LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football will be represented by 16 Jayhawks at Big 12 Pro Day on March 28-30 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, in the first-ever conference-wide pro day. The event will showcase Big 12 football talent at a world-class facility, providing maximum exposure for Big 12 student-athletes as they prepare for their professional careers.

Among the Jayhawks attending the Big 12 Pro Day are Jason Bean, Austin Booker, Mason Fairchild, Kalon Gervin, Hayden Hatcher, Patrick Joyner Jr., Seth Keller, Kwinton Lassiter, Kenny Logan Jr., Dylan McDuffie, Rich Miller, Mike Novitsky, Devin Phillips, Dominick Puni, Andrew Russell and Craig Young.

NFL Network will bring its talent and production capabilities onsite to capture drill performances and workouts as well as provide expert commentary and analysis around the event, packaged into nightly coverage of the event on NFL Network. The Big 12 Pro Day coverage will be featured within additional NFL Network programming and promoted across NFL digital and social channels.

Kansas’ 16 representatives are among 137 total athletes participating in the Pro Day, which features on-field drills on Thursday, March 28 and Saturday, March 30. Players will be split into position groups with quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs and defensive backs participating in on-field drills on March 28, followed by specialists, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers beginning on March 30.

Off the field, the Big 12 Pro Day will offer a job fair and non-football career networking opportunities for Big 12 student-athletes. Additionally, Big 12 football student-athletes will have the opportunity to network and meet with individuals from the Big 12 Business Advisory Board, who will lend guidance on several topics, including professional development and career growth.

While the Big 12 Pro Day on-field workouts will be closed to the public, the Conference will be hosting a Big 12 Fan Fest outside of the event, complete with special VIP appearances, fan engagement experiences, screens broadcasting NFL Network’s coverage of the Pro Day and more.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas football will be represented by 16 Jayhawks at Big 12 Pro Day on March 28-30 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, in the first-ever conference-wide pro day. The event will showcase Big 12 football talent at a world-class facility, providing maximum exposure for Big 12 student-athletes as they prepare for their professional careers.Among the Jayhawks attending the Big 12 Pro Day are Jason Bean, Austin Booker, Mason Fairchild, Kalon Gervin, Hayden Hatcher, Patrick Joyner Jr., Seth Keller, Kwinton Lassiter, Kenny Logan Jr., Dylan McDuffie, Rich Miller, Mike Novitsky, Devin Phillips, Dominick Puni, Andrew Russell and Craig Young.NFL Network will bring its talent and production capabilities onsite to capture drill performances and workouts as well as provide expert commentary and analysis around the event, packaged into nightly coverage of the event on NFL Network. The Big 12 Pro Day coverage will be featured within additional NFL Network programming and promoted across NFL digital and social channels.Kansas’ 16 representatives are among 137 total athletes participating in the Pro Day, which features on-field drills on Thursday, March 28 and Saturday, March 30. Players will be split into position groups with quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs and defensive backs participating in on-field drills on March 28, followed by specialists, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers beginning on March 30.Off the field, the Big 12 Pro Day will offer a job fair and non-football career networking opportunities for Big 12 student-athletes. Additionally, Big 12 football student-athletes will have the opportunity to network and meet with individuals from the Big 12 Business Advisory Board, who will lend guidance on several topics, including professional development and career growth.While the Big 12 Pro Day on-field workouts will be closed to the public, the Conference will be hosting a Big 12 Fan Fest outside of the event, complete with special VIP appearances, fan engagement experiences, screens broadcasting NFL Network’s coverage of the Pro Day and more.

16 Jayhawks to Represent at First-Ever Big 12 Pro Days in Frisco

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;K-State center Ayoka Lee added to her national honors this season, as she has been named an honorable mention selection All-American by the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday. Lee joins Nicole Ohlde and Kendra Wecker as the only multi-time recipients of AP All-American honors for K-State women's basketball.

This is Lee’s third All-America honor in the 2023-24 season, as she was named a Second Team All-American by The Athletic and a Third Team All-American by The Sporting News.

Lee, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She is the only player in the nation averaging 20.0 points and shooting 60.0 percent or better from the field.

She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

In her six games this season against AP top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 22.3 points on a .646 field goal percentage, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

Lee has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

This season, Lee has led the Big 12’s top defense with 20 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist has also collected two or more steals in six games.

In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,163, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,098, the school record holder for career blocks with 303 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 59. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.

K-State (25-7) returns to action on Friday at 3:30 p.m., as the Wildcats face Portland in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

All-session and single-session tickets are on sale now. All-session tickets include both First Round games on Friday and the Second Round matchup on Sunday. Chairback tickets are $40, Cat cushion seats are $35, and bench tickets are $30. A youth and senior citizen price of $25 is available for bench seating.

Single-session tickets are also available and start at $18 for bench tickets, $15 for youth and senior bench seats, and $10 for groups of 12 or more. Contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kpogue@kstatesports.com" target="_blank">kpogue@kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;for more information about group tickets.

All seats in Bramlage Coliseum will be reserved, and tickets are digital. Print-at-home general admission parking is available for $5 each day. Get your post-season tickets now by visiting BITLY/WBBNCAA or calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-221-2287.

The game will be broadcast on ESPNEWS. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN in the Manhattan area and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;K-State center Ayoka Lee added to her national honors this season, as she has been named an honorable mention selection All-American by the Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday. Lee joins Nicole Ohlde and Kendra Wecker as the only multi-time recipients of AP All-American honors for K-State women's basketball.This is Lee’s third All-America honor in the 2023-24 season, as she was named a Second Team All-American by The Athletic and a Third Team All-American by The Sporting News.Lee, a 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She is the only player in the nation averaging 20.0 points and shooting 60.0 percent or better from the field.She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.In her six games this season against AP top-25 opponents, Lee averaged 22.3 points on a .646 field goal percentage, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.Lee has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.This season, Lee has led the Big 12’s top defense with 20 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist has also collected two or more steals in six games.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,163, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,098, the school record holder for career blocks with 303 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 59. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.K-State (25-7) returns to action on Friday at 3:30 p.m., as the Wildcats face Portland in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.All-session and single-session tickets are on sale now. All-session tickets include both First Round games on Friday and the Second Round matchup on Sunday. Chairback tickets are $40, Cat cushion seats are $35, and bench tickets are $30. A youth and senior citizen price of $25 is available for bench seating.Single-session tickets are also available and start at $18 for bench tickets, $15 for youth and senior bench seats, and $10 for groups of 12 or more. Contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kpogue@kstatesports.com" target="_blank">kpogue@kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;for more information about group tickets.All seats in Bramlage Coliseum will be reserved, and tickets are digital. Print-at-home general admission parking is available for $5 each day. Get your post-season tickets now by visiting BITLY/WBBNCAA or calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-221-2287.The game will be broadcast on ESPNEWS. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN in the Manhattan area and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.

K-State’s Lee Named Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;On Monday, Sports Business Journal (SBJ) announced the nominees for their 17th&nbsp;annual Sports Business Awards and the Kansas City Chiefs were one of five finalists for the publication’s “Sports Team of the Year” award. The Chiefs were joined by Inter Miami CF, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Texas Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights.

“It is an incredible honor for our entire organization to be nominated for the Sports Business Awards’ ‘Team of the Year’ because it represents so much hard work and dedication from throughout the organization,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “Sports Business Journal has long been the industry standard for what is happening in the world of sports business. Similarly, the Sports Business Awards have become the ultimate recognition for the tireless work that goes into creating, innovating and pushing the envelope in this space. We extend our congratulations to the other nominees for ‘Team of the Year’ as well as all the groups and individuals that have been nominated across the other categories.”

The Chiefs application highlighted several team initiatives and successes from the qualifying period, including:

Applications were considered based on the time period from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024. Nominees in each category will be recognized and the winners will be announced at a live dinner and awards ceremony at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City on Wednesday, May 22.

Launched in 2008, the Sports Business Awards were established by Sports Business Journal to celebrate excellence in the business of sports. For more information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sports-business-awards.com/" target="_blank">www.sports-business-awards.com</a>.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –&nbsp;On Monday, Sports Business Journal (SBJ) announced the nominees for their 17th&nbsp;annual Sports Business Awards and the Kansas City Chiefs were one of five finalists for the publication’s “Sports Team of the Year” award. The Chiefs were joined by Inter Miami CF, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Texas Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights.“It is an incredible honor for our entire organization to be nominated for the Sports Business Awards’ ‘Team of the Year’ because it represents so much hard work and dedication from throughout the organization,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “Sports Business Journal has long been the industry standard for what is happening in the world of sports business. Similarly, the Sports Business Awards have become the ultimate recognition for the tireless work that goes into creating, innovating and pushing the envelope in this space. We extend our congratulations to the other nominees for ‘Team of the Year’ as well as all the groups and individuals that have been nominated across the other categories.”The Chiefs application highlighted several team initiatives and successes from the qualifying period, including:<ul>
 <li>The club’s aggressive approach around its 2023 regular season game in Germany against the Dolphins with the custom-wrapped ChampionShip serving as the central entertainment and activity hub for fans, partners and VIPs on the Main River throughout the club’s stay in Frankfurt.</li><li>The team’s role in helping the NFL welcome more than 312,000 people to Kansas City for the 2023 NFL Draft – the second-highest NFL Draft attendance in event history – while incorporating the largest on-site, club-sponsored Draft activation in NFL history, the Chiefs Kingdom Experience.</li><li>The prioritization of non-game events to ensure GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium maintains its place as an iconic sports and entertainment destination for fans of all age and walks of life. Arrowhead Events – the club’s special events arm – delivered a record-breaking events season with nearly 500,000 attendees across the special events season.</li><li>Hosting the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, the club welcomed all fans back to football with the World’s Largest Tailgate presented by Bud Light, a virtual tailgate and concert experience hosted live from the Ford Tailgate District outside the stadium and broadcast globally through the club’s “virtual stadium” on ChiefsLive.com.</li><li>The club’s social media footprint grew 20.9% during the application period, elevating the Chiefs to the fifth-most followed team in the NFL.</li><li>On the field, the club qualified for a sixth-straight AFC Championship Game in January 2024, marking the second-longest conference championship streak in NFL history. The team went on to overcome a 10-point deficit against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII to secure the club’s fourth Lombardi Trophy and mark the club’s third championship in the past five seasons.</li>
 </ul>Applications were considered based on the time period from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024. Nominees in each category will be recognized and the winners will be announced at a live dinner and awards ceremony at the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square in New York City on Wednesday, May 22.Launched in 2008, the Sports Business Awards were established by Sports Business Journal to celebrate excellence in the business of sports. For more information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sports-business-awards.com/" target="_blank">www.sports-business-awards.com</a>.

