Kansas State University Athletics
Basketball (M) Archive
Year-by-Year History
2024-25
Record: 16-17
Big 12 Finish: 9-11 (t-9th)
Coach: Jerome Tang
During a roller coaster of a season that included a 6-game losing streak followed by a 6-game winning streak, K-State could not overcome a disappointing non-conference season, as the Wildcats finished with a 16-17 overall record, including a tie for ninth place with TCU in the new-look 16-team Big 12 with a 9-11 mark. Among the 16 wins were 10 over teams that advanced to the postseason (3 NCAA Tournament, 1 NIT and 6 College Basketball Crown), including ranked wins over No. 3/3 Iowa State, No. 16/17 Cincinnati, No. 16/17 Kansas and No. 23/23 West Virginia.
K-State won six of its first eight games before losing its last three non-conference games (at St. John’s, Drake and Wichita State) to enter Big 12 play with a 6-5 record. After rallying for a 70-67 win over No. 16/17 Cincinnati in the Big 12 opener, the Wildcats lost their next six league games (at TCU, at Oklahoma State, No. 12/11 Houston, Texas Tech, at No. 9/10 Kansas and at Baylor). After an impressive win over No. 23/23 West Virginia, the team rattled off five more victories, including an 80-61 win at No. 3/3 Iowa State and back-to-back home wins over No. 16/17 Kansas and No. 13/13 Arizona. However, the Wildcats couldn’t keep the momentum going with four straight losses (at BYU and Utah, Arizona State and at UCF). The team won three of their last four games before falling to Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Championship.
Seniors Coleman Hawkins and David N’Guessan were both lauded for their outstanding seasons, as Hawkins was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team while N’Guessan was selected to the Honorable Mention team. Hawkins was the only Division I player in the country to average at least 10 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He ranked in the Big 12’s top 10 in six categories, including sixth in steals (1.8 spg.) and minutes (33.6 mpg.), seventh in assists (4.3 apg.), eighth in blocks (1.3 bpg.) and 10th in rebounding (6.9 rpg.). The Wildcats’ leading scorer (13.3 ppg.) and rebounder (7.2 rpg.), N’Guessan led the Big 12 with a 64.4 field goal percentage while ranking in the league’s top 20 in both scoring and rebounding. He led the Wildcats in double-digit scoring games (26), 20-point games (6) and double-doubles (7).
2023-24
Record: 19-15
Big 12 Finish: 8-10 (t-9th)
Coach: Jerome Tang
Despite losing a pair of All-Americans in Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell as well as a third starter in Nae'Qwan Tomlin right before the season, K-State remained in the NCAA Tournament conversation until the very end of the season before receiving a bid to the NIT, where the Wildcats lost in the first round at Iowa. The Wildcats posted a 19-15 overall record, which included a tie for ninth place with Oklahoma in the new 14-team Big 12 with an 8-10 mark. Among the 19 wins were 10 over teams that advanced to the postseason (6 NCAA Tournament and 4 NIT teams), including No. 9/9 Baylor, No. 4/4 Kansas, No. 25/21 BYU and No. 6/6 Iowa State.
The victories over the Bears and Jayhawks both came in overtime, as the Wildcats set a new Division single-season record with 7 overtime wins, breaking the mark of 6 set by Wake Forest (1983-84), Chattanooga (1988-89) and Lafayette (2007-08). The 7 overtime wins also broke the school record of 5, set in 1992-93 and 2022-23, while it is the most overtime games in school history (5 total set in 1992-93 and 2022-23). The 6 overtime home wins are also a Division I record, surpassing the 5 by Cincinnati in 1966-67.
K-State enjoyed a fast start to the 2023-24 season, winning 14 of its first 18 games, including 4 of 5 in Big 12 play, highlighted by 5 overtime victories – Providence, Oral Roberts, North Alabama, Villanova and No. 9/9 Baylor. Three of those 5 overtime wins came in a row at home in a feat not accomplished in nearly 60 years (1964). However, a 1-7 slide over a 4-week span in late January to mid-February derailed the promising start with 5 of those 7 losses coming to teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats did win 4 of their last 6 games, including at home over No. 25/21 BYU and No. 6/6 Iowa State and over Texas at the Big 12 Championship.
