WACO, Texas — The dream start continues.
Kansas State remained undefeated in conference play by defeating the Baylor men’s basketball team, 97-95, in overtime on Saturday at Ferrell Center in a game that was both hard fought and entertaining for more than 40 minutes.
The Wildcats (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) held off the No. 19 Bears (10-5, 0-3) thanks to 32 points from Markquis Nowell, 24 points from Keyontae Johnson and a string of clutch plays in the final moments.
The biggest play of them all came with 32 seconds remaining in overtime when Ismael Massoud, of all people, swished a 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats a late lead that they would never relinquish.
K-State forced a turnover on Baylor’s next possession by double-teaming Adam Flagler and forcing him to the sideline when the Bears oddly tried to drain time off the clock rather than score quickly while trailing.
New K-State coach Jerome Tang, who spent the past 19 seasons working as a Baylor assistant, has led his team to an improbably hot start that has featured three consecutive victories over ranked teams. That has vaulted them to the top of the conference standings along with Kansas and Iowa State.
The Wildcats will try to keep their momentum going in their next game on Tuesday against Oklahoma State at Bramlage Colisuem. Until then, here are some takeaways from Saturday’s action.
Nowell stays hot
It’s time to start wondering if Nowell is the best point guard in the Big 12.
Nowell had another impressive game on Saturday when he lit up the Bears for 32 points and 14 assists. Those numbers came a few days after he dropped 36 points and nine assists on Texas during a 116-103 victory over the Longhorns.
He has reached double-digits as a scorer in all but two games this season and he has sent out at least seven assists in all but two games this season. Not only has he been good. He has been incredibly consistent.
A pair of 30-point games in the same week isn’t too shabby. This was also the first time any K-State player had recorded a game with 30 points and 10 assists.
Against Baylor, he drained 3-pointers, got into the lane for difficult runners and made 12 of 13 shots from the free-throw line. He also got his teammates involved. He did it all.
Nowell entered the day ranked ninth in the Big 12 in scoring, first in assists and second in steals. If the season ended today, it would be hard to keep him off the all-conference team.
If he continues to play this well, he could make an argument as one of the best point guards in the entire country.
So does Johnson
Not to be outdone, Johnson also delivered another strong performance for his team against Baylor.
Johnson had 24 points and nine rebounds in front of a rowdy road crowd.
He made a pair of 3-pointers and also got into the lane to score several points. Johnson and Nowell are quickly becoming one of the top scoring duos in the nation.
The Wildcats are playing entertaining basketball
Fans couldn’t have asked for a pair of more exciting games to watch during K-State’s road trip through the Lone Star State this week.
First, the Wildcats ran with the Longhorns in a high-scoring affair that was played at a NBA pace. Then they went to Baylor and remained up-tempo against the Bears.
K-State made eight of its first nine shots on Saturday and put all kinds of pressure on Baylor with its offensive firepower. Baylor punched back and made enough plays to take the game into overtime. But it wasn’t enough to knock off the red-hot Wildcats.
Tang’s team has scored 213 points this week.
You can sum up that kind of offense with one word: fun.
K-State hasn’t missed its starting five man
David N’Guessan was a staple of Kansas State’s starting lineup throughout nonconference play and he gave the Wildcats a boost inside as an undersized five. His ability to run past bigger defenders for points at the basket and to play on the perimeter created valuable mismatches even though he was occasionally overmatched as a rebounder.
But he hasn’t played in a Big 12 game yet while dealing with an injury to his right foot/ankle.
His absence seemed like it would be a big loss for the Wildcats, but that hasn’t been the case. K-State has held its own inside with Abayomi Iyiola starting at the five.
Massoud has also raised his level of play when called upon and Nae’Qwan Tomlin has made some nice plays when he has been moved to the five.
N’Guessan walked around Ferrell Center on crutches with a boot wrapped around his right foot on Saturday. It might be a while before the Wildcats get him back in the rotation this season. That is less than ideal. But the Wildcats have proven they can win games without him.
Baylor honored Tang before the game
It was abundantly clear how much Tang meant to the Bears when he walked onto the floor for the start of this game.
Donors lined up courtside to shake his hand. Then the entire Baylor coaching staff waited to give him a hug, with Scott Drew offering the warmest embrace at midcourt. If that weren’t enough, the Bears then honored Tang with a video tribute that lasted nearly a minute.
Tang spent 19 seasons working alongside Drew as an assistant coach before K-State hired him away last March. But it felt like he never left Waco, at least for a few minutes on Saturday.
After the game was over, Tang and Drew shared another hug at midcourt and Tang waved to the crowd. This might have been his most meaningful win yet.
