SE: Antonio Gordon Improved Drastically from Increased Role for K-State MBB
Dec 20, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
K-State men's basketball true freshman Antonio Gordon went from a role player off the bench to a starter seeing significant minutes before his first month of regular season college basketball ended.
The move became somewhat of a necessity when fellow true freshman forward Montavious Murphy went down with an injury after K-State's third game. Gordon's role completely changed after the fact. In the snap of the fingers, he was asked to grow up on the court.
Gordon went from playing 12.6 minutes a game to 26.9 in K-State's last seven. Only Xavier Sneed and Cartier Diarra played more minutes during that stretch.
Now, as K-State (6-4) approaches its second-to-last game before Big 12 play begins — a battle with Saint Louis (9-2) in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday at 6 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ — Gordon looked back at the last seven games as an accelerated learning curve.
"I have played a lot more. It has helped me a lot," he said. "I've seen a drastic change from the beginning of the season to where I am right now."
Specifically, Gordon pointed to his defense.
Learning the defensive principles and the buy-in necessary to succeed in K-State head coach Bruce Weber's system is difficult for any freshman. Gordon, a natural three-level scorer, was admittedly no exception.
"In high school I just played straight offense and didn't know how to play any defense," the 6-foot-9 Lawton, Oklahoma native said, "but I came here and definitely have seen a big change in my defense."
Then, there's his rebounding.
Gordon, in his first three games, grabbed 2.6 boards per game. In his last seven games he's averaged 6.0, which closely parallels his increase in minutes. He has grabbed eight or more rebounds in his last three games, however, including a season-high nine against Mississippi State, the No. 19 team in the NCAA in rebounding margin.
"Antonio plays his butt off," Weber said. "To get nine rebounds in a high-level game like that (shows improvement)."
"The beginning of this season, I was like three rebounds, two rebounds, and the last three games, eight, nine and nine," Gordon added. "I think if I just go crash the glass, it will help the team a lot or at least keep other people that rebound on the other teams (from getting them). That'll definitely help us."
Gordon said his strongest attribute as a rebounder has been effort. Being fearless helps, too.
"Just playing hard and not being afraid of anything," he said. "I feel like that allows me to go rebound. It's not my size. I'm not as big as most of the forwards or centers in our league or in the country, but I'm going to go after it. I'm not scared."
K-State will need more than just Gordon rebounding at a high rate on Saturday.
Saint Louis ranks 31st in the NCAA in rebounding margin and, more notably, eighth in the country in offensive rebounds per game, at 14.7. Two Billikens average double-doubles, including 6-foot-3 junior guard Jordan Goodwin (15.6 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game). Hasahn French (13.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG), a 6-foot-7, 245-pound junior forward, grabbed 24 boards in a game earlier this season.
"They play hard. They definitely go for the rebounds," Gordon said. "We definitely have to get after it on the boards, making sure we're boxing out, playing hard. We have to play tough."
K-State's ability to rebound may be boosted by the return of Murphy, who Weber said has been practicing this week. Gordon, whose progress has been accelerated by Murphy's absence, said his classmate been practicing "really well."
"I think it'll help us a lot. It'll give us more depth. That'll definitely be a good thing that we need. He plays great defense and that will really help us," Gordon said. "Also, he can crash the glass, so that's definitely going to help us this weekend."
K-State men's basketball true freshman Antonio Gordon went from a role player off the bench to a starter seeing significant minutes before his first month of regular season college basketball ended.
The move became somewhat of a necessity when fellow true freshman forward Montavious Murphy went down with an injury after K-State's third game. Gordon's role completely changed after the fact. In the snap of the fingers, he was asked to grow up on the court.
Gordon went from playing 12.6 minutes a game to 26.9 in K-State's last seven. Only Xavier Sneed and Cartier Diarra played more minutes during that stretch.
Now, as K-State (6-4) approaches its second-to-last game before Big 12 play begins — a battle with Saint Louis (9-2) in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday at 6 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ — Gordon looked back at the last seven games as an accelerated learning curve.
"I have played a lot more. It has helped me a lot," he said. "I've seen a drastic change from the beginning of the season to where I am right now."
Specifically, Gordon pointed to his defense.
Learning the defensive principles and the buy-in necessary to succeed in K-State head coach Bruce Weber's system is difficult for any freshman. Gordon, a natural three-level scorer, was admittedly no exception.
"In high school I just played straight offense and didn't know how to play any defense," the 6-foot-9 Lawton, Oklahoma native said, "but I came here and definitely have seen a big change in my defense."
Then, there's his rebounding.
Gordon, in his first three games, grabbed 2.6 boards per game. In his last seven games he's averaged 6.0, which closely parallels his increase in minutes. He has grabbed eight or more rebounds in his last three games, however, including a season-high nine against Mississippi State, the No. 19 team in the NCAA in rebounding margin.
"Antonio plays his butt off," Weber said. "To get nine rebounds in a high-level game like that (shows improvement)."
"The beginning of this season, I was like three rebounds, two rebounds, and the last three games, eight, nine and nine," Gordon added. "I think if I just go crash the glass, it will help the team a lot or at least keep other people that rebound on the other teams (from getting them). That'll definitely help us."
Gordon said his strongest attribute as a rebounder has been effort. Being fearless helps, too.
"Just playing hard and not being afraid of anything," he said. "I feel like that allows me to go rebound. It's not my size. I'm not as big as most of the forwards or centers in our league or in the country, but I'm going to go after it. I'm not scared."
K-State will need more than just Gordon rebounding at a high rate on Saturday.
Saint Louis ranks 31st in the NCAA in rebounding margin and, more notably, eighth in the country in offensive rebounds per game, at 14.7. Two Billikens average double-doubles, including 6-foot-3 junior guard Jordan Goodwin (15.6 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game). Hasahn French (13.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG), a 6-foot-7, 245-pound junior forward, grabbed 24 boards in a game earlier this season.
"They play hard. They definitely go for the rebounds," Gordon said. "We definitely have to get after it on the boards, making sure we're boxing out, playing hard. We have to play tough."
K-State's ability to rebound may be boosted by the return of Murphy, who Weber said has been practicing this week. Gordon, whose progress has been accelerated by Murphy's absence, said his classmate been practicing "really well."
"I think it'll help us a lot. It'll give us more depth. That'll definitely be a good thing that we need. He plays great defense and that will really help us," Gordon said. "Also, he can crash the glass, so that's definitely going to help us this weekend."
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