Finister Brings the Energy
Jan 19, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Dorian Finister has erupted for Kansas State. It just doesn't always show up on the stat sheet. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound redshirt freshman guard has become a mainstay off the bench for the Wildcats and has steadily seen his minutes increase by bringing a contagious energy that fuels his teammates.
That energy even translated into a highlight, momentum-grabbing alley-oop dunk during the Wildcats' 68-64 overtime win against No. 9 Baylor on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
After playing no more than 14 minutes in six appearances during the non-conference season, Finister saw 18 minutes against UCF, 22 at West Virginia, 17 at Texas Tech and 20 minutes against the Bears while scoring a combined 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in those contests.
Dorian Finister sat down with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen to discuss his season with the Wildcats:
D. Scott Fritchen: Let's start off talking about that alley-oop dunk against Baylor. After all your hard work, that had to have felt awfully good. How did that moment feel to you?
Dorian Finister: I saw Cam Carter on the fast break in the open court, and I knew that if I ran hard enough, I knew he was going to throw it up. That's my guy. It was a surreal moment. Last year I watched from the bench as Desi Sills, Cam and Keyontae Johnson dunked the ball and made the crowd go crazy. It was a surreal moment for it to happen for me. It was pretty loud, man. It's different on the court than on the bench for sure. I've watched replays of the dunk probably 100 times. I'm not lying. It was surreal.
Fritchen: What do you feel like you showed everybody in the Baylor game? What did you prove to yourself?
Finister: I feel like I haven't shown anything yet, and to be honest I feel like I'm much more capable of a lot more things on the court. I do feel like I showed that I'm going to play hard and do whatever it takes to see the team win. I haven't proven to myself anything other than I belong on the court and I'll do whatever it takes for the team to win and do whatever it takes to stay on the court.
Fritchen: What type of steps do you see the team taking this season? How is this team forging ahead?
Finister: We're taking a lot of steps. We lost last year in the Elite Eight due to a free-throw rebound, and Coach Tang emphasizes rebounding. We go over it every day in practice. We're taking large steps in the right direction. As far as forging goes, Coach Tang bought us all swords. He bought them for all 13 of us. They're pretty big. These swords aren't done yet and they're not lethal yet, but he says iron sharpens iron. Those swords will become lethal and sharp at the end of the season as we make each other better. It's a great metaphor. We're sharpening each other.
Fritchen: How do the players sharpen each other right now?
Finister: It starts in practice. We emphasize competing. We're going to that extra level to become better. We keep grinding. We're sharpening each other. We have "Five-to-Grind," which we practice every day in practice. It's the last five minutes in the game. Against Baylor we had two Five-to-Grinds because we went into overtime, of course. On the offensive side, it's about getting to the paint and getting second-chance points and getting fouled and not turning the ball over. Not turning the ball over is the biggest thing. On the defensive end, you stop them from getting into the paint and limit them to one shot and you do not foul. We've been very successful with Five-to-Grind this year. Coach Tang is 10-0 in overtime. It's habits. Our habits kick in with Five-to-Grind.
Fritchen: Since the start of the Big 12 season against UCF, you've averaged 19 minutes per game. That has to be a thrill. What clicked?
Finister: It's truly a blessing. I go out there and play hard and do whatever it takes — defend and rebound and, if I'm open, shoot the ball. I go out there and do whatever it takes for the team to win. I feel like I bring energy, defense, just mainly energy because I feel like I can provide that spark off the bench and uplift my teammates whether things are or aren't going right. I bring that spark and bring the game to another level. I'm not really sure what clicked. I started to catch on with what I have to do to be able to stay in the game and what I have to do to get into the game. I try to excel at those things so I can elevate into a bigger role. Energy and spark off the bench are really important for a team. Five guys can win a game but it's very hard. If you have depth on the bench and guys who can come off the bench and provide energy on the offensive and defensive side and copy off the older guys and the starters, it's really helpful for the team.
Fritchen: What do you pride yourself on the most?
Finister: Energy because I know energy will keep me in the game and keep us at a very high level. I believe it helps me a lot, just talking on defense, and talking to my teammates, things like that.
Fritchen: After the Baylor game, Coach Jerome Tang said, "Dorian has NBA talent with size and athleticism." How does that comment make you feel?
Finister: It's a blessing coming from a coach like Coach Tang. We all love him, and we know he knows what he's talking about. I'm really, really thankful that he said that. Coach Tang knows what it takes to get to the next level, and that's my ultimate goal, of course.
Fritchen: You played six games and redshirted last season. What was last season like for you exactly?
Finister: Last season was a learning experience for me. I was seeing what the Big 12 was all about. I guarded Markquis Nowell every day in practice. It was a challenge, but it was a learning curve. I learned how physical and fast the game was and just to go out there and play this year has been a blessing.
