SE: Pack Continues to Show Progress with Career Night in Lubbock
Jan 06, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
He was just having one of those nights.
After 20 minutes of basketball in Lubbock, Nijel Pack was shooting 6-of-7 from the field and was just one point away from a career-high scoring performance.
Sure, he was locked in from beyond the arc, where Pack is knocking on the door of the conference's top-10 three-point shooters, but the freshman was also tossing up floaters and fighting through traffic to get it done at the rim against the Red Raiders.
It wasn't enough for K-State in an 82-71 loss to No. 18 Texas Tech, but it was the kind of night that Pack and this program can build on. He finished with a career-high 17 points on Tuesday night.
"That's what is going to make us a championship team, when we start pushing through and building that mental and physical toughness," Pack said. "It was a really emotional game. Coach wrote it on the board, 'Play with emotion,' and I think that's what we did."
Only Cade Cunningham - a consensus top-three pick in next summer's NBA Draft - has played more minutes among Big 12 freshmen this season.
Pack rarely left the floor in 38 minutes of action on Tuesday night, minutes that Bruce Weber desperately needs from his freshman guard this season on a short-handed roster.
"Nijel can score off the ball and he can score on the run. He probably has to get a little better with the dribble, taking the contact and dealing with ball screens," Weber said. "Hopefully that will come with time, experience, going through habits and repetitions."
Far from a volume shooter, Pack's efficiency against the Red Raiders stood out, as he continued to do the bulk of his scoring by knocking down open threes and getting to the rim.
There were times on Tuesday night when Pack was running the show with four other first-year players on the court. Even with some serious depth at guard, K-State has kept Pack on the floor no matter the opponent this season.
He didn't back down from an All-Pac 12 point guard in the second game of his college career and played almost 30 minutes against a Baylor backcourt that might just be the best in college basketball.
"If it's a game where they need me to come off the ball and make plays for others or make plays for myself, then that's what I'm going to do," Pack said. "If they need me to be the true point guard that I am, then I can do that as well."
Against Texas Tech, the freshman matched up against another player with first-round talent in Terrence Shannon Jr.
"Playing in the Big 12, the best conference in the country, every night you're going to play somebody really good," Pack said. "In high school, you could kind of slack a little bit on defense. Now, if you slack, the offense is going to make you pay for sure."
As the primary ball-handler for the Wildcats, Pack was all too happy to push the pace when the Red Raiders fell asleep on defense. His two assists don't do justice to Pack's vision in the backcourt against Texas Tech, as he also saw minutes playing off-the-ball for K-State.
The obvious caveat on Tuesday night is that Pack nor Weber left Lubbock feeling satisfied – the Wildcats lost, after all.
But running the point for the second-youngest starting lineup in D1 college basketball, Pack has earned the confidence of his head coach. Especially when he's open with the ball in his hands.
"He's a really good shooter," Weber said. "I told you guys when we had the early practices…the coaches were surprised. He's had to adjust to the speed and quickness of the games, how he's got to work to get shots. Obviously, he's made some progress. This is one of the elite defensive teams in the country."
He was just having one of those nights.
After 20 minutes of basketball in Lubbock, Nijel Pack was shooting 6-of-7 from the field and was just one point away from a career-high scoring performance.
Sure, he was locked in from beyond the arc, where Pack is knocking on the door of the conference's top-10 three-point shooters, but the freshman was also tossing up floaters and fighting through traffic to get it done at the rim against the Red Raiders.
It wasn't enough for K-State in an 82-71 loss to No. 18 Texas Tech, but it was the kind of night that Pack and this program can build on. He finished with a career-high 17 points on Tuesday night.
"That's what is going to make us a championship team, when we start pushing through and building that mental and physical toughness," Pack said. "It was a really emotional game. Coach wrote it on the board, 'Play with emotion,' and I think that's what we did."
Only Cade Cunningham - a consensus top-three pick in next summer's NBA Draft - has played more minutes among Big 12 freshmen this season.
Pack rarely left the floor in 38 minutes of action on Tuesday night, minutes that Bruce Weber desperately needs from his freshman guard this season on a short-handed roster.
"Nijel can score off the ball and he can score on the run. He probably has to get a little better with the dribble, taking the contact and dealing with ball screens," Weber said. "Hopefully that will come with time, experience, going through habits and repetitions."
Far from a volume shooter, Pack's efficiency against the Red Raiders stood out, as he continued to do the bulk of his scoring by knocking down open threes and getting to the rim.
.@NijelPack24 with a season/career high 17 pts and counting (7-9 FG). #KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/s3XDt15wv4
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) January 6, 2021
There were times on Tuesday night when Pack was running the show with four other first-year players on the court. Even with some serious depth at guard, K-State has kept Pack on the floor no matter the opponent this season.
He didn't back down from an All-Pac 12 point guard in the second game of his college career and played almost 30 minutes against a Baylor backcourt that might just be the best in college basketball.
"If it's a game where they need me to come off the ball and make plays for others or make plays for myself, then that's what I'm going to do," Pack said. "If they need me to be the true point guard that I am, then I can do that as well."
Against Texas Tech, the freshman matched up against another player with first-round talent in Terrence Shannon Jr.
"Playing in the Big 12, the best conference in the country, every night you're going to play somebody really good," Pack said. "In high school, you could kind of slack a little bit on defense. Now, if you slack, the offense is going to make you pay for sure."
As the primary ball-handler for the Wildcats, Pack was all too happy to push the pace when the Red Raiders fell asleep on defense. His two assists don't do justice to Pack's vision in the backcourt against Texas Tech, as he also saw minutes playing off-the-ball for K-State.
The obvious caveat on Tuesday night is that Pack nor Weber left Lubbock feeling satisfied – the Wildcats lost, after all.
But running the point for the second-youngest starting lineup in D1 college basketball, Pack has earned the confidence of his head coach. Especially when he's open with the ball in his hands.
"He's a really good shooter," Weber said. "I told you guys when we had the early practices…the coaches were surprised. He's had to adjust to the speed and quickness of the games, how he's got to work to get shots. Obviously, he's made some progress. This is one of the elite defensive teams in the country."
Players Mentioned
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