Four things we learned from Kansas State’s lopsided men’s basketball win over Omaha
A lot can change in a year.
At about this time last season, the Kansas State men’s basketball team needed a late three-pointer from Selton Miguel to avoid an embarrassing home loss against Omaha. Things were much different when both squads re-united for another nonconference game on Wednesday at Bramlage Coliseum. This time, the Wildcats clobbered the Mavericks 79-64.
K-State has clearly improved since winning only nine games last season. This was the latest proof.
Wake Forest transfer Ismael Massoud and sophomore guard Nijel Pack led the way for the Wildcats by both scoring 15 points, but they got lots of help.
Bruce Weber’s team delivered a knock-out blow in the opening minutes by jumping out to a 15-2 lead that saw five different K-State players score. The Wildcats never trailed and later went on an 11-0 run to end any comeback hope for the Mavericks.
“You saw tonight we have some guys that can make plays,” Weber said.
The Wildcats will now try to validate their 2-0 start next week when they head to Kansas City for the CBE Hall of Fame Classic for a game against Arkansas followed by a matchup with either Cincinnati or Illinois.
Until then, here are three some thoughts on K-State’s victory over Omaha.
Ismael Massoud give K-State a true stretch four
He still has a ways to go before anyone compares him to Dean Wade, but Massoud showed he is capable of making major contributions for the Wildcats on Wednesday.
The sophomore forward, who has an impressive shooting touch for his 6-foot-9 size, was red hot in the first half and scored 15 points to give the Wildcats a commanding lead. He was held scoreless the rest of the way, but he did enough early to finish with an impressive stat line.
“They came to me early,” Massoud said. “My teammates did a great job of getting me open and the coaches ran plays for me to get my shot. So I just had the easy job of making shots. And then in the second half, the way this roster is set up, sometimes it might not be your half. In the second half Nijel was key for us and carried the load. I just had to be solid and play my role.”
Massoud scored in a variety of ways, draining three three-pointers and also going inside to make shots closer to the basket.
The Wildcats have a versatile big man over the last two seasons, but they have one now that Massoud is on the roster. He scored a career-high 31 points during a game against Pittsburgh last year. He flashed that potential for the first time in a K-State uniform against Omaha.
“It’s great when you have got a guy like this who can pick-and-pop and spread the floor,” K-State guard Markquis Nowell said. “He makes it easier for guards to drive into the lane and kick the ball. He’s a great shooter.”
No-look passes for everyone!
Nijel Pack sent a gorgeous no-look pass to Kaosi Ezeagu for an easy backet.
Miguel dropped a beautiful no-look dime to Ezeagu for a dunk.
Markquis Nowell got a nifty no-look assist when he hit Davion Bradford with a bounce pass and he scored on a layup.
K-State had an unusually high number of highlight passes in this game. Perhaps they were just playing confidence with a big lead. Or maybe this group can pull off those plays against stronger competition. Time will tell. But it was fun to watch for at least one night.
Bradford looks closer to full speed
K-State’s sophomore center remained limited and came off the bench in this game as he continues to work his back into game shape after coming down with pneumonia. But he looked much better than he did during the opener against Florida A&M.
Bradford had eight points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.
He showed aggressiveness by looking to score against multiple defenders when he caught the ball in the paint. And he went up for rebounds with more explosion than he did last week.
Weber has said it will be a while before the team’s top big man is ready to start this season, but he didn’t look too far away on Wednesday.
Mike McGuirl takes a back seat ... again
The “super senior” guard may have a much different role than anyone expected when he announced he was returning to Manhattan for an extra season.
McGuirl came off the bench for the first time since his junior year and was held scoreless. That came a game after he was limited to just three points against Florida A&M.
Is he the team’s new sixth man? It’s a fair question.
Nijel Pack, Mark Smith and Markquis Nowell have all looked better in the first two games.
Then again, Weber built this roster with hopes of being more versatile. He doesn’t want to rely on one or two guards to score the bulk of the points every single game, as wast he case last year when it was up to McGuirl and Pack to take all the shots. Maybe his breakout game is coming.
For now, it’s a discouraging start for the leader of K-State’s locker room.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Four things we learned from Kansas State’s lopsided men’s basketball win over Omaha."