Head Coach Bruce Weber Previews Kansas Game, Part 2
Feb 16, 2021 | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats to meet the Jayhawks for second time on Wednesday
MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State head coach Bruce Weber met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday morning, as the Wildcats continue preparations for Wednesday's rivalry game with No. 23/24 Kansas (15-7, 9-5 Big 12) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The game will air nationally on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
K-State (5-17, 1-12 Big 12) will meet Kansas for the second time this season after the Jayhawks posted a 74-51 win at home on February 2. Overall, it will be the 295th meeting in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, which is the sixth-most played rivalry (294) and the eighth-most continuously played (114) in NCAA Division I history.
Wednesday's game continues a brutal stretch for the Wildcats, as the Jayhawks will represent the eighth ranked opponent in the last 10 games, including a school-record fifth consecutive Top 25 foe.
Kansas is 15-7 on the season, including 9-5 in Big 12 play, and has won 4 of its last 5 games, including a 64-50 victory over Iowa State on Saturday.
HEAD COACH BRUCE WEBER
On playing vs. KU with just select fans...
"For our young guys and new guys that haven't experienced the atmosphere in Allen or Bramlage, I wish they could have that experience because it's one of the special games in college basketball and a special rivalry. Both sides get pretty excited about it. You just wish you could have it, but we are having a game. I was just on a radio interview, and you think about our league and the success we've had with getting games in. We've been able to, and other teams in our league have. You turn on some tv stations, and some teams just got to 10 games. We're double that, so it's a good opportunity. Every time they get to play is a special opportunity. This is a special game. We'll have to play very well to have a chance. They're very good defensively. Bill's teams have always been good. They've gotten better as the year has gone on. They have such versatility with their guys. They have great length. They have some guys that are pretty strong that can bump you off your cuts and switch. That's my biggest fear is us finding ways to score. They've struggled at times scoring but when they get going, they're very capable of scoring in high numbers and going on runs. We'll have to do a good job on both ends of the court."
On KU game planning for Nijel Pack…
"I think Nijel got out of his pace a little bit. They made him rush. They blitzed ball screens. Anytime he came off a cut, they jammed him. I talked with him yesterday after practice. We showed him some stuff. Just keep a good pace and make the next pass. He had Kaosi (Ezeagu) for a layup. He had Davion (Bradford) a couple of times. Make them pay if they're going to do that. We're going to have to have great movement. They do a great job of switching some ball screens, blitzing ball screens. We're going to have to make the next pass. One of the keys will be not only Nijel, but our other guys playing off their defense. Make them continuously rotate. Get in the paint, make the next pass, a lot like we did against Texas, if we're going to have any success."
On if KU is doing anything differently…
"I think they've evolved as a team. You figure out ways you can score. They're getting (Ochai) Agbaji in the pin down quite a bit. He's really good at that. (David) McCormack is one of the most improved guys in the league. As the season has gone on, they've made a commitment to get him the ball. He's not only scoring on the block. A couple of times, he did his nice little turnaround. They mix in Christian Braun, I think is a key for them. When he can get two, three or four threes, now you really stretch the defense and put you in a bind because they have (Marcus) Garrett going to the basket, Agbaji coming off of pin downs, McCormack in the paint and now they got you all strung out. You get Braun for open shots, and that makes them much more effective."
On DaJuan Gordon's status…
"There's a chance by Saturday for sure. His conditioning, two weeks with really nothing except he started in the pool late last week running. He did get involved in practice yesterday periodically and parts of the practice. We'll see how he does today. I don't want to push him tomorrow if there's any doubt. Maybe limited tomorrow or possibly Saturday."
On how the team is off the court…
"It's just hard. People have no idea. It's hard on the coaches. You've had to do so many different things. Our trainers, our health care workers and front line guys, they've been extraordinary. Not only their time but their knowledge and working with the doctors and giving us a chance. We got back Saturday night, now you gotta get up and test on Sunday morning on your day off. You see stuff on the news with the mental health of young people, we're just trying to keep being positive with our guys. No fans in the stands to experience this. The travel. It's different and we can't do things we normally do. I keep encouraging them that they've stuck with it. Keep encouraging them that you become tougher and better in the long haul of your life when you go through challenges like this. I keep applauding them that they haven't quit and keep battling. For the most part, practices last week weren't great but yesterday was really good again. Give them some credit. It has not been easy for them, whether you win or lose. Teams around the country, coaches around the country, it has been a difficult challenge for everybody."
On possibly getting an extra game at the end of the season…
"I think Baylor really got hit hard this last time. It's not just one or two guys that got it this time. I think the majority of their team. I hope they can recover. Scott Drew, it's a special year for him and a great group. We voted for league standings to go on percentages, because we anticipated early that everyone wouldn't have equal number of games. They're going to do their best to get as many games in as possible. I've been told if everything goes right, we'll play that Iowa State game the last week. Obviously, a lot of things can still happen between now and then. They're going to make up as many games as possible. We all knew this is not going to be perfect. You try to do what's best for the league, for our school and for our athletic department. We just have to deal with the tough times. I saw Nebraska play Friday night, then Sunday. I think they're playing Tuesday and Wednesday at Maryland to make up games, and then they gotta come back and play another one. It's just not been normal, and everyone is doing their best to get through it."
