Cats Set for First Big Test of Season
Nov 14, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The last time Kansas State played LSU, a sophomore named Cam Carter led the Wildcats with a game-high 21 points in a 75-60 win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Now Carter is going to lead the Tigers, 2-0, into Manhattan to face the Wildcats, 2-0, in Thursday's 8 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
Carter, a native of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which is just 40 minutes from the LSU campus, transferred to LSU prior to this season.
He leads LSU in averaging 21.0 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 8-of-13 on 3-pointers, while adding 3.5 rebounds per game in victories over Louisiana-Monroe (95-60) and Alabama State (74-61).
"We love Cam Carter," K-State head coach Jerome Tang said. "Cam did a lot for our program. He believed in us as a staff when a lot of people didn't. We believed in him and for two years he was a really, really good player for us. With the nature of college basketball, he got to capitalize off that and be closer to home, too, so it was a double blessing."
Tang feels blessed that this matchup is in Manhattan, where the Wildcats beat New Orleans (89-65) and Cleveland State (77-64). LSU is the marquee non-conference home game for the Wildcats, who then host Mississippi Valley State before traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
"I'm expecting a sellout," Tang said. "I'm expecting every seat filled and for the student section to be rocking. I'm super, super, super excited about that."
So far, K-State has shown reason for excitement. The Wildcats entered the season with 11 newcomers, including eight Division I transfers, and had a transfer class that ranked among the best in Division I.
While Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins has made an impact — 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.5 blocks — and is just getting started, senior forward David N'Guessan has been the man with 16.5 points on 80.0% shooting (16-of-20) and 9.0 rebounds.
K-State is shooting 50.8% (60-of-118) from the floor, including 43.4% (23-of-53) from 3-point range while outscoring opponents 83.0 to 64.5.
"We have some guys who can make shots," Tang said. "That's what it boils down to. You have to make shots. You have to do some other things, too, but if you make shots, it solves a lot of problems."
K-State has found its sharpshooter in Brendan Hausen, who averages a team-high 19.5 points and has made 10 of his 18 3-point attempts in two games. Hausen, a junior transfer from Villanova, comes off a career-high 22 points against Cleveland State.
"I expected him to play like this from his freshman year," Tang said. "I watched him in high school, his toughness, his competitiveness, his shot-making ability. He's just a gamer, man, a winner."
Another transfer, point guard Dug McDaniel from Michigan, "is growing."
McDaniel averages 6.0 points and 6.0 assists to just 2.0 turnovers per game.
"Playing the point is a little different than playing the point elsewhere," Tang said. "There's a whole lot more responsibility and seeing the game the way I see it and then him learning that. Once he embraces that, which he has, he's really starting to take some ownership on some things, and then I'll get to start seeing the game the way he sees it and then we can see it continue to rise. It's going to take some time. It's a process.
"I'm not disappointed with where we're at, and I'm excited about where we're headed."
K-State received a lift for the future when it signed freshman guard David Castillo, who has made one basket while averaging 11.5 minutes through two games.
"The struggle that he's going through, every player goes through it, and he has to go through it," Tang said. "He's playing a hard position. It's not easy to play point guard for me, but I've been blessed to coach at least eight all-conference point guards, so there's something to it. I feel like every time he shoots the ball it's going in, so I want him to fail aggressively if he's going to fail."
LSU is shooting 48.2% (55-of-114) from the floor, including 17-of-54 (31.5%) from 3-point range while outscoring opponents 84.5 to 60.5.
Tang will seek fewer turnovers against the Tigers. After K-State committed just nine turnovers against New Orleans, the Wildcats had 19 against Cleveland State.
"I think we were up 20 and the guys relaxed, and we had some careless turnovers like not being strong with the ball and getting it slapped out of our hands or dribble handoff that we were lackadaisical from one spot to the next and the defender tipped the ball and jumping in the air and throwing some passes because we were up," Tang said. "We have to learn how to handle success and build on leads."
Tang hopes the Wildcats build off their success with a big win over the Tigers — and Cam Carter.
"I'm super thankful for Cam's time here and absolutely love him," Tang said, smiling. "I just hope he doesn't play well."