Newcomers Arthur Kaluma and Tylor Perry were both All-Big 12 honorable mention selections to cap the season, as Kaluma was one of four Big 12 players to rank in the top-15 in both scoring and rebounding in 2023-24 while Perry was among the league’s top scorers, ranking eighth in the league at 15.3 points per game. Perry led the Big 12 in minutes (36.41) and was second in 3-point field goals (2.74) and free throw percentage (90.9).
2022-23
Record: 26-10
Big 12 Finish: 11-7 (t-3rd)
Coach: Jerome Tang
Picked 10th in the preseason Big 12 poll with just two returning players, K-State defied expectations in year one of the Jerome Tang era, as the Wildcats posted a 26-10 overall record, including a tie for third place in the Big 12 with an 11-7 mark, and the school's 13th trip to the Elite Eight. The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win campaign and first since 2017-18. The team finished No. 9 in the final USA Today Coaches poll, which was school's second-highest ranking since the coaches began doing a post NCAA Tournament poll in 1994.
Along the way, the Wildcats tied the school record with seven wins over Top 25 opponents, including a victory over defending national champion and No. 2/2 Kansas at home, a road victory over No. 6/6 Texas and a home-and-home sweep of Baylor. The team also regained their home court advantage at Bramlage Coliseum, producing a 15-1 record for the most home wins since also winning 15 in 2013-14.
Seniors Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson formed one of the nation's top tandems in the country, averaging 35 points per game, en route to becoming the first Wildcat duo to earn AP All-America honors in the same season. Nowell capped his K-State career by becoming the first Wildcat to ever win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, while he was named the NCAA East Regional's Most Outstanding Player after his memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament. Johnson, who was also selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament, was the unanimous Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year, while both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and the AP.
Tang, who was hired as the 25th head men’s basketball coach on March 21, 2022, after helping build Baylor into a national powerhouse, was the unanimous Big 12 Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches and AP, while he became just the third coach in school history to earn National Coach of the Year honors when he was selected as the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year.
2021-22
Record: 14-17
Big 12 Finish: 6-12 (9th)
Coach: Bruce Weber
K-State ended the 2021-22 season with a 14-17 overall record, including a ninth-place finish with a 6-12 mark. The Wildcats put themselves in a position for a postseason berth by winning 4 games in a 5-game stretch in mid-February, however, they could not sustain the momentum, losing their last 6 games to end the Bruce Weber era.
Health was a major storyline for the Wildcats in 2021-22, as 12 of the 16 players listed on the roster combined to miss 107 games. Fifth-year senior Mark Smith was the only player to start every game, as injuries and COVID-19 health and safety protocols forced Weber to use 12 different starting lineups. Weber himself missed 11 days of practice, including games vs. Texas and West Virginia in early January, due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. The team played just 8 games all season with its 10 available scholarship players.
Sophomore Nijel Pack was among three Wildcats to earn recognition by the Big 12 coaches for their outstanding play, as he was selected as the league's Most Improved Player as well as All-Big 12 First Team. He was the first Wildcat to be named the league's Most Improved Player, while he was just the sixth in the Big 12 era to earn First Team honors. Pack led the team in nearly every offensive category, including scoring (17.4 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (28), 30-point games (3), 20-point games (10), 3-point field goals (95) and 3-point field goal percentage (43.6). He was joined on the awards list by Smith, who was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and All-Newcomer Team, and junior Markquis Nowell, who was named All-Big 12 honorable mention and to the All-Defensive Team.
2020-21
Record: 9-20
Big 12 Finish: 4-14 (9th)
Coach: Bruce Weber
K-State ended the 2020-21 season with a 9-20 overall record, including a ninth-place finish with a 4-14 mark. The team was able to win 4 of their last 6 games after enduring a 13-game losing streak. In a turbulent year where teams weren't able to play, the Wildcats were able to play all but one of their scheduled games.