On Davion Bradford's progress…
"He's been my most pleasant surprise. For him to average 30 minutes, going into it I thought he might have 18-20 at the most. His endurance has been much better. He's a special young man. He's just a good, happy kid. We can get after him, and he just smiles. He wants to be coached to do better. He appreciates it. He apologizes and says thank you. You can't ask for more. You saw a move on Saturday that I had not seen. He got the ball at the free throw line, did a Euro step, didn't fall down and then scored. His next step will be in the offseason, getting into the weight room which was limited in the summer and the fall. He's gotta get his legs stronger. If he can do that, he can take another big step going into next year. Defensively, footwork is going to be a big thing. Some of that comes with strength. Some of that comes with knowledge. Some of it is just working on footwork. Now you know what this is about. Now you know what you need to work on. Now are you going to do it to make the steps you need to make? It just doesn't happen overnight. I can't say enough about him. He's been a blast to coach, and he's done really, really well."
On Kaosi Ezeagu…
"When he decided to have surgery, this isn't going to be easy. I've done it before with guys. You sit out seven weeks. You don't practice, now you're coming back in the middle of the season so you don't have those reps that you need. Saturday, he made a real post move, an up and under that he hasn't done in a long time. Slowly but surely, he's gotten better at getting his rhythm and feel. Our bigs were 9-for-14. Kaosi is 4-for-5 and Davion is 5-for-9. For those guys, if we can get that kind of production on Wednesday night, that would be really helpful for us."
On if Kaosi Ezeagu keeps the team loose…
"Davion is probably one of the happier ones, but Kaosi has a good spirit about him. He's a little older and a little more mature. He's been to prep school, been to Canada, UTEP, so he's got a good spirit about him and sense of what reality is and what life's about. We could've used his maturity, but now when you're trying to get your game back and your conditioning back, it's hard to be a leader and be a guy that's a spirited guy, because you're struggling yourself. Hopefully as he moves forward this last stretch, he can get a little more confidence and feel better about himself and then help other people around him become better, because that's the kind of person he is."
On the minimum number of games teams should have to play to claim a Big 12 championship…
"I'll be honest, I didn't pay close enough attention to know if they did that. Obviously, the NCAA put a minimum number of games to make the tournament, anticipating ahead of time what was going to maybe happen. Teams all over the country have dealt with different situations. If they could get to 14 or 15 games in the league, they should be able to win the championship. I'm sure they would be some sort of asterisk there, but if they have the opportunity and still win it, that's what we all voted on early and that's what you gotta stick with."
K-State (5-17, 1-12 Big 12) will meet Kansas for the second time this season after the Jayhawks posted a 74-51 win at home on February 2. Overall, it will be the 295th meeting in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown, which is the sixth-most played rivalry (294) and the eighth-most continuously played (114) in NCAA Division I history.
Wednesday's game continues a brutal stretch for the Wildcats, as the Jayhawks will represent the eighth ranked opponent in the last 10 games, including a school-record fifth consecutive Top 25 foe.
Kansas is 15-7 on the season, including 9-5 in Big 12 play, and has won 4 of its last 5 games, including a 64-50 victory over Iowa State on Saturday.
HEAD COACH BRUCE WEBER
On playing vs. KU with just select fans...
"For our young guys and new guys that haven't experienced the atmosphere in Allen or Bramlage, I wish they could have that experience because it's one of the special games in college basketball and a special rivalry. Both sides get pretty excited about it. You just wish you could have it, but we are having a game. I was just on a radio interview, and you think about our league and the success we've had with getting games in. We've been able to, and other teams in our league have. You turn on some tv stations, and some teams just got to 10 games. We're double that, so it's a good opportunity. Every time they get to play is a special opportunity. This is a special game. We'll have to play very well to have a chance. They're very good defensively. Bill's teams have always been good. They've gotten better as the year has gone on. They have such versatility with their guys. They have great length. They have some guys that are pretty strong that can bump you off your cuts and switch. That's my biggest fear is us finding ways to score. They've struggled at times scoring but when they get going, they're very capable of scoring in high numbers and going on runs. We'll have to do a good job on both ends of the court."
On KU game planning for Nijel Pack…
"I think Nijel got out of his pace a little bit. They made him rush. They blitzed ball screens. Anytime he came off a cut, they jammed him. I talked with him yesterday after practice. We showed him some stuff. Just keep a good pace and make the next pass. He had Kaosi (Ezeagu) for a layup. He had Davion (Bradford) a couple of times. Make them pay if they're going to do that. We're going to have to have great movement. They do a great job of switching some ball screens, blitzing ball screens. We're going to have to make the next pass. One of the keys will be not only Nijel, but our other guys playing off their defense. Make them continuously rotate. Get in the paint, make the next pass, a lot like we did against Texas, if we're going to have any success."
