are the fewest in the Big 12 and tied for seventh among Power 5 teams.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS• Kansas State has been one of the best teams in the nation in terms of converting on third down, as the Wildcats lead the Big 12 and rank sixth nationally with a 50.8% success rate. That figure included a 74.1% mark in wins over TCU and Houston, nearly 10% higher than any other team in the country over those two weeks.

• Through nine games, K-State has converted on 63-of-124 third downs, which included 10-of-13 conversions against TCU and 10-of-14 against Houston. It was the third time this season the Wildcats converted 10 third-down attempts (Troy).

• This is the first season K-State has been successful on at least 10 third-down attempts in three different games since at least 1999.

• The Wildcats have not finished over 50% on third downs in a season since 1998 (50.6% – 84-of-166).RED ZONE SUCCESS• Kansas State has been one of the best teams in the nation in turning red-zone trips into touchdowns, as the Wildcats lead the Big 12 and rank fourth nationally by finding paydirt on 79.55% percent of their red-zone possessions (35-of-44).

• K-State's 35 red-zone touchdowns this year are tied for fifth&nbsp; nationally and five more than the next closest Big 12 team (Oklahoma – 30).

• This year is a continuation of red-zone success under head coach Chris Klieman, as the Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 by scoring on 90.4% (208-of-230) of their overall red-zone trips since 2019. Oklahoma ranks first at 90.7%.VETERAN OFFENSIVE LINE• K-State's veteran offensive line has a combined for 234 games played and 161 starts among the six Wildcats that have logged at least one start this season.

• Senior left guard Cooper Beebe leads the charge with 44 starts, just one shy of entering the school's top five list among offensive linemen since 1990. He has played in 47 career games, as has senior left tackle KT Leveston. Senior center Hayden Gillum has also seen action in over 40 games as he will play in his 44th career contest this weekend.CLOSING IN ON HISTORY• Playing in 31 career games with 24 starts, Will Howard has 42 career touchdown passes – including 18 this season – as he is closing in on becoming the school's all-time leader in both categories.

• A product of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Howard needs three more touchdown passes to take over the top spot for a career that is currently held by Josh Freeman, who had 44 scoring strikes over the 2006 through 2008 seasons.

• Howard is now seven touchdown passes shy of holding K-State's single-season record. That mark is currently held by Ell Roberson, who tossed 24 touchdown passes during the 15-game 2003 campaign.THEY COME IN THREES• Will Howard produced his fourth game this year with at least three touchdown passes when he had a school-record tying four at Texas. It was the second time in his career he tied the school's single-game record (2022 vs. Oklahoma State.)

• He also had three scoring strikes this season against Troy, Missouri and TCU, the latter in which earned him Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week honors.

• Howard is the first K-State signal caller with at least four games throwing three or more passing touchdowns since Josh Freeman did so in five games during the 2008 season.

RANKING HIGH ON THE CHARTS• In addition to his touchdown passes, Will Howard ranks highly on many other K-State career and single-season lists.

• Howard enters this week ranked fifth in school history in career completion percentage (59.2), sixth in completions (402), attempts (679), passing yards per game (165.5), passing efficiency (135.9) and total offense (5,961), seventh in touchdown responsibility (58) and eighth in passing yards (5,098).

• In single-season categories, Howard is tied for ninth in touchdown responsibility (24), ranks 10th in passing efficiency (144.2) and is 14 completions away from entering the top 10 (currently at 163).

FIVE FOR THE FRESHMAN• True freshman quarterback Avery Johnson rushed for five touchdowns at Texas Tech to tie the school record with current K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein (2011 vs. Texas A&amp;M) and Jonathan Beasley (2000 vs. North Texas).

• It is the most rushing touchdowns nationally in a game this year, while it is the most by any true freshman since Oklahoma's Samaje Perine had five against Kansas in 2014.

• Johnson's five rushing scores are also the most by any true freshman quarterback in the nation since at least 1995, which makes it the most by a true freshman quarterback in Big 12 history. It was also the first time any Big 12 player had at least five rushing touchdowns since 2016.

• Avery Johnson has six rushing touchdowns this season, which is tied for third in school history among freshmen. He is two shy of the record held by then-redshirt freshman fullback Ayo Saba in 2002 and one shy of tying the school's true freshman record held by running back Deuce Vaughn in 2020.

• Johnson's six rushing touchdowns this year are the second most nationally among true freshmen, just two behind UNLV running back Jai'Den Thomas.

GIDDENS GETTING IT DONE• Sophomore running back DJ Giddens has rushed for 744 yards and seven touchdowns this year in addition to collecting 263 receiving yards on 24 catches, as his 1,007 yards from scrimmage this year ranks seventh in the Big 12.

