SE: K-State MBB Seniors Clinch Big 12 Championship in Bramlage Finale
Mar 10, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
The emotions came at different times and places on Saturday when K-State clinched a share of the 2018-19 Big 12 Championship on Senior Day for Barry Brown, Jr., Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade.
For Bruce Weber, tears began to fall as the senior tribute video was played before the ceremony and well before his team won, 68-53, against Oklahoma in Bramlage Coliseum.
Shane Southwell, on Weber's 2012-13 Big 12 Championship team and now a graduate assistant, did the video's voiceover. He poetically read through three seniors' journey to this point, as highlights and off-the-court clips encapsulated their already-historic careers.
"There are some special groups, obviously, through the years, but I did have some tears in my eyes when I looked up at that video," Weber said. "When I started hearing that, it hit me."
For Brown, the moment came when he hugged Weber during the senior ceremony and before he scored 15 points, dished out four assists and grabbed three steals en route to the program's 19thregular season conference title.
"When I hugged Coach Weber and he told me he loved me and he appreciated me, that hit me a little bit," Brown said. "When I saw Coach Weber with tears down his eyes, it kind of hit me. It made me think this is my last game in here. Let's go out with a bang."
For Wade, it all began to sink in at the end. When Weber took the three seniors out of the game together, they hugged on the court, embracing a moment they dreamed of, worked hard for and made happen. Wade and Brown even kissed the Powercat at center court before making their way to the bench.
"It's bittersweet. We've done our time here," Wade said, after recording 11 points, four assists, two blocks and a steal. "It definitely hit me walking off the floor for the last time. It's been an unbelievable journey."
The journey started with a 5-13 Big 12 record as freshmen. The three took their lumps, learned from them, and pushed forward. A year later, they were 8-10. A year after that, 10-8. This year, they finished 14-4 and with confetti falling from the rafters, the same ones they will be immortalized in.
"It couldn't be a better story, for that group to be honored like they were, and then to win the game like this and to celebrate," Weber said. "It was special."
This senior class proved once again they deserve the same description.
They combined for 45 points, 66 percent of the team's scoring. Of their 17 made field goals, nine came off an assist from another senior. Each made a play fans were accustomed to seeing over the years, too. There were midrange jumpers, 3-point daggers and a reverse dunk that added to a long list of highlight reel plays from this class that changed the program's trajectory.
"I think we all saw this day coming," Brown said. "We knew the work we put in year by year, day by day, to get to this point. We knew we were a good team. Maybe we had some tough losses, maybe we had some losses we shouldn't have had, injuries, but we still knew if we bought in every day, fought every day, played every game hard, like it was our last, that it was just a matter of time for us to get this thing.
"I've never been with a group of guys who work so hard and buy into the scouting report and take criticism and do all the things that champions need to do."
The three seniors set that standard. They raised the bar, year by year, until it brought more hardware to the program's trophy case.
"We came from, obviously, being one of the worst teams in the Big 12 to winning the Big 12 this year," Wade said. "Hopefully it just starts the foundation for K-State basketball. Always work hard and you can do anything. You just have to believe in each other, even through rough times, like we did for a couple years there. Hopefully this foundation for K-State basketball keeps on growing."
For this team, that starts next week in the Big 12 Championship at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. There, the top-seeded Wildcats will play the winner of TCU and Oklahoma State on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
"We're going to get a ring eventually. Coach Weber talked about adding to it. It's going to say Big 12 Champions on the top, but on the side, it could say Big 12 Tournament champions," Brown said. "We're still hungry. We're still humble and understand that we did something great, that's only been done two times in the last 40 years in our program, but there's more to come, more basketball to be played."
The emotions came at different times and places on Saturday when K-State clinched a share of the 2018-19 Big 12 Championship on Senior Day for Barry Brown, Jr., Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade.
For Bruce Weber, tears began to fall as the senior tribute video was played before the ceremony and well before his team won, 68-53, against Oklahoma in Bramlage Coliseum.
Shane Southwell, on Weber's 2012-13 Big 12 Championship team and now a graduate assistant, did the video's voiceover. He poetically read through three seniors' journey to this point, as highlights and off-the-court clips encapsulated their already-historic careers.
Through the fire.
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 9, 2019
Left it better.
One more.
?? Shane Southwell (@Mr_SSouthwell) | #KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/wZsH9OxOQr
"There are some special groups, obviously, through the years, but I did have some tears in my eyes when I looked up at that video," Weber said. "When I started hearing that, it hit me."
For Brown, the moment came when he hugged Weber during the senior ceremony and before he scored 15 points, dished out four assists and grabbed three steals en route to the program's 19thregular season conference title.
"When I hugged Coach Weber and he told me he loved me and he appreciated me, that hit me a little bit," Brown said. "When I saw Coach Weber with tears down his eyes, it kind of hit me. It made me think this is my last game in here. Let's go out with a bang."
For Wade, it all began to sink in at the end. When Weber took the three seniors out of the game together, they hugged on the court, embracing a moment they dreamed of, worked hard for and made happen. Wade and Brown even kissed the Powercat at center court before making their way to the bench.
"It's bittersweet. We've done our time here," Wade said, after recording 11 points, four assists, two blocks and a steal. "It definitely hit me walking off the floor for the last time. It's been an unbelievable journey."
The journey started with a 5-13 Big 12 record as freshmen. The three took their lumps, learned from them, and pushed forward. A year later, they were 8-10. A year after that, 10-8. This year, they finished 14-4 and with confetti falling from the rafters, the same ones they will be immortalized in.
"It couldn't be a better story, for that group to be honored like they were, and then to win the game like this and to celebrate," Weber said. "It was special."
This senior class proved once again they deserve the same description.
They combined for 45 points, 66 percent of the team's scoring. Of their 17 made field goals, nine came off an assist from another senior. Each made a play fans were accustomed to seeing over the years, too. There were midrange jumpers, 3-point daggers and a reverse dunk that added to a long list of highlight reel plays from this class that changed the program's trajectory.
"I think we all saw this day coming," Brown said. "We knew the work we put in year by year, day by day, to get to this point. We knew we were a good team. Maybe we had some tough losses, maybe we had some losses we shouldn't have had, injuries, but we still knew if we bought in every day, fought every day, played every game hard, like it was our last, that it was just a matter of time for us to get this thing.
"I've never been with a group of guys who work so hard and buy into the scouting report and take criticism and do all the things that champions need to do."
The three seniors set that standard. They raised the bar, year by year, until it brought more hardware to the program's trophy case.
"We came from, obviously, being one of the worst teams in the Big 12 to winning the Big 12 this year," Wade said. "Hopefully it just starts the foundation for K-State basketball. Always work hard and you can do anything. You just have to believe in each other, even through rough times, like we did for a couple years there. Hopefully this foundation for K-State basketball keeps on growing."
For this team, that starts next week in the Big 12 Championship at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. There, the top-seeded Wildcats will play the winner of TCU and Oklahoma State on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
"We're going to get a ring eventually. Coach Weber talked about adding to it. It's going to say Big 12 Champions on the top, but on the side, it could say Big 12 Tournament champions," Brown said. "We're still hungry. We're still humble and understand that we did something great, that's only been done two times in the last 40 years in our program, but there's more to come, more basketball to be played."
Players Mentioned
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