Fritchen: Is there a sense of pride in being the first-ever high school signee for Coach Tang?
Finister: It's not really a pride thing. I'm just very thankful. It's a gift from God that I got this opportunity. I strongly believe that this wasn't going to happen, but it happened. I want to thank God and Coach Tang and Coach Marco Borne. My mom asked me would I want to go to Kansas State, and I said, "Of course. It's a school in the Big 12." She said there is a new coach named Coach Tang and that he wanted to talk to me. He said, "We want you to be a Wildcat. We feel like you can help us. You're going to come in and redshirt and going to play a little bit your second year and your third year you'll take off." It's all coming together for me. The culture is what set K-State apart from other schools. The fans and this coaching staff. This coaching staff is unlike any other one in the country. These guys love us and support us unconditionally and love us from here or any other place. They'll do whatever it takes to see us win.
Fritchen: How old were you the first time you picked up a basketball?
Finister: I was nine or 10. I was playing intramural basketball. I was kind of good at it because I watched it a lot. It just kind of flowed. I watched Damian Lillard and have always watched Damian Lillard. He's always my favorite player, just his confidence, and him off the court and how real and genuine he is.
Fritchen: Did you play any other sports growing up?
Finister: I played a little bit of football, but not too much. I got hit hard one time and that was it for me.
Fritchen: What was it like growing up in New Orleans?
Finister: It was a great place to grow up. Great food, great culture, great music. It was a beautiful place and a lot of loving people.
Fritchen: You scored 1,300 points at Carver High School and led them to the state championship. What did you like best about high school?
Finister: Winning the state championship was my favorite. The year before that we lost to that same team by one point. The next year we beat them by more than 30. That was pretty cool. Scoring 1,300 points? I had pretty great teammates. I played with four or five other Division I athletes. They always told me I had a chance to be really special. I worked at it every day. I believed in myself.
Fritchen: Everyone has a dream. What's the dream for Dorian Finister?
Fritchen: I want to play in that three-letter league, man, the NBA. That's been my dream since I was a kid. I feel like I'm taking the right steps to get to my dream.
Fritchen: What is something that every K-State fan should know about you?
Finister: I love them. I'm not going to lie. I love the fans. I've never seen anything like this before. I love them and I hope they come to every game.
Fritchen: What have you learned most about yourself during your journey?
Finister: That I'm strong. I can persevere. I fought through a redshirt year and fight for minutes and understand what I have to do to stay on the court so I can expand my role. I think I'm pretty strong.
Dorian Finister has erupted for Kansas State. It just doesn't always show up on the stat sheet. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound redshirt freshman guard has become a mainstay off the bench for the Wildcats and has steadily seen his minutes increase by bringing a contagious energy that fuels his teammates.
That energy even translated into a highlight, momentum-grabbing alley-oop dunk during the Wildcats' 68-64 overtime win against No. 9 Baylor on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
After playing no more than 14 minutes in six appearances during the non-conference season, Finister saw 18 minutes against UCF, 22 at West Virginia, 17 at Texas Tech and 20 minutes against the Bears while scoring a combined 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in those contests.
Dorian Finister sat down with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen to discuss his season with the Wildcats:
D. Scott Fritchen: Let's start off talking about that alley-oop dunk against Baylor. After all your hard work, that had to have felt awfully good. How did that moment feel to you?
Dorian Finister: I saw Cam Carter on the fast break in the open court, and I knew that if I ran hard enough, I knew he was going to throw it up. That's my guy. It was a surreal moment. Last year I watched from the bench as Desi Sills, Cam and Keyontae Johnson dunked the ball and made the crowd go crazy. It was a surreal moment for it to happen for me. It was pretty loud, man. It's different on the court than on the bench for sure. I've watched replays of the dunk probably 100 times. I'm not lying. It was surreal.
Fritchen: What do you feel like you showed everybody in the Baylor game? What did you prove to yourself?
Finister: I feel like I haven't shown anything yet, and to be honest I feel like I'm much more capable of a lot more things on the court. I do feel like I showed that I'm going to play hard and do whatever it takes to see the team win. I haven't proven to myself anything other than I belong on the court and I'll do whatever it takes for the team to win and do whatever it takes to stay on the court.
Fritchen: What type of steps do you see the team taking this season? How is this team forging ahead?
Finister: We're taking a lot of steps. We lost last year in the Elite Eight due to a free-throw rebound, and Coach Tang emphasizes rebounding. We go over it every day in practice. We're taking large steps in the right direction. As far as forging goes, Coach Tang bought us all swords. He bought them for all 13 of us. They're pretty big. These swords aren't done yet and they're not lethal yet, but he says iron sharpens iron. Those swords will become lethal and sharp at the end of the season as we make each other better. It's a great metaphor. We're sharpening each other.
Fritchen: How do the players sharpen each other right now?
