K-State turns to Cartier Diarra, Mike McGuirl at point guard without Kamau Stokes

Cartier Diarra put it simply.

When asked what it will take for the Kansas State basketball team to win games without starting point guard Kamau Stokes, who is sidelined with a foot injury, he responded with eight words.

“Somebody,” he said, “is going to have to be special.”

It’s hard to overstate the importance of Stokes. A junior, he was averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds. He was leading K-State in three-pointers (33), assists (69) and minutes played (458) before suffering an injury in the first half of a 74-58 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday.

Diarra, a redshirt freshman, is the next man up. He will start at point guard against Oklahoma State on Wednesday at Bramlage Coliseum. It’s an exciting opportunity that is sure to come with nerves.

“Of course there is pressure,” Diarra said, “because he committed so much to the team, averaging about 15 points and four assists. That is a lot to make up for, so we are just going to have to do our best.”

Diarra showed K-State fans what he is capable of against Texas Tech, coming off the bench to score 11 points in relief of Stokes.

One of the most athletic players on the roster, Diarra has the talent to lead K-State’s offense. But he lacks experience.

“He is going to make mistakes,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “Everyone does, there is no perfect in basketball. We just have to hope he limits his mistakes and gets better as he goes.

“You are going to miss Kamau. He is one of your leading scorers, one of your best assists guys, he is a veteran, he is a guy you go to at the end of the game, he is our smartness. Cartier gives you the bigger body. I think he can get in the paint and do some things Kamau can’t do. He has shot the ball well.”

It remains unclear how long Stokes will remain sidelined. Weber said Stokes is in good spirits and hoping to make a quick recovery, but there is no telling how quickly his foot will heal.

Without him, Weber plans to lift the redshirt on freshman guard Mike McGuirl and play him against the Cowboys.

“We definitely have to look at trying to use Mike,” Weber said. “He gives us somebody who can shoot and handle the basketball.”

Barry Brown, Amaad Wainright and Brian Patrick will also take on extra responsibilities while Stokes sits. Brown, a junior shooting guard, will likely handle the ball more often. Wainright, a solid reserve, will need to find ways to score. Patrick, a spot-up shooter, will need to expand his game.

Who is ready to be special?

“We will miss Kamau’s presence on the court,” Wainright said. “He passed, he scored, he brought everybody together. It’s going to be hard, but now it is time for everybody to step up and be there for one another.”

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 4:00 PM with the headline "K-State turns to Cartier Diarra, Mike McGuirl at point guard without Kamau Stokes."