• He has been efficient when he touches the ball, tying for second in the Big 12 with 6.8 yards per touch (minimum 100 touches).

• Giddens enters this week tied for 18th nationally with 26 carries that have gone for at least 10 yards.

• A native of Junction City, Kansas, Giddens' 5.95 yards per rush this year currently ranks fifth in school history, while he has 6.90 yards per rush in his career to rank second behind Darren Sproles (6.11 yds/rush – 2001-04).

CONTINUED SUCCESS• Ben Sinnott burst onto the scene last season, and that has continued in 2023 as he ranks fourth nationally and first in the Big 12 among tight ends with 433 receiving yards.

• Included in that total is a career-high 100-yard effort against SEMO, the first K-State tight end with a 100-yard receiving game since Jeron Mastrud at Kansas in 2006 (103 yards).

• A product of Waterloo, Iowa, Sinnott enters this week's game ranked tied for fifth in school history among tight ends in single-season receptions (32) and receiving touchdowns (3), while he is eighth in yards (433).

• Sinnott also ranks second in school history among tight ends with seven career receiving touchdowns in addition to ranking fourth in receptions (65) and eighth in yards (895).

SWISS ARMY KNIFE• Ben Sinnott’s skill set allows him to line up in many different spots. Thus far in 2023, the Waterloo, Iowa, product has lined up 353 times as an inline tight end, 120 times in the slot, 72 times in the backfield and 17 times as a true wide receiver.

DEFENSIVE NOTESA BIG TURNAROUND• The K-State defense switched from a four-man front to a 3-3-5 alignment in 2021, and the change has paid off.

• In the 36 games since the defensive switch, the Cats are allowing just 20.5 points per game, which is tied for 17th in the nation and first in the Big 12.

• The Wildcats surrendered just 21.0 points per game in 2021 and 21.9 points per game last year. It marked the first time K-State allowed less than 22.0 points per game in consecutive seasons since going 13-straight years from 1991 to 2003.

• K-State enters the week ranked 18th nationally and second in the Big 12 by allowing 17.8 points per game. The last time the Wildcats allowed under 20.0 points per game in a season was 2003 (16.3).

• The Wildcats have only allowed 15 touchdowns from scrimmage this year, which is tied for seventh nationally.

UNDER AVERAGE• K-State held all of its Big 12 opponents last season – and four of the first five in 2023 – under its season averages. Oklahoma State went over its season scoring average this season, but did so with only one offensive score, a pick-six and five field goals.

• Since head coach Chris Klieman’s first year of 2019, the Wildcats have held 34 of their 42 Big 12 opponents under their season average at the time it faces the Wildcats.

K-State Returns Home to Face Baylor

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;K-State rode a strong defensive performance to secure the 2023-24 season-opening win over Presbyterian, 69-35, at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.

The Wildcats tallied 18 steals and 11 blocks on Monday night. The combined total of 29 blocks and steals are the most in the Jeff Mittie era in a single game. Of the 11 blocks, seven different Wildcats recorded at least one including K-State’s tallest player, Ayoka Lee with three, and K-State’s shortest, Taryn Sides with one.

- After a poor shooting effort in the first half, K-State blistered the nets by comparison in the second half as the Wildcats shot 60.0 percent (15-of-25) and outscored Presbyterian in the second half, 41-20.

- K-State used a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter to turn an 11-point lead into a 21-point advantage, 40-19, with four minutes remaining in the quarter.

- A Jaelyn Glenn three-pointer started the run and was followed by a free throw from Serena Sundell and a steal and layup from Brylee Glenn. Jaelyn Glenn registered a diverse line of 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot.

- After a Presbyterian timeout with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, Ayoka Lee carded consecutive jumpers and the run was capped by a Zyanna Walker layup. Lee ended the night with a game-high 14 points and seven rebounds, while also adding in three blocks, two steals and two assists in 22 minutes.

- Walker helped the Wildcats close the quarter on a 9-2 run to build a 49-26 lead entering the fourth quarter. Walker, playing her first game in a K-State uniform, tallied a corner three-pointer and then another layup. Walker would end the night perfect from the field, shooting 5-of-5 including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc for a career-high 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench.

- K-State shot 32.4 percent (11-of-34) from the field in the first half to hold a 28-15 lead at halftime.

- Monday’s game was the earliest season-opener in program history.

- Kansas State is 47-9 (.839) in season openers and have won 21 of the last 23 season openers, including 13 straight.

- The Wildcats have won 29 of its last 31 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 47-9 (.839) all-time in home openers and 32-4 (.889) in openers in Bramlage.

