Kansas State University Athletics
‘Never Think Something is Too Big’
Jan 16, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Today, Nate Awbrey wears a purple Kansas State practice jersey and sits on a black folding chair outside the practice gym in the Ice Family Basketball Center. He loves life. And, really, how could he not? He's a healthy 6-foot-3, 190-pounder who earned a bachelor's degree in Bible and Christian Ministry with an emphasis in Youth Ministry from Manhattan Christian College last May. He's working toward his master's degree in community development, and he's living out his dream of playing college basketball at the highest level. And not for just any team — his hometown team.
He calls the team that he grew up watching "the team down the road."
And that's where this all begins, the story of Awbrey, who is the son of Kansas graduates, who was born in Overland Park, Kansas, and who lived in Lawrence, and who began kindergarten in Manhattan, and who, through the years, received a good ribbing from friends and classmates due to his red-and-blue allegiance.
That's where his story begins.
How it ends is with Awbrey wearing purple and white, a fifth-year senior walk-on, excitement pouring from his face as he recounts his first Division I field-goal attempt — a 12-foot jumpshot that just fell off the front of the rim in the final minute of the Wildcats' season opener — and the gratitude that goes along with the opportunity, the one afforded to him by K-State head coach Jerome Tang, to join the Wildcats and live out big-time basketball dreams.
"I envisioned that I'd one day play college basketball," Awbrey says. "I never knew I'd get the opportunity to play here. I didn't know Coach Tang, but I knew he was a man of great faith, something I really value in my own life.
"I thought, 'I'm going to reach out.' Last year, I came off an ACL injury, and it wasn't quite how I wanted to go out. The opportunity to walk-on here was super special."
Arguably no moment of Awbrey's career might be more special than when No. 11 K-State, 15-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, meets No. 2 Kansas, 16-1 and 5-0, in Tuesday's 6 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
"Some of my buddies asked me, 'How are you going to feel about the KU game?'" Awbrey says. "I said, 'Man, I want to beat them. I want to beat them so bad.'"
Although Awbrey grew up watching "the team down the road," he grew up attending K-State games as well. He watched Jacob Pullen, then Rodney McGruder, then Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade, and rooted for K-State anytime it didn't play the team down the road. One of his favorite memories was watching Brown's suffocating defense on Trae Young in the Wildcats' 87-69 upset victory over No. 4 Oklahoma on January 16, 2018.
"The crowd was going crazy," Awbrey says. "It was just electric. Being in that atmosphere was so cool."
Little could Awbrey predict that a handful of years later, he'd be playing official game minutes inside the very same arena.
It began with a leap — a leap of faith. He averaged a team-high 13.2 points 5.0 rebounds and earned Second Team All-Midwest Christian College Conference honors as a junior at Manhattan Christian College before tearing his ACL in the 2021 NCCAA National Tournament. Although he helped guide the Thunder to a 24-9 record and a third-place finish in the NCCAA National Tournament last season, and although he earned 2021-22 MCC Team Christian Athlete of the Year and was a 1,000-point career scorer, it just didn't feel right to close the door to his college career.
He felt a calling for something more.
"I reached out and left it in God's hands," Awbrey says.
Shortly after Tang was hired as K-State head coach March 21, Awbrey took his leap — he sent a direct message to Tang on Instagram and introduced himself, discussed his values and faith, and expressed his eagerness to be a part of what Tang was building in any capacity.
"Coach Tang responded to me that night at midnight," Awbrey says. "He said we could meet with me the following week."
From there, Awbrey began participating in open gym with Markquis Nowell and Ishmael Massoud and the incoming K-State players as they made their way to Manhattan. He basically spent the summer at the Ice Family Basketball Center. If he couldn't make the K-State roster, he still wanted to be around the program. He practiced his tail off. Graduate assistant coaches, who observed the open gym sessions, came away impressed with Awbrey's energy. Awbrey received high marks. He had several good talks with Tang and Chief of Staff Marco Borne, who phoned Awbrey one night in July and said K-State was putting him on roster as a walk-on.
Awbrey's leap of faith paid off.
