Obituary: K-State freshman Lillyan Koehn
page 05: Arts & Culture
The K-State Insect Zoo educates the public and students on entomology
page 10: Sports
Future plans for Gabby Gregory and Ishmael Massoud
page 13: Sports Markquis Nowell: “Head over heart” in the historic March Madness run
would all of this have happened?” Breon said.
“Where am I going to go?” Jami Breon, resident of the Royal Towers, said.
Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction service issued letters of condemnation to residents at Royal Towers Apartments, located on 1700 North Manhattan Ave., on March 16. Tenants must evacuate the building by May 1 due to safety concerns.
“Second semester just started, we’re in Manhattan, Kansas, I’m trying to find a place that A, I can afford, and B, is close enough to campus,” Breon, junior in secondary English education, said.
Breon said residents knew about the Royal Towers’ possible condemnation weeks before the notice, and she hoped for a miracle to save it.
“Honestly, I wasn’t shocked … just based on the state that I knew the building was in,” Breon said.
In the notice of condemnation, the engineer’s report said “the current condition of the walkway and stairwells is ‘structurally unsound based upon original design intent.’”
“Areas are on the verge of crumbling,” Breon said. “One wrong jump could probably send a section of the walkway area coming down.”
The violations listed in the building’s official report said “the walking surfaces of the building are deteriorated to the point that it is hazardous.”
The notice of condemnation said Royal Tower’s landlord failed to fix the violations listed in the building official’s report, resulting in the condemnation of the building.
“One of the owners was
out here before the condemnation notice, trying to get all the stuff fixed, but by that time it was too late,” Breon said.
Breon said residents are not receiving compensation from the Royal Towers. They will be refunding residents a pro-rated rent amount back if they move out before the end of their monthly pay period.
“So we’re not getting any, like, apology money. … But what I am getting back is my deposit,” Breon said.
Breon said she moved into the Royal Towers in August 2022 and had no concerns about her safety until two months ago.
“I feared about if I was safe to live in the building and just, what was going to happen,” Breon said.
Breon said she worried about herself and other residents finding new housing.
“There’s families that live in that apartment. Families with two or three kids, who knows where they’re going to go,” Breon said.
Brett Cale, a DoorDash driver, said he noticed the state of the building while delivering an order to the
“I’m not a structural engineer whatsoever. I work on cars and I deliver food. … There’s no way this can be safe,” Cale said.
Cale said he made TikTok videos about the Royal Towers to spread awareness about the hazardous building. One of Cale’s TikToks garnered 4.7 million views.
“I just posted that one video where it’s buckling and I did not expect it to get that many views or that much attention,” Cale said.
Breon said she appreciates Cale’s advocacy for the residents.
“It’s good that he kind of made the community aware of it, but also on the flip side, like if he hadn’t posted those TikTok videos,
Andy Thompson, the director of student life at Kansas State, said he is working with both the city of Manhattan and the Royal Towers to contact residents who are students at the university.
“What I want our student community to know is that there are offices on this campus and professionals on this campus that want to help,” Thompson said. “We know that in a student’s time at the university, they’re gonna face a variety of different challenges and that they’re not alone in that.”
Thompson said the Office of Student Life has sent information to student residents with information about Housing and Dining, Student Legal Services, Lafene Health Center and Office of Student Financial Assistance to alleviate the stress of the situation.
“Any student that might be having difficulties with their off-campus housing can connect with Off-Campus Housing Support to kind of talk through what their options might look like,” Thompson said.
Lillyan Koehn, 19, died in a car crash on March 10 in Newton, Kansas. She was a freshman in bakery science at Kansas State, played volleyball and soccer throughout her childhood and joined Alpha Chi Omega this past fall. She was a Christian from a young age and volunteered at summer camps for her church.
Lillyan was a funny, confident person who was driven and joyful, Julie Koehn, Lillyan’s mother, said.
“When she got into high school she would volunteer to mentor and work with middle school girls that were in our church, and she’d go to church camp with them, braid their hair, kick the soccer ball around,” Julie said.
