K-State Q&A: Bruce Weber, basketball struggles, football transfers and more
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
We’ve got some excellent topics lined up today. So let’s get right to them. Thanks, as always, for your participation.
E-MAIL QUESTION: I’m not nearly as engaged in basketball as I am in football but I don’t like losing. I’m about at the end of my rope with our basketball coach. Maybe I’m not being fair. Would you share your thoughts with me? - Jim G.
The beauty of Bruce Weber is that there truly is no wrong way to feel about the K-State men’s basketball coach.
You can defend him to the death, call for him to be fired after every game or react somewhere in between. Every option is on the table. At least it seems that way based on my Twitter mentions.
The up-and-down nature of his tenure explains this phenomenon.
During his nine seasons in Manhattan he has hung three banners inside Bramlage Coliseum (Big 12 championships in 2013 and 2019, plus an Elite Eight in 2018). He’s the first coach to win multiple conference titles since Jack Hartman.
That’s good!
He has also missed the NCAA Tournament twice (of course, there wasn’t one to miss last year), finished last in the Big 12 once and recently oversaw the most lopsided defeat in program history.
That’s bad!
Then again, he is a nice guy and represents K-State in a positive manner because of his squeaky clean reputation as a recruiter. There is virtually no chance of the Wildcats getting put on probation under his watch.
That’s good!
Oh, but he only signs good recruiting classes every few years and has trouble retaining players for more than a year or two in the transfer era.
That’s bad!
Hopefully you’re a Simpsons fan and recognize this Treehouse of Horror reference.
You’re allowed to feel however the heck you want to feel about Weber. As miserable as this season has gone, there is merit to the argument that this young team has a bright future and things would be going much better at the moment if not for the pandemic. But it’s hard to sell optimism when the Wildcats are getting run out of the gym like they’re the Washington Generals.
In some ways, Weber is an ink-block test for K-State fans. Everyone sees him differently.
None, believe it or not.
The last time I thought that was back in 2017 when K-State lost what felt like a do-or-die game against Oklahoma by 30 and Weber lost his cool while talking to reporters afterward.
Pretty sure “This is the kind of loss that can get a coach fired” was the first sentence in my game story.
Turns out, Weber didn’t get fired. K-State rallied to win its next three games and then scored 95(!) points against Wake Forest in a NCAA Tournament play-in game. The Wildcats were in the Elite Eight a year later and conference champs the year after that.
Weber has got some of The Undertaker in him.
So I don’t let myself think that way anymore. One game is never enough to seal a coach’s fate.
That being said, K-State’s recent 107-59 loss to Baylor reminded me of K-State’s 51-17 football loss at Oklahoma in 2018, which felt like the beginning of the end for Bill Snyder.
Even then, though, that team fought back over the rest of the season and came within a few plays of bowl eligibility.
That’s impossible to say without knowing which teams those wins come against.
The magic number could be two, if both victories are against the Kansas Jayhawks.
The magic number is probably more like three or four if the wins come against Texas A&M, TCU and Iowa State.
Losses could also be a factor. If K-State can close the gap against the Big 12’s top teams and start losing by an inch instead of a mile that will show improvement.
That’s the biggest thing to watch for from here on out. Now that the Wildcats are at full strength, does this team look like it has potential moving forward.
I’m optimistic that game will be rescheduled, so let’s put it at 70%.
Iowa State still has two games to reschedule — at Texas Tech and at K-State. The game with the Red Raiders probably takes priority, because that one will have an impact on the top half of the league standings. But the Big 12 left the first week of March open for teams to reschedule games. That’s more than enough time for both of those games to be played.
If Bob Bowlsby truly cares about Big 12 basketball, he will find a way to reschedule that game. It would be wrong to deprive fans of a battle for last place.
I would give K-State slightly better odds to beat the Cyclones than the Aggies, but it’s close. Texas A&M is a great matchup. It has lost five of its past six games in SEC play, with all five defeats coming by double digits.
In short: Baylor is the nation’s top rated team, per Ken Pomeroy. K-State is the nation’s 175th rated team, per Ken Pomeroy.
The Bears are really good on both offense and defense. The Wildcats are struggling mightily in both areas. It was an epic mismatch and a horrible matchup for K-State.
Bruce Weber has never allowed any team to score 100 against him before this season, and the Bears have done it twice.
Baylor might be one of the best Big 12 teams ever, right up there with Kansas from 2008.
I totally understand the anger about losing a game by 48 points, but I personally think it was an outlier. K-State has been much more competitive against every other team on the schedule.
After 16 seasons as a mostly middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12, the Bears have kicked it up a notch over the past two seasons with the perfect mixture of talented recruits and transfers that have been willing to stay in Waco until they run out of eligibility.
Switching from a zone defense to man has also made a huge difference.
It seems like they have staying power. Next year’s recruiting class is LOADED.
Had to believe some people think he’s not a good coach.
I’m not sure if it’s fair to ask why K-State hasn’t been able to keep up. Baylor is leaving every Big 12 team in the dust right now, even Kansas.