The Cats played 13 top-25 teams, which is the second-most in school history. K-State picked up a 62-57 home win over then No. 7/8 Oklahoma for their signature win of the season. The Cats defeated TCU (71-50) in the opening game of the Big 12 Tournament before falling just short to top-seeded Baylor (74-68) in the Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals.
Senior Mike McGuirl was selected to the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team after starting every game for K-State in 2020-21. McGuirl was second on the team with 11.8 points per game. He led the team in assists with 103 and was tied for first with 30 steals. Freshman Nijel Pack led the team in scoring with his 12.7 points per game.
2019-20
Record: 11-21
Big 12 Finish: 3-15 (10th)
Coach: Bruce Weber
K-State ended a rebuilding season with back-to-back wins (Iowa State and TCU) to wrap up the 2019-20 season with an 11-21 overall record, including a 3-15 mark in Big 12 play. The Wildcats concluded a season with consecutive wins for the first time since the 1968-69 season after their quarterfinal matchup with No. 5/5 Baylor and the remainder of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship were canceled due to COVID-19.
The non-winning season snapped a streak of three consecutive 20-win seasons, including a school-first, back-to-back 25-win seasons, and was the first since the 2014-15 season. It was just the second non-winning season in the last 16 years (2004-present).
2018-19
Record: 25-9
Big 12 Finish: 14-4 (1st)
Postseason: NCAA First Round
Coach: Bruce Weber
K-State had consecutive 25-win seasons for the first time in school history and earned its second Big 12 title in seven years under head coach Bruce Weber in the 2018-19 campaign. The senior class finished with 88 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances. 2018-19 marked the 31st NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.
Barry Brown, Jr. was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection. Dean Wade was also selected as All-Big 12 First Team, while both Kamau Stokes and Xavier Sneed were All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selections. Wade became the second Wildcat player (Jacob Pullen) to be named to the league's First Team in back-to-back seasons. Brown and Wade joined Michael Beasley, Pullen and Rodney McGruder as the only First Team selections in the Big 12 era.
2017-18
Record: 25-12
Big 12 Finish: 10-8 (4th)
Postseason: NCAA Elite 8
Coach: Bruce Weber
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K-State earned its fourth NCAA Tournament in six seasons under Bruce Weber in 2017-18, as the ninth-seeded Wildcats defeated 8-seed Creighton, 16-seed UMBC and 5-seed Kentucky before falling to 11-seed Loyola Chicago in the South Regional Final. It marked the school’s 12th trip to the Elite Eight and first since the 2009-10 season, as the Wildcats collected their sixth 25-win campaign in school history and the second under Weber. This came after the Wildcats reached the Big 12 Championship semifinals by defeating TCU in overtime in the quarterfinals.
Junior Dean Wade joined Michael Beasley, Jacob Pullen and Rodney McGruder as the only First Team All-Big 12 selections in team history. Junior Barry Brown was selected to the All-Big 12 second team by coaches. Brown and sophomore Xavier Sneed made the South Regional All-Tournament Team during the team’s run in March. Weber now has a 125-80 mark in his tenure at K-State, putting him fourth in school history in wins.
2016-17
Record: 21-14
Big 12 Finish: 8-10 (6th)
Postseason: NCAA First Round
Coach: Bruce Weber
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Final Stats
On the strength of wins in three of its last four games, Kansas State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons, as the Wildcats recorded a 21-14 overall record in 2016-17, which included an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play. K-State collected a 20-win season for the 28th time in school history, including the third time in five seasons under head coach Bruce Weber. Among the 21 victories were eight over postseason teams, including two over Baylor, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and NIT champion TCU. K-State earned its 36th overall postseason appearance, including its 29th in the NCAA Tournament.
Senior Wesley Iwundu repeated his All-Big 12 Third Team honors while fellow senior D.J. Johnson was selected All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Iwundu became the first Wildcat in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals in a career while sophomore Barry Brown set a single-season record with 82 steals. Johnson enjoyed a memorable final season as he set both the school single-season (62.3) and career (59.5) records for field goal percentage.