Julie said Lillyan never planned on going to K-State, but after a college visit to Manhattan, she started wearing purple and knew instantly where she wanted to be.
“She really, really loved Christian Challenge on Thursday nights,” Julie said. “She loved being part of Alpha Chi O things. She loved that coach [Jerome] Tang showed up for dinner with their sorority, and they got to dance with coach Tang.”
Julie said Lillyan was heading home for spring break to enjoy time with her family and boyfriend Parker Dameron. Dameron and Lillyan met working at BARN’RDS in June 2020.
Dameron said one of his favorite memories with Lillyan was traveling to a dirt road a couple miles outside of town and escaping the world.
Coleman Koehn, Lillyan’s older brother, said Lillyan got into baking and nutrition in high school, and she baked at their house all the time.
“She was making stuff for me that had like, no sugars, zero carbs, and tasted amazing,” Coleman said. “Like it was insane. She just had a gift with that. Her dream was to open a bakery with the degree that she was going to get through K-State.”
Meredith Frahm, Lillyan’s high school friend in her sorority, received a bid for Alpha Chi as well. Frahm said they were both excited to see each other since they had a gap of time away from one other.
“It was just so fun to see someone that I knew and could immediately feel comfortable with.” Frahm said.
“Obviously when you meet new people, you can get kind of nervous. But, honestly, [I] didn’t feel that way because she was there and she was always just someone that you could lean on and rely on.”
Abbie Banyas, Lillyan’s big in Alpha Chi, said the two talked for a few minutes on bid day and connected immediately. Lillyan brought Banyas closer to the sorority.
“She made me feel like she’s a part of my actual family, which is really nice to have a friend like that in the sorority, and we just have fun together,” Banyas said. “We’d go get food, watch movies, laugh, talk about life. We’re just great friends, and that’s what the big-little relationship is supposed to be.”
Julie said her family loved her more than words could express.
“She was our sunshine — our joy. And I’m so glad that I never failed to tell her how proud we were of her and how much joy she brought us,” Julie said. “I told her that all the time, so no regrets, and I know that she’s waiting for us.”
Lillyan is preceded in death by her grandfather,
Dr. Coleman Scott, and survived by her parents, Warren and Julie Koehn of Wichita; siblings, Dr. Garrett (Renee) Koehn, and niece, Magnolia Grace, of Salina, Dr. Madalyn (Preston) Whitmill of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Coleman Koehn of Manhattan; foster brother, Little Garrett of Wichita; love of her life and boyfriend, Parker Dameron of Goddard, Kansas; grandparents, Ruth Ann Scott of Wichita; Larry and Bev Koehn of Newton, Kansas; aunts, Sherry Koehn, Ginger (Kevin) Sauerwein, Jennifer (Scott) Brown; uncle, Shawn (Beatriz) Scott; as well as seven beloved cousins.
To add a tribute, memory, story or photograph for Lillyan, visit her MyKeeper page by scanning the QR code.
The idea behind Kansas State’s newest club for students in agriculture, Cultivating Change, was simple, said Jenna Wallace and Isabel Haake.
“We’re not going to be able to change how other people think, but we are able to create a positive environment for people who are having a hard time with their identity, or a hard time in the College of Ag and being queer,” Haake said.
Through Cultivating Change, Wallace said she and Haake aim to create a space for LGBTQ people in agriculture to be promoted and prioritized.
“K-State has such a dynamic population of students and it’s very rooted in agriculture, but we are also one of the top 12 LGBTQ+ friendly campuses in the nation,” Wallace said.
According to its website, the national chapter of the Cultivating Change Foundation uplifts LGBTQ agriculturalists and allies through “advocacy, education, and community.”
“There’s been a total of five collegiate chapters in the U.S., but we’ll be the first chapter in the Midwest,” Wallace said.
Wallace, an agricultural economics and global food systems leadership major, said she was inspired to start the club when she sat next to a man from the Iowa Soybean Council at a conference this past November.
“We ended up having a great conversation where he ended up coming out to us and telling us his story and that he was involved with Cultivating Change on a national level,” Wallace said.
Aenlle, one of the three faculty advisors for the club, said she is excited that students have shown interest, and she looks forward to the future of Cultivating Change.