On if KU is doing anything differently…
"I think they've evolved as a team. You figure out ways you can score. They're getting (Ochai) Agbaji in the pin down quite a bit. He's really good at that. (David) McCormack is one of the most improved guys in the league. As the season has gone on, they've made a commitment to get him the ball. He's not only scoring on the block. A couple of times, he did his nice little turnaround. They mix in Christian Braun, I think is a key for them. When he can get two, three or four threes, now you really stretch the defense and put you in a bind because they have (Marcus) Garrett going to the basket, Agbaji coming off of pin downs, McCormack in the paint and now they got you all strung out. You get Braun for open shots, and that makes them much more effective."
On DaJuan Gordon's status…
"There's a chance by Saturday for sure. His conditioning, two weeks with really nothing except he started in the pool late last week running. He did get involved in practice yesterday periodically and parts of the practice. We'll see how he does today. I don't want to push him tomorrow if there's any doubt. Maybe limited tomorrow or possibly Saturday."
On how the team is off the court…
"It's just hard. People have no idea. It's hard on the coaches. You've had to do so many different things. Our trainers, our health care workers and front line guys, they've been extraordinary. Not only their time but their knowledge and working with the doctors and giving us a chance. We got back Saturday night, now you gotta get up and test on Sunday morning on your day off. You see stuff on the news with the mental health of young people, we're just trying to keep being positive with our guys. No fans in the stands to experience this. The travel. It's different and we can't do things we normally do. I keep encouraging them that they've stuck with it. Keep encouraging them that you become tougher and better in the long haul of your life when you go through challenges like this. I keep applauding them that they haven't quit and keep battling. For the most part, practices last week weren't great but yesterday was really good again. Give them some credit. It has not been easy for them, whether you win or lose. Teams around the country, coaches around the country, it has been a difficult challenge for everybody."
On possibly getting an extra game at the end of the season…
"I think Baylor really got hit hard this last time. It's not just one or two guys that got it this time. I think the majority of their team. I hope they can recover. Scott Drew, it's a special year for him and a great group. We voted for league standings to go on percentages, because we anticipated early that everyone wouldn't have equal number of games. They're going to do their best to get as many games in as possible. I've been told if everything goes right, we'll play that Iowa State game the last week. Obviously, a lot of things can still happen between now and then. They're going to make up as many games as possible. We all knew this is not going to be perfect. You try to do what's best for the league, for our school and for our athletic department. We just have to deal with the tough times. I saw Nebraska play Friday night, then Sunday. I think they're playing Tuesday and Wednesday at Maryland to make up games, and then they gotta come back and play another one. It's just not been normal, and everyone is doing their best to get through it."
On Davion Bradford's progress…
"He's been my most pleasant surprise. For him to average 30 minutes, going into it I thought he might have 18-20 at the most. His endurance has been much better. He's a special young man. He's just a good, happy kid. We can get after him, and he just smiles. He wants to be coached to do better. He appreciates it. He apologizes and says thank you. You can't ask for more. You saw a move on Saturday that I had not seen. He got the ball at the free throw line, did a Euro step, didn't fall down and then scored. His next step will be in the offseason, getting into the weight room which was limited in the summer and the fall. He's gotta get his legs stronger. If he can do that, he can take another big step going into next year. Defensively, footwork is going to be a big thing. Some of that comes with strength. Some of that comes with knowledge. Some of it is just working on footwork. Now you know what this is about. Now you know what you need to work on. Now are you going to do it to make the steps you need to make? It just doesn't happen overnight. I can't say enough about him. He's been a blast to coach, and he's done really, really well."
On Kaosi Ezeagu…
"When he decided to have surgery, this isn't going to be easy. I've done it before with guys. You sit out seven weeks. You don't practice, now you're coming back in the middle of the season so you don't have those reps that you need. Saturday, he made a real post move, an up and under that he hasn't done in a long time. Slowly but surely, he's gotten better at getting his rhythm and feel. Our bigs were 9-for-14. Kaosi is 4-for-5 and Davion is 5-for-9. For those guys, if we can get that kind of production on Wednesday night, that would be really helpful for us."
On if Kaosi Ezeagu keeps the team loose…
"Davion is probably one of the happier ones, but Kaosi has a good spirit about him. He's a little older and a little more mature. He's been to prep school, been to Canada, UTEP, so he's got a good spirit about him and sense of what reality is and what life's about. We could've used his maturity, but now when you're trying to get your game back and your conditioning back, it's hard to be a leader and be a guy that's a spirited guy, because you're struggling yourself. Hopefully as he moves forward this last stretch, he can get a little more confidence and feel better about himself and then help other people around him become better, because that's the kind of person he is."
On the minimum number of games teams should have to play to claim a Big 12 championship…
"I'll be honest, I didn't pay close enough attention to know if they did that. Obviously, the NCAA put a minimum number of games to make the tournament, anticipating ahead of time what was going to maybe happen. Teams all over the country have dealt with different situations. If they could get to 14 or 15 games in the league, they should be able to win the championship. I'm sure they would be some sort of asterisk there, but if they have the opportunity and still win it, that's what we all voted on early and that's what you gotta stick with."
Players Mentioned
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