Finister: It starts in practice. We emphasize competing. We're going to that extra level to become better. We keep grinding. We're sharpening each other. We have "Five-to-Grind," which we practice every day in practice. It's the last five minutes in the game. Against Baylor we had two Five-to-Grinds because we went into overtime, of course. On the offensive side, it's about getting to the paint and getting second-chance points and getting fouled and not turning the ball over. Not turning the ball over is the biggest thing. On the defensive end, you stop them from getting into the paint and limit them to one shot and you do not foul. We've been very successful with Five-to-Grind this year. Coach Tang is 10-0 in overtime. It's habits. Our habits kick in with Five-to-Grind.
Fritchen: Since the start of the Big 12 season against UCF, you've averaged 19 minutes per game. That has to be a thrill. What clicked?
Finister: It's truly a blessing. I go out there and play hard and do whatever it takes — defend and rebound and, if I'm open, shoot the ball. I go out there and do whatever it takes for the team to win. I feel like I bring energy, defense, just mainly energy because I feel like I can provide that spark off the bench and uplift my teammates whether things are or aren't going right. I bring that spark and bring the game to another level. I'm not really sure what clicked. I started to catch on with what I have to do to be able to stay in the game and what I have to do to get into the game. I try to excel at those things so I can elevate into a bigger role. Energy and spark off the bench are really important for a team. Five guys can win a game but it's very hard. If you have depth on the bench and guys who can come off the bench and provide energy on the offensive and defensive side and copy off the older guys and the starters, it's really helpful for the team.
Fritchen: What do you pride yourself on the most?
Finister: Energy because I know energy will keep me in the game and keep us at a very high level. I believe it helps me a lot, just talking on defense, and talking to my teammates, things like that.
Fritchen: After the Baylor game, Coach Jerome Tang said, "Dorian has NBA talent with size and athleticism." How does that comment make you feel?
Finister: It's a blessing coming from a coach like Coach Tang. We all love him, and we know he knows what he's talking about. I'm really, really thankful that he said that. Coach Tang knows what it takes to get to the next level, and that's my ultimate goal, of course.
Fritchen: You played six games and redshirted last season. What was last season like for you exactly?
Finister: Last season was a learning experience for me. I was seeing what the Big 12 was all about. I guarded Markquis Nowell every day in practice. It was a challenge, but it was a learning curve. I learned how physical and fast the game was and just to go out there and play this year has been a blessing.
Fritchen: Is there a sense of pride in being the first-ever high school signee for Coach Tang?
Finister: It's not really a pride thing. I'm just very thankful. It's a gift from God that I got this opportunity. I strongly believe that this wasn't going to happen, but it happened. I want to thank God and Coach Tang and Coach Marco Borne. My mom asked me would I want to go to Kansas State, and I said, "Of course. It's a school in the Big 12." She said there is a new coach named Coach Tang and that he wanted to talk to me. He said, "We want you to be a Wildcat. We feel like you can help us. You're going to come in and redshirt and going to play a little bit your second year and your third year you'll take off." It's all coming together for me. The culture is what set K-State apart from other schools. The fans and this coaching staff. This coaching staff is unlike any other one in the country. These guys love us and support us unconditionally and love us from here or any other place. They'll do whatever it takes to see us win.
Fritchen: How old were you the first time you picked up a basketball?
Finister: I was nine or 10. I was playing intramural basketball. I was kind of good at it because I watched it a lot. It just kind of flowed. I watched Damian Lillard and have always watched Damian Lillard. He's always my favorite player, just his confidence, and him off the court and how real and genuine he is.
Fritchen: Did you play any other sports growing up?
Finister: I played a little bit of football, but not too much. I got hit hard one time and that was it for me.
Fritchen: What was it like growing up in New Orleans?
Finister: It was a great place to grow up. Great food, great culture, great music. It was a beautiful place and a lot of loving people.
Fritchen: You scored 1,300 points at Carver High School and led them to the state championship. What did you like best about high school?
Finister: Winning the state championship was my favorite. The year before that we lost to that same team by one point. The next year we beat them by more than 30. That was pretty cool. Scoring 1,300 points? I had pretty great teammates. I played with four or five other Division I athletes. They always told me I had a chance to be really special. I worked at it every day. I believed in myself.
Fritchen: Everyone has a dream. What's the dream for Dorian Finister?
Fritchen: I want to play in that three-letter league, man, the NBA. That's been my dream since I was a kid. I feel like I'm taking the right steps to get to my dream.
Fritchen: What is something that every K-State fan should know about you?
Finister: I love them. I'm not going to lie. I love the fans. I've never seen anything like this before. I love them and I hope they come to every game.
Fritchen: What have you learned most about yourself during your journey?
Finister: That I'm strong. I can persevere. I fought through a redshirt year and fight for minutes and understand what I have to do to stay on the court so I can expand my role. I think I'm pretty strong.
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