Five takeaways from Kansas State’s win over Rhode Island at Cayman Islands Classic
The Kansas State men’s basketball team took its first step toward winning a trophy at the Cayman Island Classic by defeating Rhode Island, 77-57, on Monday at John Gray Gym in Grand Cayman.
K-State (4-0) led from start to finish over Rhode Island (1-3) thanks to 15 points from Nae’Qwan Tomlin, 14 points from Keyontae Johnson and 12 points from David N’Guessan. Point guard Markquis Nowell set each of them up with easy buckets by dishing out 12 assists.
“We have a great group of guys,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said during his postgame interview with FloHoops. “They really care about each other. They want to play the right way. We are getting a little better every day.”
The Wildcats will next play Nevada at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the semifinal round of the holiday tournament. If they win that game, they will take on either Akron or LSU in the championship game on Wednesday.
Until then, here are some thoughts on the action from Monday’s game:
Nae’Qwan Tomlin continues to look like a rising star
The FloHoops announcing team was smitten with K-State forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin throughout this game. At one point, they went as far as to declare he was proving himself to the entire country, as he stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, six rebounds and five blocks.
Such a statement was nonsensical because the game was seen by an extremely small audience. Remember, it was streamed exclusively on FloHoops, not televised nationally on ESPN. But they were right to speak highly of Tomlin. He was fantastic against the Rams.
It is getting harder and harder to believe the 6-foot-10 junior didn’t play organized basketball until after he finished high school and decided to give it a try in junior college.
He looks like a future star who is only beginning to flash his potential.
“He’s a special talent,” Markquis Nowell said. “He is 6-foot-10, he can dribble, he can pass and he can score score. He’s only been playing for four years, but what he’s doing isn’t a surprise to me, because I see it every day in practice. I know he has new levels and new new heights that he can reach and I can’t wait for him to reach those. He’s doing an amazing job each and every day, coming in and getting better.”
Bounce-back game for David N’Guessan
K-State didn’t get much of anything from its post players last week against Kansas City and Tang wasn’t happy about it.
He started Abayomi Iyiola at the five spot instead of David N’Guessan, but the results weren’t good. Iyiola finished with no points and three rebounds. N’Guessan came off the bench for three points and six rebounds. Tang said he thought they both played too passive and settled for jumpers when they could have scored at the basket.
The challenge was set. K-State wanted more from its five at the Cayman Islands Classic.
N’Guessan responded with an encouraging game. He had 12 points and seven rebounds while only playing 16 minutes. The Virginia Tech transfer showed off his athleticism with a transition dunk and several other nice shots around the basket. He was active in all phases.
The Wildcats could use that type of production from him in every game.
“It was a really good game for him,” Tang said. “We really challenged him to use his speed and athleticism and just make a difference out there. He really responded well, so I was very, very pleased and happy for him.”
Too many turnovers
One obvious negative for the Wildcats was turnovers. They committed way too many of them.
K-State finished with 21 turnovers, with key players Keyontae Johnson and Desi Sills each losing the ball five times. As a team, Rhode Island had 16 turnovers.
Traveling has been an issue for K-State all season. The Wildcats could also be a little more patient when they run offense.
Another behind-the-back pass from Markquis Nowell
You can count on a few things from Jerome Tang’s team in every game this season.
The Wildcats always play hard. They also tend to lead big at halftime and defend from start to finish. One more thing: Senior point guard Markquis Nowell typically sends out at least one highlight pass to a teammate.
He checked that last box again on Monday with a first-half behind-the-back pass to Tomlin on a fast break. It didn’t technically go down as an assist, because Tomlin needed two dribbles to get the ball through the net, but he did score on the play.
Nowell has now delivered a nifty behind-the-back pass in all four games this season.
He had more than just one highlight on Monday, though. He finished this game with nine points and a season-high 12 assists.
“It is a blast to have a veteran point guard,” Tang said. “Desi is another one that gives us the opportunity. All the experience they have allows them to operate in situations like this.”
One step closer to a trophy
The Wildcats are two victories away from making a November statement.
Winning the Cayman Islands Classic and bringing a trophy home to Manhattan would make for an impressive start to the Tang era. Even though the eight teams that are competing in this event aren’t nearly as strong as you will find in other holiday tournaments, winning three games in three days is difficult to do under any circumstances.
K-State has only won two early-season tournaments in recent years. Its last trophy came at the Paradise Jam in 2018. Before that, it was the Diamond Head Classic in 2011.
The Wildcats can add some new hardware to their trophy case by winning their next two games. Up next is Nevada at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. If K-State wins that game it will play the winner of Akron and LSU in the tournament’s championship game on Wednesday.
“In tournaments, the toughest game to win is the first one,” Tang said. “Next one we are both going to rely on our habits and have great energy. It should be a great game.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2022 at 9:10 PM with the headline "Five takeaways from Kansas State’s win over Rhode Island at Cayman Islands Classic."