SBJ Names Chiefs as "Sports Team of the Year" Nominee

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Payton Sandfort scored 30 points and made seven 3-pointers to lead Iowa over Kansas State 91-82 on Tuesday night in the NIT.

Sandfort added 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (19-14). Ben Krikke scored 24 points while going 9 of 15 and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds and three steals. Owen Freeman had 10 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

Dai Dai Ames finished with 16 points and five assists for the Wildcats (19-15). William McNair added 15 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State. Cam Carter had 13 points and three steals.

Iowa took the lead with 19:01 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Sandfort led his team in scoring with 22 points in the first half to help put them ahead 50-39 at the break. Iowa used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 13-point lead at 69-56 with 13:28 left in the half.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710901737379.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Payton Sandfort scored 30 points and made seven 3-pointers to lead Iowa over Kansas State 91-82 on Tuesday night in the NIT.Sandfort added 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (19-14). Ben Krikke scored 24 points while going 9 of 15 and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added 11 rebounds and three steals. Owen Freeman had 10 points and shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.Dai Dai Ames finished with 16 points and five assists for the Wildcats (19-15). William McNair added 15 points and seven rebounds for Kansas State. Cam Carter had 13 points and three steals.Iowa took the lead with 19:01 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Sandfort led his team in scoring with 22 points in the first half to help put them ahead 50-39 at the break. Iowa used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 13-point lead at 69-56 with 13:28 left in the half.

🏀 Sandfort's 30 leads Iowa past Kansas State in NIT

Q:&nbsp;How many teams were involved and what led you to Kansas City?

BROWN:&nbsp;“There were quite a few teams. I was really leaving it up to my agent, Kansas City was a place I told him I wanted to be if there was an opportunity and it kind of just unfolded. I let him do his job and God made it happen.”

Q:&nbsp;What made Kansas City an attractive destination?

BROWN:&nbsp;“Pat (Mahomes) was a big part of it, being able to play with Pat, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, a winning culture. The offense I felt like I could come in and I could help, I could fit in. All those things played a part, they were strong on me so there was mutual interest, that is very appealing.”

Q:&nbsp;What are your impressions of Patrick Mahomes and why he’s someone you will be able to click with?

BROWN:&nbsp;“From the outside looking in he seems like a guy that is very passionate, and I’m a very passionate person. He wants to win, (he’ll) do everything necessary to win. That’s somebody you want to play with, you want to play with someone who will bring the best out of you that’s going to push your game to the next level. I feel like he’s definitely one of those types of guys.”

Q:&nbsp;What are the traits Patrick Mahomes has that makes you want to play with him?

BROWN:&nbsp;“The arm talent, the deep arm talent – it speaks for itself, what can’t he do? He can extend plays, whatever he has to do to win a game I feel like I’ve watched him do it. From making those big plays to methodically moving down the field to using his feet to playing injured. Those are all qualities and traits of a guy you want to play for.”

WR HOLLYWOOD BROWNQ:&nbsp;How many teams were involved and what led you to Kansas City?BROWN:&nbsp;“There were quite a few teams. I was really leaving it up to my agent, Kansas City was a place I told him I wanted to be if there was an opportunity and it kind of just unfolded. I let him do his job and God made it happen.”Q:&nbsp;What made Kansas City an attractive destination?BROWN:&nbsp;“Pat (Mahomes) was a big part of it, being able to play with Pat, (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, a winning culture. The offense I felt like I could come in and I could help, I could fit in. All those things played a part, they were strong on me so there was mutual interest, that is very appealing.”Q:&nbsp;What are your impressions of Patrick Mahomes and why he’s someone you will be able to click with?BROWN:&nbsp;“From the outside looking in he seems like a guy that is very passionate, and I’m a very passionate person. He wants to win, (he’ll) do everything necessary to win. That’s somebody you want to play with, you want to play with someone who will bring the best out of you that’s going to push your game to the next level. I feel like he’s definitely one of those types of guys.”Q:&nbsp;What are the traits Patrick Mahomes has that makes you want to play with him?BROWN:&nbsp;“The arm talent, the deep arm talent – it speaks for itself, what can’t he do? He can extend plays, whatever he has to do to win a game I feel like I’ve watched him do it. From making those big plays to methodically moving down the field to using his feet to playing injured. Those are all qualities and traits of a guy you want to play for.”

Chiefs Quotes: 3-18-24

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following one of the best seasons in program history,&nbsp;Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and to host the first and second rounds in Manhattan at Bramlage Coliseum for the 2024 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fifth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.

Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Portland are available now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>. The K-State Athletics Ticket Office opens on Monday at 8:30 a.m., and orders can also be made by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or stopping by the ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. All ticket orders will be distributed as a digital ticket.

K-State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 regional and will be opposed by No. 13 seed Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.

K-State and Portland will meet for the first time. The last time the Wildcats faced a member of the West Coast Conference came on December 29, 2007, at Loyola Marymount, a 70-47 K-State win.

The winner of the Kansas State-Portland game will play the winner of the No. 5 Colorado-No. 12 Drake matchup on Monday, March 25. The top four seeds in the Albany 2 region are: No. 1 Iowa (29-4), No. 2 UCLA (25-6), No. 3 LSU (28-5) and No. 4 Kansas State.

K-State is 14-17 in its previous 17 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport region. K-State defeated the No. 8 seed Washington State, 50-40, in the first round and fell to top-seed NC State, 89-57, in the second round.

Under Mittie's guidance in his 10th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fourth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.

After being slated for a fourth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a third-place finish in the conference standings which marks the 19th&nbsp;season the Wildcats have finished above its preseason predicted finish.

On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2024 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory.

Lee, a 2024 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, has had a strong 2023-24 as she is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.

Lee, a Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 finalist, has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.

Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She leads the Big 12 for total assists (174) and assists per game (5.4 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).

With her points (384) and assists (174) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.

In her career, Sundell is fifth in school history for career assists with 534 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.29 apg). She ranks tied for 24th&nbsp;on the K-State career scoring list with 1,234 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.

Gregory has averaged just under 10 points per game this season (8.9) and established a career-high for assists with 113 (3.5 apg). When combined with Sundell’s 174 assists, the tandem ranks third in school history for combined assists in a season. Gregory ranks 11th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and is fifth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.92).

In her two seasons at K-State, Gregory is the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career. Gregory has scored in double figures in 42 games at K-State. She also ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.801).

Portland enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight games, including three consecutive in the West Coast Conference tournament to win the league’s automatic bid into the field. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pilots and the second straight after making the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

On the floor, Portland is led by the trio of Emme Shearer, Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie. Shearer leads the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game on a .486 field goal percentage, while Burnham is second on the team at 11.6 points and Shearer is averaging 10.5 per game. Dickie and Burnham were named to the WCC All-Tournament Team, while Dickie collected most outstanding player honors for the event.