"Never stop chasing your dreams and never think something is too big," Awbrey says. "I never envisioned I'd be here. I saw the opportunity and it was a risk and I was stepping out of my comfort zone and playing in the summer with all these high-level athletes and top recruits. God can work in many ways in your life and if you trust Him and put yourself out there, everything will work out the way it's supposed to work out."
It's working out well for Awbrey.
"Everywhere I've been, I've had a different role on the team," Awbrey says. "I knew this would be different. I knew everything would be more intense. I've been able to adapt and have a significant role on the team, whether or not it's being in the game. I feel like I contribute to the success of the team. The coaches, they care about everybody one through 15.
"Going to Manhattan High and MCC, I was always in the starting lineup and scoring points, so it's been an adjustment, but I love this role. It's super fun. I love celebrating the guys. When we win, I feel a sense of pride. I helped prepare us for the game and provided scout play in practice or brought energy. Everybody has a role and everybody plays a part in this team's success."
And there's been success, a waterfall of success. K-State, picked last in the Big 12, at one point equaled its best start in 64 years, and defeated three AP Top 25 teams in a row for the first time in school history. The Wildcats vaulted from unranked to ranked, making the biggest leap by an unranked team in the Big 8, SWC or Big 12 in the last 33 years.
There are many more memories left to make during this ride, but here's what Awbrey might remember most of all: He'll always remember how he was treated, as a young man, with a ball, and a dream.
"What I admire most about Coach Tang is his heart for God," Awbrey says. "He's a great coach with Xs and Os and defense, but at the end of the day, he really cares about all of his players. He cares about the things in our lives. He'll meet with us and won't even talk basketball. He'll ask me about my family, about class, and about my relationship with God, because he knows I'm a man of faith.
"I admire how much Coach Tang loves the team and everyone around it."
It's been a remarkable start for K-State and Awbrey will remember this experience for the rest of his life. He'll also remember Tuesday night's game, the crowd, the electricity, and the Sunflower Showdown game in the Little Apple.
"I'm a K-State fan the rest of my life," he says. "Being here and experiencing this, I'm 100% rooting for the Wildcats the rest of my life."
He smiles.
"I'm no longer cheering for the team down the road."
Today, Nate Awbrey wears a purple Kansas State practice jersey and sits on a black folding chair outside the practice gym in the Ice Family Basketball Center. He loves life. And, really, how could he not? He's a healthy 6-foot-3, 190-pounder who earned a bachelor's degree in Bible and Christian Ministry with an emphasis in Youth Ministry from Manhattan Christian College last May. He's working toward his master's degree in community development, and he's living out his dream of playing college basketball at the highest level. And not for just any team — his hometown team.
He calls the team that he grew up watching "the team down the road."
And that's where this all begins, the story of Awbrey, who is the son of Kansas graduates, who was born in Overland Park, Kansas, and who lived in Lawrence, and who began kindergarten in Manhattan, and who, through the years, received a good ribbing from friends and classmates due to his red-and-blue allegiance.
That's where his story begins.
How it ends is with Awbrey wearing purple and white, a fifth-year senior walk-on, excitement pouring from his face as he recounts his first Division I field-goal attempt — a 12-foot jumpshot that just fell off the front of the rim in the final minute of the Wildcats' season opener — and the gratitude that goes along with the opportunity, the one afforded to him by K-State head coach Jerome Tang, to join the Wildcats and live out big-time basketball dreams.
"I envisioned that I'd one day play college basketball," Awbrey says. "I never knew I'd get the opportunity to play here. I didn't know Coach Tang, but I knew he was a man of great faith, something I really value in my own life.
"I thought, 'I'm going to reach out.' Last year, I came off an ACL injury, and it wasn't quite how I wanted to go out. The opportunity to walk-on here was super special."
Arguably no moment of Awbrey's career might be more special than when No. 11 K-State, 15-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, meets No. 2 Kansas, 16-1 and 5-0, in Tuesday's 6 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
"Some of my buddies asked me, 'How are you going to feel about the KU game?'" Awbrey says. "I said, 'Man, I want to beat them. I want to beat them so bad.'"
