SE: DaJuan Gordon Feeling at Home at K-State
Dec 02, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
For K-State men's basketball freshman DaJuan Gordon, one of the toughest adjustments of coming from Chicago, Illinois to Manhattan, Kansas was one he expected. He misses family.
Growing up, and when Gordon goes back home, he said: "If I'm not in the gym, I'm with my family."
This made his recruitment especially important. Gordon was looking for a feeling as much as anything. K-State, throughout it all, checked this box.
"I felt like I was at home when I was around all the players and the all the coaches," Gordon said. "The coaches didn't try to over-recruit (me). They were just themselves. That just helped me learn that they were genuine."
The other adjustments? Gordon's still figuring those out. The speed, the physicality, the talent level. All three are areas the 6-foot-4 guard has worked to get used to since he arrived. He's done so the only way he knows how: A never-satisfied mentality.
Before the season, K-State head coach Bruce Weber compared Gordon's work ethic to former Wildcat Barry Brown, Jr., the program's all-time record holder for steals who's currently with the G-League's Iowa Wolves.
"Barry Brown was very motivated when he got here and got after it every day. DaJuan's got that same mold," Weber said. "He loves it, and he texts me in the middle of the night, 'What about this?' He'll send me videos of plays from practice, 'What should I have done?'"
Gordon's reasoning?
"I just want to know what else I can do to get better," he said. "So, I just asked him what I did wrong and whatever I can do to get better."
Through six games, Gordon certainly has areas to improve. But he's also been a key contributor for K-State (4-2), which returns to Bramlage Coliseum to host Florida A&M on Monday at 7 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Gordon is averaging 22.0 minutes per game. He's provided 6.5 points (fourth on the team) on 50.0 percent shooting (first on the team). He is tied for the second most offensive rebounds (eight) and has grabbed at least two total rebounds in every game, including 11 in his last three. He also has seven steals on the year, tied for the third-most on the team, that was highlighted by three in K-State's overtime win at UNLV.
His approach, as much as his talent and skills, was the precursor to this production, Gordon's teammates agreed.
"He loves to compete and that's something we need right now," senior Xavier Sneed said. "That just goes around the team. With him competing, everybody else competes as well. Him doing that gives a boost to everybody else."
"His competitiveness, his fire to get better," junior Mike McGuirl added of what stands out about Gordon. "He's in here working, trying to get better at all times. He really cares about basketball, more than almost anybody I've ever met. Seeing his passion for the game, it's inspiring from a young player. You don't see it much. People come in, players are in the gym for the first week and then they get tired and their body wears out, but he's fighting all of it. He's giving this his everything and that's what's really impressive."
Gordon, in some ways, had reasons to come in expecting success to fall into his lap.
He went from No. 144 in the Rivals150 to 73, the biggest jump of any player in his class. He was named Chicago Sun-Times City Player of the Year, joining a group that includes Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, Derrick Rose and Kevin Garnett. Oh, and he also received an invitation to USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team training camp.
None of it ballooned Gordon's ego, however. His focus remained the same. His goals remained team oriented.
"I just want to win," he said. "It's not about starting or anything like that. I just want to play. I want to be in at the late moments, end of the game."
Gordon's working toward that status.
He's shown flashes of it, most recently a 12-point first half against Pittsburgh. He's also had moments of struggle. Gordon said before the season he was ready for some ups and downs, thanks to some advice Sneed gave him.
"He just let me know you're going to have bad times, a lot of things are going to get dark," Gordon said, "but you just have to keep fighting and wait for the light to come."
For K-State men's basketball freshman DaJuan Gordon, one of the toughest adjustments of coming from Chicago, Illinois to Manhattan, Kansas was one he expected. He misses family.
Growing up, and when Gordon goes back home, he said: "If I'm not in the gym, I'm with my family."
This made his recruitment especially important. Gordon was looking for a feeling as much as anything. K-State, throughout it all, checked this box.
"I felt like I was at home when I was around all the players and the all the coaches," Gordon said. "The coaches didn't try to over-recruit (me). They were just themselves. That just helped me learn that they were genuine."
The other adjustments? Gordon's still figuring those out. The speed, the physicality, the talent level. All three are areas the 6-foot-4 guard has worked to get used to since he arrived. He's done so the only way he knows how: A never-satisfied mentality.
Before the season, K-State head coach Bruce Weber compared Gordon's work ethic to former Wildcat Barry Brown, Jr., the program's all-time record holder for steals who's currently with the G-League's Iowa Wolves.
"Barry Brown was very motivated when he got here and got after it every day. DaJuan's got that same mold," Weber said. "He loves it, and he texts me in the middle of the night, 'What about this?' He'll send me videos of plays from practice, 'What should I have done?'"
Gordon's reasoning?
"I just want to know what else I can do to get better," he said. "So, I just asked him what I did wrong and whatever I can do to get better."
Through six games, Gordon certainly has areas to improve. But he's also been a key contributor for K-State (4-2), which returns to Bramlage Coliseum to host Florida A&M on Monday at 7 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
Gordon is averaging 22.0 minutes per game. He's provided 6.5 points (fourth on the team) on 50.0 percent shooting (first on the team). He is tied for the second most offensive rebounds (eight) and has grabbed at least two total rebounds in every game, including 11 in his last three. He also has seven steals on the year, tied for the third-most on the team, that was highlighted by three in K-State's overtime win at UNLV.
His approach, as much as his talent and skills, was the precursor to this production, Gordon's teammates agreed.
"He loves to compete and that's something we need right now," senior Xavier Sneed said. "That just goes around the team. With him competing, everybody else competes as well. Him doing that gives a boost to everybody else."
"His competitiveness, his fire to get better," junior Mike McGuirl added of what stands out about Gordon. "He's in here working, trying to get better at all times. He really cares about basketball, more than almost anybody I've ever met. Seeing his passion for the game, it's inspiring from a young player. You don't see it much. People come in, players are in the gym for the first week and then they get tired and their body wears out, but he's fighting all of it. He's giving this his everything and that's what's really impressive."
Gordon, in some ways, had reasons to come in expecting success to fall into his lap.
He went from No. 144 in the Rivals150 to 73, the biggest jump of any player in his class. He was named Chicago Sun-Times City Player of the Year, joining a group that includes Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, Derrick Rose and Kevin Garnett. Oh, and he also received an invitation to USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team training camp.
None of it ballooned Gordon's ego, however. His focus remained the same. His goals remained team oriented.
"I just want to win," he said. "It's not about starting or anything like that. I just want to play. I want to be in at the late moments, end of the game."
Gordon's working toward that status.
He's shown flashes of it, most recently a 12-point first half against Pittsburgh. He's also had moments of struggle. Gordon said before the season he was ready for some ups and downs, thanks to some advice Sneed gave him.
"He just let me know you're going to have bad times, a lot of things are going to get dark," Gordon said, "but you just have to keep fighting and wait for the light to come."
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