- K-State owns a record&nbsp;of 381-154 (.712) during&nbsp;its time in Bramlage Coliseum. Head coach&nbsp;Jeff Mittie is 111-46 (.707) in home games with the Wildcats.

- K-State has won 22 straight non-conference home games dating back to December of 2020. The Wildcats were 10-0 in non-conference home games in 2022-23. Kansas State is 222-29 (.884) against non-conference foes, while Mittie is 68-8 (.895).

- K-State is 1-0 in the series against Presbyterian. The Wildcats are 1-1 against current members of the Big South Conference.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;K-State rode a strong defensive performance to secure the 2023-24 season-opening win over Presbyterian, 69-35, at Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.The Wildcats tallied 18 steals and 11 blocks on Monday night. The combined total of 29 blocks and steals are the most in the Jeff Mittie era in a single game. Of the 11 blocks, seven different Wildcats recorded at least one including K-State’s tallest player, Ayoka Lee with three, and K-State’s shortest, Taryn Sides with one.HOW IT HAPPENED- After a poor shooting effort in the first half, K-State blistered the nets by comparison in the second half as the Wildcats shot 60.0 percent (15-of-25) and outscored Presbyterian in the second half, 41-20.- K-State used a 12-2 run midway through the third quarter to turn an 11-point lead into a 21-point advantage, 40-19, with four minutes remaining in the quarter.- A Jaelyn Glenn three-pointer started the run and was followed by a free throw from Serena Sundell and a steal and layup from Brylee Glenn. Jaelyn Glenn registered a diverse line of 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot.- After a Presbyterian timeout with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, Ayoka Lee carded consecutive jumpers and the run was capped by a Zyanna Walker layup. Lee ended the night with a game-high 14 points and seven rebounds, while also adding in three blocks, two steals and two assists in 22 minutes.- Walker helped the Wildcats close the quarter on a 9-2 run to build a 49-26 lead entering the fourth quarter. Walker, playing her first game in a K-State uniform, tallied a corner three-pointer and then another layup. Walker would end the night perfect from the field, shooting 5-of-5 including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc for a career-high 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench.- K-State shot 32.4 percent (11-of-34) from the field in the first half to hold a 28-15 lead at halftime.QUICK FACTS- Monday’s game was the earliest season-opener in program history.- Kansas State is 47-9 (.839) in season openers and have won 21 of the last 23 season openers, including 13 straight.- The Wildcats have won 29 of its last 31 home openers in Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats are 47-9 (.839) all-time in home openers and 32-4 (.889) in openers in Bramlage.- K-State owns a record&nbsp;of 381-154 (.712) during&nbsp;its time in Bramlage Coliseum. Head coach&nbsp;Jeff Mittie is 111-46 (.707) in home games with the Wildcats.- K-State has won 22 straight non-conference home games dating back to December of 2020. The Wildcats were 10-0 in non-conference home games in 2022-23. Kansas State is 222-29 (.884) against non-conference foes, while Mittie is 68-8 (.895).- K-State is 1-0 in the series against Presbyterian. The Wildcats are 1-1 against current members of the Big South Conference.TEAM NOTES- K-State's starting five consisted of guards: Jaelyn Glenn, Serena Sundell, Brylee Glenn, Gabby Gregory and center Ayoka Lee. This was the first time this starting five has been used in a regular season game. This was the 88th&nbsp;career start for Lee, the 79th&nbsp;collegiate career start and the 33rd&nbsp;start at K-State for Gregory, the 70th&nbsp;career start for Sundell, the 66th&nbsp;career start for Jaelyn Glenn and the 60th&nbsp;career start for Brylee Glenn.- The Wildcats held a 28-15 lead at halftime on Monday. K-State was 16-1 when leading at the half in 2022-23. Under head coach Jeff Mittie, K-State is 130-17 (.884) when leading at halftime.- Over the last 21 seasons, Kansas State is 129-3 (.977) when holding opponents to 49 points or less. K-State has held seven of its last eight season-opening foes to 49 points or less.- K-State is 20-1 (.952) in the Mittie era when registering a combination of 20 or more blocks and steals in a game.PLAYER NOTES- With her 14 points on Monday night, Ayoka Lee moved into seventh on the K-State career points list with 1,675. This was Lee’s 80th&nbsp;career game with 10 or more points.- With her five made field goals on Monday night, Ayoka Lee moved into fifth on the K-State career field goals made list with 670.- Jaelyn Glenn pocketed four steals on Monday. This was Glenn’s 14th&nbsp;career game with four or more steals.- Junior guard Serena Sundell handed out six assists. With her total, Sundell moved into 11th&nbsp;on the K-State career assists list. This was her 43rd&nbsp;career game with five or more assists. Sundell led K-State in assists for the 57th&nbsp;time in her career.- Sundell blocked three shots on Monday. She owns 52 blocked shots in her career, improving on her school record for career blocked shots by a K-State guard.