Why Bruce Weber won’t commit to one starting lineup this K-State basketball season
Bruce Weber says he doesn’t know which five players will start for the Kansas State men’s basketball team when the Wildcats play an exhibition game against Pittsburg State at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Bramlage Coliseum.
In any other year, fans could probably chalk that up to coach speak. But that subject genuinely feels like a mystery right now.
“This might be a year where every game might be a little different unit,” Weber said, “depending on how they play.”
That would be a departure from recent history with the Wildcats, who rarely changed their starting lineup for reasons other than injury or sickness last season.
Odds seem to favor a starting five of Nijel Pack, Mike McGuirl, Mark Smith, Ismael Massoud and Davion Bradford.
But Bradford is recovering from an illness, which means Kaosi Ezeagu will take his place at center against Pittsburg State. That much we know. Massoud is a likely starter against opposing lineups that feature size, but Weber could go with four guards when the Wildcats are playing against a smaller team. The back court is also hard to predict, because there has been unprecedented competition at guard this preseason.
Good luck telling Markquis Nowell and Selton Miguel they’re coming off the bench every game.
“It’s very competitive,” Nowell said. “Some days we leave out of here wanting to kill each other because we were losing pick-up games. We all have respect for each other, but we are also competitive. We give it our all like we don’t have a tomorrow. It’s been helping everyone to get better.”
If Weber prefers experience, he will lean on Pack, McGuirl and Miguel.
Pack averaged 12.7 points to lead the team in scoring as a freshman last season and Miguel was the team’s top defensive performer. McGuirl is a “super senior” who has been on campus long enough to know what it’s like to win a Big 12 championship and play in the NCAA Tournament.
But Nowell, a sharpshooting transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock, has made things difficult on all three of them in practice with his offensive range and tenacious defense. And Smith, a senior transfer from Missouri, was the team’s leading scorer in a recent scrimmage against Oregon, according to sources.
Which of them gets a starting nod? There’s a lot that could go into that answer.
Who is playing well in practice? What kind of lineup is the opponent using? Who can score? Who can defend? Who can lead?
”Every day, it could be who we’re playing, how somebody’s playing, your energy, your attitude,” Weber said. “And maybe if you want to play you have to come every day in practice and do what you’re supposed to and play your butt off and be prepared.”
Weber has urged K-State players to only worry about their attitude and effort. He doesn’t want them worried about starting roles as he tinkers with rotations.
The days of a set-it-and-forget-it lineup are over. The starting five that fans see on Thursday might not be the same starting five they see at the season-opener next week or the next game after that.
“We have pretty good depth and versatility and a lot of guys,” Weber said. “They’re going to play a lot, and hopefully we can get the most out of them.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Why Bruce Weber won’t commit to one starting lineup this K-State basketball season."