2015-16
Record: 17-16
Big 12 Finish: 5-13 (8th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Bruce Weber
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The season was highlighted by an 80-69 win over top-ranked and eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma at home, marking the fourth time that a No. 1 team has fallen at Bramlage Coliseum. K-State led the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (31.0), was third in steals (7.5 spg) and fourth in scoring defense (68.2). Junior Wesley Iwundu was named to the Coaches All-Big 12 Third Team as well as to the Big 12 All-Defensive team, while freshmen Barry Brown and Dean Wade were selected to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team.
2014-15
Record: 15-17
Big 12 Finish: 8-10 (T-6th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Bruce Weber
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Final Stats
Kansas State saw its streak of eight consecutive 20-win seasons end in 2014-15, as the Wildcats posted a 15-17 record, including a tie for sixth place with Oklahoma State and Texas in the Big 12 (which ranked No. 1 in the RPI) with an 8-10 mark. K-State finished with its first non-winning season since going 13-17 in 2002-03. The team posted five wins against AP Top 25 opponents, which tied for the ninth-most nationally, and registered eight victories against postseason teams (seven making the NCAA Tournament).
Marcus Foster, Nino Williams and Thomas Gipson were all selected to the Coaches’ All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team. The trio combined to lead in scoring 28 of 32 games with 55 combined double-digit scoring games. Gipson ended his career with 1,232 points, which ranks 14th all-time, and 700 rebounds, which is seventh.
2013-14
Record: 20-13
Big 12 Finish: 10-8 (5th)
Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Coach: Bruce Weber
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Despite losing six lettermen from a Kansas State team that won its first-ever Big 12 regular-season championship in 2012-13, Bruce Weber helped the Wildcats post its school-record fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 20-13 record and fifth-place finish in the Big 12 (10-8). Led by freshman sensation Marcus Foster (second team) and fellow All-Big 12 players Thomas Gipson and Will Spradling (honorable mention), the team registered their longest winning streak (10 games) in four seasons and set the Bramlage Coliseum record for most consecutive home wins with 15 in a row.
K-State knocked off six ranked opponents during the season, including four Top 15 foes in Oklahoma State, Texas (twice) and Iowa State, en route to collecting its school-record eighth consecutive 20-win season and fifth straight season of double-digit conference victories. The Cats’ season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to a Kentucky team that made it all the way to the NCAA Championship Game.
2012-13
Record: 27-8
Big 12 Finish: 14-4 (T-1st)
Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Coach: Bruce Weber
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Final Stats
Armed with a veteran squad and one of the winningest head coaches in college basketball, Kansas State enjoyed one of its greatest seasons in school history in 2012-13, posting a 27-8 record and a 14-4 mark in league play en route to their first-ever Big 12 regular-season championship and fourth straight trp to the NCAAs. The 27 wins were the second-most in school history and the league championship was the first since the 1976-77 team claimed the Big Eight title. Big 12 Coach of the Year Bruce Weber became just the third first-year coach to win the Big 12 regular season title since the league’s inception.
The team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time and received the No. 4 seed in the West Regional. The Wildcats rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit in its second round game with 13-seed La Salle at the Sprint Center before ending their season with a 63-61 loss. Senior Rodney McGruder capped his four-year career by earning honorable mention AP All-America honors, leading the team in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.4 rpg). McGruder also earned First Team All-Big 12 honors from the coaches along with fellow teammates Angel Rodriguez (second team) and Shane Southwell (honorable mention).
2011-12
Record: 22-11
Big 12 Finish: 10-8 (5th)
Postseason: NCAA Third Round
Coach: Frank Martin
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Faced with replacing the school’s all-time leading scorer in Jacob Pullen, Kansas State got production from a variety of options to post its unprecedented sixth consecutive trip to the postseason (fourth in the last five seasons in the NCAA Tournament) to cap a 22-win campaign in 2011-12. The four trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last five years is the best five-year stretch in school history and the best since they advanced to four straight from 1987-90. K-State earned a No. 8 seed at the ‘Big Dance’ and defeated 9-seed Southern Mississippi in the second round before falling to one-seed Syracuse in the third round of the East Regional in Pittsburgh, Pa.
