MANHATTAN – Sophomore guard Nijel Pack was selected All-District VI by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Wednesday, a day after earning similar honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Pack was joined on the USBWA’s 10-member All-District Team by Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas, Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, Iowa State’s Izaiah Brockington, Northern Iowa’s A.J. Green, Creighton’s Ryan Hawkins, Missouri State’s Isiaih Mosley, Iowa’s Keegan Murray and South Dakota State’s Baylor Scheierman. Agbaji and Kansas head coach Bill Self were named the District’s Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.
District VI covers schools in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North and South Dakota.
The award was yet another for the sophomore, who was selected First Team All-District 8 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Tuesday. He has already been named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and The Associated Press as well as the Big 12’s Most Improved Player by the league coaches.
Pack enjoyed a remarkable sophomore season, emerging as one of top scorers and 3-point shooters in the country. He averaged a team-best 17.4 points on 45.5 percent (175-of-385) shooting, including 43.6 percent (95-of-218) from 3-point range to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.0 minutes per game. He became just the 32nd Wildcat to top 500 points in a single season and the first since Brown and Wade in 2017-18. He was the team leader in scoring, double-digit scoring games (28), field goals (175) and 3-point field goals (95). He finished the Big 12 regular season ranking fourth in scoring, including second (18.6 ppg.) in conference-only games.
Pack ranks among the top-15 nationally in both 3-point field goal percentage (43.6/6th) and 3-point field goals made (3.28/14th), while he finished the regular season leading the Big 12 in both categories. His 95 made 3-point field goals this season rank third in school history with only school-record holders Askia Jones (1993-94) and Jacob Pullen (2009-10) owning more in a single season. He set the sophomore record for 3-point makes, while he currently has hit a 3-pointer in a school-record 34 consecutive games dating back to last season.
K-State recently concluded the 2021-22 season with a 14-17 overall record, including a ninth-place finish in Big 12 play with a 6-12 mark.