SE: “Welcome to College Basketball” - Youthful Wildcats Look to Build on Opener
Nov 26, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
A few months ago, Bruce Weber was watching a K-State football game.
Another young group of Wildcats, he noted, were counting on a freshman quarterback to hand the ball off to a freshman running back protected by a freshman offensive lineman.
"We've had to deal with that," Weber said during the offseason. "You saw it with football…They have been able to step up in extenuating circumstances."
Wednesday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum, as Weber rolled out six freshmen and newcomers in an 80-70 loss to Drake, it was easy to think about the football team that plays next door.
Beyond the extenuating circumstances, this game and these moments were always going to be part of the youth movement underway in Manhattan.
With just four scholarship players returning in 2020 and without any exhibition games, the Wildcats jumped the canyon without a net against Drake.
For half an hour on Wednesday afternoon, K-State held their own against a Bulldogs team coming off a pair of 20-win seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference.
"We knew it was going to be difficult for us," Weber said. "We got a seven-point lead in the second half, turned it over three or four times and then it was a game."
Weber said his team was unable to practice five-on-five due to COVID-19 measures for three weeks this fall, the kind of preparation that would be taken for granted in any other season.
Any home-court advantage in the Little Apple Classic was also minimized in an empty Bramlage Coliseum, where the K-State Women's Basketball team provided most of the cheering.
For the players who returned to the program, it's all been a challenge, but not an excuse.
"We're a new team and we got out there and played an older, experienced team," Mike McGuirl said. "They outplayed us, I didn't guard well enough and we've got to be better. To beat Colorado on Friday, we're going to have to be a lot better."
Nijel Pack got the start at point guard, becoming just the 16th true freshman in program history to start a season opener. Matching up with an All-Missouri Valley counterpart in Drake point guard Roman Penn, the Indianapolis native looked the part in his first college game.
"Great attitude, great young man," Weber said. "He's going to have to continue to get better."
As the Wildcats traded punches with Drake in a back-and-forth first half, Pack was there to knock down an open three or make the extra pass with a team-high five assists.
His first college bucket? A catch-and-shoot three pointer inside the first two minutes of the game.
If K-State fans needed a reason to believe in Pack, the gleam was there in the confident, open looks that the four-star prospect seemed to generate throughout the night.
"We need him to get the ball more," Weber said. "Nijel is going to be a really good player, I can promise you that."
He ended the night with nine points, adding five assists and doing all of his scoring from beyond the arc. The point guard shot an efficient 3-for-5 from distance against Drake.
Pack was the only freshman to crack the starting five against the Bulldogs, but UTEP transfer Kaosi Ezeagu joined him among the starters.
It was the first opportunity for K-State fans to get a look at the sophomore, who played regularly in his freshman campaign with the Miners before redshirting the 2019-20 season.
Ezeagu logged almost 30 minutes on Wednesday afternoon, finishing with nine points and five rebounds.
As a rim protector, the Canadian looked like a missing piece for a team that finished last in the Big 12 in blocked shots a season ago. His three blocks against Drake led players on both teams.
If Pack and Ezeagu were the story among the newcomers, McGuirl and sophomore DaJuan Gordon looked like the perfect foundation for a team big on potential and short on experience.
The duo combined for almost half of K-State's points on Wednesday afternoon, with McGuirl leading all Wildcats with 22 points against Drake.
The biggest adjustment for the senior came in trying to organize all the new faces on the court.
"It's a little different throughout the course of the game. When you're here and you've been here for a long time you understand the lingo and terminology. You can see things," he said. "Today, it was our first time being out there. All I could do was tell them to play hard and play smart."
It wasn't enough against Drake, but it's the attitude that Weber is looking for on this team, right down to the message he wrote on the white board before the Wildcats took the floor.
Focus on the Right Things.
"It's a learning lesson for our guys," Weber said. "I told them, 'Welcome to college basketball,' this is what you're going to deal with, now how do you react to it and how do you get better?"
A few months ago, Bruce Weber was watching a K-State football game.
Another young group of Wildcats, he noted, were counting on a freshman quarterback to hand the ball off to a freshman running back protected by a freshman offensive lineman.