MANHATTAN, Kansas –&nbsp;Following one of the best seasons in program history,&nbsp;Kansas State women's basketball was rewarded with an at-large bid and to host the first and second rounds in Manhattan at Bramlage Coliseum for the 2024 NCAA Tournament during Sunday night's NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on ESPN. This is the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the fifth under the direction of head coach Jeff Mittie.Tickets for K-State's first round matchup with Portland are available now at&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/tickets" target="_blank">kstatesports.com/tickets</a>. The K-State Athletics Ticket Office opens on Monday at 8:30 a.m., and orders can also be made by calling the K-State Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or stopping by the ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. All ticket orders will be distributed as a digital ticket.K-State (25-7, 13-5 Big 12) was chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 regional and will be opposed by No. 13 seed Portland (21-12, 10-6 WCC). The game will be played on Friday with a time and broadcast information announced on Monday. The contest will be available on the K-State Sports Network, including the flagship stations Sunny 102.5 and 1350 KMAN and free live audio on&nbsp;<a href="http://kstatesports.com/" target="_blank">kstatesports.com</a>&nbsp;and on the K-State Sports app.K-State and Portland will meet for the first time. The last time the Wildcats faced a member of the West Coast Conference came on December 29, 2007, at Loyola Marymount, a 70-47 K-State win.The winner of the Kansas State-Portland game will play the winner of the No. 5 Colorado-No. 12 Drake matchup on Monday, March 25. The top four seeds in the Albany 2 region are: No. 1 Iowa (29-4), No. 2 UCLA (25-6), No. 3 LSU (28-5) and No. 4 Kansas State.K-State is 14-17 in its previous 17 NCAA Tournament bids. The Wildcats took part in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina, as K-State entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport region. K-State defeated the No. 8 seed Washington State, 50-40, in the first round and fell to top-seed NC State, 89-57, in the second round.Under Mittie's guidance in his 10th season, Kansas State has registered the program’s most wins since the 2008-09 season. K-State recorded 13 Big 12 wins for the fourth time since the formation of the league in 1996-97.After being slated for a fourth-place finish by the Big 12 Conference coaches in the preseason poll, K-State carded a third-place finish in the conference standings which marks the 19th&nbsp;season the Wildcats have finished above its preseason predicted finish.On the floor this season, Kansas State features 2024 All-America candidate Ayoka Lee, Serena Sundell and Gabby Gregory.Lee, a 2024 2024 John R. Wooden Award National Ballot top-15 candidate, has had a strong 2023-24 as she is averaging 20.1 points on a .622 field goal percentage, 8.4 rebounds and 2.73 blocked shots. She ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage. Lee is second in the Big 12 in scoring average, second in the league and ninth in the nation for blocks per game and third in the Big 12 for rebounding average.Lee, a Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 finalist, has recorded 13 games this season with 20 or more points including her second career 20-20 double-double with 24 points, 21 rebounds and five blocked shots against Oral Roberts.This season, Lee has led the Big 12’s top defense with 20 games of two or more blocked shots including a season-high seven at UCF on Jan. 6 and at Iowa State on Feb. 14. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist has also collected two or more steals in six games.In her career, Lee ranks third in school history for points scored with 2,163, holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,098, the school record holder for career blocks with 303 and owns the school record for career double-doubles with 59. She is the first player in program history with 300 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals.Sundell is second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game on a career-best .536 field goal percentage. She leads the Big 12 for total assists (174) and assists per game (5.4 apg). The All-American candidate was second for Big 12-only games with 5.7 assists per game, she ranks fourth in league-only games for field goal percentage (.539) and is 12th in conference play for scoring (13.82 ppg).With her points (384) and assists (174) totals this season, Sundell is the first player in program history and the third Big 12 player since at least 2009-10 to record three seasons with 350 or more points and 150 or more assists.In her career, Sundell is fifth in school history for career assists with 534 and is second in program history for career assists per game (5.29 apg). She ranks tied for 24th&nbsp;on the K-State career scoring list with 1,234 points. She is the only player in school history with 1,000 or more career points, 500 or more career assists and 50 or more career blocked shots.Gregory has averaged just under 10 points per game this season (8.9) and established a career-high for assists with 113 (3.5 apg). When combined with Sundell’s 174 assists, the tandem ranks third in school history for combined assists in a season. Gregory ranks 11th&nbsp;in the Big 12 in assists per game and is fifth in the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.92).In her two seasons at K-State, Gregory is the first player to transfer to K-State and then reach the 1,000- and 1,500-point marks in her collegiate career. Gregory has scored in double figures in 42 games at K-State. She also ranks fifth in program history for career free throw percentage (.801).Portland enters the NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight games, including three consecutive in the West Coast Conference tournament to win the league’s automatic bid into the field. This will be the seventh NCAA Tournament appearance for the Pilots and the second straight after making the 2023 NCAA Tournament.On the floor, Portland is led by the trio of Emme Shearer, Maisie Burnham and Kennedy Dickie. Shearer leads the squad in scoring at 12.2 points per game on a .486 field goal percentage, while Burnham is second on the team at 11.6 points and Shearer is averaging 10.5 per game. Dickie and Burnham were named to the WCC All-Tournament Team, while Dickie collected most outstanding player honors for the event.

K-State Women’s Basketball Selected for 2024 NCAA Tournament

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday night, as the Wildcats earned their eighth bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and first since 2009.K-State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) received an at-large bid and will play No. 3 seed Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten) in the first round at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday, March 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. 

The winner will advance to play the winner of No. 2 seed and future Big 12 member Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) on Saturday, March 23 or Sunday, March 24.The Wildcats are joined in the 8-team bracket by top-seed Villanova (18-15), 2-seed Utah (19-14), 3-seed Iowa (18-14) and 4-seed UCF (17-15), which will all host first-round games. 

In addition to the games between K-State and Iowa and Utah and UC Irvine, Villanova will host VCU (22-13) and UCF will host South Florida (24-7).K-State is making its 40th postseason appearance, which includes 32 in the NCAA Tournament and eight in the Postseason NIT. 

The Wildcats have now advanced to the postseason 13 times in the last 18 seasons (10 trips to the NCAA Tournament and three to the NIT). It is the second straight postseason bid under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2353">Jerome Tang</a>.

The Wildcats were one of 20 at-large selections to the NIT, as conference mates Cincinnati (20-14) and UCF (17-15) received the Big 12's two automatic bids as the teams with the highest NET ratings.The winners of the four 8-team brackets will advance to the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the semifinals on Tuesday, April 2 and the championship on Thursday, April 4.

K-State has a 6-8 record in the NIT, including 4-3 in the first round. The Wildcats will be making their eighth overall appearance in the tournament, including 1976, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007 and 2009.This will be the first trip to the NIT since 2009 when the Wildcats defeated Illinois State, 83-79 in overtime at home, on March 18 before a 70-52 loss at San Diego State on March 20.Iowa enters Tuesday's game with an 18-14 overall record, including a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-10 mark. The Hawkeyes average 82.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, including 34.7 percent from 3-point range, and connect on 77.8 percent from the free throw line. 

Four players are averaging in double figures led by junior&nbsp;Payton Sandfort&nbsp;(16.3 ppg.), senior&nbsp;Tony Perkins&nbsp;(14.5 ppg.), graduate&nbsp;Ben Krikke&nbsp;(13.5 ppg.) and freshman&nbsp;Owen Freeman&nbsp;(10.6 ppg.). Perkins paces the team in assists (147) and Freeman leads in rebounds (6.6 ppg.). &nbsp;Freeman was named the Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, while four others (Perkins, Sandfort, Krikke and sophomore&nbsp;Josh Dix) were selected to various All-Big Ten teams, including Second Team honors for Perkins and Third Team honors for Sandfort

.Iowa is led by longtime head coach&nbsp;Fran McCaffery, who has a 530-367 record in 27 seasons and a 279-190 record in 14 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. He has led Iowa to the postseason on 10 occasions, including to the NCAA Tournament in 5 of the last 6 seasons. This is his fourth trip to the NIT with the Hawkeyes.The all-time series with Iowa is tied 4-all, which dates to 1946. The Hawkeyes have won the last 2 meetings, including a 65-63 win in the last matchup at the Las Vegas Invitational in the Orleans Arena on Nov. 29, 2008. The Wildcats are 1-3 all-time in games played in Iowa City, including an 89-70 win by the Hawkeyes in the last such meeting on Dec. 22, 2001. 

This will be the first meeting in the postseason.The winner of Tuesday's game will play the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9) on either Saturday, March 24 or Sunday, March 25. The Utes, which finished in a tie for sixth in the Pac-12 standings, is led by First Team All-Pac-12 selection&nbsp;Branden Carlson&nbsp;(17.1 ppg.) as well as two others in double figures. 

The Anteaters, which finished 17-3 in the Big West before losing to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Long Beach State in the semifinals, has 7 players averaging better than 7 points per game, including All-Big West First Team selection&nbsp;Pierre Crockrell II&nbsp;(7.9 ppg., 6.4 apg.).K-State leads the all-time series with Utah, 2-1, but the schools haven't met since 1983.

The series with UC Irvine is tied 1-all with the Anteaters beating the Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.K-State has posted a 19-14 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark. 

Among the Wildcats' 19 victories are 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. 

