K-State takeaways: Freshman forward Antonio Gordon steals show in exhibition victory
The Kansas State Wildcats defeated the Emporia State Hornets 86-49 in their basketball exhibition opener on Friday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Here are some observations from the game, which served as a warm-up for K-State as it prepares for its first contest of the regular season against North Dakota State on Nov. 5:
Fantastic freshmen
Veteran K-State forwards Makol Mawien and Levi Stockard started inside for the Wildcats on Friday, but they were both outshined by a pair of freshmen.
Antonio Gordon and Montavious Murphy wasted no time making an impact and lit up the stat sheet in their exhibition debuts.
“God, what a start for them,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “They play so hard.”
Gordon, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Lawton, Okla., did a little bit of everything on offense on his way to 16 points and seven rebounds. He looked comfortable down low, on the perimeter and in transition. Gordon drained a pair of corner threes and made several contested shots inside, including a pair of impressive dunks in the second half.
“I just trusted my ability,” Gordon said. “The coaches trusted in me and put me in the game so I went out there and played with energy.”
A former three-star recruit, Gordon was an accomplished scorer in high school last season. It seems like that talent translated to the college level, even though he says the game is still moving faster than he would like.
“His activity (was great),” Weber said. “He is a very confident young man, very loose. If he is going to continue to make strides he has got to be a little more disciplined in some of his stuff, but he is confident. He can score. He can do a lot of things. It was very positive.”
Murphy, a 6-8 freshman from Spring, Texas, came off the bench and scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double. He was at his best driving to the basket and playing defense, but his shot selection could use some work. He only made 2 of 10 attempts.
Many have wondered what the Wildcats will do to replace the departure of Dean Wade at the four this season. Perhaps they have more talent and depth at that position than originally thought.
It was only an exhibition game against a Division-II opponent, but Gordon and Murphy looked ready to contribute. They combined for 26 points and 18 rebounds.
“All the butterflies are finally gone,” Gordon said. “Before the game we had pregame jitters, because it was the first time we were playing in front of a great fan base. So we were definitely excited at the same time to get out there. I think that’s out the window now. We will be ready to go in our next game.”
Williams suspended indefinitely
The Wildcats were without three scholarship players on Friday.
Two of the absences were expected, as junior forwards Nigel Shadd and James Love are both dealing with injuries. The other was not.
Sophomore guard Shaun Williams watched Friday’s game from the bench in street clothes. Why? Weber said he was suspended for failing to “take care of business” off the court.
“He is suspended,” Weber said. “We will just see how things go and when I feel like he deserves to get back in there. He has got to have a great attitude and we will progress as it goes along. It’s a challenge for him to stay focused and do what he needs to do to get better, because we still can use him. He’s talented.
“It’s a shame, but you have got to do what you need to off the court. Hopefully he will grow and learn from that.”
Weber said Williams won’t play in K-State’s next exhibition game against Washburn.
“He has got to take care of business over the course of time and then we will make a decision,” Weber said. “He is not going to play right away. I can tell you that. He’s not going to play Wednesday. We will see how it goes after that.”
The need for Sneed
Xavier Sneed has clearly stepped into a leadership position for the Wildcats.
The senior wing was the most assertive player on the roster at the beginning of the game and then again coming out of halftime when his teammates needed an energy boost.
Sneed opened the game with a corner three and hit another outside shot to put K-State on the board at the start of the second half.
He finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. It’s clear he will be K-State’s go-to scorer early on and maybe even all season.
Block party
Cartier Diarra appears to have expanded his defensive skills.
The junior guard put his elite jumping ability to good use and made a pair of Emporia State players look silly trying to score on him off the dribble. On both occasions, he let his man attack the basket and attempt an off-balance shot and then leaped high into the air for for a block.
He finished off both rejections in style by forcefully sending the ball out of bounds. Diarra also had nine points and five rebounds, so it was a nice all-around effort for him.
Fast start for Sloan
Junior-college transfer David Sloan looks like he will be ready to help the Wildcats at point guard this season.
The K-State newcomer came off the bench and contributed eight points and six assists. His best play might have come late when he sent a perfectly placed bounce pass to Pierson McAtee for a transition dunk.
Sloan is a pass-first player, but he also showed some touch from the perimeter and drained a pair of three-pointers in this game.
This story was originally published October 25, 2019 at 10:05 PM.