A Great Honor

By: D. Scott Fritchen

David N'Guessan half-jokes that the jetlag is lasting longer than usual. The Kansas State senior forward has dealt with jetlag before following the long flights to America from his home in The Netherlands, so he knows that the jetlag will go away soon. He gets to his classes just fine. But it all still seems like a dream — the recent voyage that ended with him representing his country in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. It's hard to find a bigger stage for a young man in The Netherlands.

"It was a great honor," N'Guessan says. "Being the national team, it automatically means a little bit more. It's a different feeling."

It's a feeling that he holds dear to him as he continues along with his individual workouts. Moments later, he'll shoot away Friday afternoon on the basketball court at the Ice Basketball Training Center. In a couple weeks, the Wildcats will start a massive training period called "Shark Week." Then they'll officially begin practice. For now, it's N'Guessan, the basketball and the hoop.

"This year," he says, "I'm going to put it all together."

This past season, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound N'Guessan averaged 6.4 points on a team-best 70.6% shooting with 3.5 rebounds while starting in 18 of his 29 games, including all four NCAA Tournament contests. He scored in double figures seven times, including a career-high 23 points against Abilene Christian, and he scored 10 points in his first Big 12 Conference start at No. 8 Kansas. He had 11 points against Michigan State in the Round of 32.

Among K-State returners for this season, he ranks third in points (6.4), third in rebounds (3.5), second in blocks (15 total), third in steals (20 total), and third in minutes (19.4).

What impressed N'Guessan most about his experience this past season?

"Just having fun," he says. "To play with love and joy and go 1-0 every day. I tend to be really hard on myself and just had fun with my teammates and went out there and gave it my all. I love playing for this coaching staff. It's been a really good experience."

N'Guessan, who arrived at K-State at around this time a year ago after transferring from Virginia Tech — he chose K-State over Maryland Georgetown, St. Joseph's, George Washington, UMass and Rhode Island — had a decision to make this July. He could either join his K-State team on a 10-day trip to Israel and Abi Dhabi, or he could try out for the Dutch National Team and attempt to represent his country. Of 18 players who tried out for the Dutch National squad, 12 were selected following training camp that spread throughout Europe.

He was among four current collegians on the team, including Virginia's Jesse Edwards, Cleveland State's Tristan Enaruna and Nebraska's Rienk Mast.

"I wanted to prove that I was supposed to be there and that I belonged," he said. "I was playing with older men, professionals basically, and some NBA players, too, and I showed I could go out there and do my thing before my last year of college. I got to look at the life of being a pro."

N'Guessan finished the three-game FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament averaging 9.0 points on 55.6% shooting, including 50% on 3-pointers, with 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game. He ranked fifth on the team in scoring, second in rebounding and third in minutes.

He opened the tournament with a near double-double of 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds in the Orange Lions' 91-89 overtime loss to Sweden in the first game of the tournament on August 13. After going scoreless in a win over Belgium on August 15, N'Guessan had 10 points and a team high-tying eight rebounds in 22 minutes during the team's final game against Croatia on August 16.

"It kind of feels like a dream," he says. "I'm disappointed that we lost, but this all hasn't set in yet. It kind of went by so fast. I feel like it'll carryover. Any type of experience where you get to play with the pros and learn, I feel like I can bring that over here.

"Coming off the summer and playing with the national team, I feel really good about myself. I feel really confident that this is going to be the year that I put it all together."

He's excited for the road ahead as K-State prepares for its second season under head coach Jerome Tang.

"So far I've learned how versatile I am," he says. "Coach Tang really tells me that it's not about scoring or one thing, and even my national coach said the same thing — that there are so many things I can do on the floor besides scoring, whether it's rebounding or defending or blocking shots. I can basically do it all.

"I just want to do all I can to help the team win, basically."

Today, he wears a white Nike T-shirt, black Nike shorts, light-blue old-school Air Jordans, and a grin as he prepares for a workout. In three months, he'll jog onto the court as K-State faces USC in the season-opener in Las Vegas. In seven months, he plans for the Wildcats to be in the NCAA Tournament again.

But he knows this, too: One day, his college career will be finished.

"I just want to be known as a guy who did whatever it took to win and that I was a team player and left it all out there for our team to get the win," he says. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes, whether it's taking a charge, grabbing a loose ball, grabbing a rebound, or guarding a one through a five.

"I just want to show that I did whatever it took to win a game."

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

David N'Guessan

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