Three players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tylor-perry/11222">Tylor Perry</a>&nbsp;(15.5 ppg.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/arthur-kaluma/11226">Arthur Kaluma</a>&nbsp;(14.7 ppg.).Perry had a memorable run in the 2023 NIT, as he helped North Texas win the title over UAB en route to earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.6 points on 46 percent shooting in the Mean Green's 5-game run.K-State was one of a record 11 Big 12 teams to earn berths to the NCAA Tournament and NIT, including a record eight in the Big Dance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710759233679.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas State AthleticsMANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State was rewarded for a successful season on Sunday night, as the Wildcats earned their eighth bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and first since 2009.K-State (19-14, 8-10 Big 12) received an at-large bid and will play No. 3 seed Iowa (18-14, 10-10 Big Ten) in the first round at 8 p.m., CT on Tuesday, March 19 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The winner will advance to play the winner of No. 2 seed and future Big 12 member Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9, 17-3 Big West) on Saturday, March 23 or Sunday, March 24.The Wildcats are joined in the 8-team bracket by top-seed Villanova (18-15), 2-seed Utah (19-14), 3-seed Iowa (18-14) and 4-seed UCF (17-15), which will all host first-round games. In addition to the games between K-State and Iowa and Utah and UC Irvine, Villanova will host VCU (22-13) and UCF will host South Florida (24-7).K-State is making its 40th postseason appearance, which includes 32 in the NCAA Tournament and eight in the Postseason NIT. The Wildcats have now advanced to the postseason 13 times in the last 18 seasons (10 trips to the NCAA Tournament and three to the NIT). It is the second straight postseason bid under head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/jerome-tang/2353">Jerome Tang</a>.The Wildcats were one of 20 at-large selections to the NIT, as conference mates Cincinnati (20-14) and UCF (17-15) received the Big 12's two automatic bids as the teams with the highest NET ratings.The winners of the four 8-team brackets will advance to the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the semifinals on Tuesday, April 2 and the championship on Thursday, April 4.K-State has a 6-8 record in the NIT, including 4-3 in the first round. The Wildcats will be making their eighth overall appearance in the tournament, including 1976, 1992, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2007 and 2009.This will be the first trip to the NIT since 2009 when the Wildcats defeated Illinois State, 83-79 in overtime at home, on March 18 before a 70-52 loss at San Diego State on March 20.Iowa enters Tuesday's game with an 18-14 overall record, including a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten with a 10-10 mark. The Hawkeyes average 82.9 points on 47.5 percent shooting, including 34.7 percent from 3-point range, and connect on 77.8 percent from the free throw line. Four players are averaging in double figures led by junior&nbsp;Payton Sandfort&nbsp;(16.3 ppg.), senior&nbsp;Tony Perkins&nbsp;(14.5 ppg.), graduate&nbsp;Ben Krikke&nbsp;(13.5 ppg.) and freshman&nbsp;Owen Freeman&nbsp;(10.6 ppg.). Perkins paces the team in assists (147) and Freeman leads in rebounds (6.6 ppg.). &nbsp;Freeman was named the Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, while four others (Perkins, Sandfort, Krikke and sophomore&nbsp;Josh Dix) were selected to various All-Big Ten teams, including Second Team honors for Perkins and Third Team honors for Sandfort.Iowa is led by longtime head coach&nbsp;Fran McCaffery, who has a 530-367 record in 27 seasons and a 279-190 record in 14 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. He has led Iowa to the postseason on 10 occasions, including to the NCAA Tournament in 5 of the last 6 seasons. This is his fourth trip to the NIT with the Hawkeyes.The all-time series with Iowa is tied 4-all, which dates to 1946. The Hawkeyes have won the last 2 meetings, including a 65-63 win in the last matchup at the Las Vegas Invitational in the Orleans Arena on Nov. 29, 2008. The Wildcats are 1-3 all-time in games played in Iowa City, including an 89-70 win by the Hawkeyes in the last such meeting on Dec. 22, 2001. This will be the first meeting in the postseason.The winner of Tuesday's game will play the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed Utah (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12) and Big West regular-season champion UC Irvine (24-9) on either Saturday, March 24 or Sunday, March 25. The Utes, which finished in a tie for sixth in the Pac-12 standings, is led by First Team All-Pac-12 selection&nbsp;Branden Carlson&nbsp;(17.1 ppg.) as well as two others in double figures. The Anteaters, which finished 17-3 in the Big West before losing to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Long Beach State in the semifinals, has 7 players averaging better than 7 points per game, including All-Big West First Team selection&nbsp;Pierre Crockrell II&nbsp;(7.9 ppg., 6.4 apg.).K-State leads the all-time series with Utah, 2-1, but the schools haven't met since 1983.The series with UC Irvine is tied 1-all with the Anteaters beating the Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.K-State has posted a 19-14 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark. Among the Wildcats' 19 victories are 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. Three players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tylor-perry/11222">Tylor Perry</a>&nbsp;(15.5 ppg.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/arthur-kaluma/11226">Arthur Kaluma</a>&nbsp;(14.7 ppg.).Perry had a memorable run in the 2023 NIT, as he helped North Texas win the title over UAB en route to earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.6 points on 46 percent shooting in the Mean Green's 5-game run.K-State was one of a record 11 Big 12 teams to earn berths to the NCAA Tournament and NIT, including a record eight in the Big Dance.

🏀 K-State MBB earns NIT bid; to play Iowa on Tuesday

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, marking its 51st&nbsp;all-time appearance.

Kansas will play Samford in the first round on Thursday, March 16, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Playing as the No. 4 seed for the 14th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-10 overall record, including a 10-8 Big 12 mark which finished fifth in the Big 12 in 2023-24. The Jayhawks are 8-5 as a No. 4 seed all-time, including 6-1 against No. 13 seeds.

Kansas will play in the NCAA Midwest Region for the second time in three seasons. Kansas is 45-5 in the NCAA Tournament First Round all-time, while it will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Samford. Kansas holds a 111-49 record in the NCAA Tournament all-time.

Kansas will take on Samford, winners of the Southern Conference Tournament (SoCon) with a 76-69 win over East Tennessee State University on March 11. Samford enters the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 overall record and 15-3 record in conference play. It’s Sanford’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.

Samford, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is under fourth-year head coach Bucky McMillan, who holds a 77-40 record over his career. McMillan was named the SoCon Coach of the Year after leading Samford to a program-record 29-win season in 2023-2024.

Samford is led by First-Team All-SoCon forward Achor Achor, who averaged 15.8 points per game on 60% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Samford enters Thursday’s game after winning four-straight games with its last loss coming to Wofford on Feb. 28.

Samford’s NCAA Tournament appearance is their second all-time, including first since 2000, where the Bulldogs hold an 0-2 record all-time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710719016829.jpeg" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas AthleticsLAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament, marking its 51st&nbsp;all-time appearance.Kansas will play Samford in the first round on Thursday, March 16, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The bracket 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/X5pG3A8PlI">pic.twitter.com/X5pG3A8PlI</a>&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1769496098664583361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Playing as the No. 4 seed for the 14th&nbsp;time in program history, Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-10 overall record, including a 10-8 Big 12 mark which finished fifth in the Big 12 in 2023-24. The Jayhawks are 8-5 as a No. 4 seed all-time, including 6-1 against No. 13 seeds.Kansas will play in the NCAA Midwest Region for the second time in three seasons. Kansas is 45-5 in the NCAA Tournament First Round all-time, while it will be the first-ever meeting between Kansas and Samford. Kansas holds a 111-49 record in the NCAA Tournament all-time.Kansas will take on Samford, winners of the Southern Conference Tournament (SoCon) with a 76-69 win over East Tennessee State University on March 11. Samford enters the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 overall record and 15-3 record in conference play. It’s Sanford’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.Samford, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is under fourth-year head coach Bucky McMillan, who holds a 77-40 record over his career. McMillan was named the SoCon Coach of the Year after leading Samford to a program-record 29-win season in 2023-2024.Samford is led by First-Team All-SoCon forward Achor Achor, who averaged 15.8 points per game on 60% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. Samford enters Thursday’s game after winning four-straight games with its last loss coming to Wofford on Feb. 28.Samford’s NCAA Tournament appearance is their second all-time, including first since 2000, where the Bulldogs hold an 0-2 record all-time.

🏀 (4) Kansas to play (13) Samford in NCAA Tournament first round

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e743a6fb-7aac-493a-80fe-8b05db1b4255?elinkdata=7245">Easton Hunter's</a> 3-point basket as time expired in regulation gave Kansas Wesleyan new life, but Louisiana State-Shreveport made sure it was short lived.

The Pilots scored on all seven of their possessions in overtime and pulled away for a 95-89 victory in a first-round game of the NAIA Men's National Championship before a raucous and near-capacity crowd Friday night inside Mabee Arena.

LSU-S (23-8) plays Concordia (24-7) in the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, the winner advancing to the Round of 16 starting March 21 in Kansas City, Missouri. Concordia defeated Indiana-Northwest 83-81 in the first game of the night session.

Wesleyan (23-9) led 38-28 at halftime and was up 63-52 with less than nine minutes left before the Pilots rallied. A 23-8 run gave them a 75-71 lead with 58 seconds remaining.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/31af85ba-e2af-4159-a050-fbd578244ff7?elinkdata=7245">Jun Murdock's</a> 3-pointer cut it to 75-74 with 47.8 seconds left and after two Damon Davis free throws, Murdock scored again with 12.1 seconds left to cut the deficit to 77-76. Two Calvin Carpenter free throws with 8.5 seconds left gave the Pilots another three-point cushion, 79-76.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/46b4efa2-96d9-4f1e-9528-c0fdacc85daa?elinkdata=7245">Cory Kaplan</a> then missed a 3-point shot from the left baseline but Hunter got the rebound and nailed a three from the right baseline with two seconds left to force the extra period.

After the Coyotes took an 81-79 lead LSU-S scored 10 of the next 14 points. The Pilots were 6 of 8 shooting and made both of their free throw attempts in overtime; KWU was 3 of 7 and 4 of 6 at the line.

"We settled (for jump shots) and they caught some fire on the offensive end and rolled down the stretch," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0a99996e-a5e6-4175-b814-3c65091696da?elinkdata=7245">Anthony Monson</a> said. "We didn't do what we needed to do.

"We had a chance, we had them on the ropes for a little bit, but we didn't make the plays and they made the plays when they needed to. Their guards banked in three or four shots down the stretch and that's tough when it happens. You just have to tip your hat."

The Pilots' size advantage was an issue. They outrebounded KWU 50-37 and had 24 second chance points to the Coyotes' 10.

"When we recruited this team, we put together a team that could compete in the national tournament at this level," LSU-S coach Kyle Blankenship said. "We got some size and experience. Our guards went in there and got rebounds and gave us second chance opportunities. It was a great team effort across the board tonight in an incredible environment."

