SE: Logan Landers Brings Versatility to K-State Men’s Hoops
Sep 02, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
A few weeks before he left Wisconsin for the Flint Hills and K-State Men's Basketball, Logan Landers got a call from the baseball coach at Cedarburg High School.
"He was like, 'Hey, do you want to come pitch?' So, I sat and thought about it for a little bit," Landers remembers. "Baseball was never something that I just didn't love anymore, but this passion for basketball had taken over."
Put yourself in the shoes of the Cedarburg baseball coach - you need pitching and here's this 6-foot-10, 230-pound senior with a 1.94 ERA and plenty of time on his hands. You would pick up the phone every single time. Landers was interested, but he needed to make one more call.
"I talked to Coach Weber and was like, 'Are you OK with this?' He said, 'Of course, just don't blow your arm out.' So, I threw with my dad for about a week to get ready," Landers said. "It was a lot of fun, and they clocked me on the gun in the mid-80s. It was the first time I had thrown in about two years."
You hear a lot about unicorns in college basketball these days, players who can do a little bit of everything on a court. That doesn't usually include rolling out of bed and lighting up a radar gun, but Landers has just as much versatility with a basketball in his hands.
In high school, Landers nearly averaged a double-double as a floor-spacing big man, with a knack for passing and a jump shot that forced teams to guard him out wide.
Landers said he's been focused on improving his shooting range this offseason, while "working his butt off" on the defensive end.
"I love watching guys like Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Jayson Tatum," he said. "My game is inside out. I try and create a presence down low, but my mid-range game is something I've always been particular on…when I get the chance, I can create space and I have an extreme amount of confidence when I get the ball in that position."
Landers came of age on the court just as basketball was having a bit of a moment in Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Bucks are still sweeping up confetti after winning the NBA Championship this summer, while Landers played alongside D1-bound talent like Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State), Brandin Podziemski (Illinois) and Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee).
So, what brought Landers to Kansas State? He had offers from schools in every Power 5 conference and chose the Wildcats over an offer from Kansas right down the road.
"K-State was in my heart from day one," he said. "The whole coaching staff were always my number one supporters, not just in basketball, but in my everyday life. They cared just as much about the basketball end as the real-life end."
One year after bringing in one of the largest freshman classes in the nation, the Wildcats bet big on Landers and fellow freshman Maximus Edwards. Landers joins a talented frontcourt, with Kaosi Ezeagu, Carlton Linguard, Jr., Davion Bradford and Seryee Lewis arriving in 2020.
With about ten weeks until the season tips off, Landers is focusing plenty of his attention this fall on making gains in the weight room.
"That's a special place, where boys become men," Landers said. "It's something I've always taken a lot of pride in. From a young age my dad had me doing power lifting activities to hone in on, not necessarily Kaosi Ezeagu looking like the Hulk, but a base level of strength. That's something I focused on over the summer. Not trying to get chiseled but trying to get stronger."
Away from basketball, the culture of the program at K-State fits like a glove. Landers talked about family as an important part of his story and called his dad, David, his best friend.
They drove to Manhattan together before Landers' first day as a Wildcat, finally reaching the place that Landers said already feels "like nowhere else."
Even as he focuses entirely on basketball – though Landers wouldn't rule out a little soft toss if he made some friends on the baseball team – the kid from Wisconsin is all about versatility.
"You go, go, go, get your work done, get good rest and do it all again tomorrow," Landers said. "Get one percent better every day."
A few weeks before he left Wisconsin for the Flint Hills and K-State Men's Basketball, Logan Landers got a call from the baseball coach at Cedarburg High School.
"He was like, 'Hey, do you want to come pitch?' So, I sat and thought about it for a little bit," Landers remembers. "Baseball was never something that I just didn't love anymore, but this passion for basketball had taken over."
Put yourself in the shoes of the Cedarburg baseball coach - you need pitching and here's this 6-foot-10, 230-pound senior with a 1.94 ERA and plenty of time on his hands. You would pick up the phone every single time. Landers was interested, but he needed to make one more call.
"I talked to Coach Weber and was like, 'Are you OK with this?' He said, 'Of course, just don't blow your arm out.' So, I threw with my dad for about a week to get ready," Landers said. "It was a lot of fun, and they clocked me on the gun in the mid-80s. It was the first time I had thrown in about two years."
You hear a lot about unicorns in college basketball these days, players who can do a little bit of everything on a court. That doesn't usually include rolling out of bed and lighting up a radar gun, but Landers has just as much versatility with a basketball in his hands.
In high school, Landers nearly averaged a double-double as a floor-spacing big man, with a knack for passing and a jump shot that forced teams to guard him out wide.
Landers said he's been focused on improving his shooting range this offseason, while "working his butt off" on the defensive end.
"I love watching guys like Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Jayson Tatum," he said. "My game is inside out. I try and create a presence down low, but my mid-range game is something I've always been particular on…when I get the chance, I can create space and I have an extreme amount of confidence when I get the ball in that position."
Landers came of age on the court just as basketball was having a bit of a moment in Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Bucks are still sweeping up confetti after winning the NBA Championship this summer, while Landers played alongside D1-bound talent like Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State), Brandin Podziemski (Illinois) and Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee).
So, what brought Landers to Kansas State? He had offers from schools in every Power 5 conference and chose the Wildcats over an offer from Kansas right down the road.
"You go go go, get your work done, get good rest, do it all again tomorrow and get one percent better every day."
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) August 30, 2021
Spend a day in the life w/ #KStateMBB freshman @LoganLanders12 pic.twitter.com/BCPS5h30sI
"K-State was in my heart from day one," he said. "The whole coaching staff were always my number one supporters, not just in basketball, but in my everyday life. They cared just as much about the basketball end as the real-life end."
One year after bringing in one of the largest freshman classes in the nation, the Wildcats bet big on Landers and fellow freshman Maximus Edwards. Landers joins a talented frontcourt, with Kaosi Ezeagu, Carlton Linguard, Jr., Davion Bradford and Seryee Lewis arriving in 2020.
With about ten weeks until the season tips off, Landers is focusing plenty of his attention this fall on making gains in the weight room.
"That's a special place, where boys become men," Landers said. "It's something I've always taken a lot of pride in. From a young age my dad had me doing power lifting activities to hone in on, not necessarily Kaosi Ezeagu looking like the Hulk, but a base level of strength. That's something I focused on over the summer. Not trying to get chiseled but trying to get stronger."
Away from basketball, the culture of the program at K-State fits like a glove. Landers talked about family as an important part of his story and called his dad, David, his best friend.
They drove to Manhattan together before Landers' first day as a Wildcat, finally reaching the place that Landers said already feels "like nowhere else."
Even as he focuses entirely on basketball – though Landers wouldn't rule out a little soft toss if he made some friends on the baseball team – the kid from Wisconsin is all about versatility.
"You go, go, go, get your work done, get good rest and do it all again tomorrow," Landers said. "Get one percent better every day."
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