K-State notebook: Point guard Carlbe Ervin earns praise from coach

Carlbe Ervin finished Kansas State’s 83-70 victory against Texas Tech with a quiet stat line of two points and four assists, but Wildcats coach Bruce Weber praised him for his performance all the same.

Weber said Ervin, a junior point guard, made several unsung plays when the Wildcats needed him to step up.

Ervin’s lone basket, a driving layup in traffic, occurred in the second half with Texas Tech making a push, and his crisp passes continually setup teammates with open shots. Weber said Ervin gave K-State 13 valuable minutes off the bench.

“Quietly,” Weber said, “Carlbe did some very nice things.”

Holding down Williams

K-State limited Texas Tech’s leading scorer Devaugntah Williams to eight points. He entered the game averaging 14.

Weber said the Wildcats forced him into difficult situations, but their focus on him enabled Justin Gray to come off the bench and score 23.

Emotional game for Johnson

Weber said K-State forward D.J. Johnson was distracted by the death of a close friend before Tuesday’s game. Weber said Johnson’s friend was shot, and that made it hard for Johnson to focus early before finishing with seven points and five rebounds.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 10:19 PM with the headline "K-State notebook: Point guard Carlbe Ervin earns praise from coach."