7 November 2023
LAS VEGAS (KSNT) – K-State men’s basketball is 0-1 to start the 2023-24 regular season.
The Wildcats lost to No. 21 USC in their season opener on Monday in Las Vegas. The game was played in the 2023 Hall Of Fame Series.
K-State kept things close for approximately the first 25 minutes of the game but then USC pulled away. After trailing by ten at halftime, the ‘Cats pulled within six early in the second but never drew closer than that.
The Wildcats made things interesting by pulling back within eight, after trailing by as many as 19, but could not complete the comeback.
The Trojans won 82-69.
K-State struggled to hit shots all night, but especially in the first half. KSU finished the game 22-for-71 from the field (31%) and 8-for-33 from three-point land (24.2%).
Worth noting was every Kansas State player on scholarship took the floor in the game. No Wildcats will redshirt this year.
North Texas transfer point guard Tylor Perry led Kansas State with 19 points. Will McNair added eight off the bench, shooting 4-for-5 from the field.
USC got 22 points from Boogie Ellis and 18 from Isaiah Collier.
The Wildcats were without both senior forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who is indefinitely suspended, and senior guard Ques Glover. Glover is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
K-State returns to action on Friday, Nov. 10 with its first home game of the season. The ‘Cats will host Bellarmine and will tipoff at 7 p.m.