“So far there’s been really positive feedback,” Aenlle said. “Both from the students who showed up and showed their appreciation for this club being formed, and from the higher up people in academic programs creating the space for us and verbally committing.”
Wallace said the other two advisors, Mikey Hughes, coordinator of recruitment, and Mary Kay Siefers, global food systems leadership program director, have worked hard alongside Aenlle to set the club’s foundation.
Haake and Wallace said they look forward to providing a safe space for LGBTQ people in agriculture.
“We’re working on making a positive change and showing people in the College of Ag that we are
here and we aren’t going anywhere,” Haake said.
“I was like, you know what, that’s my sign.”
Haake, a park management and conservation major, said she was inspired by meetings she’s attended as a College of Agriculture ambassador.
“The College of Ag ambassadors have been trying to promote inclusivity more in recent years,” Haake said. “After I noticed some conversations that were not inclusive, I wanted to make sure this was brought to light and change was beginning.”
From there, Haake connected with Wallace and Jacqueline Aenlle, assistant professor of agricultural communications and journalism.
“Right after break is when Dr. J and Jenna were
introduced to me,” Haake said. “After that, we had a few different meetings, and then we had our March meeting.”
The first meeting was March 6, and it sought to gauge interest in the club, Wallace said.
“I was stressed out because I had this question in my head of, ‘Is this really a necessity?’ and, ‘Are there even that many of us that it needs to be an established organization?’” Haake said.
Turnout for the first meeting was high, Haake said, with 12 people in attendance.
“A lot of people had incredible opinions on things they wanted to see,” Haake said. “That opened my eyes to this being a necessity.”
“Mikey talked directly to Dr. Moser, one of the deans, about if it was okay to be housed directly under the College of Ag,” Haake said. “He was all for it, and he was wanting to give us whatever we needed.”
Wallace said she believes this shows that there is a space for LGBTQ people in the College of Agriculture.
“That commitment is there,” Wallace said. “That’s showing us they are prioritizing us.”
Cultivating Change will be an official club under the Diversity Programs Office in the College of Agriculture next semester, Haake said.
“I’m interested to see how this progresses as more people in the College of Ag and more people in the community learn about why we are here,” Aenlle said.
The limestone barn at 1500 Denison Ave. is usually buzzing with activity as curious and antsy bug enthusiasts check out the K-State Insect Zoo. Upon entry, you’ll find visitors hovering over live critter cages and lingering at the informational displays.
Lidia Ragland, senior in kinesiology, said the unassuming limestone barn is well-organized and easy to walk through.
“It seems like a little cottage that they kind of flipped and turned into a zoo,” Ragland said. “It’s very homey right when you walk in. You can see the whole interior, and there’s just enclosures that line the walls. You just walk through in a U-shaped loop and look
at all the insects.”
Ragland said she doesn’t think the term “zoo” exactly describes the exhibit. Rather, “observation area” is more accurate because of its size. Still, Ragland said she was impressed with the spread of insects and was excited to see some of her favorites.
“I went because I really like praying mantis bugs and I saw on TikTok that one of the employees — she’s kind of famous on TikTok — had posted that they had new hatchlings of praying mantises,” Ragland said.
The TikTok account in question has almost half a million followers and 12.7 million video likes. The account, run by a student affiliated with the Insect Zoo, showcases the variety of creatures in the exhibition. The student requested anonymity.
Ragland said the Insect Zoo enlightened her.
“I learned a lot about different species that I had originally thought were just gross, like cockroaches,” Ragland said. “I got to grow an appreciation for different species besides the praying mantis that I had come for, even ants. I came away thinking they were a lot more interesting and useful in the environment.”
Kiffnie Holt, director and zookeeper of the Insect Zoo, said critters at the zoo are there for education purposes only; the animals are not there for research. Members within Holt’s department are excited about President Linton, who promised to focus on the three pillars of ansas State’s mission: teaching, research and extension. Holt said the extension component is important for the university.
“We think about undergraduate degrees and we think about the research and
we think about the football team, but public education and the extension service is still a big part of what we do,” Holt said.
