Preview // K-State Plays Host to South Dakota Saturday

Saturday, December 20

Manhattan, Kan.

11 a.m. CT

Kansas State University

South Dakota

Buy Tickets

K-State Men's Basketball vs. Creighton, December 13, 2025. Final: KSU 83, CU 76.

(Photo: Taylor Watkins/K-State Sports)

Preview // K-State Plays Host to South Dakota Saturday

Dec 18, 2025 | Men's Basketball

K-State Notes (.pdf)Watch (ESPN+)Listen Live (K-State Sports Network)Live Stats

The Wildcats and Coyotes will meet for the first time since 2015.

GAME 12

KANSAS STATE (7-4) VS. SOUTH DAKOTA (7-6)

Saturday, December 20, 2025 | 11:01 a.m., CT | Bramlage Coliseum (11,010) | Manhattan, Kan.

TICKETS

Single-game tickets are available for as low as $11.

There are a variety of season, mini-plan and group ticket packages available. These can be purchased online at kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling (800) 221.CATS or by visiting the Bramlage Coliseum Ticket Office, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.

PROMOTION

Super Hero Day

Bramlage is going full super hero mode this Saturday! Bring the whole family out for Super Hero Day. There will be super heroes roaming the concourse for photos and face printing available through halftime.

TELEVISION

ESPN+ (online link)

Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
Stan Weber (lead analyst)
Sophie Smith (sideline reporter)

RADIO

K-State Sports Network

Flagships: // KMAN 1350 & WIBW 580

Satellite Radio: Ch. 381

Online: Varsity Network [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]

Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
Matt Walters (analyst)

LIVE STATS

kstate.statbroadcast.com

COACHES

K-State: Jerome Tang [Charter Oak State College '07]

Record at K-State: 68-46/4th Year

Career Record: 70-46*/4th Year+

vs. South Dakota: 0-0

South Dakota: Eric Peterson [Wisconsin-La Crosse '06]

Record at USD: 50-59/4th Year

Career Record: 102-74/6th Year

vs. K-State: 0-0

LAST GAME STARTERS:

K-State (7-4)

G: #4 P.J. Haggerty

G: #1 Abdi Bashir Jr.

G: #34 Nate Johnson

W: #0 Elias Rapieque

W: #21 Khamari McGriff

South Dakota (7-6)

G: #0 Jordan Crawford

G: #1 Uzziah Buntyn

G: #10 Evan Anderson

G: #12 Isaac Bruns

C: #54 Cameron Fens

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: K-State leads 10-0

In Manhattan: K-State leads 10-0

At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 4-0

Active Streak: K-State, 10

First Meeting: K-State won 69-52 (11/28/1977)

Last Meeting: K-State won 93-72 (11/20/2015)

Jerome Tang vs. Eric Peterson: 0-0

A K-STATE WIN WOULD…

Extend its winning streak over South Dakota to 11 games.
Make the Wildcats 57-3 all-time vs. Summit League teams.
Move coach Jerome Tang to 45-11 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Make them 136-16 in home non-conference play since 2006.
Give the Wildcats a 196-66 non-conference mark since 2006.

K-STATE PLAYS HOST TO SOUTH DAKOTA SATURDAY

K-State (7-4) returns home to Bramlage Coliseum on Saturday morning, as the Wildcats welcome South Dakota (7-6). Tip is set for 11:01 a.m., CT and will air on ESPN+. This will be the Wildcats' last contest before concluding non-conference play vs. ULM (3-9) on Sunday, Dec. 28.

This will be the 11th meeting between K-State and South Dakota. The Wildcats have won the 10 previous meetings, including all 4 at Bramlage Coliseum. The teams last met more than a decade ago when the Wildcats earned a 93-72 win on Nov. 20, 2015.

