SE: K-State's Exhibition vs. Mo. State a Chance to Raise Funds for Hurricane Relief, Improve on the Court
Oct 19, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Whether it's for 30 minutes, an hour or the entire game, K-State head coach Bruce Weber hopes Wildcat fans take some time out of their tailgating on Saturday to help support a good cause while also watching his team.
In an effort help fund hurricane relief, the K-State men's basketball team will host Missouri State for an exhibition game at noon on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum. Fans who attend are suggested to donate $5, with the total collection going to the American Red Cross.
"Obviously the most important thing is we're hoping people come and donate money for the hurricane relief, whether it's Puerto Rico, Houston, Florida. There's so many people in need right now, so that's the most important thing," said Weber, who will match up to $10,000 in donations with his wife, Megan. "Obviously we have a lot of people tailgating here early. We just hope that whether they come in for a half hour, an hour, just see part of the game and donate. It'll be a nice situation for everybody."
For K-State, Saturday's exhibition presents a chance give its seven newcomers some experience against a Missouri State team that's expected to compete at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.
"With the new guys just to get experience, it's a great advantage," Weber said. "And not to play a Division II team, but to play a Division I team that's favored to win the Valley, that has guys back, I think it's a great advantage for us."
The Wildcats have a number of connections to Missouri State as well.
On the coaching side, both Weber and Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk worked under legendary Purdue coach Gene Keady, a K-State graduate. Lusk also played with K-State assistant coach Chris Lowery at Southern Illinois, while second-year Wildcat assistant Brad Korn was an assistant for Lusk from 2013-16.
"Coach Lusk is a good friend. We're all friends with him. I've known him for a long, long time," Weber said. "Brad did a little bit of scout and talked to our guys today and said, 'Hey, you have to understand that for their team, this is a great opportunity. They're going to come, fight and scrap.' It's a great opportunity for our guys to have some competition."
K-State junior Dean Wade also holds some first-hand knowledge of one of Missouri State's top returners, 6-foot-9 senior Alize Johnson. The two roomed together at NCAA Elite Men's Basketball Symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana, in September.
"He's really good. I'm ready for the challenge," Wade said of Johnson, who averaged 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last season. "He's a good person, great player. Hopefully we get a good crowd out and we'll see what happens."
Missouri State returns four starters and its top-seven scorers from last season's team that finished the season 17-16. On Saturday, Weber said he expects to face a hard-nosed, scrappy and aggressive team that uses plenty of screens on offense.
"They have versatile guys that can shoot the ball, put the ball on the floor. I would say they play a little more small ball than anything," Weber said. "They're going to spread you and use more ball screens in their offense."
On top of the charity, experience and reunions, Saturday's game also offers a break on the monotony of preseason practices.
"I'm so ready to play somebody that's not my teammates and my friends. I'm ready to go out there and play somebody in a real live game," said Wade, adding that he hopes his teammates "just take what we're doing in practice and transition it into the game. Just keep your composure and follow whatever coach's game plan is."
"They're an experienced team so it's a great opportunity for us," added Weber. "We want to make sure everyone gets some playing time against good competition and hopefully in front of a pretty good environment on Saturday."
Saturday's exhibition will operate like a normal college basketball game with two 20-minute halves and regular media timeouts with exception of a 10-minute halftime. Due to the football pregame show, there will be no radio broadcast of the game.
Just like a normal football gameday, the doors to the northwest and northeast entrances of Bramlage Coliseum will open at 10 a.m., with the basketball teams beginning their warm-ups at 11 a.m., for the noon tip-off.
Whether it's for 30 minutes, an hour or the entire game, K-State head coach Bruce Weber hopes Wildcat fans take some time out of their tailgating on Saturday to help support a good cause while also watching his team.
In an effort help fund hurricane relief, the K-State men's basketball team will host Missouri State for an exhibition game at noon on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum. Fans who attend are suggested to donate $5, with the total collection going to the American Red Cross.
"Obviously the most important thing is we're hoping people come and donate money for the hurricane relief, whether it's Puerto Rico, Houston, Florida. There's so many people in need right now, so that's the most important thing," said Weber, who will match up to $10,000 in donations with his wife, Megan. "Obviously we have a lot of people tailgating here early. We just hope that whether they come in for a half hour, an hour, just see part of the game and donate. It'll be a nice situation for everybody."
For K-State, Saturday's exhibition presents a chance give its seven newcomers some experience against a Missouri State team that's expected to compete at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.
"With the new guys just to get experience, it's a great advantage," Weber said. "And not to play a Division II team, but to play a Division I team that's favored to win the Valley, that has guys back, I think it's a great advantage for us."
The Wildcats have a number of connections to Missouri State as well.
On the coaching side, both Weber and Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk worked under legendary Purdue coach Gene Keady, a K-State graduate. Lusk also played with K-State assistant coach Chris Lowery at Southern Illinois, while second-year Wildcat assistant Brad Korn was an assistant for Lusk from 2013-16.
"Coach Lusk is a good friend. We're all friends with him. I've known him for a long, long time," Weber said. "Brad did a little bit of scout and talked to our guys today and said, 'Hey, you have to understand that for their team, this is a great opportunity. They're going to come, fight and scrap.' It's a great opportunity for our guys to have some competition."
K-State junior Dean Wade also holds some first-hand knowledge of one of Missouri State's top returners, 6-foot-9 senior Alize Johnson. The two roomed together at NCAA Elite Men's Basketball Symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana, in September.
"He's really good. I'm ready for the challenge," Wade said of Johnson, who averaged 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last season. "He's a good person, great player. Hopefully we get a good crowd out and we'll see what happens."
Missouri State returns four starters and its top-seven scorers from last season's team that finished the season 17-16. On Saturday, Weber said he expects to face a hard-nosed, scrappy and aggressive team that uses plenty of screens on offense.
"They have versatile guys that can shoot the ball, put the ball on the floor. I would say they play a little more small ball than anything," Weber said. "They're going to spread you and use more ball screens in their offense."
On top of the charity, experience and reunions, Saturday's game also offers a break on the monotony of preseason practices.
"I'm so ready to play somebody that's not my teammates and my friends. I'm ready to go out there and play somebody in a real live game," said Wade, adding that he hopes his teammates "just take what we're doing in practice and transition it into the game. Just keep your composure and follow whatever coach's game plan is."
"They're an experienced team so it's a great opportunity for us," added Weber. "We want to make sure everyone gets some playing time against good competition and hopefully in front of a pretty good environment on Saturday."
Saturday's exhibition will operate like a normal college basketball game with two 20-minute halves and regular media timeouts with exception of a 10-minute halftime. Due to the football pregame show, there will be no radio broadcast of the game.
Just like a normal football gameday, the doors to the northwest and northeast entrances of Bramlage Coliseum will open at 10 a.m., with the basketball teams beginning their warm-ups at 11 a.m., for the noon tip-off.
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