Interacting with the community and helping the public better understand entomology and home pest control is a big part of what the Insect Zoo does, and interestingly, very little traffic comes from campus.
Ragland said her visit wasn’t what she expected, especially since she didn’t know any fellow students who had been to the zoo. After seeing the Kansas City Zoo, Ragland said she was hoping for more of a handson experience.
“I thought there were going to be, like, butterflies flying around,” Ragland said. “I thought that there would
be a lot more interaction available with the insects, but it was a lot different.”
In previous years, the vision for the Insect Zoo was to create a large butterfly garden, but a donor did not come forward and the project did not proceed.
Ragland said she thinks improvements could be made to the Insect Zoo by making insects more accessible to general visitors. The exhibit does offer a bug-handling opportunity at a $28 cost for up to eight people.
General admission to the Insect Zoo costs $3 per person. The barn is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 1-6 p.m. More information can be found on the K-State Insect Zoo’s website.
Ragland said she hopes students check it out.
“In Manhattan, there’s not a lot of things,” Ragland said. “It gives you a more adventurous, fun activity. If you are adventurous, I think it would be a really good thing to do with your friends.”
Time is ticking as the end of the semester approaches. Grab your friends and scuttle over to the Insect Zoo before you leave for summer break.
Traci Brimhall, professor of English at Kansas State and the Poet Laureate of Kansas, will travel the state as an arts ambassador to present readings and discuss poetry in communities all over Kansas for the next four years.
Brimhall said she has a great passion for poetry and loves sharing that passion with others.
“I like talking about poetry to people,” Brimhall said. “I love teaching about poetry. I love connecting with people. I love talking about the importance of language and poetry.”
An inquisitive mind is imperative for a poet, and Brimhall said she wants to deepen her understanding of her craft.
“I’m perpetually curious about different things,” Brimhall said. “I want to learn how to use language in a different way.”
Having earned a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate from Western Michigan University, Brimhall is extremely qualified. Throughout her life she traveled extensively but has settled happily in Manhattan. This is her ninth year at K-State.
Brimhall said in the United States, the poet laureate acts as a poetry consultant to the United States Congress.
“It’s different in England,” Brimhall said. “In England, the job is to write poems for the Queen’s birthday.”
The Kansas Creative Arts Commission had an open-call for applications for
the poet laureate. Brimhall applied knowing the commission only selects three or four applicants. After she was chosen, Brimhall went through interviews and submitted 10 pages of poetry.
Not every state has a poet laureate, but some cities have their own. The rules differ for each appointment.
Brimhall’s position requires her to present at a minimum of 10 events a year. She said she is enthusiastic about the next four years and is looking forward to traveling the state. Her programs are free of charge for non-profit organizations. Applications for her presentations are available online at Kansas Commerce.
F O R A P U R P O S E R E P U R P O S I N G
Every purchase helps support Manhattan Area Habitat for Humanity in building decent, safe, affordable homes for families our community.
The International Coordinating Council is hosting International Week from March 26 to April 2, 2023. On Tuesday, the council hosted a dance lesson to showcase the diverse cultures in Manhattan. On Thursday, the council hosted a cultural exhibition to showcase and teach others about their cultures.
Located 16 miles outside of Manhattan in Westmoreland, Mary Ubel runs a ranch built on a foundation of peace, faith and world champion-level horsemanship. Named after Walter Ubel, 2UW Ranch is run by both Mary Ubel and her mother. The ranch offers private lessons, horse training, rider training and ranch-living apartments.
Ubel earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Kansas State. She is committed to continuing her family’s ranch tradition; her vision was to help people, and this vision has come to life.
In 2014, Ubel estab-
lished the first K-State Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Western riding team and continues to act as a coach for the team. Over the years, she has found success in the show ring and is an expert in training, grooming and coaching.
The ranch offers both Western-style and English-style equestrian lessons and provides quality training from two world-class trainers: Joe Ammann and Claire Haag.
Ammann is a professional horseman and horse trainer with over 15 championship and reserve world titles. Ammann builds winning teams through advanced professional horse training and lessons with start-to-finish training programs. Haag has many ac-
colades as well, notably a top10 finalist for the Practical Horseman of the Year award.
