Head Coach Bruce Weber, Kaosi Ezeagu Preview UNLV Game

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State head coach Bruce Weber and sophomore Kaosi Ezeagu met with members of the media via Zoom on Thursday, as the Wildcats continue preparations for Saturday's home game against UNLV (0-4), which will air at 7 p.m., CT on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Saturday's game marks the second game of the home-and-home series between the schools, as the Wildcats earned a 60-56 win in overtime over the Runnin' Rebels on November 9, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center. This will be UNLV's first visit to Manhattan since the first meeting on January 4, 1982.

K-STATE HEAD COACH BRUCE WEBER
On UNLV...
"They definitely can score the basketball, there's no doubt about that. They've had troubles stopping people. They have two explosive scorers in Bryce (Hamilton) and Caleb (Grill) and we are going to have to do a good job on them to limit their production. You have to find Grill, they play small ball and he's their four, so he's a guard playing the four which creates a mix up of who's guarding who. Then obviously Bryce can really create and make plays, so we have to do a good job of helping and making him kick, which is easier said than done. Hopefully we will have a little bit of an advantage inside, and again we are developing our depth but I hope that can be a factor also in the game."

On Caleb Grill…
"They had him playing the four. They are small and he took advantage of it against Alabama, Alabama lost him several times. He got really hot, obviously from three, he's a really good three point shooter. It allows him to roam a little bit and get some freedom. We are going to have to do a good job of switching and staying in matchups so that we can contest shots and not let him get going. He's a better athlete than I think people understand, being a four-sport star growing up. He's got bounce to him and is a year older. As a freshman last year he had a couple nice moments, but now he's used to college basketball and it looks like he's taken a nice step."

On coming off of the first win …
"The big thing is now can we do the little things, the execution things, and not have the mistakes and breakdowns. We had the lead to 17 in the first half and 15 in the second half, and with two to three really solid possessions of basketball you break team's spirits, but we never broke their spirit and turnovers were a big factor. We have to take care of the basketball. If we can cut off five to seven turnovers and cut off another five or seven tough shots early in the shot clock, then finish off some of those fast break opportunities or make better decisions on the fast break opportunities. Those are things that could give you another 15 shots in the game. We've shot the ball well so far, we were 6/13 that game from three. Our field goal percentages are probably not the biggest negative we have, it's probably more the turnovers and decision making and those types of things, so I think that's the next step. We didn't have that time to practice because we couldn't put ourselves in situations with ten guys, but yesterday we gave each team a seven point game with eight minutes left in the game and they had to extend the lead to win the game over the next four minutes. As we move forward into end of game situations and end of shot clock situations, those are things that we didn't get to practice but hopefully will be able to practice over this next week or 10 days before we get into conference."

On the advantage of having fans at the game this Saturday …
"There's no doubt, it always helps. I think the second half of games, that's when the fans become a factor. When you play with no fans, you can say you're playing at home but I'm not sure it's that much of a factor. I think you see it when you watch the NFL, that home court or home field advantage with those pass rush guys that live off the energy, those types of things. So the fans will obviously help, but I can't overemphasize our fans to social distance and keep the masks on. We want to do the right thing and don't want to create a spread. We want them there, but we want them to stay safe, and we don't want the county to shut us down. Hopefully everyone can listen and do what they are asked to do and keep the fans in the stands and it will help them with some relief and mental health by being there and seeing the game and enjoying themselves, and some of that energy will help our team get some of their energy as we move forward."

On the development of the team the past three games …
"I don't think there's any doubt about the development, and that just comes through time, experience, and playing. That's why the more games we can get, the better it is. Obviously I want to win games, but I want to get them more experience, and I wish we would've had a couple of easy ones to get Selton Miguel more minutes and Rudi Williams more minutes and now you have Carlton (Linguard) coming back and got to practice for most of the practice yesterday, but we don't have that advantage so every minute, every game, every practice I hope we can take advantage of and it's going to help us develop as a team."

On Carlton Linguard …
"He got involved in practice. This is a young man who didn't do any basketball for three months. And in the past two weeks he started individual workouts and got into non-contact and then yesterday was his first day of any contact. It was good for him to get him a little bit of excitement and feel part of it and it's good for our team too to have another body there. We were able to do a little bit of four on four yesterday, which we haven't been able to do since August. Those kind of drills that you do all the time to help your team gain toughness, competitive spirit, and comradery, all those things we haven't been able to do. So with him back and some of the other guys, it definitely helps."