Led by fourth-year head coach Eric Peterson, South Dakota (7-6) has earned consecutive wins over Prairie View A&M (97-85) and Dakota State (80-71) since a 3-game losing streak. The Coyotes are one of the best teams in the nation in making and getting to the free throw line, ranking third in free throws made/game (21.5) and fifth in free throw attempts/game (29.8). Junior Isaac Bruns leads four players in double figures at 20.7 points per game, while he ranks first in free throws (87) and field goal attempts (196) and second in total points (269) and free throw attempts (106).

K-State will be looking to continue its strong play at home, as the Wildcats are 44-11 at Bramlage Coliseum under head coach Jerome Tang, including 22-4 in non-conference play.

LAST TIME OUT

Behind the clutch play of reserve David Castillo, K-State snapped a 4-game losing streak in non-conference road games with an 83-76 win at Creighton on Dec. 13. With the Bluejays trimming a 20-point deficit to just 73-70 with 2:41 to play, Castillo saved his best for when it was needed, scoring 6 of the Wildcats' last 10 points while adding an assist. It marked a career-best fourth straight game scoring in double figures, including the second straight scoring 19 points.

K-State led by as many as 18 points in the first half, including 51-33 at the break, as the Wildcats connected on 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the field, including 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from 3-point range. The 11 made 3-pointers tied for the second-most in any half in school history.

Castillo was one of four Wildcats to score in double figures, collecting his 19 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Omaha native junior Abdi Bashir Jr. put on a show for the hometown crowd with 18 points on 6 made 3-pointers, including 15 in the first half when he eclipsed 1,000 career points. Senior Khamari McGriff and junior P.J. Haggerty added 12 and 10 points, respectively, while senior Nate Johnson had game-highs in both assists (6) and steals (4).

OFFENSE OFF TO HOT START

K-State's offense is off to a hot start, as the Wildcats are averaging 86.4 points on 48.4 percent (337-of-696) shooting, including 40.5 percent (119-of-294) from 3-point range. They rank among the top-45 in 5 offensive categories, including seventh in 3-point field goal percentage, 21st in assists (18.8), 32nd in 3-point field goals/game (10.8) and fastbreak points (16.6) and 42nd in effective field goal percentage (57.0). They are just outside the top-50 in scoring offense at 51st.

The Wildcats have scored 90 or more points in 5 of the first 11 games for the first time in school history. The 108 points vs. Mississippi Valley (12/8/25) marked the 42nd 100-point game in school history, including the fourth under head coach Jerome Tang. The 950 points scored are the most through the first 11 games, surpassing the 944 scored by the 1997-98 team.

Junior P.J. Haggerty is the nation's No. 2 scorer at 22.7 points per game, while he ranks seventh in total points (250) and 10th in field goals made (87). Fellow junior Abdi Bashir Jr. ranks sixth nationally in 3-point field goals/game (3.73), while he is ninth in total 3-pointers (41) and 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (46.6).

POINTS IN THE FIRST 11 GAMES

950, 2025-26 (94, 98, 99, 84, 98, 85, 69, 66, 67, 108 and 83 points)
944, 1997-98 (93, 89, 89, 71, 101, 90, 67, 76, 70, 87 and 111 points)
903, 2009-10 (92, 82, 80, 74, 83, 70, 83, 86, 71, 95 and 87 points)
879, 1991-92 (103, 90, 115, 59, 99, 75, 65, 79, 71, 34 and 89 points)
877, 2008-09 (96, 88, 82, 69, 83, 72, 63, 70, 74, 107 and 73 points)

HAGGERTY JOINS ELITE COMPANY

After his 27-point performance vs. Nebraska, junior P.J. Haggerty became the first Wildcat to open a season with 6 consecutive games of 20 or more points, eclipsing a record shared with Michael Beasley in 2007-08. His 250 points are also the second-most by a player through the first 11 games and the most since Beasley's 289 points.

