K-State finds spark inside from young lineup as Makol Mawien continues to struggle
Bruce Weber may have stumbled upon a promising change to Kansas State’s basketball rotation by accident during a 77-63 loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats went small and young after senior forward Makol Mawien encountered early foul trouble, and good things happened. Not good enough for their first conference victory of the season, but good enough to battle back from a 15-point deficit and take a lead before the Red Raiders pulled away for good in crunch time.
Weber didn’t intend to play freshmen forwards Montavious Murphy and Antonio Gordon more than Mawien, but K-State looked like a better team when Mawien was on the bench.
“He just doesn’t have the energy and the motor that we need,” Weber said of Mawien. “I’m not sure what is wrong. I wish I knew. I talked to him and I just feel bad for him, because he is a better player than this.”
Mawien has certainly had his moments throughout his three seasons in Manhattan, including a career-high 29 points against Kansas at the 2018 Big 12 Tournament and a double-double in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, but he has mostly disappointed this season.
During several games, Weber has wandered out of the coach’s box specifically to yell motivating words at Mawien. During a recent home loss to TCU, Weber spent one possession repeating the phrase “we need you Mak” at the top of his lungs. None of it has seemed to help. Mawien had two points against Texas over the weekend and then went scoreless against Texas Tech.
This was his worst outing of the season, if not his K-State career. Mawien missed two shots and committed three fouls in six minutes of action. Despite only playing limited minutes, the Red Raiders outscored the Wildcats by 12 when he was on the floor.
Murphy and Gordon didn’t have great numbers on the plus/minus chart, either. But they helped the Wildcats go on an 11-0 run in the first half and a 9-0 run in the second half, with junior forward Levi Stockard also providing valuable minutes off the bench.
“They play their butts off,” Weber said. “It’s the same with (freshman guard) DaJuan (Gordon). That is a great thing to start with if you have got a great motor like that.”
Weber praised Murphy more than any other player after K-State’s most recent loss. The freshman forward from Houston had 11 points and six rebounds while taking just two shots. He did most of his damage from the free-throw line, making all nine of his attempts.
He also played solid defense.
“Unbelievable effort,” Weber said. “I love 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. He allows us to switch and do some things. He’s not perfect and he knows it, but he has done a great job for us. There is no doubt. He keeps battling. He has done, I will be honest, way better than I ever anticipated.”
Weber also said he likes what he is getting from Antonio Gordon, though he isn’t quite as far along as Murphy in terms of understanding how to play the college game. Gordon had two points and one rebound in 15 minutes of action. Missing all three of his free throws prevented him from having a bigger game.
It only seems like a matter of time before Murphy’s impact evolves.
“I think I can do way more, so I’m trying to figure out what ways I can do way more and help the team out,” Murphy said. “That’s the important thing.”
Weber isn’t giving up on Mawien. After starting 87 straight games for the Wildcats, he will probably remain in the starting five when they take on West Virginia in their next game on Saturday. The Mountaineers are big inside, and the Wildcats could use a strong game from Mawien in that one.
But it also seems like Weber won’t hesitate to make a change if Mawien struggles. Foul trouble limited his minutes in the first half against Texas Tech, but he was flat-out benched in the second half.
Until he gives the Wildcats the “energy and motor” they need to win games, Weber might be better off sticking with freshmen.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 11:36 PM with the headline "K-State finds spark inside from young lineup as Makol Mawien continues to struggle."