SE: K-State WBB Increases Free Throw Capacity; MBB Follows Finals Week with Road Test

As K-State head women’s basketball coach Jeff Mittie sat on a plane this week for a recruiting trip, he studied some statistics from this year’s team. One popped out at him: free throws.

Through 10 games, the Wildcats have attempted 193 free throws and made 132 (68 percent) of them. Both of those statistics are the most through 10 games for a K-State team since at least the 2001-02 season. It becomes even more impressive in the current four-quarter era of women’s basketball that has lowered free throw totals across the country.

“It’s been an emphasis since I took the job. I felt like there was way too much of a deficit — we fouled too much and didn’t get fouled enough,” Mittie said on Thursday. “It’s been an emphasis for us to get more physical. It’s been an emphasis with this particular team that we play a more physical style of basketball on the offensive end and impose our will on them more. Our team I think is growing in that area. I think our freshmen are playing more physical every day.”

The Wildcat freshmen have certainly added to the team’s ability to get to the charity stripe.

Eternati Willock is tied for first on the team with 27 attempts while fellow freshman forward Peyton Williams isn’t far behind at 21. Add in junior transfer Karyla Middlebrook, who’s attempted 25 free throws, and K-State has become even more difficult to keep off the line.

“We felt like Middlebrook, Willock and Williams would be able to add to that right away. Middlebrook had gone (to the line) 172 times at Alabama. The SEC is well regarded, athletically, so she had gotten to the free throw line against pretty good teams,” Mittie said. “I felt like Willock had that ability as well, but I think it’s the overall improvement of the roster.”

K-State’s been able to improve its free throw numbers throughout the entirety of the roster. Nine different Wildcats have at least 10 free throw attempts on the season and, in nine of their games this season, at least five players have reached the free throw line.

“I think it’s just the balance of the roster. (Kayla) Goth can get to the free throw line; Shae Martin is getting to the free throw line; Middlebrook has added that; both Willock and Peyton get to the free throw line some,” Mittie said. “So, it’s just a little bit of everybody.”

K-State (9-1) will look to continue the upward trend in its game against Princeton (4-5) in Bramlage Coliseum on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Tigers, who are coached by Courtney Banghart and finished last season with a 23-6 record, will come into Manhattan as winners of four of their last five games.

“Courtney’s done a great job of identifying players that fit their school but also, athletically, are able to play at a high, high level, and, physically, are able to play at a high, high level,” Mittie said. “Her team is very impressive. You’re not going to get what people stereotypically think of Princeton. They’re going to have the size and the bodies to compete at a high level. They will come into here with every bit of athleticism that we’ve seen with some other teams this year.”

K-State MBB Follows Finals Week with Road Test

Trying to make positive gains in practice during finals week can be a challenge, as head coach Bruce Weber and the K-State men’s basketball team found out the past few days.

Focus and mental energy are hard to find, as are practice times that fit most of the players’ schedules.

“You got guys coming and going; we had two that were late yesterday, some had to leave early; you never seem to get anything done,” Weber said. “You just hope that you can maintain over this period of exams.”

The Wildcats will face a significant on-court test on Saturday in Colorado State. It’s a road game but not in the traditional sense.

The Wildcats (9-1) will play the Rams (8-2) in the Pepsi Center, home of the NBA’s Nuggets and the NHL’s Avalanche, in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT).

“For the kids, it’s a good thing; you always want to prepare them for the future, for the NCAA Tournament,” Weber said. “You get these opportunities so that it’s not all new later on, you hope. I think it’s a good thing and we’ve always tried to do it through the years.”

It’s the Wildcats’ third professional venue of the season, following appearances in the Barclays Center in New York and the Sprint Center in Kansas City. It’s also a rematch between the two teams that played in the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita last season when K-State won, 61-56, which counted as a home game for the Wildcats.

“This is definitely going to be a tough game for us, kind of a home game for them and just a different environment to play in,” K-State senior Wesley Iwundu said. “We just have to come focused and prepared and try to win this game.”

Colorado State, with losses to Wichita State and Stanford, returns a large part of its roster from a year ago. The Rams’ roster will also include senior guard Gian Clavell, who missed much of last year because of an injury and who Weber described as their best player.

“This is a big game for us, there’s no doubt about it,” said Weber, who compared CSU’s growth from Clavell’s injury last season to the Wildcats’ long-term improvement after Kamau Stokes went down a year ago. “Now, they’re so much better. Last year, (Prentiss) Nixon had to play for them and some other guys had to play that probably wouldn’t have played if Clavell is there. Now, those guys are better.”

Weber also complimented Devocio Butler, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc, along with the Rams’ improvement in the post.

“They’re a year older, they’re better, and now they’ve got Clavell,” Weber said of the Rams, who won at Colorado by 14 points. “It’s a good team. You don’t go to Colorado and win unless you’re a pretty good team. It’s a good test for us.”

The game can be viewed on the CBS Sports Network while free audio is available at kstatesports.com.

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: K-State WBB Increases Free Throw Capacity; MBB Follows Finals Week with Road Test

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