Ubel’s trainers set her ranch apart, along with the strict boundaries and standards she sets during the training process. More information about the 2UW Ranch and lesson scheduling can be found on 2WU Ranch’s website or by calling 785-340-2297.
Kansas State women’s basketball guard Gabby Gregory announced via Twitter that she plans to return for the 2023-24 season.
Gregory transferred to K-State after playing for the
Oklahoma Sooners her first three years. In her one season at K-State, Gregory led the team with 18.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game alongside 2.0 assists, third on the team.
The announcement comes off the team’s WNIT run during which they fell
to Washington in the Super 16. She will spend another year playing with fellow guards Serena Sundell, Jaelyn Glenn and Brylee Glenn.
Gregory will also be able to play alongside star center Ayoka Lee who missed the entire 2022-23 season due to injury.
Junior forward Ismael Massoud announced his intention to enter the transfer portal after graduating from Kansas State this spring.
His announcement comes after the men’s bas-
ketball team made a run to the Elite Eight in which the Wildcats fell to Florida Atlantic, 79-76.
Massoud had a major presence in the March Madness run, hitting multiple lategame shots against Kentucky and Michigan State in the round of 32 and the Sweet 16.
Massoud averaged 5.4 points per game this past season while leading the team with a 41.8% from 3-pointers.
Falling short to Washington in the WNIT Super 16, Kansas State women’s basketball ended its 2023 season after fighting through injury and adversity.
Despite not making it to the NCAA tournament this year, head coach Jeff Mittie assembled a competitive roster and provided opportunities for young players to gain vital experience.
“I think that they should
be proud of the games that they won and the growth that they had, because we certainly could have gone the other way with it,” Mittie said after the loss to Washington. “So, it shows the character there; it shows when you get to the kind of the dog days of basketball, when you get to that mid-February part, you can go one of two ways and we were certainly in a position where it was vulnerable to go the other way, and this team didn’t do that. They responded.”
Injury played a large fac-
tor in the Wildcats’ season, losing veteran talents in Ayoka Lee and Gisela Sanchez.
With the loss of veterans Lee and Sanchez, injury significantly impacted K-State’s season.
“Hopefully they can take from that and build off of it and come back next year and make a run like we feel like we’re capable of,” Mittie said. “We feel like we’ve got an opportunity to have the three back that got injured [Lee, Sanchez, Ja’Mia Harris].”
Sophomore guard Serena Sundell had another productive year, improving on her freshman campaign in most statistical categories. She averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while shooting close to 48% from the field.
First-year transfer guard Gabby Gregory ce-
mented herself as one of the top players in the Big 12, scoring the second-most points in the conference. She also ranked third in both 3-point shots made and free throw percentage.
Both guards led K-State’s offense, but other starters helped contribute on both sides. Twin guards Jaelyn Glenn and Brylee Glenn were two key threats for the Wildcats. Jaelyn Glenn ended the season with the most steals in the conference and Brylee Glenn played valuable minutes on offense, averaging 8.3 points per game.
The team faced difficulties at times, often falling behind early in games, and experienced a rough patch, finishing second-tolast in the Big 12. The team also failed to win any road games, but played exceptionally well at home with
notable victories over No. 3 Iowa and national sensation Caitlin Clark, and No. 17 Iowa State.
The roster possesses high potential going into next season. The pairing of Lee and Gregory along with Sundell is one that will garner attention from Big 12 foes. The Wildcats will have another shot at Big 12 contention and another March Madness berth with the roster at full strength.
The Kansas State men’s basketball team had a historic run to the Elite Eight due to the transfer portal. After fielding only two returning players from the 2021-22 roster, head coach Jerome Tang rebuilt the team.
The K-State roster has four scholarship spots open and will lose Markquis Nowell, Keyontae Johnson, Ismael Massoud and others. K-State needs new key contributors, and its Elite Eight run could help attract top transfers.