On Kaosi Ezeagu's impact...
"It's been really important. It's been one of my focuses from the start of the year. One, to get the ball inside, and I think Davion (Bradford) once he gains confidence, strength, mobility and balance, those types of things, I think we will be able to go inside to him and hopefully Carlton can give us some length. When you go inside, you're going to go to the free throw line, which is a good thing. We got to the free throw line 27 times. Kansas City was very aggressive with us, which was part of their gameplan and it was great that (Kaosi Ezeagu) was able to step up . I know he's been frustrated, it's something I've sat with him and worked on. A lot of times you have to go out and do it and experience it and probably fail to sit and realize what you need to do. He hadn't played college basketball in a year, and even the year before, who knows he probably didn't get to the line very much so it's all new to him. He's really like a freshman, he's going to be a sophomore next year. He made crucial free throws during a seven to nine point game, and if he doesn't make them who knows what happens with that game."

On Kaosi Ezeagu's comfort level...
"He understands what is going on, and has done a really good job defensively and getting into the ball screens, which was one thing we were worried about. They got us on a flip later in the second half on a timeout, but for the most part, he and Davion have been really aggressive, which is going to be a key Saturday because (UNLV) slips ball screens and they set some ball screens, so being active and being at that line and be ready to hedge. Makol Mawien was one of the best ball screen defenders in the country, and that's something as a coach I don't take for granted. That and transition defense, things that fans get mad about, but those are things that we have to gain. And when we figure out rolls, we have to make sure we have a safety and making sure they don't get easy layups and getting into the ball screen coverage. Eighty percent of defense in college basketball is dealing with transition defense and ball screen defense."

On Montavious Murphy and Antonio Gordon at the power forward position…
"I like that they've both really taken a step up. Both of them missed a lot of time over the summer with different situations. As I said to you guys a while ago, that was a position that I felt really good about. We had two guys who played a lot as freshmen, had some nice moments, had some experience. Going into practice since they hadn't practiced, it was tough and I think it's taken them a little time. I love Antonio's energy. I know he didn't score the most points or have the most assists or rebounds, but he led us on the play hard and led us on the plus/minus. That role when you figure out a role, that's really, really valuable to have somebody step up and do that. Monty has done better. The one thing we felt last year with Monty was he was always so dependable. He didn't always do the special things, but he did the little things and that's why he played and helped us. His plus/minus was always positive. I think maybe just not having the practice time, not having the reps, he was a little behind. Maybe a little motivation now, because Antonio has picked it up. I'd love for them both to play. If we can get 22 minutes from one and 18 minutes from the other, add up their points and it's double digits, there's six or eight rebounds between them and they play hard, that would be beautiful for our team. Again, I thought we played Antonio a few too many minutes against Colorado. I think we had a good mix with 25, get Monty maybe somewhere between 18-20, play a little small ball maybe, I think if we can do that and they give us great energy and find a way to give us a couple hoops here and there, it would solidify that role at the power forward for us."

On Antonio Gordon…
"Again, he missed a lot. He missed basically the whole summer and part of the fall. Just starting to get everything together and is getting healthy and giving himself a chance. The thing I really like is that both of them have been in watching film. Both of them have started coming in to shoot a little extra. Monty was in here an hour before practice on Sunday. Those are the little things that they are starting to figure out. Antonio told all the new guys on one of our early Zoom sessions, 'Guys, freshman year I didn't understand what it was about, how hard it was and how focused you need to be'. For him to say that, it was impressive and showed some maturity. And now, he's starting to show that on a consistent basis. Slowly but surely, we get Monty to join that. It would be really nice for them both to give us consistent play every game, and we can have versatility with both of them."

On Davion Bradford…
"I think right now, it's just his confidence. I mentioned balance, strength, he's a lot stronger. He's lost weight, a lot of those things. Defense is always a factor as a freshman. Especially with him, ball screen defense and getting out there. It's hard. We watched one clip with him the other day. He had to run out and guard a ball screen three times on one possession. That's hard for big guys, especially when he's never done it. He rather just sit back in the lane, but you can't do that. People are going to take advantage of it. I think those are the things that will come with time. Then just learning all the plays, but he's a great, unbelievable young man. Big, big heart, good personality, great teammate. I'm so impressed by him and where he's at. Life has not been easy for him. We think he really has a bright future."

On Nijel Pack's offensive ability…
"Yeah, there's no doubt. It's funny, because he said to Coach (Chris) Lowery the other day that, 'I never thought I'd be good off the ball'. Like a lot of young players, even with EIBL with a really good team with at least four or five guys that went to high-level teams, he had the ball all the time. Now, we want him with the ball at times, and I think he's gotta get better at ball screens and physical parts of the game, but he's really been exceptional off the ball. I saw it. I think he had great footwork and fundamentals coming off screens and being able to make the play. This is all new, and he came in and watched a whole game the other day with the coaches. Again, that shows a lot of maturity for a freshman. That's probably the best thing about him, what he's about as a person, his maturity and understanding of the game."

On UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger…
"I think he did a great job last year, unbelievable. When you look back, we beat them in overtime early. They had some heartbreaking losses early. He coached the heck out of them, to be honest. Then they finally found a way to win late in the year. I could be wrong, but I think they finished tied with a few towards the top of the Mountain West, like second or third but I could be wrong. He's obviously a Wisconsin native, so you're pulling for him since I grew up there. You always feel proud of guys who came up through our coaching world there. He's worked his way up, obviously did a great job at South Dakota State and getting them to the tournament. He's got a good staff, Coach Kruger's son (Kevin Kruger). (Assistant coach) Tim Buckley, long time guy that we've all known who's been with some really good people. He coaches the heck out of them. It was hard to recruit in the spring. It was hard to coach in the summer and fall, and you're just doing the best you can. He coaches them, and they execute what he wants. As he gets more and more of his guys in the system, there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be a successful coach."

On playing a young, scrappy UNLV team…
"Yeah and with us, obviously we're a young team, too. I saw one of the graphics the other day that we have the fourth-most underclassmen among Power 6 teams, or third or something in the country. So we're a young team, too. We're fighting for our lives. You can't look at records right now. You see around the country, start with them. Montana State going into their place, Navy with a great win at Georgetown, Richmond at Kentucky. We talked last week about San Francisco losing to UMass-Lowell and then beating Virginia. It's COVID basketball. It's 2020. Nothing is predictable. We just need to focus on ourselves, coming ready to play. We need experience. They need experience. They got three games in. Now they get here today, get a couple days of rest and preparation, and I'm sure he'll have them playing their butts off against us and we're going to have to play well. Hopefully, we're up to that task."

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE FORWARD KAOSI EZEAGU
On the start to the season and the first win...
"It's been a little bit up and down because we're all new. We're all just trying to figure out how we're going to gel together as a team and as a program. I felt that the first game we played, we came out a little lackadaisical. We all knew what was at stake, but you don't really know until you know. After the game and after everything that happened, the second game against Colorado we really came out hard and looking to compete from the jump. After both games, we really realized what it really takes to win, like how hard you got to go and how much every possession means. Every possession means something. After those two games, you got the third game. We played better as a team. We understand how hard we have to play on defense and how every possession matters and all that. I think the third games shows how we've been getting better at learning how to play with each other and also learning what it takes to win."

On how he's progressed through three games…
"I feel like the first two games, I played a little not nervous per se, but I needed the reps. Game reps are different, so I feel like I finally started to settle in. I feel like my teammates are trusting me more in certain situations and I feel like we'll be good."

On the improvements from game two to game three…
"From the first game, I felt like we knew we didn't put out best effort overall. The second game, I feel like we understood that if we really buy into it, we can really get something done. From the start, if we really buy in for 40 minutes, we can get something done. By the third game, we put a more complete game together than the first two, so I feel like the buy-in part and listening to what the coaches tell us to do and going hard, as the games have gone on we've got better at those things."

On being a true post presence for K-State…
"Personally, yes I feel that's what I bring to the team and what I can contribute. I feel I'm still learning. Coach C-Low (associate head coach Chris Lowery) is still teaching me every day how to be more efficient with what I do, not overdoing stuff but still going hard. I just feel like I need to become more efficient with my movements while playing especially with all the back to the basket stuff. That's something I can bring to the table. I think it's something our program does need moving forward, so I feel like I'm trying my best to do what they need me to do."

On free throw shooting…
"I feel like the first two games, I don't feel like that's really me. I feel like I could do a lot better than what I showed, so I've been working on it mornings after practice, like all the time I'm working on it. After last game, I'm getting more comfortable at the line and will be able to do better and help my team from that point."

--www.k-statesports.com--

Kansas State University, the nation's first operational land-grant institution and a Carnegie Foundation Tier One university, is recognized as one of the nation's best colleges with world-class research and academic excellence located in America's No. 1 College Town (Manhattan, KS).

Kansas State University Athletics

Head Coach Bruce Weber, Kaosi Ezeagu Preview UNLV Game

Players Mentioned

Davion Bradford

Kaosi Ezeagu

Antonio Gordon

Makol Mawien

Selton Miguel

Montavious Murphy

Nijel Pack

Rudi Williams

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