Feb 14, 2020

K-State plays at TCU Saturday

Posted Feb 14, 2020 8:10 PM

GAME 25

KANSAS STATE (9-15, 2-9 Big 12) at TCU (13-11, 4-7 Big 12)

Saturday, February 15, 2020 >> 4:01 p.m., CT >> Schollmaier Arena (6,700) >> Fort Worth, Texas

TELEVISION

Big 12 Now on ESPN+ / WatchESPN

  1. Clay Matvick (play-by-play)
  2. Bryndon Manzer (analyst)
  3. Paul Ervin (producer)

TICKETS

www.GoFrogs.com

(817) 257.3764

Gameday: $35 (youth)/$45 (adult)

COACHES

Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)

Overall: 472-259/22nd season

At K-State: 159-104/8th season

vs. TCU: 13-5 (5-2 on the road)

TCU: Jamie Dixon (TCU ‘87)

Overall: 409-175/17th season

At TCU: 81-52/4th season

vs. Kansas State: 4-6 (1-2 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (9-15)

G: #2 Cartier Diarra

G: #3 DaJuan Gordon

G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #23 Montavious Murphy

F: #14 Makol Mawien

TCU (13-11)

G: #1 Desmond Bane

G: #3 Francisco Farabello

G: #22 R.J. Nembhard

F: #10 Diante Smith

C: #21 Kevin Samuel

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 16-7

Current Streak: TCU, 1

In Fort Worth: K-State leads 6-2

At Schollmaier Arena: K-State leads 6-1

Last Meeting: L, 57-59 [1/7/2020 in Manhattan]

Weber vs. Dixon: Weber leads 6-4 [2-1 on the road]

OPENING TIP

  1. Kansas State (9-15, 2-9 Big 12) begins a 2-game road trip through the state of Texas on Saturday afternoon, as the Wildcats travel to Fort Worth, Texas to take on TCU (13-11, 4-7 Big 12) at Schollmaier Arena. Both teams enter the match-up on season-long losing streaks, as K-State has dropped 4 in a row while TCU has lost 6 straight. The game will tip at 4:01 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Bryndon Manzer (analyst) on the call.
  2. TCU will be looking to sweep the regular-season series for the first time in the Big 12 after winning the first contest in dramatic fashion, as Kevin Samuel’s tip-in with 2 seconds lifted the Horned Frogs to a 59-57 win at Bramlage Coliseum on Jan. 7. The game-winning tip-in came 11 seconds after junior David Sloan’s 3-pointer tied the game at 57-all that helped the Wildcats erase an 11-point second-half deficit. In the final sequence, Samuel was able to rebound teammate R.J. Nembhard’s missed jump shot for the tip-in and game-winning basket. The game is one of 13 decided by single digits this season, including 10 losses.
  3. K-State endured another one of those close losses on Tuesday night, as Oklahoma State connected on a scorching 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the field in the second half to snap a 4-game losing streak to the Wildcats in a 64-59 victory at Bramlage Coliseum. The Cowboys’ 81.3 field goal percentage in the second half was second-highest by an opponent in a half and the highest since Colorado connected on 82.4 percent on Jan. 24, 2009. OSU hit on an opponent-high 51.2 percent (22-of-43) for the game, including 57.1 percent (20-of-35) from inside the 3-point arc. Despite the hot shooting, K-State still had its opportunities in the game, drawing to within 49-47 on a layup by junior Cartier Diarra with just over 6 minutes to play and to within 59-55 with 1:24 remaing. However, each time, the veteran Cowboys were able to withstand the rally, including hitting 5-of-8 free throws in the final minute of play. 
  4. Since winning 4 in a row, including 3 straight to open Big 12 play, TCU (13-11, 4-7 Big 12) has won just 1 of its last 9 games, including a current 6-game skid that began in a 78-67 loss at Arkansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 25. However, the Horned Frogs have been solid at home, posting an 11-4 record, which includes a 65-54 win over Texas Tech on Jan. 21. TCU is paced by All-Big 12 candidate Desmond Bane, who ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring at 16.0 points per game, while two others (R.J. Nembhard and Kevin Samuel) are averaging double figures.
  5. Despite the loss in January, K-State has still won 16 of 23 previous meetings with TCU, including a 13-5 mark in the Big 12 era. The Wildcats have won 3 of their last 4 meetings with the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, including a 64-52 victory last season. Shooting from long distance played a huge role in the first meeting in 2020, as 10 of TCU’s 20 field goals made came from 3-point range, including 4 by Bane, while K-State connected on just 20 percent (4-of-20) from long range in the narrow loss.
  6. Injuries have been a big part of K-State’s season, as 5 different players have missed a combined 47 games, which has caused head coach Bruce Weber to use 6 starting lineups. The 6 lineups are the most since using 11 in 2014-15. Freshmen DaJuan Gordon and Montavious Murphy have started together in each of the last 6 games, which is the first freshmen pair to start together since Barry Brown, Jr., and Dean Wade in 2015-16.

NOTES ON TCU

  1. TCU (13-11, 4-7 Big 12) enters Saturday’s game on a season-long 6-game losing streak after losing, 88-42, at No. 24/24 Texas Tech on Monday night. The Horned Frogs ran into one of the nation’s hottest teams in the Red Raiders, who piled up their 88 points on 60.4 percent shooting (32-of-53) from the field, including 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from 3-point range. In comparison, the Frogs hit on just 26.7 percent (12-of-45) from the field, including 15.8 percent (3-of-19) from long range. Senior Jaire Grayer was the lone player in double figures with 10 points, while the Big 12’s second-leading scorer (Desmond Bane) was held to just 7 points with 5 turnovers.
  2. TCU is averaging 65.7 points on 42.0 percent shooting, including 33.6 percent from 3-point range, to go with 35.5 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.9 blocks per game, while allowing 64.5 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 37 percent from 3-point range. The team is connecting on 62.3 percent from the free throw line.
  3. Three players are averaging in double digits for the Horned Frogs led by Bane’s 16.0 points per game on 46 percent shooting, including 42.4 percent from 3-point range, and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. He also adds averages of 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.0 minutes per game. In all, Bane ranks in the Top 10 in 8 categories, including first in 3-pointers per game (2.67, second in scoring and minutes, third in 3-point field goal percentage and fifth in field goal percentage. Sophomore R.J. Nembhard is averaging 12 points on 35.3 percent shooting, including 27.5 percent from 3-point range, while fellow fellow sophomore Kevin Samuel is averaging a near double-double with 10.4 points on 65.3 percent shooting to go with a team-best 8.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.
  4. TCU is led by fourth-year head coach Jamie Dixon, who has posted an 81-52 (.609) record, which an NCAA Tournament trip in 2018 and bids to the NIT in both 2017 and 2019. He is 409-175 (.700) in his 17th season as a head coach, which includes a stint at Pittsburgh (2003-16).

TOM GILBERT

Director for Men’s Basketball Communications | K-State Athletics