SE: McAtee Looks to Use Global Sports Academy Trip to Europe to Increase Role for K-State MBB
Aug 10, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
When a chance to play abroad did not work out for K-State junior Pierson McAtee this spring, head coach Bruce Weber assured the Wildcat walk-on another opportunity would come along.
"I'm going to find you something," McAtee recalled Weber telling him. "He made it happen."
Weber helped line McAtee up with an eight-day, six-game trip to Europe through Global Sports Academy, a non-profit organization that has been arranging both domestic and international athletic competitions between equally matched teams at all levels since 1991 to promote international goodwill and a better understanding between nations through sports.
McAtee leaves Friday for the basketball tour, which includes stops in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, and will return August 17. He and his eight teammates will spend time in Brussels and Bruges in Belgium, Dusseldorf and Cologne in Germany, and Amsterdam in The Netherlands for their final game.
McAtee said he greatly appreciates the effort his head coach went to setting up this excursion. The Manhattan native added that he views it as an excellent chance to improve his game and, hopefully, to increase his role on the team upon his return.
"(Weber) wants all of our players getting good opportunities like that. I think he knows, from seeing that I've been working hard, that I want to increase my role, possibly onto the floor for more minutes," McAtee said. "We have team goals and individual goals and you have to advance each of them. That's kind of the next step for me, and he saw this as a really good opportunity for me to improve myself and bring my confidence back over here. If I can't make it to the floor, to push the guys to be better. If I do, to help us win games down the stretch."
This marks McAtee's second trip to Europe in his lifetime. Both came because of K-State men's basketball.
The first time was before the 2016-17 season, when McAtee was coming off his redshirt season. Then, the entire Wildcat team went and played five games between 10 days in Italy and Switzerland, preceding a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament.
This time, McAtee will be the only Wildcat going. Still, he looks at it as a way to better the team.
"This one is more individual focused," McAtee said. "Obviously, we're going there as a team, but we're not working on as many team things. It's more about how many runs you can get against professionals over there, guys who can push you to be better and see what you're made of.
"Confidence, seeing the ball go through the net and playing really solid, smart basketball is probably the biggest thing I hope take away from it."
Throughout the summer, McAtee said his focus has been to become a more "consistent shooter." The 6-foot-6 forward said he's also added on some weight, in the form of muscle, in an effort to improve his versatility.
"I've been working a lot to be someone that can guard the three and four, play the three and the four," he said, "kind of be able to do whatever is asked of me."
McAtee also looks to help fill a void left by the graduation of senior walk-on Mason Schoen. Considered an important leader on the 2017-18 squad, Schoen's role and what he brought to the team, McAtee said, cannot be replaced by one person but he's going to try to fill as much of it as possible.
This trip can be a step toward doing so.
"He was out there kicking those dudes' butts on scout squad every single day. We're trying to give them the best look, so when you lose a guy like that, you always want to fill those shoes," McAtee said. "Everybody brings a little something different, so I'm going to try my best to cover some of what Mason did. I learned a lot from him the past few years, being under his wing a little bit, so I'm hoping to use everything he's taught me, taught the guys and keep our momentum rolling forward."
When a chance to play abroad did not work out for K-State junior Pierson McAtee this spring, head coach Bruce Weber assured the Wildcat walk-on another opportunity would come along.
"I'm going to find you something," McAtee recalled Weber telling him. "He made it happen."
Weber helped line McAtee up with an eight-day, six-game trip to Europe through Global Sports Academy, a non-profit organization that has been arranging both domestic and international athletic competitions between equally matched teams at all levels since 1991 to promote international goodwill and a better understanding between nations through sports.
McAtee leaves Friday for the basketball tour, which includes stops in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, and will return August 17. He and his eight teammates will spend time in Brussels and Bruges in Belgium, Dusseldorf and Cologne in Germany, and Amsterdam in The Netherlands for their final game.
McAtee said he greatly appreciates the effort his head coach went to setting up this excursion. The Manhattan native added that he views it as an excellent chance to improve his game and, hopefully, to increase his role on the team upon his return.
"(Weber) wants all of our players getting good opportunities like that. I think he knows, from seeing that I've been working hard, that I want to increase my role, possibly onto the floor for more minutes," McAtee said. "We have team goals and individual goals and you have to advance each of them. That's kind of the next step for me, and he saw this as a really good opportunity for me to improve myself and bring my confidence back over here. If I can't make it to the floor, to push the guys to be better. If I do, to help us win games down the stretch."
This marks McAtee's second trip to Europe in his lifetime. Both came because of K-State men's basketball.
The first time was before the 2016-17 season, when McAtee was coming off his redshirt season. Then, the entire Wildcat team went and played five games between 10 days in Italy and Switzerland, preceding a season that ended in the NCAA Tournament.
This time, McAtee will be the only Wildcat going. Still, he looks at it as a way to better the team.
"This one is more individual focused," McAtee said. "Obviously, we're going there as a team, but we're not working on as many team things. It's more about how many runs you can get against professionals over there, guys who can push you to be better and see what you're made of.
"Confidence, seeing the ball go through the net and playing really solid, smart basketball is probably the biggest thing I hope take away from it."
Throughout the summer, McAtee said his focus has been to become a more "consistent shooter." The 6-foot-6 forward said he's also added on some weight, in the form of muscle, in an effort to improve his versatility.
"I've been working a lot to be someone that can guard the three and four, play the three and the four," he said, "kind of be able to do whatever is asked of me."
McAtee also looks to help fill a void left by the graduation of senior walk-on Mason Schoen. Considered an important leader on the 2017-18 squad, Schoen's role and what he brought to the team, McAtee said, cannot be replaced by one person but he's going to try to fill as much of it as possible.
This trip can be a step toward doing so.
"He was out there kicking those dudes' butts on scout squad every single day. We're trying to give them the best look, so when you lose a guy like that, you always want to fill those shoes," McAtee said. "Everybody brings a little something different, so I'm going to try my best to cover some of what Mason did. I learned a lot from him the past few years, being under his wing a little bit, so I'm hoping to use everything he's taught me, taught the guys and keep our momentum rolling forward."
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