It marked the sixth straight season the Wildcats have won at least one postseason contest after losing eight in a row from 1994 to 2007. K-State received votes in both major polls after finishing in the Top 25 (2009-10 and 2010-11) in consecutive years for the first time in about 40 years. Junior Rodney McGruder was selected to the All-Big 12 second team and senior Jamar Samuels was chosen to the honorable mention squad. In addition to the all-league honors, McGruder and junior Jordan Henriquez were named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
2010-11
Record: 23-11
Big 12 Finish: 10-6 (T-3rd)
Postseason: NCAA Third Round
Coach: Frank Martin
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Faced with the high expectations of a school-best No. 3 preseason ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls, Kansas State overcame numerous off-the-court issues to post its fifth consecutive trip to the postseason to cap a 23-win campaign in 2010-11. The Wildcats earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and defeated 12-seed and WAC champion Utah State in the second round before falling to four-seed Wisconsin in the third round of the Southeast Regional in Tucson, Ariz.
The squad finished in the Top 25 of both major polls, ranking No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the Coaches poll. It marked the first time that the Wildcats have concluded the year ranked in the Coaches poll in consecutive seasons since 1971-72 and 1972-73. Senior Jacob Pullen capped his senior year by becoming one of 10 players named to the 2011 John R. Wooden Award All-American team by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, becoming the third Wildcat to earn the honor (Michael Beasley, Rolando Blackman). Pullen also became the school’s first two-time All-Big 12 first team selection while sophomore Rodney McGruder was chosen to the third team.
2009-10
Record: 29-8
Big 12 Finish: 11-5 (T-2nd)
Postseason: NCAA Regional Final
Coach: Frank Martin
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Kansas State posted one of its greatest seasons ever in 2009-10, as the Wildcats totaled a school-record 29 wins, including a Big 12 era record 11 in league play, en route to recording their first trip to the Elite Eight in more than 20 years. The squad earned its highest-ever seed to the NCAA Tournament (No. 2 seed), where they knocked off No. 15 seed North Texas in the first round and No. 7 seed BYU in the second round in Oklahoma City, Okla., for their first Sweet 16 since 1988. The Wildcats then played in “the college basketball game of the year” (according to The Sporting News), holding off No. 6 seed Xavier in double overtime in Salt Lake City, Utah, to advance to the West Regional Final against No. 5 seed Butler. The squad ran out of energy against the Bulldogs, falling to the national runner-up to end their storybook season.
The team set 23 individual and team records during its campaign, including games, wins, wins over ranked teams, road wins and 3-point field goals. Head coach Frank Martin was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by media outlets and was the runner-up for the AP National Coach of the Year trophy. The backcourt of Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen were both selected to the coaches’ All-Big 12 Team, while sophomore Jamar Samuels received the league’s Sixth Man award.
2008-09
Record: 22-12
Big 12 Finish: 9-7 (T-4th)
Postseason: NIT Second Round
Coach: Frank Martin
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Building on the momentum from the year before, Kansas State defied expectations in 2008-09 by posting a 22-12 record, including a tie for fourth pace in the Big 12 with a 9-7 mark, en route to a third consecutive postseason appearance. The Wildcats received an at-large bid to the NIT as a No. 4 seed, where they defeated Illinois State at home in overtime before losing to the region’s top-seed, San Diego State, in the second round in San Diego, Calif.
Picked by many to finish as low as ninth in the Big 12, the squad recorded their third straight 20-win season for the first time in 27 years. They also finished in the conference’s top-4 for a third year in a row. Junior Denis Clemente was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year as well as a second team All-Big 12 selection and a unanimous pick to the All-Big 12 Rookie Team. Jacob Pullen was named All-Big 12 honorable mention. Clemente, Pullen and Fred Brown became the first trio in school history to each tally 50 or more 3-pointers in a single-season since the inception of the 3-point line.
