Fresh off clutch win, Kansas State takes aim at Mississippi State
FLM
Nov 20, 2025
Kansas State Wildcats can point to newcomers such as PJ Haggerty as a reason the Wildcats are off to their best start since the program last made the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23.
But as the Wildcats (4-0) prepare to face Mississippi State Bulldogs as part of the four-team Hall of Fame Classic on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo., returnee David Castillo again figures to play a prominent role.
A heralded recruit who struggled as a freshman a season ago, Castillo is averaging 13.5 points per game for a Kansas State attack that is averaging 93.5 points per contest.
When the Wildcats were down by one to Tulsa on Monday with 24 seconds to play, teammate Khamari McGriff came up with a turnover. He promptly fed Castillo, who despite a poor shooting night calmly cut to the hoop and connected on the game-winning layup in an 84-83 victory.
"David Castillo is a really good basketball player, and I'm not surprised by any of this," Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said. "There's so much more for him. When he missed the open 3 that could've tied the game, he didn't let it linger. When we got the steal and he came down, he didn't hesitate, went and got it and made the finish."
Where the Wildcats can be undone is on the boards (110th in rebounding margin), and that's where Mississippi State has traditionally made its living under coach Chris Jans.
This year's bunch is outrebounding opponents by an average of 11 per game, but the Bulldogs (2-1) struggled last time out to separate themselves from Southeastern Louisiana in a 75-68 win on Saturday.
Season scoring leader Josh Hubbard scored 15 points for Mississippi State, which committed 16 turnovers one game after making 26 in a loss to then-No. 16 Iowa State on Nov. 10.
Jans was baffled at the number of turnovers.
"We get a couple of back-to-back turnovers and the lead shrinks," he said. "Then, the coaches are upset, the players are a little dejected, and it snowballed on us a little that way. We're learning lessons, but we've got to apply them to the games."
The winner of this game will square off on Friday vs. the victor of the Nebraska-New Mexico matchup.
--Field Level Media
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2nd Half
MSST
Bulldogs
28
KSU
Wildcats
38
Time
Team
Play
Score
6:15
TV timeout
6:15
Bulldogs 30 second timeout
6:16
+2
Khamari McGriff makes two point alley-oop dunk (Nate Johnson assists)
64-82
6:26
Jayden Epps turnover (out of bounds)
6:40
+1
David Castillo makes regular free throw 2 of 2
64-80
6:40
+1
David Castillo makes regular free throw 1 of 2
64-79
6:40
Jamarion Davis-Fleming shooting foul (David Castillo draws the foul)
6:47
Khamari McGriff defensive rebound
6:49
Josh Hubbard misses two point driving layup
7:01
+3
Abdi Bashir Jr. makes three point jump shot (P.J. Haggerty assists)
64-78
7:17
Josh Hubbard turnover (bad pass)
7:42
Jamarion Davis-Fleming defensive rebound
7:44
Abdi Bashir Jr. misses two point stepback jump shot
7:51
TV timeout
7:51
Achor Achor turnover (lost ball)
7:56
+2
Khamari McGriff makes two point layup (P.J. Haggerty assists)
64-75
8:19
Josh Hubbard turnover (offensive foul)
8:19
Josh Hubbard offensive foul (David Castillo draws the foul)
8:28
+2
P.J. Haggerty makes two point reverse layup (Elias Rapieque assists)
64-73
8:46
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 2 of 2
64-71
8:46
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 1 of 2
63-71
8:46
P.J. Haggerty shooting foul (Josh Hubbard draws the foul)
9:02
+2
P.J. Haggerty makes two point driving layup
62-71
9:24
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 2 of 2
62-69
9:24
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 1 of 2
61-69
9:24
Nate Johnson personal foul (Josh Hubbard draws the foul)
9:42
Nate Johnson turnover (lost ball) (Jamarion Davis-Fleming steals)
9:59
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 2 of 2
60-69
9:59
+1
Josh Hubbard makes regular free throw 1 of 2
59-69
9:59
Nate Johnson shooting foul (Josh Hubbard draws the foul)
10:12
+1
P.J. Haggerty makes regular free throw 2 of 2
58-69
10:12
+1
P.J. Haggerty makes regular free throw 1 of 2
58-68
10:12
Ja'Borri McGhee shooting foul (P.J. Haggerty draws the foul)
10:23
+2
Quincy Ballard makes two point layup (Josh Hubbard assists)
58-67
10:37
+3
Nate Johnson makes three point jump shot (P.J. Haggerty assists)
56-67
10:57
+3
Jayden Epps makes three point pullup jump shot
56-64
11:04
Achor Achor defensive rebound
11:06
P.J. Haggerty misses three point stepback jump shot
11:12
Abdi Bashir Jr. defensive rebound
11:14
Jayden Epps misses three point stepback jump shot
11:42
+2
P.J. Haggerty makes two point stepback jump shot
53-64
11:52
TV timeout
11:52
Wildcats offensive rebound
11:54
Quincy Ballard blocks David Castillo's two point driving layup
12:09
+2
Quincy Ballard makes two point tip layup
53-62
12:15
Quincy Ballard offensive rebound
12:17
Josh Hubbard misses three point stepback jump shot
12:23
Achor Achor offensive rebound
12:23
Josh Hubbard misses regular free throw 1 of 1
12:23
David Castillo shooting foul (Josh Hubbard draws the foul)
12:23
+2
Josh Hubbard makes two point driving layup
51-62
12:27
+2
Nate Johnson makes two point driving layup
49-62
12:31
Ja'Borri McGhee turnover (lost ball) (Nate Johnson steals)
12:45
C.J. Jones turnover (bad pass)
12:59
+2
Josh Hubbard makes two point driving floating jump shot
49-60
13:04
Jayden Epps defensive rebound
13:06
Andrej Kostic misses two point tip layup
13:08
Andrej Kostic offensive rebound
13:10
P.J. Haggerty misses three point jump shot
13:15
C.J. Jones defensive rebound
13:17
Jamarion Davis-Fleming misses two point tip layup
13:21
Jamarion Davis-Fleming offensive rebound
13:23
Jayden Epps misses two point driving layup
13:27
Sergej Macura offensive rebound
13:29
Ja'Borri McGhee misses three point jump shot
13:43
+3
David Castillo makes three point jump shot (Andrej Kostic assists)
47-60
13:56
+3
Jayden Epps makes three point jump shot (Josh Hubbard assists)
47-57
13:57
Mobi Ikegwuruka personal foul (Jamarion Davis-Fleming draws the foul)
14:16
+3
P.J. Haggerty makes three point jump shot (C.J. Jones assists)
44-57
14:30
+3
Jayden Epps makes three point jump shot (Ja'Borri McGhee assists)
44-54
14:44
Jamarion Davis-Fleming defensive rebound
14:46
Nate Johnson misses three point jump shot
15:09
Shawn Jones Jr. turnover (offensive foul)
15:09
Shawn Jones Jr. offensive foul (Nate Johnson draws the foul)