You, my friend, are the winner of the Eternal Optimist Award for thinking either of those things can happen right now.
Once things get back to normal, I’m looking forward to spending a weekend in Kansas City or Wichita. Doing something that once seemed simple like eating out and going to a concert sounds amazing right now.
Otherwise, there are some nice lakes in Oklahoma that might be worth a visit. Colorado is a little beyond 4-6 hours, but that could also be fun.
Flying somewhere even further with a beach would be ideal.
I don’t know much about the Waco barbecue scene, but I can tell you a few other good spots in the great state.
My favorites:
- Franklin BBQ (Austin)
- La Barbecue (Austin)
- Stiles Switch (Austin)
- Terry Black’s (Austin)
- Hard Eight (Dallas)
- Pinkerton’s (Houston)
- Cooper’s (Several locations)
- Rudy’s (Chain restaurant)
One day I hope to add Pecan Lodge (Dallas) and Snow’s (Lexington) to the list.
Maybe I’m just a weirdo, but I like looking in GameStop for game memorabilia more than actual video games.
If you’re looking for a replica Mega Man blaster or a hilarious pint glass with a Super Mario Bros. joke on the outside, that is the place for you.
Top returning senior not named Skylar Thompson: I’m going with Noah Johnson. It’s a close call between him and Jahron McPherson, because McPherson is going to be the quarterback of the secondary next season and he’s really good when healthy. But nothing beats experience at center, and Johnson was the team’s starter last season. Bringing him back on the offensive is huge.
Top transfer: I’m ready to buy all of the Russ Yeast stock I can. The Louisville transfer had offers from Alabama, Notre Dame and Oklahoma coming out of high school and started for three seasons with the Cardinals. He should start alongside McPherson at safety and instantly give the Wildcats a boost on defense.
I do think the transfer market is going to remain an important recruiting tool moving forward. It will supplement junior-college transfers. There are so many of them out there now that it’s silly for coaches not to leave at least a few spots open in each class to try and grab some transfers late.
EMAIL QUESTION: Is the football program meeting their needs in terms of transfers? - Tyler M.
I think Chris Klieman should have pushed harder to add a receiver from the transfer portal. After the train wreck we saw at that position last season, they could really use some veteran help there to complement Malik Knowles and Chabastin Taylor, who is currently rehabbing from injury.
Otherwise, I like the group of transfers he brought in.
Russ Yeast and Julius Brents have huge upside on defense, Eric Munoz fits the team’s culture on defense and Timmy Horne has loads of experience playing defensive line.
Daniel Imatorbhebhe is a gamble at tight end, because he can’t seem to stay healthy. But he could be a difference maker if he stays healthy in Manhattan. So I approve.
EMAIL QUESTION: Is it just me or does K-State football & basketball feel behind-the-times? With football, we seem to have a slower-paced, run-first mentality. And it’s been successful at times and other times it’s dreadful to watch. When everyone around us is striving for high-octane offense, we’re content with having to play a ‘perfect’ game to beat anyone because we don’t get as many possessions.
Same with basketball. The Fighting Webers are an absolute bore to watch. His offense is largely stagnant and we used to win games with great defense and an average offense. But the last couple years, both sides of the ball have been suffering. Full disclosure ... I’ve never been a Weber fan. I hear he is a great man and mentor to his players but haven’t been impressed with him as an X’s & O’s guy since he arrived in Manhattan. And being a great man is something we should all strive for, don’t get me wrong. But man, K-State basketball is not in a good place right now with him at the helm.
Overall, K-State football and basketball seem to be slow & methodical and both teams need to play ‘perfect’ games to hang with higher-flying offenses. Is that because those are the only types of athletes we can get to come to Manhattan? Is Manhattan in some sort of time warp where they haven’t realized they are playing themselves into irrelevancy?
I just don’t see K-State football and basketball being relevant with these slow & methodical offensive mindsets.
Please tell me I’m wrong. Pull me out of the ditch. Show me the light. - David F.
Congratulations, David. You just submitted the longest question in the history of K-State Q&A!
Here’s hoping my answer can do it justice.
For football, I actually like the traditional run-first offense. The best spread, up-tempo teams (like Oklahoma and Texas Tech back in the day) are hard to stop. But if you’re not firing on all cylinders that offense can hurt you with quick three-and-outs in the long run.
Breece Hall led the nation in rushing yards for Iowa State last season, and that didn’t stop them from having a great season.
It’s not a situation where this is the only type of offense that can work at K-State, as is the case with the triple option at the service academies. In his early years, Bill Snyder had his teams throwing more than anyone and that worked. Jake Waters also came in and broke the single-season passing record a few years back. A lot of it is just based on talent and personnel.
Right now, K-State’s best player is a running back. And receiver was a train wreck last season. So it might be a while before you see the Wildcats air it out again. But it will happen at some point.
It’s a similar story for basketball. Bruce Weber’s best teams have been pretty good on offense, but his worst teams have looked hapless. Perhaps a change in coaching strategy would improve things, but so would an increase in talent.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 10:48 AM with the headline "K-State Q&A: Bruce Weber, basketball struggles, football transfers and more."