Wheeler enters the transfer portal as a potential replacement for Nowell. The 5-foot-9 guard spent two years at both Georgia and Kentucky, averaging a collective 10.3 points and 1.1 steals per game while twice leading the SEC in assists with 6.1 per game. Due to injury late in his senior season, Wheeler played only 21 games for Kentucky and fell to 7.7 points per game.
With some similarities to Nowell, Wheeler could come into K-State as another point guard who controls the pace of play while leading as a defensive pest for opposing guards. Unlike Nowell, Wheeler has struggled with shooting beyond the arc, but he still managed to shoot 36.6% from 3-point range in his shortened season. Kentucky lacked his calming on-court presence in their Round of 32 match against K-State, where they committed 16 turnovers in the close battle. Under Tang, Wheeler could thrive and potentially become a star, like Nowell.
The son of former NBA All-Star Jameer Nelson, Nelson Jr. enters the transfer portal as one of the most athletic scoring guards available. Nelson Jr. exploded at Delaware, averaging 20.6 points per game on 45% from the field in the 2022-23 season. Prior to his 2022-23 season, he helped the Blue Hens reach March Madness for the first time since 2014 in the 2021-22 season.
Nelson Jr. fell short of bringing Delaware back to the tournament but made a name for himself. He fits perfectly into the Wildcat mold with a tough defensive mindset and a strong athletic build. Nelson Jr. averaged 2.4 steals per game, ranking ninth in the country, and showed off his high-flying attacks on the rim. Joining Tang’s roster could benefit the Wildcats and help Nelson Jr. follow in his father’s footsteps to the NBA.
The Merrimack Warriors won its conference tournament against the now-famous Fairleigh Dickinson due to the performance led by NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Jordan Minor. Minor was unable to appear in March Madness since Merrimack was finishing its transition period from Division II to Division I. Minor played all four years of the transitional period and improved every year, averaging 17.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in his 2022-23 season.
Minor enters a guard-driven transfer portal as one of the best big men available. His play focuses around the rim where he can be a defensive anchor
and an offensive hub. Minor possesses athletic ability similar to most K-State forwards with their length and verticality. While his lack of 3-point shooting alongside forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin may limit Wildcat spacing, Minor would have the chance to hold as a replacement for Johnson with his ability to score in the lane.
Bamba emerged in his junior season at Washington State, averaging 15.8 points per game while shooting 37% beyond the arc. His ability to score either from the 3-point line or at the
rim benefitted him late in the year. Bamba helped lead the Cougars to a seven-game win streak that included his career-high of 36 points in the regular season finale against Washington.
Bamba has both declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal. This gives him many options to consider before making a decision. If he joined the Wildcats, Bamba could take over as a lead scorer and have opportunities to become the primary ball handler. Playing alongside starting shooting guard Cam Carter may not be ideal, but they have potential to become one of the best combo-guard duos in the Big 12 if they make the fit work.
The former No. 7 prospect and McDonald’s All-American enters the transfer portal after a year at Oregon. His freshman season did not meet expectations, averaging 6.6 points on under 16 minutes per game. The lengthy 7-footer came in as a high-leaper with major potential and is now the highest-ranked player on the transfer portal by most.
Ware would provide the Wildcats with its second high-flying rim-runner. His game is similar to Tomlin’s; both have raw talent that can be used to finish
highlight-reel dunks and to protect the rim on defense. They both shot under 30% from 3-point range but can also make a few perimeter shots from time to time. The potential Ware-Tomlin duo could force opposing teams to rely solely on perimeter shots, as they may struggle to score near the rim against K-State.
During March Madness, Markquis Nowell, also known as “Mr.NewYorkCityy,” secured his place in college basketball history. The 5-foot-8 point guard from Harlem, New York, achieved a remarkable list of accomplishments during his game time in his hometown arena, Madison Square Garden, which is recognized as the “Mecca of Basketball.”
Nowell set the NCAA Tournament single-game record with 19 assists in the Sweet 16. In the Elite Eight, he further dominated by
becoming the fourth player with 30 points and 10 assists in an NCAA Tournament game since 1984.
