Kansas State Aiming for Another Surprise at No. 21 BYU

Kansas State players postgame press conference after defeating Kansas

Kansas State will try to upset a second consecutive Top 25 opponent when it travels to No. 21 BYU on Saturday in Provo, Utah.

The Wildcats (15-8, 5-5 Big 12) overcame No. 4 Kansas 75-70 on Monday to revive dwindling NCAA Tournament aspirations. Boosted by 26 points from Tylor Perry, Kansas State came from an 11-point second-half deficit to end a four-game losing streak. The Wildcats also remained undefeated, winning all 6 overtime games this season.

Kansas State’s defense stifled Kansas in overtime. The Jayhawks only made 2 of 9 field goal attempts in the final five minutes.

“In overtime, it’s about players making plays,” Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said. “They don’t feel the pressure. We work on it every day in practice, but I don’t know that that’s necessarily the reason. I think guys just make plays and their confidence level grows.”

The Wildcats managed to overcome turnover issues to secure a much-needed victory. Kansas scored 21 points off 16 Kansas State turnovers. The Jayhawks registered 11 steals and 16 fastbreak points.

The Wildcats finished with a 43-33 advantage on the boards. Cam Carter led the way, grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds along with 19 points.

Taking good care of the ball and performing well in rebounds will be crucial heading into a challenging away match at BYU.

BYU (16-6, 4-5) is seeking to bounce back after a 82-66 loss at Oklahoma on Tuesday. The defeat halted a two-game winning streak for the Cougars.

Aly Khalifa missed a second consecutive game due to an undisclosed illness and, without him in the lineup, the short-handed Cougars ran out of energy against the Sooners.

BYU played with just eight players and fatigue became evident as the game progressed. The Cougars missed numerous shots near the basket and only managed a 35.9 percent shooting accuracy from the field.

Fousseyni Traore led BYU’s offense for a second consecutive game, scoring 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Traore averaged 22.5 points per game during the Cougars’ two-game road trip against Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Extended offensive droughts ultimately proved fatal for BYU against the Sooners. The Cougars were unable to score in the last 3 1/2 minutes before halftime, allowing Oklahoma to erase a five-point deficit. Subsequently, BYU only managed seven points in the last four minutes.

“I thought they had a well thought-out approach to what they were going to give us, and what they weren’t going to give us,” remarked BYU coach Mark Pope.

Their 3-point shooting must improve for the Cougars to avoid a second consecutive defeat. BYU made 8 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc against Oklahoma. Dallin Hall contributed with four of those baskets.

Kansas State leads the series with BYU 4-3. This is their first meeting since the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament where Kansas State won 84-72 to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Cougars hold a 2-0 record in Provo against the Wildcats.

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

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    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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