MANHATTAN -- Kansas State (5-17, 1-12 Big 12) returns home on Wednesday to host No. 23/24 Kansas (15-7, 9-5 Big 12) in the 295th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum.
It is the sixth-most played rivalry (294) and eighth-most continuously played (115) in NCAA Division I history. The rivals have met at least twice a year every season since 1912. Wednesday’s game will air on Big 12 Now with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst).
This will be the Wildcats’ 10th matchup against a Top 25 opponent this season, including the fifth in a row (No. 23/22 Kansas, No. 13/11 Texas Tech, No. 13/13 Texas, No. 23/22 Oklahoma State and No. 23/24 Kansas). It will mark the first time in school history that a team has faced 5 consecutive Top 25 foes, while it continues a stretch of 7 ranked foes in an 8-game stretch. K-State has lost 14 in a row against ranked opponents, including Saturday’s 67-60 loss at No. 23/22 Oklahoma State, while the Wildcats have dropped 6 straight to ranked teams at home. K-State is 119-271 all-time vs. ranked opponents, which includes a 5-7 mark vs. the AP’s No. 23 ranked squad. Head coach Bruce Weber has a school-record 26 wins vs. Top 25 foes.
K-State tried to make yet another second-half rally, using a 16-0 run to close to within 4 points, however, No. 23/22 Oklahoma State responded with a decisive run of its own to maintain the lead in a 67-60 win on Saturday. The loss extended the Wildcats’ losing streak to 12 games, including 11 in Big 12 play. The 12-game losing streak is the longest in a single season and the second-longest in school history.
After scoring just 19 points in the first half against OSU on a season-low 25 percent (8-of-32), K-State woke up offensively in the second half, scoring 41 points on 55.2 percent (16-of-29) shooting, including 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from 3-point range. It marked the first 40-point half since the second half of the first meeting with Texas on Jan. 16. In the last 3 games (13/11 Texas Tech, 13/13 Texas and 23/22 Oklahoma State), the Wildcats have been better offensively in the second half, averaging 38.7 points on 51.9 percent (41-of-79) shooting.
Sophomore Antonio Gordon capped an impressive stretch for the Wildcats with his first career double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds) at No. 23/22 Oklahoma State on Saturday. Since returning to the starting lineup against No. 23/22 Kansas on Feb. 2, Gordon is averaging a near double-double with 8.5 points on 44.8 percent (13-of-29) shooting with 10 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game.
K-State has continued to juggle its lineup, as the Wildcats played its fourth straight game without sophomore starter DaJuan Gordon, who was injured against Texas A&M on Jan. 30. Gordon is the eighth Wildcat to miss a game due to either injury or COVID-19 related protocols, while only Mike McGuirl is the only player to start all 22 games. K-State has started three true freshmen (Davion Bradford, Selton Miguel and Nijel Pack) in half of their 22 games, including 8 times in Big 12 play. The 51 combined starts by true freshmen ranks second nationally to Kentucky’s 57 and just ahead of Washington State’s 49.
NOTES ON 23/24 KANSAS (15-7, 9-5 Big 12)
No. 23/24 Kansas (15-7, 9-5 Big 12) ran its winning streak to 3 games with consecutive victories over Iowa State last week, including a 64-50 win in Ames on Saturday afternoon. The Jayhawks broke a 24-all tie with a 40-point second half, as the frontcourt of David McCormack (13) and Jalen Wilson (22) combined for 35 points. Wilson added 10 rebounds.
Kansas is averaging 74.6 points on 44 percent shooting, including 35.5 percent from 3-point range, to go with 38.3 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 6.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game, while allowing 67.4 points on 41.3 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 72.4 percent from the free throw line. The Jayhawks are averaging 72.1 points on 44.2 percent shooting, including 34.2 percent from 3-point range, in Big 12 play, while allowing 66.4 points on 41.1 percent shooting.
All 5 starters are averaging in double figures led by junior Ochai Agbaji’s 13.9 points per game average on 42.4 percent shooting, including a team-best 57 3-pointers. McCormack is second in scoring at 13.0 points on 48.9 percent shooting with 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while Wilson is averaging 12.8 points on 44.7 percent shooting with a team-best 7.8 rebounds. Senior Marcus Garrett paces the team in assists (78) and steals (34).
Kansas is led by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who has posted a 516-116 (.817) record in his 18th season, which includes the 2008 national title and 3 Final Fours. He is 723-221 (.766) in his 28th season as a head coach.
SERIES HISTORY
K-State and Kansas will meet for the 295th time in their histories with the Jayhawks holding a 200-94 advantage in a series that dates to 1907. Kansas is 79-48 all-time in games played in Lawrence, including 27-5 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Jayhawks are 53-6 all-time in the Big 12 era.
Kansas has won 4 straight in the series, including a 74-51 win at home on Feb. 2. The Jayhawks broke open a tight 33-25 contest at halftime with a strong start to the second half, scoring 10 of the first 14 points. All told, they out-scored the Wildcats, 23-7, in the first 10 minutes after halftime.
Head coach Bruce Weber is 3-18 all-time against Kansas with all 3 wins coming at home (2014, 2015, 2019), while he is 4-19 against head coach Bill Self. Self is 36-6 vs. Kansas, including 13-5 in Manhattan.
LAST TIME OUT: 23/22 OKLAHOMA STATE 67, K-STATE 60
K-State tried to make yet another second-half rally, using a 16-0 run to close to within 4 points, however, No. 23/22 Oklahoma State responded with a decisive run of its own to maintain the lead in a 67-60 win on Saturday in front of a limited capacity crowd of 3,350 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Down by 20 in the early moments of the second half, K-State attempted to rally from a big deficit for the second straight game, using a 16-0 run over a near 4-minute stretch to close to within 41-37 to play. Five different Wildcats scored during the stretch, including a pair of 3-pointers by freshman Nijel Pack, who scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime and has now scored in double figures in 8 consecutive games.
However, just as quick, Oklahoma State rattled off a 10-2 run, keyed by National Freshman of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham, who like Pack had a terrific second half, scoring 12 of his team-high 15 points after halftime. After pushing the lead back out to 51-39 with 12:38 to play, the Cowboys maintained a double-digit lead for much of the rest of the way.
For the second straight game, it was the 3-pointer that hurt the Wildcats the most, as Oklahoma State connected on 10 triples on 28 attempts (35.7 percent) compared to K-State’s 5 on 19 attempts (26.3 percent). The shooting percentages were nearly identical with the Cowboys hitting on 40.7 percent (24-of-59), while the Wildcats were at 39.3 percent (24-of-61). K-State shot 55.2 percent (16-of-29) in the second half, including 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from long range, after shooting a season-low 25 percent (8-of-32) in the first half, including 0-of-8 from long range.
The loss spoiled an impressive day from sophomore Antonio Gordon, who posted his first career double-double with a game-tying 15 points on 7-of-13 field goals and a career-best 14 rebounds. It continued a solid stretch for Gordon, who is averaging 8.4 points and 9 rebounds in the last 5 games. Aside from Gordon and Pack, freshman Davion Bradford also registered double figures with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
UP NEXT: TCU (11-8, 4-6 Big 12)
K-State finishes the regular season with 2 of 3 games on the road, as the Wildcats head to Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday afternoon to take on TCU (11-8, 4-6 Big 12) at the Schollmaier Arena at 4 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now. The Horned Frogs are looking to sweep the regular-season series for the second straight season after posting a 67-60 win over the Wildcats in Manhattan on Jan. 2. TCU has won the last 2 of the last 3 meetings at home in the series.