A quick look at the guard’s Twitter profile reveals that his historic March performance should not have come as a surprise. His banner reads, “Underestimate me so I can embarrass you,” and his bio reads, “Always believed that one day I would be big. I had my own faith.”
Nowell’s confidence is
representative of the Wildcats’ “crazy faith” that led them from last pick in the Big 12 to one of the final eight teams in March Madness.
“We have great belief in each other that when everybody says we can’t do it, we just keep believing in ourselves,” head coach Jerome Tang said after the Sweet 16 victory. “Early on, people were calling it crazy. … We call it crazy faith.”
Another thing you’ll no-
tice on Nowell’s profile is his pinned tweet — the phrase Nowell sent into households across the nation: “Heart over height.”
“When I knew I wasn’t going to grow anymore, I tried to use that to my advantage,” Nowell said in an interview with Barstool Sports’ Rico Bosco. “I knew that as a smaller guard, you have to have a high basketball IQ, you have to be a leader. … I try to use my heart, my leadership and my IQ to my advantage.”
Playing the game his way, Nowell took the basketball landscape by storm with recognition from some of the NBA’s greatest point guards in Trae Young, Muggsy Bogues and Isaiah Thomas.
Nowell’s highlights were abundant during the postseason, including a crucial lob dunk to Keyontae
Johnson leading to Wildcats’ Sweet 16 victory.
“He’s our starting point guard. His IQ, his feel for the game — he brings everybody confidence,” Johnson said.
Just moments before the alley-oop, Nowell had looked into the crowd saying “watch this.” Earlier in the game he ran down the court saying, “This is my city!”
Teammate Ismael Massoud confirmed after the game, saying, “Yeah it is, yeah it is, yeah it is.”
Nowell’s confidence is off the charts, but he has the playmaking ability on the court to back it up.
“He’s the best point guard in America,” teammate Desi Sills said according to The Athletic. “Heart of a lion, heart over height … he’s our leader, he’s going to keep doing it.”
Despite the love from
teammates, fans and legends of the game, Nowell refuses to take all of the credit.
“I just wanted to do it for my teammates, man,” Nowell said. “I just love being out there with these guys.”
Kansas State’s season and Nowell’s time as a Wildcat ended with an Elite Eight defeat, but the impact Mr. New York City has created will live on forever in the Little Apple and Big Apple alike. Nowell’s record-breaking performances truly embodied what it means to have heart over height.
Kansas State put together a productive weekend against the Sooners and finished with a walk-off winning hit.
Starting March 24, the Wildcats dominated the Sooners 7-1 in harsh rainy conditions. Shortstop Nick
Goodwin, utility player Brady Day and utility player Cash Rugely combined for five hits, four RBIs and two runs. Owen Boerema helped lead the way in pitching for the, recording seven strikeouts on the night.
Saturday was a backand-forth between the Sooners and Wildcats. A beautiful spring day brought ideal con-
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To
ditions for hitting. Outfielder Roberto Pena’s RBI double would set up the Wildcats for the 7-6 victory in Tointon to give the team a chance for a series sweep.
The final game of the series on Sunday began with steady momentum for the Wildcats, creating an early lead in the second inning with a home run from out-
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(2 blks. E. of Seth Child)
fielder Cole Johnson, followed quickly by another homer from catcher Raphael Pelletier for a 3-0 lead.
It wasn’t until the top of the fourth that Oklahoma would rally and put together a large six-run inning. Inconsistent fielding plagued the Wildcats; the steady wind blowing through Tointon Family Stadium created problems for the outfielders.
Oklahoma would put up
an insurance run in the seventh off a sacrifice fly, putting the Sooners up 7-3.
The eighth and the ninth went heavily in K-State’s favor, coming back from a four-point deficit and taking advantage of Oklahoma’s rotating pitchers.
In the bottom of the ninth, Wildcats loaded the bases with the help of Goodwin and multiple walks. Day stepped up to the plate and
hit a game-winning deep right-field hit to advance the runner on third.
With this win, the Wildcats advance 17-8 on the season and 4-2 in the Big 12. It is the first time in 13 years that K-State starts league play with a 4-2 record and 33 years since the Wildcats have swept Oklahoma in a threegame series.
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