"The coaches push us every day in practice to go in and crash and rebound," said guard Trey Johnson who had 11 points and six rebounds. "Our big (guys) tell us 'just put (the ball) on the rim and we'll go it.' We trust you to make shots but if you miss, we'll go get it."

Murdock had a game-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting and six assists in the final game of his fabulous college career. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f4758a39-be5b-4296-8ce5-32143d1ba88a?elinkdata=7245">Alex Littlejohn</a> had yet another double-double - 16 points and 17 rebounds - while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c7c890fa-7425-49ff-8f34-4c7dad76c362?elinkdata=7245">Thurbil Bile</a> scored 13, Hunter 12 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b59a1007-12fc-403e-9c1b-6d91e09a4530?elinkdata=7245">Izaiah Hale</a> 10. The Coyotes shot 45.2 percent (33 of 73) including 6 of 23 from deep.

"Jun has been a warrior for this program and he'll go down as one of the best Coyotes who ever played and rightfully so," Monson said. "He's left his mark and that's all you can ask for."

Guard Melvion Flanagan, a transfer from Wichita State, led five LSU-S players in double figures with 19 points. Carpenter and James Ellis, a 6-foot-11 center, each scored 14. The Pilots shot 47.4 percent (36 of 76) - 56 percent the second half (19 of 34).

Monson said the Coyotes' season was a success, Friday's loss notwithstanding.

"It's been fun," he said. "We'll miss these seniors but there's a lot to be proud of, lot to hold their heads high about."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/e743a6fb-7aac-493a-80fe-8b05db1b4255?elinkdata=7245">Easton Hunter's</a> 3-point basket as time expired in regulation gave Kansas Wesleyan new life, but Louisiana State-Shreveport made sure it was short lived.The Pilots scored on all seven of their possessions in overtime and pulled away for a 95-89 victory in a first-round game of the NAIA Men's National Championship before a raucous and near-capacity crowd Friday night inside Mabee Arena.LSU-S (23-8) plays Concordia (24-7) in the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, the winner advancing to the Round of 16 starting March 21 in Kansas City, Missouri. Concordia defeated Indiana-Northwest 83-81 in the first game of the night session.Wesleyan (23-9) led 38-28 at halftime and was up 63-52 with less than nine minutes left before the Pilots rallied. A 23-8 run gave them a 75-71 lead with 58 seconds remaining.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/31af85ba-e2af-4159-a050-fbd578244ff7?elinkdata=7245">Jun Murdock's</a> 3-pointer cut it to 75-74 with 47.8 seconds left and after two Damon Davis free throws, Murdock scored again with 12.1 seconds left to cut the deficit to 77-76. Two Calvin Carpenter free throws with 8.5 seconds left gave the Pilots another three-point cushion, 79-76.<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/46b4efa2-96d9-4f1e-9528-c0fdacc85daa?elinkdata=7245">Cory Kaplan</a> then missed a 3-point shot from the left baseline but Hunter got the rebound and nailed a three from the right baseline with two seconds left to force the extra period.After the Coyotes took an 81-79 lead LSU-S scored 10 of the next 14 points. The Pilots were 6 of 8 shooting and made both of their free throw attempts in overtime; KWU was 3 of 7 and 4 of 6 at the line."We settled (for jump shots) and they caught some fire on the offensive end and rolled down the stretch," KWU coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0a99996e-a5e6-4175-b814-3c65091696da?elinkdata=7245">Anthony Monson</a> said. "We didn't do what we needed to do."We had a chance, we had them on the ropes for a little bit, but we didn't make the plays and they made the plays when they needed to. Their guards banked in three or four shots down the stretch and that's tough when it happens. You just have to tip your hat."The Pilots' size advantage was an issue. They outrebounded KWU 50-37 and had 24 second chance points to the Coyotes' 10."When we recruited this team, we put together a team that could compete in the national tournament at this level," LSU-S coach Kyle Blankenship said. "We got some size and experience. Our guards went in there and got rebounds and gave us second chance opportunities. It was a great team effort across the board tonight in an incredible environment.""The coaches push us every day in practice to go in and crash and rebound," said guard Trey Johnson who had 11 points and six rebounds. "Our big (guys) tell us 'just put (the ball) on the rim and we'll go it.' We trust you to make shots but if you miss, we'll go get it."Murdock had a game-high 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting and six assists in the final game of his fabulous college career. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/f4758a39-be5b-4296-8ce5-32143d1ba88a?elinkdata=7245">Alex Littlejohn</a> had yet another double-double - 16 points and 17 rebounds - while <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/c7c890fa-7425-49ff-8f34-4c7dad76c362?elinkdata=7245">Thurbil Bile</a> scored 13, Hunter 12 and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b59a1007-12fc-403e-9c1b-6d91e09a4530?elinkdata=7245">Izaiah Hale</a> 10. The Coyotes shot 45.2 percent (33 of 73) including 6 of 23 from deep."Jun has been a warrior for this program and he'll go down as one of the best Coyotes who ever played and rightfully so," Monson said. "He's left his mark and that's all you can ask for."Guard Melvion Flanagan, a transfer from Wichita State, led five LSU-S players in double figures with 19 points. Carpenter and James Ellis, a 6-foot-11 center, each scored 14. The Pilots shot 47.4 percent (36 of 76) - 56 percent the second half (19 of 34).Monson said the Coyotes' season was a success, Friday's loss notwithstanding."It's been fun," he said. "We'll miss these seniors but there's a lot to be proud of, lot to hold their heads high about."

Men's Basketball drops NAIA First Round game to LSU-Shreveport in overtime thriller

One of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes' goals before the season began was to qualify for the NAIA Men's National Championship for a third consecutive season.

Mission accomplished and there's a bonus they did not anticipate - playing their first-round game and perhaps a second-round game in the cozy, comfortable confines of Mabee Arena, their home gymnasium.

KWU plays Louisiana State-Shreveport at 8 p.m. Friday. Concordia (Neb.) takes on Indiana University Northwest in the first game at 6 p.m. Winners advance to the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, a trip to the Final Site that starts March 21 in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri at stake.

The Coyotes (23-8) are the fifth seed in the Duer Quadrant and LSU-Shreveport (22-8) the 12th seed. Concordia (23-7) is the fourth seed and IU Northwest (21-10) the 13th.

KWU is the first Kansas Conference team to play a first-round game on its home floor since the NAIA expanded the field to 64 teams.

"I think it's pretty great to be in front of all our fans, hopefully it's a packed house," senior point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ffc7ef4-a2f1-4966-91ea-e3507d834109?elinkdata=7222">Jun Murdock</a> said. "Our crowd has been doing a good job of coming out to all the games so I think it's going to be great."

His coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d25786eb-f180-46cb-90db-9b447121fcca?elinkdata=7222">Anthony Monson</a> agrees.

"Some comfort and understanding 'hey, we've played in this gym, won a lot of games in this gym,'" he said. "It's fun to be able to have a national tournament at your home site.

"This school has been to five national tournaments and this group's done three of them. It's pretty exciting for the school, for the program and for the city of Salina have the chance to actually host one of these."

While playing in Mabee Arena is great the Coyotes view it as an avenue in their quest to get beyond the second round. They've won first-round games each of the last two years only to fall short in the second round - last year they defeated Indiana Kokomo before falling to Morningside.

"We're comfortable in here, we practice in here every day, but I think it's more than just playing at home," Murdock said. "We're trying to take it to another level and we're trying to get to that next round."

"Our goal from the beginning of the year was to get the Final Site and have a chance to play for a national title and nothing's changed since then," Monson said.

KWU qualified for the national championship by finishing second in the KCAC Tournament behind No. 4-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan and tied No. 9 Southwestern for second in the regular season standings.

The Coyotes are 12-3 in Mabee Arena this season, but their first NAIA hurdle is a tall one. LSU-Shreveport plays in the rugged Red River Conference and lost to a talented LSU-Alexandria team in the conference tournament semifinals.

"Very long, very athletic," Monson said. "They play a lot of zone with their length, mix in their man-to-man with it. They like to get up and down the court and play fast. Lot of really good players - 6-8, 6-9 and 6-11 kids. We're going to have our work cut out for us."

Four Pilots' starters score in double figures led by senior guard Calvin Carpenter who averages 12.8 points. Junior point guard Melvion Flanagan is next at 11.7 and is no stranger to Kansas. He played for Wichita State last season and averaged 4.9 points in 21 games that included three starts. The Pilots score just over 84 points per game.

Coach Kyle Blankenship will be busy Friday. He also coaches the LSU-Shreveport women's team that plays Tabor earlier in the day in Mabee Arena.

"We're going to have to do our jobs, boxing out, just playing disciplined basketball," Murdock said. "Everybody's going to give their best shot to us, we know that."

Murdock, an All-American and the starting point guard the last three years, averages a team-best 18 points along with five assists and four rebounds. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/157b9657-ab58-4f32-ae74-ccb9aa13ea96?elinkdata=7222">Alex Littlejohn</a> is next at 17.3 points with 11.5 rebounds (fifth in the NAIA) and 3.4 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/77e921db-218f-426c-a79f-0eea9273d0c7?elinkdata=7222">Izaiah Hale</a> averages 10.2 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2cf2cb6f-4002-4b69-b71b-62cae6c71dff?elinkdata=7222">Thurbil Bile</a> 9.6 and five rebounds.

Monson wants to win but also wants his team to enjoy the experience.