The last time Kansas State played LSU, a sophomore named Cam Carter led the Wildcats with a game-high 21 points in a 75-60 win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Now Carter is going to lead the Tigers, 2-0, into Manhattan to face the Wildcats, 2-0, in Thursday's 8 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
Carter, a native of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which is just 40 minutes from the LSU campus, transferred to LSU prior to this season.
He leads LSU in averaging 21.0 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 8-of-13 on 3-pointers, while adding 3.5 rebounds per game in victories over Louisiana-Monroe (95-60) and Alabama State (74-61).
"We love Cam Carter," K-State head coach Jerome Tang said. "Cam did a lot for our program. He believed in us as a staff when a lot of people didn't. We believed in him and for two years he was a really, really good player for us. With the nature of college basketball, he got to capitalize off that and be closer to home, too, so it was a double blessing."
Tang feels blessed that this matchup is in Manhattan, where the Wildcats beat New Orleans (89-65) and Cleveland State (77-64). LSU is the marquee non-conference home game for the Wildcats, who then host Mississippi Valley State before traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
"I'm expecting a sellout," Tang said. "I'm expecting every seat filled and for the student section to be rocking. I'm super, super, super excited about that."
So far, K-State has shown reason for excitement. The Wildcats entered the season with 11 newcomers, including eight Division I transfers, and had a transfer class that ranked among the best in Division I.
While Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins has made an impact — 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.5 blocks — and is just getting started, senior forward David N'Guessan has been the man with 16.5 points on 80.0% shooting (16-of-20) and 9.0 rebounds.
K-State is shooting 50.8% (60-of-118) from the floor, including 43.4% (23-of-53) from 3-point range while outscoring opponents 83.0 to 64.5.
"We have some guys who can make shots," Tang said. "That's what it boils down to. You have to make shots. You have to do some other things, too, but if you make shots, it solves a lot of problems."
K-State has found its sharpshooter in Brendan Hausen, who averages a team-high 19.5 points and has made 10 of his 18 3-point attempts in two games. Hausen, a junior transfer from Villanova, comes off a career-high 22 points against Cleveland State.
"I expected him to play like this from his freshman year," Tang said. "I watched him in high school, his toughness, his competitiveness, his shot-making ability. He's just a gamer, man, a winner."
Another transfer, point guard Dug McDaniel from Michigan, "is growing."
McDaniel averages 6.0 points and 6.0 assists to just 2.0 turnovers per game.
"Playing the point is a little different than playing the point elsewhere," Tang said. "There's a whole lot more responsibility and seeing the game the way I see it and then him learning that. Once he embraces that, which he has, he's really starting to take some ownership on some things, and then I'll get to start seeing the game the way he sees it and then we can see it continue to rise. It's going to take some time. It's a process.
"I'm not disappointed with where we're at, and I'm excited about where we're headed."
K-State received a lift for the future when it signed freshman guard David Castillo, who has made one basket while averaging 11.5 minutes through two games.
"The struggle that he's going through, every player goes through it, and he has to go through it," Tang said. "He's playing a hard position. It's not easy to play point guard for me, but I've been blessed to coach at least eight all-conference point guards, so there's something to it. I feel like every time he shoots the ball it's going in, so I want him to fail aggressively if he's going to fail."
LSU is shooting 48.2% (55-of-114) from the floor, including 17-of-54 (31.5%) from 3-point range while outscoring opponents 84.5 to 60.5.
Tang will seek fewer turnovers against the Tigers. After K-State committed just nine turnovers against New Orleans, the Wildcats had 19 against Cleveland State.
"I think we were up 20 and the guys relaxed, and we had some careless turnovers like not being strong with the ball and getting it slapped out of our hands or dribble handoff that we were lackadaisical from one spot to the next and the defender tipped the ball and jumping in the air and throwing some passes because we were up," Tang said. "We have to learn how to handle success and build on leads."
Tang hopes the Wildcats build off their success with a big win over the Tigers — and Cam Carter.
"I'm super thankful for Cam's time here and absolutely love him," Tang said, smiling. "I just hope he doesn't play well."
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