Bruce Weber on K-State men’s basketball transfers, lineup options, next season, more
Bruce Weber feels good about the future.
There were times last season when that probably wasn’t the case, as the Kansas State men’s basketball team slogged its way to a 9-20 record, but he certainly feels optimistic now whenever he takes a look at the Wildcats’ updated roster.
Not only did K-State finish last season on a high note by winning four of its final six games, it attacked the NCAA transfer portal like never before this spring and ended up landing three potential impact players — Wake Forest forward Ismael Massoud, Arkansas-Little Rock guard Markquis Nowell and Missouri guard Mark Smith.
“I think we’ve done a good job of finding some older guys who will help us,” Weber said during a Zoom call on Wednesday. “We gained some, we lost some. Hopefully it’s a positive on our end. I want guys that want to be here, that want to win, that want to be successful. And we’ve get the right group. We feel good about our group. We’ve had a great spring.”
Add those transfers to a young nucleus of talent that includes returning starters Davion Bradford, Mike McGuirl, Nijel Pack and Selton Miguel, and it’s easy to see why Weber thinks the Wildcats have what it takes to challenge for a spot in the NCAA Tournament next year.
If Weber can successfully blend K-State’s incoming transfers with its returning contributors, the Wildcats could be a much improved team next season.
What will that look on the court? Time will tell, but Weber provided some clues this week.
Will K-State stay small or return to a bigger lineup next season?
The Wildcats played their best basketball with a small lineup that featured four guards surrounding Bradford late last season.
That combination helped K-State play defense at an elite level over its final seven games, as it allowed an average of 59.2 points during that stretch. It also unlocked some unique scoring opportunities for Bradford, Pack and McGuirl.
A similar approach could work well with Smith replacing departing transfer DaJuan Gordon.
But Weber went with a four-guard lineup out of necessity. The Wildcats didn’t have an experienced or healthy power forward late in the season.
That figures to change with the healthy return of Montavious Murphy and the additions of Logan Landers and Massoud. All three have stretch four capabilities, and Massoud is a gifted three-point shooter. So it will be tempting for Weber to utilize their skills and return to a bigger lineup.
But he’s not ready to commit to anything just yet. It sounds like Weber would prefer to mix and match different lineups based on matchups next season. The WIldcats could go small against certain teams and go big against other opponents.
Weber said he is even considering the occasional huge lineup that could feature two five men on the court together after watching USC win games in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
“We have options. I think that is the best thing,” Weber said. “The thing I have challenged my coaches about is, can we have a system where we make the easy transition from either playing big or playing small and having a little different look?”
Following the Baylor model
After losing three games against Baylor last season and then watching the Bears win their first national championship under Scott Drew, Weber thinks the Wildcats should try and re-create what they did in the backcourt.
That won’t be easy considering Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague were some of the best guards in the nation this year. They could all lead an offense and make three-pointers. Weber isn’t expecting that kind of lethal efficiency from K-State’s guards next season, but he does want them all heavily involved and touching the ball on every possession.
McGuirl and Pack were K-State’s primary scorers and ball handlers last season. He wants Nowell, Smith and returning guards Luke Kasubke and Miguel to take some pressure off them next year.
“We want to emulate what Baylor did, where they had three guards that all could make plays,” Weber said. “They could all shoot it, they could all handle, they could all pass. If we’re going to be what I think we can be that we’ll have everybody — not only Nijel and Mike but Mark, Markquis and Selton — handling the ball, making plays. That will make us much more effective.”
Health update on Murphy
After missing 37 games over the past two seasons, it’s fair to wonder about Montavious Murphy heading into his junior year with the Wildcats.
He was unable to play in K-State’s final 18 games this season after undergoing surgery to repair a knee injury, but Weber says he is now on the mend. Murphy returned to “live action” activities during spring workouts and should be a full participant during summer drills.
Schedule possibilities
Nearly half of K-State’s nonconference schedule for the 2021-22 season is already on the books.
The Wildcats have road games slated against Wichita State and Nebraska. They will also play in the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City with a tournament field that also includes Arkansas, Cincinnati and Illinois. And don’t forget about games in the Big 12/Big East Battle and the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
That leaves seven open spots. Weber said K-State will work to play the vast majority of those games at home, likely against mid-major opponents. But he is considering scheduling one more game against a notable team if the Wildcats can find an opponent that makes sense.
Summer plans
The coronavirus pandemic prevented K-State from making a trip to Europe and playing exhibition games against foreign competition last summer, and the Wildcats are unlikely to reschedule for this summer.
But Weber is hopeful the team will be able to make a similar trip in August 2022.
That means the majority of K-State’s 14 scholarship players will be on campus this summer starting in June. But Weber is expecting one excused absence. He said Selton Miguel will likely spend part of his summer playing with the Angola national team as it tries to qualify for the Olympics.
The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament begins on June 29.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Bruce Weber on K-State men’s basketball transfers, lineup options, next season, more."