"I had a coach once tell me 'don't ever take winning for granted,'" he said. "When you get to these moments you've got to really enjoy them regardless of the situation that you're in. There's 230-plus teams in the NAIA and only 64 get to play in this thing.

"This team's done it all year long. They've been doubted, questions about this, questions about that and yet they still find themselves where they're at."

"It's the national tournament," Murdock said. "No one wants to go home."

Tonight's game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with pregame coverage beginning at 7:30.

One of the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes' goals before the season began was to qualify for the NAIA Men's National Championship for a third consecutive season.Mission accomplished and there's a bonus they did not anticipate - playing their first-round game and perhaps a second-round game in the cozy, comfortable confines of Mabee Arena, their home gymnasium.KWU plays Louisiana State-Shreveport at 8 p.m. Friday. Concordia (Neb.) takes on Indiana University Northwest in the first game at 6 p.m. Winners advance to the second round at 6 p.m. Saturday, a trip to the Final Site that starts March 21 in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri at stake.The Coyotes (23-8) are the fifth seed in the Duer Quadrant and LSU-Shreveport (22-8) the 12th seed. Concordia (23-7) is the fourth seed and IU Northwest (21-10) the 13th.KWU is the first Kansas Conference team to play a first-round game on its home floor since the NAIA expanded the field to 64 teams."I think it's pretty great to be in front of all our fans, hopefully it's a packed house," senior point guard <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/0ffc7ef4-a2f1-4966-91ea-e3507d834109?elinkdata=7222">Jun Murdock</a> said. "Our crowd has been doing a good job of coming out to all the games so I think it's going to be great."His coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d25786eb-f180-46cb-90db-9b447121fcca?elinkdata=7222">Anthony Monson</a> agrees."Some comfort and understanding 'hey, we've played in this gym, won a lot of games in this gym,'" he said. "It's fun to be able to have a national tournament at your home site."This school has been to five national tournaments and this group's done three of them. It's pretty exciting for the school, for the program and for the city of Salina have the chance to actually host one of these."While playing in Mabee Arena is great the Coyotes view it as an avenue in their quest to get beyond the second round. They've won first-round games each of the last two years only to fall short in the second round - last year they defeated Indiana Kokomo before falling to Morningside."We're comfortable in here, we practice in here every day, but I think it's more than just playing at home," Murdock said. "We're trying to take it to another level and we're trying to get to that next round.""Our goal from the beginning of the year was to get the Final Site and have a chance to play for a national title and nothing's changed since then," Monson said.KWU qualified for the national championship by finishing second in the KCAC Tournament behind No. 4-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan and tied No. 9 Southwestern for second in the regular season standings.The Coyotes are 12-3 in Mabee Arena this season, but their first NAIA hurdle is a tall one. LSU-Shreveport plays in the rugged Red River Conference and lost to a talented LSU-Alexandria team in the conference tournament semifinals."Very long, very athletic," Monson said. "They play a lot of zone with their length, mix in their man-to-man with it. They like to get up and down the court and play fast. Lot of really good players - 6-8, 6-9 and 6-11 kids. We're going to have our work cut out for us."Four Pilots' starters score in double figures led by senior guard Calvin Carpenter who averages 12.8 points. Junior point guard Melvion Flanagan is next at 11.7 and is no stranger to Kansas. He played for Wichita State last season and averaged 4.9 points in 21 games that included three starts. The Pilots score just over 84 points per game.Coach Kyle Blankenship will be busy Friday. He also coaches the LSU-Shreveport women's team that plays Tabor earlier in the day in Mabee Arena."We're going to have to do our jobs, boxing out, just playing disciplined basketball," Murdock said. "Everybody's going to give their best shot to us, we know that."Murdock, an All-American and the starting point guard the last three years, averages a team-best 18 points along with five assists and four rebounds. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/157b9657-ab58-4f32-ae74-ccb9aa13ea96?elinkdata=7222">Alex Littlejohn</a> is next at 17.3 points with 11.5 rebounds (fifth in the NAIA) and 3.4 assists. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/77e921db-218f-426c-a79f-0eea9273d0c7?elinkdata=7222">Izaiah Hale</a> averages 10.2 points and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2cf2cb6f-4002-4b69-b71b-62cae6c71dff?elinkdata=7222">Thurbil Bile</a> 9.6 and five rebounds.Monson wants to win but also wants his team to enjoy the experience."I had a coach once tell me 'don't ever take winning for granted,'" he said. "When you get to these moments you've got to really enjoy them regardless of the situation that you're in. There's 230-plus teams in the NAIA and only 64 get to play in this thing."This team's done it all year long. They've been doubted, questions about this, questions about that and yet they still find themselves where they're at.""It's the national tournament," Murdock said. "No one wants to go home."Tonight's game can be heard on KINA (910 AM/107.5 FM) with pregame coverage beginning at 7:30.

Coyotes eager to play NAIA Tournament in Mabee Arena 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 points and No. 7 Iowa State harried Kansas State into 20 turnovers on Thursday night, allowing the Cyclones to cruise to a 76-57 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

Keshon Gilbert added 12 points and six steals and Tamin Lipsey had 11 points for the fourth-seeded Cyclones (25-7), who were clinging to a 40-39 lead with about 16 minutes to go when the Wildcats' turnovers really began to pile up.

Tylor Perry had 18 points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for 10th-seeded Kansas State (19-14), which may have popped its own NCAA Tournament bubble through its own offensive ineptitude.

The Wildcats were hanging precipitously on the NCAA bubble until late-season losses to Cincinnati and Kansas put them in desperation mode. They responded with a win over Iowa State on senior day, then beat seventh-seeded Texas — an almost certain tourney team — on Wednesday to earn the opportunity for another marquee win over the Cyclones.

But this is the Big 12 Tournament, where Iowa State always seems to show up.

The four-time champs methodically went about their business in the first half Thursday night, building a 34-27 halftime lead by beating Kansas State to loose balls and turning dominance in the paint into a bunch of second-chance baskets.

They won the kind of hustle plays Kansas State won when the teams met at Bramlage Coliseum last Saturday.

The Wildcats tried to make a second-half run, closing within 40-39 on McNair's layup with 16 minutes to go. But then a team ranked 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in turnovers proceeded to cough the ball up on five of its next seven trips down the floor, and the Cyclones capitalized behind Hason Ward and Milan Momcilovic to pull away again.

They outscored Kansas State 26-6 over the next 10 minutes to put the game away.

Kansas State is left to hope three wins over top-10 teams is enough to get it into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Iowa State will play the winner of No. 14 Baylor vs. Cincinnati in the semifinals. The Cyclones lost to the Bears in February on a layup in the closing seconds, a game better remembered for the Bears' Scott Drew getting ejected, and beat Cincinnati later in the month when the Cyclones forced 25 turnovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710463675847.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletis" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletis</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Robert Jones scored 18 points, Tre King added 16 points and No. 7 Iowa State harried Kansas State into 20 turnovers on Thursday night, allowing the Cyclones to cruise to a 76-57 victory in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.Keshon Gilbert added 12 points and six steals and Tamin Lipsey had 11 points for the fourth-seeded Cyclones (25-7), who were clinging to a 40-39 lead with about 16 minutes to go when the Wildcats' turnovers really began to pile up.Tylor Perry had 18 points, Arthur Kaluma scored 13 and Will McNair Jr. had 12 points for 10th-seeded Kansas State (19-14), which may have popped its own NCAA Tournament bubble through its own offensive ineptitude.The Wildcats were hanging precipitously on the NCAA bubble until late-season losses to Cincinnati and Kansas put them in desperation mode. They responded with a win over Iowa State on senior day, then beat seventh-seeded Texas — an almost certain tourney team — on Wednesday to earn the opportunity for another marquee win over the Cyclones.But this is the Big 12 Tournament, where Iowa State always seems to show up.The four-time champs methodically went about their business in the first half Thursday night, building a 34-27 halftime lead by beating Kansas State to loose balls and turning dominance in the paint into a bunch of second-chance baskets.They won the kind of hustle plays Kansas State won when the teams met at Bramlage Coliseum last Saturday.The Wildcats tried to make a second-half run, closing within 40-39 on McNair's layup with 16 minutes to go. But then a team ranked 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in turnovers proceeded to cough the ball up on five of its next seven trips down the floor, and the Cyclones capitalized behind Hason Ward and Milan Momcilovic to pull away again.They outscored Kansas State 26-6 over the next 10 minutes to put the game away.UP NEXTKansas State is left to hope three wins over top-10 teams is enough to get it into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.Iowa State will play the winner of No. 14 Baylor vs. Cincinnati in the semifinals. The Cyclones lost to the Bears in February on a layup in the closing seconds, a game better remembered for the Bears' Scott Drew getting ejected, and beat Cincinnati later in the month when the Cyclones forced 25 turnovers.___

🏀 Jones leads Iowa State to win over K-State in Big 12 tourney quarterfinals

NEW ORLEANS —&nbsp;Kansas Track and Field Associate Head Coach Tom Hays was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Men's Assistant Coach of the Year for his impact during the 2024 indoor season.

Hays, who has been at the helm of the men's and women's pole vault and high jump squads for 18 seasons now, coached two men to individual Big 12 titles during the indoor season. Juniors Clayton Simms (pole vault) and Devin Loudermilk (high jump) each won their first career conference championships before both qualifying for NCAA Indoor Championships and claiming First Team All-American accolades in Boston.

Another Hays pupil, sophomore Ashton Barkdull, made some noise at the Big 12 Indoor Championship as well, finishing fourth before qualifying for his first-career NCAA Indoor Championships.