- K-State head coach Jeff Mittie announced postgame that freshman forward Alexis Hess and sophomore guard Mikayla Parks will redshirt this season.FROM THE HEAD COACHK-State Head Coach Jeff MittieOn the defense…“I thought it was pretty good. I thought from the assignment of what we wanted to do on their shooters. This is a team that shoots the ball well and they'll spread you out. I thought we did a good job, but we wanted to be more active. I felt like we missed so many opportunities last game. I felt like we let Pitt State off the hook a lot when we killed the dribble. And we had a better killer instinct tonight. I thought we played more aggressively when we had opportunities to get steals. The other thing we spent a lot of time on in practice is keeping smaller guards in front of us, our length has got to play in that, you got to block some shots as a guard, not just Ayoka (Lee) you got to block shots as a team. I just feel like defensively we we had a better killer instinct tonight.”On offensive struggles…“We're struggling offensively right now. And I think part of that is just that we've been pushing them to not settle for just good shots and get great shots. And then you look out there and we're turning down great shots. So in the identification of that, I think we're probably hesitant, and that's a bad way to play. So we just got to work our way through that. With (Ayoka) Lee back, it's a balance of being aggressive but also making sure that we get touches in the paint, so we just got to work our way through it and all you can do is keep grinding away at that.”On what he has seen from Zyanna Walker…“Really hard worker and in the gym a lot. I've seen her kind of work her way through learning. And with that, it's been some good days and some days where you can tell that she's still processing a lot of information. So that was so good to see her play free tonight. She got the ball in good rhythm. She had her feet set ready to score and made really good plays and she plays the game as you saw with a lot of passion, a lot of fire, and that's contagious.”On Ayoka Lee’s first official game back from injury…“I went through that Friday. Because it was the first game against another opponent. Now even though it didn't count,&nbsp; in her eyes it sure counted. She didn't get to play in our closed scrimmage. She wasn't quite ready for that. The crowd gave her a good ovation when she came into the game. So, for her to battle back, it was pretty special to see her back on the floor. Tonight was more business-like.”FROM THE FLOORK-State Senior Center Ayoka LeeOn her official return …“I thought it felt really good. Definitely some things that are still coming back. Still working on some things to make them just feel a bit more natural, but it definitely helps when I feel we're playing really well as a team. Especially on defense and just gelling really well, so that was good.”On areas she feels good in and areas to improve on…“I think on defense just being able to help and get back has been an area that I've been really pleased with. I mean, obviously defense or any part of your game can always improve, but that is one part that I think has been good. Parts that need to get better just like finishing in crowds, being comfortable with my footwork, that stuff and then, really just finishing around the rim with crowds.“On playing without her knee brace…“Man, it's freeing. No, it's not weird at all. I think after every rehab that I've been through, the goal has always been to play without a knee brace. I think the difference is the past two seasons that I've played, the condition of my knee was in that kind of in between, where like the brace helped. It was just anything that was going to help. I like playing without the brace, I don't have to tug at my knee all the time, it's nice. So it wasn't like an adjustment.”K-State Junior Guard Jaelyn GlennOn the defensive performance as a team…“As a team, I feel like our defense is really coming together. I think there is still some areas where we can improve. But it's still early, but I think our communication and our connection as a team is really strong. So I think that's going to help us a lot moving forward and improving our defense.”On getting so many steals in the game…“Anticipation. We knew we wanted to take away the three from this team coming into the game. So really just anticipating passes and knowing that my teammates are backside to help if you know, someone misses, or someone doesn't get the steal. So yeah, just anticipation and trusting your teammates.”On getting a lot of steals in the first part of the game…“It feels really good. I'm very excited about it. I feel like it shows kind of, like you said, our emphasis and where we want to be really good. And that shows that we can be really good when we're doing the things that we're supposed to do well as a team, so that makes me really excited for the games to come.”K-State Redshirt Freshman Guard Zyanna WalkerOn how she feels on her debut…“I felt great. It's been a while since I've been able to play a game like that and play that many minutes. So just felt great to be out there and especially just with this new team, and we got a lot going for us this year.”On how well and how long she got to play…“You never know what to expect in a game. I mean, I just go out there and I take open looks and I just let the game come to me.”On being in her home state and getting to play for K-State…“It felt really good. I had a lot of family here so that's different. Last year I didn't get a lot of family at games. It felt good to play really well in front of them and get the win in front of them.”UP NEXTThe Wildcats return to action on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., as K-State visits Little Rock. Saturday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.