Takeaways from K-State’s win over Central Arkansas as Nae’Qwan Tomlin nears a return
The Kansas State men’s basketball team took care of business against Central Arkansas and cruised to a 100-56 victory on Wednesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
It was the perfect, stress-free game that the Wildcats needed as they adjusted back to life on campus after spending the past week at the Baha Mar Hoops tournament in the Bahamas.
Arthur Kaluma led K-State with 20 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Dai Dai Ames had 14 points.
The Wildcats (4-2) will next be in action against Oral Roberts on Tuesday.
Until then, here are some takeaways from the Central Arkansas game:
Nae’Qwan Tomlin nears return from suspension
There is a good chance that senior wing Nae’Qwan Tomlin will return to the Kansas State lineup next week after serving a six-game suspension.
Tomlin didn’t play for the Wildcats on Wednesday, but unlike every other game this season, he was inside Bramlage Coliseum. Tomlin watched K-State blast Central Arkansas from the bench while wearing sweats.
He appeared interested in the game and tried to call out advice to his teammates whenever they were near him on the court. He was also the first player off the bench to celebrate during timeouts.
This was certainly a step toward his full return to the team, and possibly the final step.
But K-State basketball coach Jerome Tang said his status remains unchanged.
“There’s a certain process in this that’s being taken care of,” Tang said. “And now we move on to the next part of things. I wanted Nae’Qwan around the team because it’s not good for him to be by himself and isolated. That’s never good for someone to not be around the people that love him and have him go throughout this by himself.”
Tang suspended Tomlin before the season began when he was arrested in October for “disorderly conduct” and “brawling or fighting” in the entertainment district known as Aggieville. No timetable was provided for the length of his suspension, but Tang made it clear that he could possibly return if/when his legal issues were taken care of.
It seems like Tomlin is in the clear after he was granted diversion in the case earlier this month. If he abides by the terms of his diversion agreement, all charges against him will be dismissed.
K-State will welcome Tomlin back whenever he returns to the active lineup.
The 6-foot-10 playmaker was expected to be a major contributor for the Wildcats this season after he averaged 10.4 points and 5.9 rebounds last year; K-State won 26 games and reached the Elite Eight.
Perhaps the biggest remaining question with Tomlin is when he will be ready to start and play 30 minutes in a game. It could take him a while to get back into basketball shape. Not only has he been suspended from the team since October, he also missed a good chunk of preseason practice for what Tang has described as “personal reasons.”
Tang also said Tomlin is dealing with an injury at the moment.
“He’s been at practices with us,” Tang said. “He hasn’t been practicing because his ankle is still hurt. But he’s been at practice and he’s been in film sessions and all our mentor meetings and stuff. So he is still a part of this team, just not active.”
Jerome Tang scheduled the right opponent for this game
Teams are rarely fired up to play in their first home game following an early season tournament that is played in an exotic location.
No one would have blamed K-State players for suffering an emotional letdown against Central Arkansas on Wednesday after they spent the past week in the Bahamas playing high-profile games against Providence and Miami.
Tang was aware of that possibility before the season began, and he went out of his way to schedule an overmatched opponent for Thanksgiving week.
Central Arkansas is one of the 50 worst teams in all of college basketball, according to statistical experts Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik. The Bears were no match for the Wildcats in this game, especially as some of their players were out with illnesses.
The Bears looked very much like a free win.
Credit K-State players for taking care of business. This game was never close. But things may not have been so easy against a stronger opponent. Tang knew what he was doing when he put this game on the schedule.
Unsung players get a chance to shine
We could use this space to highlight the fact that Arthur Kaluma played another strong game and ended with 11 points and eight rebounds. Or we could point out that Tylor Perry had an unusual stat line: six points and six assists.
But it seems more appropriate to discuss the best moments that a few unsung K-State basketball players had in this game.
Freshman guard Macaleab Rich had an outstanding dunk at the end of the first half and finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Fellow freshman RJ Jones drained a pair of 3-pointers on his way to eight points and four assists.
Taj Manning threw down a nice transition dunk in the second half for his first big play in a few weeks. Dorian Finister hit a late 3.
All of those plays and moments should help K-State down the road.
Rich was the star of that group. His ability to attack the rim and make big plays by grabbing rebounds and scoring put-back points could be a difference maker for K-State.
In all, 11 different K-State players scored.
This story was originally published November 22, 2023 at 9:08 PM.