Although Awbrey grew up watching "the team down the road," he grew up attending K-State games as well. He watched Jacob Pullen, then Rodney McGruder, then Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade, and rooted for K-State anytime it didn't play the team down the road. One of his favorite memories was watching Brown's suffocating defense on Trae Young in the Wildcats' 87-69 upset victory over No. 4 Oklahoma on January 16, 2018.
"The crowd was going crazy," Awbrey says. "It was just electric. Being in that atmosphere was so cool."
Little could Awbrey predict that a handful of years later, he'd be playing official game minutes inside the very same arena.
It began with a leap — a leap of faith. He averaged a team-high 13.2 points 5.0 rebounds and earned Second Team All-Midwest Christian College Conference honors as a junior at Manhattan Christian College before tearing his ACL in the 2021 NCCAA National Tournament. Although he helped guide the Thunder to a 24-9 record and a third-place finish in the NCCAA National Tournament last season, and although he earned 2021-22 MCC Team Christian Athlete of the Year and was a 1,000-point career scorer, it just didn't feel right to close the door to his college career.
He felt a calling for something more.
"I reached out and left it in God's hands," Awbrey says.
Shortly after Tang was hired as K-State head coach March 21, Awbrey took his leap — he sent a direct message to Tang on Instagram and introduced himself, discussed his values and faith, and expressed his eagerness to be a part of what Tang was building in any capacity.
"Coach Tang responded to me that night at midnight," Awbrey says. "He said we could meet with me the following week."
From there, Awbrey began participating in open gym with Markquis Nowell and Ishmael Massoud and the incoming K-State players as they made their way to Manhattan. He basically spent the summer at the Ice Family Basketball Center. If he couldn't make the K-State roster, he still wanted to be around the program. He practiced his tail off. Graduate assistant coaches, who observed the open gym sessions, came away impressed with Awbrey's energy. Awbrey received high marks. He had several good talks with Tang and Chief of Staff Marco Borne, who phoned Awbrey one night in July and said K-State was putting him on roster as a walk-on.
Awbrey's leap of faith paid off.
"Never stop chasing your dreams and never think something is too big," Awbrey says. "I never envisioned I'd be here. I saw the opportunity and it was a risk and I was stepping out of my comfort zone and playing in the summer with all these high-level athletes and top recruits. God can work in many ways in your life and if you trust Him and put yourself out there, everything will work out the way it's supposed to work out."
It's working out well for Awbrey.
"Everywhere I've been, I've had a different role on the team," Awbrey says. "I knew this would be different. I knew everything would be more intense. I've been able to adapt and have a significant role on the team, whether or not it's being in the game. I feel like I contribute to the success of the team. The coaches, they care about everybody one through 15.
"Going to Manhattan High and MCC, I was always in the starting lineup and scoring points, so it's been an adjustment, but I love this role. It's super fun. I love celebrating the guys. When we win, I feel a sense of pride. I helped prepare us for the game and provided scout play in practice or brought energy. Everybody has a role and everybody plays a part in this team's success."
And there's been success, a waterfall of success. K-State, picked last in the Big 12, at one point equaled its best start in 64 years, and defeated three AP Top 25 teams in a row for the first time in school history. The Wildcats vaulted from unranked to ranked, making the biggest leap by an unranked team in the Big 8, SWC or Big 12 in the last 33 years.
There are many more memories left to make during this ride, but here's what Awbrey might remember most of all: He'll always remember how he was treated, as a young man, with a ball, and a dream.
"What I admire most about Coach Tang is his heart for God," Awbrey says. "He's a great coach with Xs and Os and defense, but at the end of the day, he really cares about all of his players. He cares about the things in our lives. He'll meet with us and won't even talk basketball. He'll ask me about my family, about class, and about my relationship with God, because he knows I'm a man of faith.
"I admire how much Coach Tang loves the team and everyone around it."
It's been a remarkable start for K-State and Awbrey will remember this experience for the rest of his life. He'll also remember Tuesday night's game, the crowd, the electricity, and the Sunflower Showdown game in the Little Apple.
"I'm a K-State fan the rest of my life," he says. "Being here and experiencing this, I'm 100% rooting for the Wildcats the rest of my life."
He smiles.
"I'm no longer cheering for the team down the road."
Players Mentioned
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PG
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