"We've had to deal with that," Weber said during the offseason. "You saw it with football…They have been able to step up in extenuating circumstances."
Wednesday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum, as Weber rolled out six freshmen and newcomers in an 80-70 loss to Drake, it was easy to think about the football team that plays next door.
Beyond the extenuating circumstances, this game and these moments were always going to be part of the youth movement underway in Manhattan.
🏀 is back in the Little 🍎#KStateMBB x EMAW pic.twitter.com/YThT5i0K3i
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) November 25, 2020
With just four scholarship players returning in 2020 and without any exhibition games, the Wildcats jumped the canyon without a net against Drake.
For half an hour on Wednesday afternoon, K-State held their own against a Bulldogs team coming off a pair of 20-win seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference.
"We knew it was going to be difficult for us," Weber said. "We got a seven-point lead in the second half, turned it over three or four times and then it was a game."
Weber said his team was unable to practice five-on-five due to COVID-19 measures for three weeks this fall, the kind of preparation that would be taken for granted in any other season.
Any home-court advantage in the Little Apple Classic was also minimized in an empty Bramlage Coliseum, where the K-State Women's Basketball team provided most of the cheering.
For the players who returned to the program, it's all been a challenge, but not an excuse.
"We're a new team and we got out there and played an older, experienced team," Mike McGuirl said. "They outplayed us, I didn't guard well enough and we've got to be better. To beat Colorado on Friday, we're going to have to be a lot better."
Nijel Pack got the start at point guard, becoming just the 16th true freshman in program history to start a season opener. Matching up with an All-Missouri Valley counterpart in Drake point guard Roman Penn, the Indianapolis native looked the part in his first college game.
"Great attitude, great young man," Weber said. "He's going to have to continue to get better."
As the Wildcats traded punches with Drake in a back-and-forth first half, Pack was there to knock down an open three or make the extra pass with a team-high five assists.
His first college bucket? A catch-and-shoot three pointer inside the first two minutes of the game.
.@NijelPack24 grabs his first career bucket 🎯#KStateMBB x EMAW pic.twitter.com/WbweteFfsj
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) November 25, 2020
If K-State fans needed a reason to believe in Pack, the gleam was there in the confident, open looks that the four-star prospect seemed to generate throughout the night.
"We need him to get the ball more," Weber said. "Nijel is going to be a really good player, I can promise you that."
He ended the night with nine points, adding five assists and doing all of his scoring from beyond the arc. The point guard shot an efficient 3-for-5 from distance against Drake.
Pack was the only freshman to crack the starting five against the Bulldogs, but UTEP transfer Kaosi Ezeagu joined him among the starters.
It was the first opportunity for K-State fans to get a look at the sophomore, who played regularly in his freshman campaign with the Miners before redshirting the 2019-20 season.
Ezeagu logged almost 30 minutes on Wednesday afternoon, finishing with nine points and five rebounds.
As a rim protector, the Canadian looked like a missing piece for a team that finished last in the Big 12 in blocked shots a season ago. His three blocks against Drake led players on both teams.
.@Kaosi_E putting in work for the 'Cats
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) November 25, 2020
8 Pts, 4 Rebs, 2 Blks #KStateMBB 47
Drake 40 | 2H - 15:01 pic.twitter.com/c8ABHGy5ZZ
If Pack and Ezeagu were the story among the newcomers, McGuirl and sophomore DaJuan Gordon looked like the perfect foundation for a team big on potential and short on experience.
The duo combined for almost half of K-State's points on Wednesday afternoon, with McGuirl leading all Wildcats with 22 points against Drake.
The biggest adjustment for the senior came in trying to organize all the new faces on the court.
"It's a little different throughout the course of the game. When you're here and you've been here for a long time you understand the lingo and terminology. You can see things," he said. "Today, it was our first time being out there. All I could do was tell them to play hard and play smart."
It wasn't enough against Drake, but it's the attitude that Weber is looking for on this team, right down to the message he wrote on the white board before the Wildcats took the floor.
Focus on the Right Things.
"It's a learning lesson for our guys," Weber said. "I told them, 'Welcome to college basketball,' this is what you're going to deal with, now how do you react to it and how do you get better?"
Players Mentioned
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