How much can freshman guard Luke Kasubke help K-State now that he is finally healthy?
After months of watching Kansas State basketball games from the end of the bench like an extra team manager, Luke Kasubke made his long-awaited debut with the Wildcats over the weekend.
The freshman guard didn’t do much, recording one rebound in 10 minutes of action during an 82-67 loss against Texas, but that didn’t stop him, or fans, from thinking about all the ways he might be able to assist K-State moving forward.
“I will do anything to help the team,” Kasubke said. “I just want to win. I am willing to do anything it takes to win, but I am a shooter. That’s what I bring to the table. But I feel like I bring a lot more than just that. I feel like I bring a lot of things that can help the team win.”
K-State basketball coach Bruce Weber was eager to insert Kasubke into the rotation last week. He recruited Kasubke out of St. Louis mostly for his skills as a three-point shooter, which is something the Wildcats have lacked in recent years.
Kasubke scored nearly 1,500 points during his prep career and made at least 50 three-pointers during his final three years at Chaminade High School. He was also a key guard for MoKan Elite on the AAU circuit, where he played alongside current teammate Davion Bradford.
He wasn’t the most touted member of K-State’s 2020 recruiting class, but his talents as a spot-up shooter and his size (6-foot-4 and 190 pounds) made him a valuable member of the group.
Many envisioned him knocking down outside shots immediately. But those hopes were delayed when Kasubke tore a ligament in one of his toes in September. The injury required surgery to repair, and he was sidelined for months. In most years, he would have used a redshirt and sat out the entire season. But with college eligibility currently frozen because of the coronavirus pandemic, he worked diligently to get back on the court ... no matter how many games he had to miss.
“It has just been a long process, a lot of rehab and a lot of time off the court, which was very challenging for me,” Kasubke said. “But everything went well. Surgery went well, recovery went well. I feel healthy now. I am back close to 100%.”
That is an exciting development for the Wildcats, who have played their past two games with a depleted roster because of injuries and COVID-19 issues.
“He is a great shooter,” Bradford said. “It’s going to come soon. He just needs to keep progressing. He is doing well right now. He is going to defend and be athletic from time to time. He is really just a great teammate. He talks well on defense. He is going to help us in the long run.”
Question is: can he also lift the Wildcats in the short term?
K-State could use an extra offensive weapon when it plays Oklahoma on Tuesday, so Weber will give him an opportunity.
The best case scenario for Kasubke seems to be him emerging as a solid contributor that can help the Wildcats space the floor along with Mike McGuirl, Rudi Williams and Nijel Pack when he returns to action. Even one or two extra three-pointers per night would be nice.
But he doesn’t offer much of a ceiling while he is on a minutes count. His floor will also remain low until he learns Weber’s system and adapts to the college game. Though he never appeared lost agaisnt the Longhorns, Kasubke didn’t make a single aggressive play. He saw 10 minutes of action and didn’t attempt a single shot.
Weber said Saturday it is best to temper expectations with Kasubke, at least for now.
“The ceiling right now is just getting experience,” Weber said. “I thought he had a great week of practice. He did some good things. But it is a whole different thing to go out here and play against some of the elite guards in the country and a team that is experienced and really good.”
Still, he should improve as the season moves along.
McGuirl was in a similar situation as a freshman. He planned to redshirt most of the year and was thrust into action when former guard Kamau Stokes was sidelined with an injury. He didn’t look good at the beginning and scored a total of nine points during the regular season. But things started to click for him when March arrived and he erupted for 17 points in a NCAA Tournament victory over Creighton.
Kasubke hopes to make a similar impact at some point.
“If he can get some minutes and some confidence and a feel for it and he can help us,” Weber said, “it’s great for him and for our team and for our future.”
This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 11:34 AM with the headline "How much can freshman guard Luke Kasubke help K-State now that he is finally healthy?."