Bruce Weber bullish on future as K-State recruits gain national respect
Even though Bruce Weber is focused on the here and now of basketball season, the Kansas State coach couldn’t help but look ahead when a pair of incoming players rocketed up the national recruiting rankings this week.
“It brings positive attention to your program,” Weber said. “People want to know that we’ve got a good player, that we have got a good future ahead of us.”
K-State’s basketball future suddenly seems brighter than it did a few weeks ago. That’s because Rivals now lists two high school seniors who signed with the Wildcats last November among their top 150 players for 2019.
Montavious Murphy, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Houston, has moved up to No. 138 while averaging 18.8 points and 10.4 rebounds this season.
Dajuan Gordon, a 6-3 shooting guard from Chicago, is now listed at No. 144 after helping his team with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game. He is also rated as the nation’s 116th-best recruiting prospect, per 247 Sports.
They are the new headliners of K-State’s 2019 recruiting class. Throw in Antonio Gordon, a 6-8 power forward who scored 45 points in a game for his high school team in Lawton, Okla., and Goodnews Kpegeol, a 6-5 guard who enrolled early and is already part of K-State’s current team, and Weber thinks the Wildcats will be well positioned to replace Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade when they finish the season.
“Dajuan has had the best year,” Weber said. “He has got a chance to be the Chicago city player of the year and maybe Mr. Basketball (in Illinois). It will be tough to beat out (Ohio State commit) E.J. Liddel, but if they can go to state and win I think there is a chance with that.
“He’s Just a versatile guy. he plays so hard. He has improved his shot. He was kind of an unknown guy ... He has grown a little bit, gained a little weight and he is playing at a high level.”
K-State’s other two incoming recruits will help the Wildcats inside.
Murphy was the first to commit, so Weber and his coaching staff have monitored him the longest. He was in attendance for K-State’s last game at Texas A&M, and his size will be a welcome addition.
“Montavious switched schools, and I think it’s been a nice, positive thing for him,” Weber said. “He has improved his three-point percentage, he has done a lot of things there. He has continued to grow. I think he is getting near 6-9.”
He hasn’t gotten the same amount of publicity as those two, but Antonio Gordon is also having an impressive season in Oklahoma. The former Tulsa commit is averaging 26.2 points and 9.3 rebounds.
“He is kind of a versatile big guy, capable of doing a lot of things on the court,” Weber said. “He has had some huge games. In fact, Dajuan called me and asked, ‘How is he getting 45 points?’ He has had some big games where he scores a lot. The thing I have emphasized with him is he has still got to remember he is a big guy and rebound and do some of the other stuff.”
K-State’s four-person recruiting class currently ranks 38th nationally and sixth in the Big 12, according to both Rivals and 247 Sports.
Weber’s top priority, at the moment, is helping K-State find a way to stay on top of the conference standings with a victory at Oklahoma State on Saturday. And he doesn’t usually put much stock in recruiting rankings.
Still, he hopes those rising recruiting numbers are a positive sign for future seasons.
“All three of them have had good years,” Weber said, “and I guess it’s been rewarded that they moved up in the recruiting rankings.”