2007-08
Record: 21-12
Big 12 Finish: 10-6 (3rd)
Postseason: NCAA Second Round
Coach: Frank Martin
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Led by arguably the best player in the country in freshman Michael Beasley, Kansas State lived up to lofty preseason predictions in 2007-08 by posting a 21-12 overall mark, including a program-best third place finish in the Big 12 with a 10-6 finish, en route to earning its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1995-96. The 11th-seeded Wildcats, helmed by first-year head coach Frank Martin, continued their stellar season by earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 20 years with a win over USC in the first round of the Midwest Regional in Omaha, Neb. The season ended in the second round of the tourney, where the squad fell to No. 6 Wisconsin.
Beasley broke 30 school career, single-season and freshman records as well as 17 Big 12 single-game and single-season marks. He also earned numerous accolades after the season, including National Player of the Year honors, National Freshman of the Year honors, Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year, consensus first team All-American and consensus first team All-Big 12. Freshman Bill Walker received third team freshman All-America honors and was also selected to third team All-Big 12.
2006-07
Record: 23-12
Big 12 Finish: 10-6 (4th)
Postseason: NIT Second Round
Coach: Bob Huggins
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Final Stats
Bob Huggins’ one and only season as Kansas State’s head coach brought the school a fourth place finish in the Big 12 and a 23-12 overall record. After losing to 2nd-ranked Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament, the Wildcats were selected to go to the MasterCard NIT. They wound up beating Vermont, 59-57, in the first round before falling to DePaul, 70-65, in round two. Three of K-State’s 12 losses came against Kansas, who was ranked in the top-10 in all three games. Huggins beat one ranked opponent in a 73-72 road win at Texas. The season was a huge success, being the first 20-win season since 1998-99 and the most wins since 1987-88, when Lon Kruger led the Cats to the Elite Eight.
In the Big 12, the team finished in the top half in scoring defense (65.1/game), scoring margin (+5.4/game), field goal percentage defense (.421), assists (15.57/game) and turnover margin (+1.63/game). Jason Bennett finished second in the league in blocks per game (1.85) while Cartier Martin finished fourth in free throw percentage (.799). Martin was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year by the coaches. Martin and David Hoskins were selected to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
2005-06
Record: 15-13
Big 12 Finish: 6-10 (T-7th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
Jim Wooldridge’s sixth and final season at Kansas State resulted in his fourth time winning six conference games and a seventh place finish in the Big 12. The season ended in the Big 12 Tournament with a 73-65 loss to Texas Tech in Dallas, Texas. The Wildcats went 0-3 against ranked opponents, with losses to Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. 15 wins was the second most Wooldridge accumulated in Manhattan, winning 17 games in 2004-05.
K-State finished in the top half of the Big 12 in scoring defense (63.9/game), field goal percentage defense (.398 - 3rd), 3-point field goal percentage (.362), free throw percentage (.711), rebounding (36.4/game), and assists (16.14/game). Cartier Martin led the team in scoring (18.0/game) and rebounding (6.6/game) and Clent Stewart led in assists (85). Martin finished fourth in the conference in points per game with that mark and led in free throw percentage (.841), while Dramane Diarra placed fifth in blocked shots per game (1.61). Martin received All-Big 12 Second Team recognition for his successful season.
2004-05
Record: 17-12
Big 12 Finish: 6-10 (10th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
Kansas State completed the 2004-05 season with a 17-12 overall record, the program’s first winning season in six years. This number is the highest of the Jim Wooldridge era and the highest since the 1998-99 team who posted a 20-13 record and advanced to the NIT. Since their 11-win season in 2001, the program has continuosly improved its win total under Wooldridge. They posted their first non-losing season (14-14) in 2003-04 since 1998-99 and now posted back-to-back .500 or better seasons for the first time in four years.
Kansas State became just the second Big 12 school since the inception of the league to have a winning record and at least six conference wins and not make it to a postseason tournament. Seven of the team’s 10 conference losses came by 10 points or less, including two on last second shots and two in overtime. Senior Jeremiah Massey’s 17.9 scoring average was the highest since Askia Jones averaged 22.1 points/game during the 1993-94 season. He also became just the second Wildcat since the inception of the Big 12 to be named to the Coaches’ All-Big 12 Second Team.