Barkdull and Simms were joined on the Big 12 podium by teammates sophomore Anthony Meacham (third place) and senior Luke Knipe (sixth place).

Hays' last time winning this award was in 2021, and prior to that, 2017, making this his third time being recognized by the USTFCCCA as Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Hays has since signed the No. 1 men's pole vault recruit in the country for the past three consecutive seasons (Simms, Meacham, Bryce Barkdull).

NEW ORLEANS —&nbsp;Kansas Track and Field Associate Head Coach Tom Hays was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Men's Assistant Coach of the Year for his impact during the 2024 indoor season.Hays, who has been at the helm of the men's and women's pole vault and high jump squads for 18 seasons now, coached two men to individual Big 12 titles during the indoor season. Juniors Clayton Simms (pole vault) and Devin Loudermilk (high jump) each won their first career conference championships before both qualifying for NCAA Indoor Championships and claiming First Team All-American accolades in Boston.Another Hays pupil, sophomore Ashton Barkdull, made some noise at the Big 12 Indoor Championship as well, finishing fourth before qualifying for his first-career NCAA Indoor Championships.Barkdull and Simms were joined on the Big 12 podium by teammates sophomore Anthony Meacham (third place) and senior Luke Knipe (sixth place).Hays' last time winning this award was in 2021, and prior to that, 2017, making this his third time being recognized by the USTFCCCA as Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Hays has since signed the No. 1 men's pole vault recruit in the country for the past three consecutive seasons (Simms, Meacham, Bryce Barkdull).

Tom Hays Named 2024 USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Men's Assistant Coach of the Year 

Three teams from around the NAIA descend on Salina to join the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes for the First and Second Rounds of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship beginning on Friday at Mabee Arena.

Games start at 6 p.m. as No. 4 seed Concordia plays No. 13 seed Indiana-Northwest. No. 5 seed Kansas Wesleyan plays No. 12 seed LSU-Shreveport at 8 p.m.Friday's winners will play at 6 p.m. on Saturday for a trip to Kansas City and Municpal Auditorium for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship beginning March 21.

Here's a look at the three other teams playing in Salina this weekend:

LOUISIANA STATE-SHREVEPORT PILOTS Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Conference: Red River Athletic Coach: Kyle Blankenship (12th season) Record: 22-8, 16-6 conference (fourth place) Conference tournament: Lost to LSU-Alexandria 89-74 in the semifinals NAIA First Round seed: 12th NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan (23-8)

CONCORDIA BULLDOGS Location: Seward, Nebraska Conference: Great Plains Athletic Coach: Bill Limback (11th season) Record: 23-7, 15-5 conference (tied for first) Conference tournament: Lost to Hastings 82-78 in the semifinals NAIA First Round seed: Fourth NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Indiana-Northwest (21-10)

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-NORTHWEST REDHAWKS Location: Gary, Indiana Conference: Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Coach: Javier Heridia (seventh season) Record: 21-10, 15-5 conference (tied for second) Conference tournament: Defeated IU-South Bend 88-63 in the championship NAIA First Round seed: 13th NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Concordia (23-7)

Three teams from around the NAIA descend on Salina to join the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes for the First and Second Rounds of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship beginning on Friday at Mabee Arena.Games start at 6 p.m. as No. 4 seed Concordia plays No. 13 seed Indiana-Northwest. No. 5 seed Kansas Wesleyan plays No. 12 seed LSU-Shreveport at 8 p.m.Friday's winners will play at 6 p.m. on Saturday for a trip to Kansas City and Municpal Auditorium for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship beginning March 21.Here's a look at the three other teams playing in Salina this weekend:LOUISIANA STATE-SHREVEPORT PILOTS Location: Shreveport, Louisiana Conference: Red River Athletic Coach: Kyle Blankenship (12th season) Record: 22-8, 16-6 conference (fourth place) Conference tournament: Lost to LSU-Alexandria 89-74 in the semifinals NAIA First Round seed: 12th NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Kansas Wesleyan (23-8)PILOTS AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>The loss to LSU-Alexandria ended a four-game winning streak but they enter the tournament having won seven of 10 games and are 13-7 since the holiday break. Blankenship also coaches the LSU-S women's team that plays Tabor in the first round on Friday inside Mabee Arena.</li><li>Senior guard Calvin Carpenter leads a balanced scoring thrust with a 12.8 average while point guard Melvion Flanagan averages 11.7. Flanagan is a transfer from Wichita State where he played in 21 games, started three and averaged 4.9 points last season. Senior guard Paul King averages 11.6 points and senior guard Damon Davis 10.2. Senior forward Josh LeBlanc averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds and King 5.8.</li><li>LSU-S averages 84.2 points, allows 78.7 and shoots 46 percent overall, 34 percent from long distance and 71 percent from the free throw line. Opponents are outrebounding them by 1.2 per game and they average 12.4 turnovers.</li>
 </ul>CONCORDIA BULLDOGS Location: Seward, Nebraska Conference: Great Plains Athletic Coach: Bill Limback (11th season) Record: 23-7, 15-5 conference (tied for first) Conference tournament: Lost to Hastings 82-78 in the semifinals NAIA First Round seed: Fourth NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Indiana-Northwest (21-10) BULLDOGS AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>Concordia was ranked 20th in the final NAIA coaches' poll. The Bulldogs finished the regular season tied with Northwestern (Iowa) and Hastings atop the GPAC standings but lost to Hastings in the conference tournament semifinals. They entered the NAIA tournament having won 12 of their last 14 games.</li><li>Concordia features a high scoring offense. The Bulldogs average 87 points and shoot 50.7 percent as a team, 36.7 percent from 3-point range (9.3 makes per game) and 74.7 percent from the foul line. They outrebound their opponents by 3.6 per game and commit an average of 13 turnovers. Opponents average 78.4 points.</li><li>Junior forward Noah Schutte averages 20.9 points and 8.6 rebounds and junior forward Tristan Smith 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds. Both were named All-GPAC First Team. Junior guard Bradley Bennett averages 10.9 points and was a Second Team All-GPAC selection.</li>
 </ul>INDIANA UNIVERSITY-NORTHWEST REDHAWKS Location: Gary, Indiana Conference: Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Coach: Javier Heridia (seventh season) Record: 21-10, 15-5 conference (tied for second) Conference tournament: Defeated IU-South Bend 88-63 in the championship NAIA First Round seed: 13th NAIA First Round opponent:&nbsp;Concordia (23-7)REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE<ul>
 <li>IU-Northwest's victory over IU-South Bend in the CCAC title game was the school's first tournament championship since joining the conference. The game was played on their home court. The RedHawks have won five in a row and 14 of their last 16 games.</li><li>Junior forward Dannie Smith averages a team-best 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, shoots 52 percent from the field and was chosen the CCAC Newcomer of the Year. Junior guard Trace Williams averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds and was a Second Team All-CCAC selection as was junior guard Anthony Taylor who averages 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds.</li><li>The RedHawks average 78 points, allow 72 and shoot 46 percent overall, 31 percent from long distance and 70 percent from the foul line. They outrebound their opponents by three per game and average 12 turnovers.</li>
 </ul>

NAIA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds: Who is joining the Coyotes in Salina?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller admitted he was up late preparing to face No. 16 Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, and a big reason why was he didn't know how the Jayhawks would play without Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.

The conference's two leading scorers were out with injuries Wednesday night.

“It was hard. You take out two guys who have done so much all year, both ends of the floor, you don't know how they're going to adjust. That part is difficult,” Miller said. “I thought our guys did a nice job with the game plan.”

So nice, in fact, the Bearcats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.

Dan Skillings Jr. poured in 25 points, John Newman III added 12 and the No. 11 seed Bearcats rolled to a 72-52 victory, picking up another important win for their resume as they try to elbow their way into the NCAA Tournament.

Up next for Cincinnati (20-14) is No. 14 Baylor — the third seed in the league tourney — in the quarterfinals Thursday.

“We didn't start the year to say, ‘Hey, the goal is to get to 20 wins.' We’re not popping champagne or anything like that,” Miller said. “You do recognize things that have value, and getting 20 wins is something.”

Dickinson missed the game after dislocating his shoulder in a 30-point loss to Houston last weekend, while McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. Coach Bill Self expects both to practice Monday ahead of the NCAA Tournament, but that didn't help the 12-time Big 12 Tournament champions when they stepped on the floor against the Bearcats.

In fact, the situation grew more dire for the Jayhawks when, trailing 43-38 with just over 10 minutes left, they watched Elmarko Jackson come up hobbling, then saw KJ Adams Jr. crash to the floor defending a fast break and briefly leave the game.

Adams returned to lead No. 6 seed Kansas (22-10) with 22 points. Jackson also was able to finish and scored five.

“Obviously we were bad offensively and didn't make shots — didn't make any shots,” Self said, “and today was a night that things had to go a lot better for us shooting the basketball to have a chance.”

The fact that the Jayhawks were close at all in the second half was noteworthy.

Day Day Thomas, who hit seven 3s and scored 29 points in Cincinnati's opening win over West Virginia, remained hot from behind the arc in the first half. Simas Lukosius, who also had seven 3s and scored 31 a day earlier, did some damage at the rim. And by the time the Jayhawks came up empty on a final possession of the first half, they were facing a 38-25 hole.

