Brian Rohleder embraces scholarship and the responsibilities that come with it at Kansas State

Shortly after Kansas State’s basketball season ended with a thud in the opening game of the Big 12 Tournament last March, Brian Rohleder gathered a handful of mechanical engineering books and began studying inside the team’s hotel.

With spring break looming, there was no urgency to the academic session. He simply wanted a head start on his classmates, so the former Bishop Carroll standout and K-State redshirt senior guard studied into the night.

That work ethic, combined with a long list of academic accolades, earned him an internship with Koch Industries in which he was to work for an ethanol plant in Iowa this summer. But he was unable to accept it. Turned out, K-State basketball coach Bruce Weber was equally impressed by Rohleder’s on-court efforts, and, after four years of toiling as a walk-on, offered to award Rohleder a scholarship for his final season. The only catch: Rohleder had to stay in Manhattan this summer to help provide leadership for a young roster.

“I said ‘yes’ immediately,” Rohleder said Wednesday in an interview with The Eagle. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It is what I have been working four years for, to get on scholarship, and a nice way to end my career.”

Rohleder is the first walk-on to earn a scholarship since Weber was hired as coach in 2012.

“I think it has just been my daily commitment, coming in and pushing the other players,” Rohleder said. “I have also gotten a lot better in the process. Last year, I started to see more minutes and I think they appreciated my hard work.”

The promotion was the result of improvements in Rohleder’s game and roster defections.

Rohleder impressed enough during practices to play in 17 games and earn one start last season. Though his numbers – two points and six rebounds for the year – were low, Weber continually praised his high-energy style. When six underclassmen exited the team following a frustrating season, leaving Weber with too many scholarships to use on the recruiting trail, he offered one to Rohleder.

“He deserved it,” Weber said. “He has worked so hard. Not only is he a great example of what K-State is about with all his academic achievements, but on the court we really felt we need some leadership from our upperclassmen and with his work ethic and what he stands for we thought it was a no-brainer.”

Weber said informing Rohleder of the scholarship was a highlight of the spring.

“He was thrilled and he deserved to be,” Weber said. “He has worked as hard as anybody in our program the last couple years. We redshirted him (as a sophomore) thinking he was probably not going to play that year, but maybe he could be a sparkplug guy coming in as a fifth-year senior.

“Last year he had some moments where, in hindsight, you kind of wish you would have played him more. Maybe it would have helped us.”

Weber expects to use Rohleder more next season. With six newcomers and no double-digit scorers on the roster, starting spots and playing time are completely up for grabs. Rohleder thinks that will help the Wildcats as they attempt to bounce back from their first losing season in more than a decade.

As a scholarship player, he expects to contribute more than ever, particularly as a leader. But his work ethic will remain the same.

“I want the best for this team, and that means I have to keep working like I always have,” Rohleder said. “Nothing changes.”

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Brian Rohleder embraces scholarship and the responsibilities that come with it at Kansas State."