Kansas State Wildcats
2018-2019 Overall Rank: #12
Conference Rank: #2 Big 12
A surprise Elite Eight run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament has given Kansas State high expectations heading into this season. The Wildcats return all five starters and their top seven scorers from last year’s Elite Eight squad. After missing the entire NCAA Tournament with an injury, leading scorer Dean Wade is back and has the Wildcats looking to compete for a Big 12 Championship.
2017-18 Record: 25-12, 10-8
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Bruce Weber
Coach Record: 125-80 at Kansas State, 438-235 overall
Key Departed Players:
Amaad Wainright, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Mawdo Sallah, Forward, 1.8 ppg
Brian Patrick, Guard, 1.6 ppg
Amaad Wainright, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Mawdo Sallah, Forward, 1.8 ppg
Brian Patrick, Guard, 1.6 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Dean Wade, Senior, Forward, 16.2 ppg
Barry Brown, Senior, Guard, 15.9 ppg
Xavier Sneed, Junior, Forward, 11.1 ppg
Kamau Stokes, Senior, Guard, 9.0 ppg
Cartier Diarra, Sophomore, Guard, 7.1 ppg
Makol Mawien, Junior, Forward, 6.8 ppg
Mike McGuirl, Sophomore, Guard, 3.3 ppg
Levi Stockard, Sophomore, Forward, 1.8 ppg
James Love, Sophomore, Forward, 0.7 ppg
Barry Brown, Senior, Guard, 15.9 ppg
Xavier Sneed, Junior, Forward, 11.1 ppg
Kamau Stokes, Senior, Guard, 9.0 ppg
Cartier Diarra, Sophomore, Guard, 7.1 ppg
Makol Mawien, Junior, Forward, 6.8 ppg
Mike McGuirl, Sophomore, Guard, 3.3 ppg
Levi Stockard, Sophomore, Forward, 1.8 ppg
James Love, Sophomore, Forward, 0.7 ppg
Key New Players:
Shaun Neal-Williams, Freshman, Guard
Nigel Shadd, Freshman, Forward
Austin Trice, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Junior College
Shaun Neal-Williams, Freshman, Guard
Nigel Shadd, Freshman, Forward
Austin Trice, Junior, Forward, Transfer from Junior College
Projection:
Kansas State returns their top seven scorers from a year ago, led by All-Big 12 Second Team member Dean Wade. Wade is a do-it-all big man who averaged 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals. Barry Brown joined Wade on the All-Big 12 Second Team with 15.9 points, 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Brown stepped up in Wade’s absence in the NCAA Tournament and is primed for a strong senior season. Xavier Sneed is the other returning double-digit scorer after Sneed considered leaving for the NBA in the offseason. Kamau Stokes and Cartier Diarra split time starting at the other backcourt position next to Brown and both are back this season. Makol Mawien is the final returning starter for the Wildcats after starting all 37 games as a sophomore last season. Mike McGuirl, Levi Stockard and James Love are also all back to add to Kansas State’s depth and experience. Three-star recruits Shaun Neal-Williams and Nigel Shadd join the Wildcats along with junior college transfer Austin Trice. Kansas State’s mix of experience, depth and NCAA Tournament success give the Wildcats as much promise as any team in the nation this season.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.1 (247th in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 67.0 (46, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.3 (85, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.5 (89, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (253, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.1 (221, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.4 (99, 5)
Rebound Margin: -3.4 (304, 10)
Assists Per Game: 13.8 (165, 8)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.4 (44, 2)
Madness 2019 NBA Draft Rankings:
#70 Barry Brown
