SE: K-State Leaning on Defense Heading into Third Battle with TCU to Start Big 12 Championship
Mar 08, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Back in December, K-State head coach Bruce Weber challenged his team with a question.
"What's going to be something that gives you a difference maker?" Weber asked his team before Big 12 play began, knowing the answer he wanted to hear and then see evolve on the court. "We talked about defense."
The Wildcats (21-10) answered their coach's challenge on the court this season. Now, they look to bring the same difference-making defense to the postseason, which starts against TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday at 11:30 a.m., on ESPN2.
"Our guys take a lot of pride in defense," Weber said.
K-State has the numbers to prove it, too.
The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (67.5 PPG), second in steals per game (7.8) and third in 3-point percentage defense (.327). All three of those are improvements from a year ago, especially 3-point defense. K-State ranked last in the Big 12 in that category last season, with opposing teams shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.
"We have a great sense of pride in our defense," junior guard Barry Brown said. "We have good team defense and we have some good individual defenders."
K-State's collective improvement on defense started with individual improvements in the offseason.
Brown, who led the Big 12 in steals as a sophomore in league-only games, has been even more of a lockdown defender this season and landed on the Big 12 coaches' All-Defensive team as a result. Xavier Sneed has embraced a similar role, using his combination of size and athleticism to slow down a variety of talented players in the Big 12. Dean Wade, an All-Big 12 First Team pick, has also taken strides. He and Sneed both average 1.5 steals per game, tied for sixth in the conference.
In fact, K-State is one of only five schools nationally (Georgia State, Nicholls State, Purdue and Stephen F. Austin) to have three players (Brown, Sneed and Wade) with 40 or more steals this season.
"We're a defensive-oriented team," said Wade, whose ball-screen defense has been praised by Weber, along with that of sophomore-transfer Makol Mawien.
The biggest factor, Weber said, has been the team's complete buy-in when it comes to preparation, specifically in embracing the detailed scouting reports its coaching staff develops for each game.
"One of the best things about our team is they listen to the scouting report. They take it to heart," Weber said. "Coaches do a great job preparing, giving them a plan. It makes it so much easier on the coaches if they buy in."
Some of K-State's best defense this season has come against TCU, which averages 83.6 points a game to rank second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally. The Horned Frogs also rank ninth nationally in field goal percentage (50.0), 17th in 3-point field goal percentage (40.0) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
In two battles with K-State, TCU scored 68 and 66 points, shooting a combined 43.5 percent from the field and 28.3 percent (13-of-46) from beyond the arc, with a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Wildcats were the only Big 12 team to hold the Horned Frogs to 70 points or less in both regular-season meetings.
The first step in keeping TCU's high-powered offense at bay, Weber said, is "forming a wall" in transition to slow down junior point guard Alex Robinson.
"If you do that, it gives you a chance," Weber said. "You have to limit their easy baskets."
Another way the Wildcats look to keep TCU's transition offense in check is by minimizing their turnover total.
In K-State's 66-59 loss at TCU on February 27, the Wildcats turned it over an uncharacteristic and season-high 19 times. The Horned Frogs turned those extra possessions into 22 points — the most any team has scored off of turnovers against K-State this season.
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot last time with a lot of unforced turnovers. We just have to come out on offense and execute, and keep that same defensive focus that we've been having the previous two times we've played them," Wade said. "We just have to focus on defense. We're a defensive-oriented team. Our defense leads to offense. We just have to keep going. We can't be satisfied."
Back in December, K-State head coach Bruce Weber challenged his team with a question.
"What's going to be something that gives you a difference maker?" Weber asked his team before Big 12 play began, knowing the answer he wanted to hear and then see evolve on the court. "We talked about defense."
The Wildcats (21-10) answered their coach's challenge on the court this season. Now, they look to bring the same difference-making defense to the postseason, which starts against TCU in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday at 11:30 a.m., on ESPN2.
"Our guys take a lot of pride in defense," Weber said.
K-State has the numbers to prove it, too.
The Wildcats rank second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (67.5 PPG), second in steals per game (7.8) and third in 3-point percentage defense (.327). All three of those are improvements from a year ago, especially 3-point defense. K-State ranked last in the Big 12 in that category last season, with opposing teams shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc.
"We have a great sense of pride in our defense," junior guard Barry Brown said. "We have good team defense and we have some good individual defenders."
Into the wild. #KStateMBB | #Big12Hoops pic.twitter.com/hzRhPD3W9g
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 8, 2018
K-State's collective improvement on defense started with individual improvements in the offseason.
Brown, who led the Big 12 in steals as a sophomore in league-only games, has been even more of a lockdown defender this season and landed on the Big 12 coaches' All-Defensive team as a result. Xavier Sneed has embraced a similar role, using his combination of size and athleticism to slow down a variety of talented players in the Big 12. Dean Wade, an All-Big 12 First Team pick, has also taken strides. He and Sneed both average 1.5 steals per game, tied for sixth in the conference.
In fact, K-State is one of only five schools nationally (Georgia State, Nicholls State, Purdue and Stephen F. Austin) to have three players (Brown, Sneed and Wade) with 40 or more steals this season.
"We're a defensive-oriented team," said Wade, whose ball-screen defense has been praised by Weber, along with that of sophomore-transfer Makol Mawien.
The biggest factor, Weber said, has been the team's complete buy-in when it comes to preparation, specifically in embracing the detailed scouting reports its coaching staff develops for each game.
"One of the best things about our team is they listen to the scouting report. They take it to heart," Weber said. "Coaches do a great job preparing, giving them a plan. It makes it so much easier on the coaches if they buy in."
Some of K-State's best defense this season has come against TCU, which averages 83.6 points a game to rank second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally. The Horned Frogs also rank ninth nationally in field goal percentage (50.0), 17th in 3-point field goal percentage (40.0) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
In two battles with K-State, TCU scored 68 and 66 points, shooting a combined 43.5 percent from the field and 28.3 percent (13-of-46) from beyond the arc, with a 0.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Wildcats were the only Big 12 team to hold the Horned Frogs to 70 points or less in both regular-season meetings.
Get ready for tomorrow's #Big12Hoops matchup between @KStateMBB and TCU with another round of #KStateHDTV's Powercat Preview!
— K-State Athletics (@kstatesports) March 8, 2018
???? > https://t.co/yrarBzqQd5 pic.twitter.com/zBggdp55qu
The first step in keeping TCU's high-powered offense at bay, Weber said, is "forming a wall" in transition to slow down junior point guard Alex Robinson.
"If you do that, it gives you a chance," Weber said. "You have to limit their easy baskets."
Another way the Wildcats look to keep TCU's transition offense in check is by minimizing their turnover total.
In K-State's 66-59 loss at TCU on February 27, the Wildcats turned it over an uncharacteristic and season-high 19 times. The Horned Frogs turned those extra possessions into 22 points — the most any team has scored off of turnovers against K-State this season.
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot last time with a lot of unforced turnovers. We just have to come out on offense and execute, and keep that same defensive focus that we've been having the previous two times we've played them," Wade said. "We just have to focus on defense. We're a defensive-oriented team. Our defense leads to offense. We just have to keep going. We can't be satisfied."
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