2003-04
Record: 14-14
Big 12 Finish: 6-10 (T-9th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
K-State finished the 2003-04 season with a 14-14 overall record and a ninth place tie in Big 12 play with a 6-10 mark. The 14 wins were the most in the first four years of head coach Jim Wooldridge's tenure and the most overall since 1998-99, while the six conference wins tied for the most since the 2001-02 season. Since 1991, only five K-State teams had more conference wins than the Wildcats totaled in 2003-04. 10 of the Wildcats’ 14 losses came by a total of 58 points, including nine of the last 12 by 52 points. The team ranked 19th nationally in field goal percentage defense (40.0), while they were among the Big 12 leaders in several categories (3-point field goal percentage defense, defensive rebounds, scoring defense and rebounding).
They concluded the regular season on a high note with their first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2002 in a 58-48 win over No. 10 Texas. Senior Tim Ellis and junior Jeremiah Massey earned recognition to the Associated Press honorable mention All-Big 12 team. Massey was also named the AP’s Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year.
2002-03
Record: 13-17
Big 12 Finish: 4-12 (11th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
Although Kansas State did not progress in the winning column, few can argue that the Wildcats were not a better basketball team. They finished 4-12 in conference play but eight of its losses were by single digits, resulting in an average loss margin in Big 12 games of 9.3 points, while it was much higher in 2001-02 (16.1). The Cats lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament to sixth-seeded Colorado on a banked in 3-pointer at the buzzer, preventing K-State from becoming the first 11-seed to win a game in the history of the tournament.
Eleven of Kansas State’s 13 wins during the year were by double figures. Seniors Gilson DeJesus, Pervis Pasco and Matt Siebrandt ended their careers at Kansas State on high notes, as the trio earned end-of-the-year accolades from the Big 12 Conference. DeJesus was named honorable mention by the Associated Press, Pasco was chosen to the coaches’ honorable mention and Siebrandt was selected to the All-Improved Team by media.
2001-02
Record: 13-16
Big 12 Finish: 6-10 (T-7th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
Kansas State continued its steady ascent during the 2001-02 campaign, improving its overall record by two games to finish at 13-16 overall. The Wildcats proved to be especially dangerous down the stretch, winning two of their final three games and six of their last seven at Bramlage Coliseum. The Cats also established themselves as one of the Big 12’s most improved clubs, as their six league victories were the most since the 1998-99 season and matched the total of the previous two seasons combined. Kansas State claimed a seventh-place tie in the Big 12 standings with Nebraska with each team finishing with a 6-10 record.
Wooldridge led K-State to the second round of the Big 12 Tournament for the second straight year with a 73-72 overtime victory vs. Baylor. The team ranked third overall in the Big 12 in three point field-goal percentage defense (32.3%) and second (33.2%) during league games. Larry Reid, a second team All-Big 12 choice, not only led the Wildcats in scoring (14.4 ppg), but also dished out 149 assists (5.4 pg) to become just the fourth Wildcat ever to record 100+ assists in back-to-back seasons. He also led the team in free throw shooting (81.9%), steals (1.5 pg) and minutes played (35.0 pg).
2000-01
Record: 11-18
Big 12 Finish: 4-12 (10th)
Postseason: None
Coach: Jim Wooldridge
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Final Stats
Jim Wooldridge’s first season (and 20th head coach) at Kansas State resulted in an 11-18 overall record and a 4-12 mark in Big 12 action, good for 10th place in the league. Both marks were two-game improvements over the 1999-2000 campaign. The Wildcats finished the year strong with a pair of upset victories in the process, defeating Nebraska in a thrilling 62-58 victory in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. K-State closed out its regular season one game earlier by winning on the road in Colorado, a win that snapped a six-game road losing streak for the Cats.
K-State scored victories over two Top 25 opponents earlier in the season and nearly upset two more. They treated No. 19 Iowa to a loss in mid-December, upsetting the Hawkeyes, 86-78, thanks to junior point guard Larry Reid, who netted 31 points. In the Big 12 Conference opener, they downed Texas A&M, 53-48, and upset No. 20 Missouri, 80-59, at home in mid-January. The Cats dropped heartbreakers against Oklahoma at home (64-63) and Iowa State in Ames (84-78). Reid was named to the All-Big 12 honorable mention squad.