SE: K-State Focused on Maintaining DNA in Trip East to Play Mississippi State
Dec 13, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Bruce Weber said it's going to come down to DNA. It being the rest of K-State's non-conference schedule and beyond.
It's what the K-State men's basketball head coach told his team all week after a home loss to Marquette last Saturday. It's what showed up in an 86-41 win against Alabama State on Wednesday. It's what the Wildcats (6-3) will need more of in this Saturday's 10:30 a.m. CT. battle with Mississippi State (6-2) in the fourth annual Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"The older guys have got to reinforce our DNA, what we're about and why we're going to win in the future," Weber said, as Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU. "I told them Texas Tech lost three in a row and all you hear (head coach) Chris Beard talk about is keep your DNA. Do what you do. That's got to be there, and they came back after losing three in a row and beat the number one team in the country (Louisville).
"We have a chance to go and play a good Mississippi State team, but we're going to have to do what we do and do it well."
Namely, defense, toughness and sharing the basketball.
K-State, which ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, sits at No. 17 currently. The Wildcats, also 10th in the country in turnovers forced and 13th in steals per game, have shown flashes of this DNA. Outscoring Alabama State, 52-16, in the first half was a prime example.
"We just wanted to come out and show what we're about," senior Xavier Sneed, who had a team-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting against Alabama State, said. "We had a (rough) little stretch the last three or four games, so we just had to get back to our winning way and do things the right way."
The Wildcats also recorded 29 assists against Alabama State, the most by a K-State team since 2008, on 35 field goals. Redshirt junior point guard Cartier Diarra dished out 10 of those assists.
"It's on both ends of the court. It's executing on the offensive end and doing all the little things on the defensive end to get stops and find ways to win the game. Those are why we won, along with sharing the basketball," Weber said. "They have to make sure that continues to happen if we're going to move forward."
For the team's DNA to be constant, Weber said consistency from veterans like Sneed, Diarra and senior forward Makol Mawien is crucial. This goes for reinforcing expectations as much as it does production, too.
"The big thing with them is they have to demand why we've won," Weber said. "And they've been part of it, a major part of it. Why we've won has to stay there."
It will need to travel with K-State as it takes on a tough Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs rank 17th in the NCAA in field goal percentage offense (49.4), 17th in rebounding margin (9.1) and 35th in 3-point percentage offense (38.2). They also have not played since December 5.
"They've had much more preparation for us than we will for them. It's important to go there with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," Weber said. "This is huge for us, not pressure-wise, but just being ready to play."
Senior guard Tyson Carter leads Mississippi State in scoring at 17.9 points per game. He also averages 4.6 assists and has hit a team-high 23 treys so far this season. Weber also complimented another Bulldogs' guard, Iverson Molinar, a freshman he said K-State's staff knows well from the recruiting scene.
Weber, however, is even more familiar with the Bulldogs' top big man, Reggie Perry. Averaging nearly a double-double (14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds), Perry played for Weber last summer in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for Team USA's U19 squad that won a gold medal.
"He's a very good, physical presence," Weber said of Perry, who was named the FIBA World Cup's Most Valuable Player after averaging 13.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals.
This week, Weber was honored for his work in the undefeated run to a gold medal. He was named the 2019 USA Basketball co-National Coach of the Year on Monday, which he described as a "special honor" on Wednesday night. Already, he was more focused on Saturday, however.
"It's a nice honor, but I'm more worried about winning against Mississippi State," he said. "It's something I'm proud of but, at the same time, I want these guys (at K-State) to be successful and that's more important to me right now."
Bruce Weber said it's going to come down to DNA. It being the rest of K-State's non-conference schedule and beyond.
It's what the K-State men's basketball head coach told his team all week after a home loss to Marquette last Saturday. It's what showed up in an 86-41 win against Alabama State on Wednesday. It's what the Wildcats (6-3) will need more of in this Saturday's 10:30 a.m. CT. battle with Mississippi State (6-2) in the fourth annual Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"The older guys have got to reinforce our DNA, what we're about and why we're going to win in the future," Weber said, as Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU. "I told them Texas Tech lost three in a row and all you hear (head coach) Chris Beard talk about is keep your DNA. Do what you do. That's got to be there, and they came back after losing three in a row and beat the number one team in the country (Louisville).
"We have a chance to go and play a good Mississippi State team, but we're going to have to do what we do and do it well."
Namely, defense, toughness and sharing the basketball.
K-State, which ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense last season, sits at No. 17 currently. The Wildcats, also 10th in the country in turnovers forced and 13th in steals per game, have shown flashes of this DNA. Outscoring Alabama State, 52-16, in the first half was a prime example.
"We just wanted to come out and show what we're about," senior Xavier Sneed, who had a team-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting against Alabama State, said. "We had a (rough) little stretch the last three or four games, so we just had to get back to our winning way and do things the right way."
The Wildcats also recorded 29 assists against Alabama State, the most by a K-State team since 2008, on 35 field goals. Redshirt junior point guard Cartier Diarra dished out 10 of those assists.
"It's on both ends of the court. It's executing on the offensive end and doing all the little things on the defensive end to get stops and find ways to win the game. Those are why we won, along with sharing the basketball," Weber said. "They have to make sure that continues to happen if we're going to move forward."
For the team's DNA to be constant, Weber said consistency from veterans like Sneed, Diarra and senior forward Makol Mawien is crucial. This goes for reinforcing expectations as much as it does production, too.
"The big thing with them is they have to demand why we've won," Weber said. "And they've been part of it, a major part of it. Why we've won has to stay there."
It will need to travel with K-State as it takes on a tough Mississippi State team. The Bulldogs rank 17th in the NCAA in field goal percentage offense (49.4), 17th in rebounding margin (9.1) and 35th in 3-point percentage offense (38.2). They also have not played since December 5.
"They've had much more preparation for us than we will for them. It's important to go there with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," Weber said. "This is huge for us, not pressure-wise, but just being ready to play."
Senior guard Tyson Carter leads Mississippi State in scoring at 17.9 points per game. He also averages 4.6 assists and has hit a team-high 23 treys so far this season. Weber also complimented another Bulldogs' guard, Iverson Molinar, a freshman he said K-State's staff knows well from the recruiting scene.
Weber, however, is even more familiar with the Bulldogs' top big man, Reggie Perry. Averaging nearly a double-double (14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds), Perry played for Weber last summer in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for Team USA's U19 squad that won a gold medal.
"He's a very good, physical presence," Weber said of Perry, who was named the FIBA World Cup's Most Valuable Player after averaging 13.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals.
This week, Weber was honored for his work in the undefeated run to a gold medal. He was named the 2019 USA Basketball co-National Coach of the Year on Monday, which he described as a "special honor" on Wednesday night. Already, he was more focused on Saturday, however.
"It's a nice honor, but I'm more worried about winning against Mississippi State," he said. "It's something I'm proud of but, at the same time, I want these guys (at K-State) to be successful and that's more important to me right now."
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