SE: Stokes a Steady Force for K-State Offense

Kamau Stokes can shoot the ball as well as anyone on the K-State men’s basketball team. It’s a skill he displayed often during his injury-shortened freshman season. What may have been lost, and aided while he was hurt, was Stokes’ ability to facilitate the Wildcats’ offense.

This year, it’s being noticed.

Stokes started the season by matching his career high of five assists. Since then, he’s matched that mark twice and surpassed it three times. His most recent performance included dishing out a career-high eight assists in the Wildcats’ 89-70 win against Colorado State on Saturday.

“Kam played one of his best games in his time here,” K-State head coach Bruce Weber said. “He really he did a good job with directing things.”

Entering his sophomore season, Stokes faced the challenge of regaining trust in his right knee, which he had surgery on after injuring it 21 games into the 2015-16 season. K-State’s five-game trip between Italy and Switzerland in August, Stokes said, helped him over any mental hurdles and fears of reinjuring the knee.

“I feel great,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt and I’m not really worried about it at all.”

While injured, Stokes was limited in what he could do basketball-wise. He spent countless hours in rehab and the weight room. He watched the game intensely from the sidelines and reviewed film more often, trying to become, as Stokes described it, “a student of the game.”

“When you’re hurt, film’s pretty much the only thing you can do basketball-wise,” Stokes said. “So, it definitely helped give me time to figure out the game and learn the game from my teammates and my coaches.”

It appears Stokes learned quite a bit.

Through 11 games, the 6-foot sophomore has 47 assists, 10 behind his 21-game total from last season. In his last seven games, Stokes has collected 38 assists (5.43 per game).

“He’s definitely coming into his own, showing what he was doing a little bit last year,” senior Wesley Iwundu said. “I think he’s getting a little more comfortable to be himself again and it’s just a big help for us going forward.”

“He’s a big, big part of our offense,” sophomore forward Dean Wade added. “Having Kamau back, running the show again, he’s a great point guard, great leader. He’s very vocal, telling us what plays we’re running. He makes great decisions and I think he’s a big part of it.”

On top of running the offense, Stokes has avoided tripping it up with too many turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.96 is up from 1.30 a year ago and ranks 11th the Big 12. Stokes has boosted this number with a ratio of 2.53 in the last seven games.

“It’s definitely a matter of getting a grasp on the offense,” Stokes said. “It’s also being patient and making the right plays.”

“I think he understands what we’re asking for and he wants to do it. When I talk to the team, he’s looking at me now; his eyes are up and he’s looking at me,” Weber added of Stokes’ maturity. “To me, that’s very important that they are listening and trying to understand and soak it all in.”

Stokes hasn’t lost his shooting touch, either. He is averaging 9.6 points a game and has converted 20-of-49 (41 percent) of his 3-point attempts for K-State, which hosts Gardner-Webb (7-5) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

“When we drive and his guy helps in, it’s pretty much a layup when he shoots it; I pretty much just run back on defense,” Wade said of Stokes. “When he gets the ball and people close out on him, he just goes around him and finds the open guy. He’s big for us.”

Kansas State University Athletics

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