20-POINT GAMES IN THE FIRST 6 GAMES

27, 23, 23, 31, 37 and 27 points by P.J. Haggerty, 2025-26

HAGGERTY HAS RARE 30-10 GAME

Junior P.J. Haggerty had 31 points and a career-tying 10 rebounds vs. Tulsa (11/17/25) to become the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 to post a rare 30-point, 10-rebound double-double. He scored 27 of his 31 points in the second half, which are the fifth-most in any half.

MOST POINTS AT BRAMLAGE

K-State's 99-96 win over Cal on Nov. 13 made history, as the 195 combined points were the most-ever in Bramlage Coliseum, surpassing the 194 scored between K-State (106) and Marshall (88) on Dec. 2, 1995.
K-State posted the highest field goal percentage of the Jerome Tang era for the second straight game, as the Wildcats hit on 64.4 percent (38-of-59) from the field. It was the highest field goal percentage since shooting 66.0 percent vs. Wake Forest on March 14, 2017.

TRIO OF 'CATS POST 20-POINT GAMES

K-State had three players record 20-point games in the win over Cal, as junior P.J. Haggerty led the way with 23 points to go with 21 from senior Khamari McGriff and 20 from senior Nate Johnson.
The trio is the first to each have 20-point games since Dean Wade (34 points), Kamau Stokes (23 points) and Barry Brown Jr. (21 points) did it against Iowa State on Dec. 29, 2017.

McGRIFF, CASTILLO GO PERFECT

Two Wildcats - senior Khamari McGriff and sophomore David Castillo - each went perfect from the field, becoming the 24th and 25th players in school history to go perfect from the field on 5 or more field goals in the 98-71 win over Bellarmine on Nov. 8. They are the first teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game.
Castillo scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including 5-of-5 from 3-point range, while McGriff totaled 16 points on 8-of-8 field goals. Castillo is just the eighth Wildcat to go 5-of-5 from beyond the arc, joining his high school coach Clent Stewart who was in attendance.

CASTILLO'S IMPROVEMENT

Junior David Castillo's game-high 19 points in the win over Creighton (12/13/25) further illustrated the improvement that he has made in his second season, as he ranks second on the team in scoring (13.5 ppg.) while connecting on 49 percent (51-of-104) from the field, including 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from 3-point range, and 80.8 percent (21-of-26) from the free throw line.
Castillo has nearly doubled his point total (77 to 148) from his freshman year, while also posting 7 double-digit scoring games, including 4 in a row. He scored a career-high 22 points vs. Bowling Green (12/1/25) on 8-of-15 shooting.

BUCA MAKING HIS PRESENCE FELT

One of the tallest players in school history, Italian import Dorin Buca has started to find his footing in the college game as his presence was felt in games against Seton Hall (12/6/25), Mississippi Valley (12/8/25) and Creighton (12/13/25). He averaged 5 points in each game but grabbed a combined 17 rebounds to go with 8 blocked shots in a combined 48 minutes off the bench.