Kansas dug out by holding the Bearcats to a 1-for-13 start from the field in the second half, and they were helped by a heavily pro-Jayhawks crowd inside T-Mobile Center that roared when their team closed within 40-38 with 13:30 to go.

But Kansas kept missing open looks, and that gave the Bearcats an opportunity to rebuild their lead.

"That start of the second half, we just got really stagnant. We had some good looks early, they didn't go, and we got a little tight and stopped playing aggressively," Miller said. "I thought our guys looked around and said, 'We’re going to go do it,’ and we got aggressive again, and then we had some good things happen.”

Self was back on the sideline after missing last year's Big 12 tourney when he was hospitalized with a heart issue. Kansas went to the finals without him, losing there to Texas, before playing without the Hall of Fame coach in the NCAA Tournament.

“Yeah, a year ago today I was messed up,” Self said. “So yeah, from that standpoint, I feel a heck of a lot better than a year ago, and today I'm not exactly happy or feeling great.”

Cincinnati lost 62-59 at Baylor on Jan. 13 when Lukosius missed two 3s in the closing seconds. The rematch will be even tougher with the Bears rested and the Bearcats playing for the third time in three days.

Kansas was once considered a potential No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Now, it could be looking at the No. 4 or 5 line on Selection Sunday. The big question is how much the selection committee will weigh the Jayhawks' injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710409733923.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller admitted he was up late preparing to face No. 16 Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, and a big reason why was he didn't know how the Jayhawks would play without Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr.The conference's two leading scorers were out with injuries Wednesday night.“It was hard. You take out two guys who have done so much all year, both ends of the floor, you don't know how they're going to adjust. That part is difficult,” Miller said. “I thought our guys did a nice job with the game plan.”So nice, in fact, the Bearcats were able to empty their bench in the final minute.Dan Skillings Jr. poured in 25 points, John Newman III added 12 and the No. 11 seed Bearcats rolled to a 72-52 victory, picking up another important win for their resume as they try to elbow their way into the NCAA Tournament.Up next for Cincinnati (20-14) is No. 14 Baylor — the third seed in the league tourney — in the quarterfinals Thursday.“We didn't start the year to say, ‘Hey, the goal is to get to 20 wins.' We’re not popping champagne or anything like that,” Miller said. “You do recognize things that have value, and getting 20 wins is something.”Dickinson missed the game after dislocating his shoulder in a 30-point loss to Houston last weekend, while McCullar has been dealing with a knee injury. Coach Bill Self expects both to practice Monday ahead of the NCAA Tournament, but that didn't help the 12-time Big 12 Tournament champions when they stepped on the floor against the Bearcats.In fact, the situation grew more dire for the Jayhawks when, trailing 43-38 with just over 10 minutes left, they watched Elmarko Jackson come up hobbling, then saw KJ Adams Jr. crash to the floor defending a fast break and briefly leave the game.Adams returned to lead No. 6 seed Kansas (22-10) with 22 points. Jackson also was able to finish and scored five.“Obviously we were bad offensively and didn't make shots — didn't make any shots,” Self said, “and today was a night that things had to go a lot better for us shooting the basketball to have a chance.”The fact that the Jayhawks were close at all in the second half was noteworthy.Day Day Thomas, who hit seven 3s and scored 29 points in Cincinnati's opening win over West Virginia, remained hot from behind the arc in the first half. Simas Lukosius, who also had seven 3s and scored 31 a day earlier, did some damage at the rim. And by the time the Jayhawks came up empty on a final possession of the first half, they were facing a 38-25 hole.Kansas dug out by holding the Bearcats to a 1-for-13 start from the field in the second half, and they were helped by a heavily pro-Jayhawks crowd inside T-Mobile Center that roared when their team closed within 40-38 with 13:30 to go.But Kansas kept missing open looks, and that gave the Bearcats an opportunity to rebuild their lead."That start of the second half, we just got really stagnant. We had some good looks early, they didn't go, and we got a little tight and stopped playing aggressively," Miller said. "I thought our guys looked around and said, 'We’re going to go do it,’ and we got aggressive again, and then we had some good things happen.”SILVER LININGSelf was back on the sideline after missing last year's Big 12 tourney when he was hospitalized with a heart issue. Kansas went to the finals without him, losing there to Texas, before playing without the Hall of Fame coach in the NCAA Tournament.“Yeah, a year ago today I was messed up,” Self said. “So yeah, from that standpoint, I feel a heck of a lot better than a year ago, and today I'm not exactly happy or feeling great.”UP NEXTCincinnati lost 62-59 at Baylor on Jan. 13 when Lukosius missed two 3s in the closing seconds. The rematch will be even tougher with the Bears rested and the Bearcats playing for the third time in three days.Kansas was once considered a potential No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Now, it could be looking at the No. 4 or 5 line on Selection Sunday. The big question is how much the selection committee will weigh the Jayhawks' injuries.

🏀 Cincinnati beats short-handed Kansas in Big 12 Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Arthur Kaluma added 14 points, David N'Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats (19-13), who gave their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost by following their upset of sixth-ranked Iowa State to end the regular season with a win over the Longhorns.

Now, they get another shot at the Cyclones — the No. 2 seed in the tournament — in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The Longhorns (20-12), who led 39-29 at the half before falling behind 67-57 late in the game, gave themselves a chance when Dylan Disu — the tournament MVP a year ago — scored on a putback to get within 70-68 with 28 seconds to go.

But when Kansas State inbounded the ball to Perry, and he was hammered by the Longhorns' Chendall Weaver, the officials assessed him a flagrant foul. Perry hit both free throws, and when the Wildcats retained possession and inbounded again, Carter caught a deep throw down the court and laid it in for a 74-68 lead with 18 seconds left.

Abmas answered with a 3 for the Longhorns, and Perry calmly made two more free throws. And when the Texas guard hit one more 3 with 8 seconds left, Carter stepped to the line and made his two foul shots to put the game away.

Abmas finished with 26 points to lead Texas. Ithiel Horton had 14 points and Dillon Mitchell scored 13, while star guard Tyrese Hunter was held to three points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.

The Wildcats' biggest problem early on was turnovers, just as it has been all season. They entered the game 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in giving the ball away, and they did it eight more times in the first half against Texas. Several turned into run-outs for the Longhorns, whose edge in points-off-turnovers nearly matched their lead for the game.

When the Wildcats began valuing the ball in the second half, their comeback was on.

Kaluma took it upon himself to drive for a series of tough buckets early in the half, not only drawing Kansas State closer but getting Disu and Brock Cunningham into foul trouble. And when Perry hit a 3-pointer from near the midcourt line with the shot-clock winding down, the Wildcats had pulled ahead 48-47 with 12:30 remaining in the game.

Kansas State still led 69-64 with just over two minutes to go when Abmas made a falling-sideways 3-pointer from right in front of the Texas bench, then got another bucket to go moments later, making it a three-point game in the final minute.

Texas hoped to improve its NCAA Tournament seed in Kansas City. It will likely be on the 8- or 9-line come Sunday.

Kansas State split with the Cyclones in the regular season, losing on the road before winning last Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710377621259.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tylor Perry scored 21 points, making four pressure-filled free throws down the stretch, and No. 10 seed Kansas State rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat seventh-seeded Texas 78-74 in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.Arthur Kaluma added 14 points, David N'Guessan had 13 and Dai Dai Ames and Cam Carter finished with 10 apiece for the Wildcats (19-13), who gave their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost by following their upset of sixth-ranked Iowa State to end the regular season with a win over the Longhorns.Now, they get another shot at the Cyclones — the No. 2 seed in the tournament — in the quarterfinals on Thursday.The Longhorns (20-12), who led 39-29 at the half before falling behind 67-57 late in the game, gave themselves a chance when Dylan Disu — the tournament MVP a year ago — scored on a putback to get within 70-68 with 28 seconds to go.But when Kansas State inbounded the ball to Perry, and he was hammered by the Longhorns' Chendall Weaver, the officials assessed him a flagrant foul. Perry hit both free throws, and when the Wildcats retained possession and inbounded again, Carter caught a deep throw down the court and laid it in for a 74-68 lead with 18 seconds left.Abmas answered with a 3 for the Longhorns, and Perry calmly made two more free throws. And when the Texas guard hit one more 3 with 8 seconds left, Carter stepped to the line and made his two foul shots to put the game away.Abmas finished with 26 points to lead Texas. Ithiel Horton had 14 points and Dillon Mitchell scored 13, while star guard Tyrese Hunter was held to three points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.The Wildcats' biggest problem early on was turnovers, just as it has been all season. They entered the game 338th out of 351 teams in Division I in giving the ball away, and they did it eight more times in the first half against Texas. Several turned into run-outs for the Longhorns, whose edge in points-off-turnovers nearly matched their lead for the game.When the Wildcats began valuing the ball in the second half, their comeback was on.Kaluma took it upon himself to drive for a series of tough buckets early in the half, not only drawing Kansas State closer but getting Disu and Brock Cunningham into foul trouble. And when Perry hit a 3-pointer from near the midcourt line with the shot-clock winding down, the Wildcats had pulled ahead 48-47 with 12:30 remaining in the game.Kansas State still led 69-64 with just over two minutes to go when Abmas made a falling-sideways 3-pointer from right in front of the Texas bench, then got another bucket to go moments later, making it a three-point game in the final minute.UP NEXTTexas hoped to improve its NCAA Tournament seed in Kansas City. It will likely be on the 8- or 9-line come Sunday.Kansas State split with the Cyclones in the regular season, losing on the road before winning last Saturday.