NOTES ON SOUTH DAKOTA

Led by fourth-year head coach Eric Peterson, South Dakota (7-6) has won back-to-back games against Prairie View A&M (97-85) and Dakota State (80-71) since dropping 3 straight against Portland State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming. The Coyotes are 0-4 in true road games, including Creighton (76-92), Missouri (68-102), Northern Colorado (87-89) in overtime and Wyoming (79-106).
The Coyotes return 6 lettermen, including 2 starters, from a squad that posted a 19-14 overall record, including a fifth-place finish in the Summit League with a 9-7 mark.
South Dakota is averaging 84 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 31.7 percent from 3-point range, while allowing 81.8 points on 50.3 percent shooting, including 32.6 percent from 3-point range. The Coyotes are out-rebounding by their opponents, 37.2 to 33.3, and turn the ball over just 13.1 times per game. They are shooting 72.4 percent from the free throw line.
USD is among the best in getting and making its free throws, ranking third in makes (21.5) and fifth in attempts (29.8). The team is also 21st in offensive rebounds at 14.5 per game. Junior Isaac Bruns leads the nation in field goal attempts (196) and free throws (87), while he is second in total points (269) and free throw attempts (106).
The Coyotes are a balanced scoring team with 4 players averaging in double figures led by a prolific scorer in junior Isaac Bruns, who ranks second in points (269) and 23rd in points/game (20.7 ppg.). He is connecting on 42.9 percent from the field and 82.1 percent from the line to go with 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Junior Jordan Crawford is averaging 12 points to go with a team-best 18 steals. Senior Cameron Fens is averaging 10.9 points on a team-high 53.8 percent shooting to go with team-bests in rebounding (6.7 rpg.) and total blocks (19), while freshman Uzziah Buntyn is averaging 10.3 points to go with a team-best 38 assists.
South Dakota was picked fifth in the 9-team preseason The Summit League coaches poll. St. Thomas is the preseason favorite to win the league.
Peterson is in his sixth season as a head coach, including his fourth at South Dakota. He won 52 games in 2 seasons at Williston State at the junior college level from 2012-14 before becoming an assistant at South Dakota (2014-18), Utah State (2018-21) and Utah (2021-22). After 12-win seasons in years one and two, he won 19 games last season.

SERIES HISTORY

K-State is 10-0 all-time vs. South Dakota with all 10 victories coming in Manhattan. This is the fifth such meeting at Bramlage Coliseum with the Wildcats winning matchups in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
K-State is 56-3 all-time vs. current members of the Summit League, including a 49-0 mark in games played at home.

LAST 5 MEETINGS (5-0):

Date	Rank	Result	Score	Location
11/29/1986	—/—	W	95-45	Manhattan
1/3/2010	—/—	W	91-69	Manhattan
12/31/2012	—/—	W	70-50	Manhattan
12/10/2013	—/—	W	64-62	Manhattan
11/20/2015	—/—	W	93-72	Manhattan

LAST MEETING:

K-STATE 93, SOUTH DAKOTA 72 (Nov. 20, 2015)

K-State used a big second-half performance to rebound from a halftime deficit, as the Wildcats earned a 93-72 win over South Dakota in their last meeting on Nov. 20, 2015. The Wildcats scored 54 points on 55.6 percent shooting in the second half after trailing 42-39 at the break. Four players scored in double figures led by 18 points from Barry Brown Jr.

SUCCESS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

K-State has posted a 195-66 (.752) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season. During that span, the Wildcats have a 151-20 (.890) mark at home venues (includes games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play, including a 135-16 (.903) mark at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State's 12-1 non-conference mark in 2022-23 was the best since the 2009-10 team went a program-best 13-1. Last season, the team went 7-6 in non-conference play, including 4-1 in Bramlage Coliseum.

Year	Overall	Home	Bramlage
2006-07	11-4	7-0	7-0
2007-08	10-4	8-1	7-1
2008-09	12-3	11-0	10-0
2009-10	13-1	9-0	8-0
2010-11	12-3	9-1	8-1
2011-12	11-1	7-0	6-0
2012-13	11-2	9-0	8-0
2013-14	10-3	7-1	7-1
2014-15	7-6	6-2	5-2
2015-16	11-2	8-0	8-0
2016-17	11-2	8-0	8-0
2017-18	11-2	8-1	8-0
2018-19	10-3	7-0	6-0
2019-20	7-6	6-2	6-1
2020-21	4-5	4-5	4-5
2021-22	8-5	6-1	6-1
2022-23	12-1	8-0	7-0
2023-24	10-3	8-1	7-1
2024-25	7-6	4-2	4-1
2025-26	7-4	5-2	5-2
Total	195-66	151-20	135-16

UP NEXT:

K-State returns from its holiday break on Sunday, Dec. 28 when the Wildcats conclude non-conference play against ULM (3-9) at Bramlage Coliseum. Tip is set for 1:01 p.m., CT on ESPN+. Tickets are available online at kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling (800) 221.CATS or through the Athletics Ticket Office.