Newcomers a welcome addition to Kansas State basketball locker room

Change has never been more evident within Kansas State’s basketball team.

Eight players from last season’s roster are gone. Five new players have arrived. It’s only June, not even a week since freshmen and transfers were allowed to report for summer school, and already everything feels different.

“We have got a lot of new guys, a lot of fresh faces. We are basically a brand new team,” said senior guard Brian Rohleder. “I don’t know if I have ever heard of a team that had that much turnover in an offseason, but I can’t say it was unexpected after the season (15-17) we had and the problems we had in the locker room.

“Something had to change, and so far the changes have been good. Just from what I have seen from the new guys, they are going to work hard and do things the right way. I think the team dynamic will be a lot different this year.”

K-State basketball coach Bruce Weber agrees.

When five members of the 2015 recruiting class — St. John forward Dean Wade, guard Barry Brown, guard Kamau Stokes, center Dante Williams and guard Carlbe Ervin, a junior-college transfer — began working out and playing pickup games with the Wildcats’ returning players, he noticed a change immediately.

For example, he requested the entire team play half a dozen pick-up games a day this week. They have averaged about 10.

“The young guys aren’t scared, and that is a positive thing,” Weber said. “There is no messing around. That is what summer is for, kind of building that chemistry and that togetherness. We need that. That is the first thing I addressed this summer.

“We need the older guys. We can’t have a division between older and younger if we are going to win. We have too many young guys. The old guys have to help them out. They all need to come together if we are going to have the success that we expect.”

That success will rely heavily on K-State’s newest players.

In most years, Weber says he would pressure a portion of his newcomers to contribute in a meaningful way. This year, he has high expectations for all six — incoming freshman forward Isaiah Maurice will graduate from prep school later this month and is expected to arrive in July.

“Usually, if you can get 40 percent of them to do something you have got a pretty good class,” Weber said, “but in this case we might need half of them to give us something. I’m talking solid stuff, not just two or three minutes.

“Obviously, the point guard position, we need those guys to be major factors and we need some scoring. I think Barry can score and Dean can score. Then you throw in the mix Dante with his length. We will just have to see if he can catch up to everything.”

Brown, Ervin and Stokes will be asked to do the most. The Wildcats don’t return a scholarship point guard, so it is up to them to lead K-State’s backcourt.

They all seem up for the challenge.

“A lot of toughness and a lot of things on the court,” said Ervin of what he will bring this year. “I work hard. Hopefully I rub off on some of these freshmen. I bring a lot.”

“I want to be vocal and push the ball up the floor,” Stokes said. “And to play tough defense. That is how we are going to win games.”

“We still have a chance to be good,” added Brown. “No one is really looking at Kansas State anymore. Marcus Foster left. But we will still be a good team. We just have to push each other in practice.”

That has not been a problem. K-State did not have a true ball-handler before this batch of players arrived. Nor did it have inside depth with D.J. Johnson just now rejoining drills after missing 13 months with a broken foot and Brandon Bolden still recovering from a broken wrist. So K-State’s returning players welcomed them with open arms.

The newcomers adapted quickly.

“I want to be somebody that can stay focused and keep everyone focused on the team,” Wade said. “Last year, everyone said they weren’t as focused as they were the year before. We just have to stay focused.”

Change is evident, but things are quickly starting to feel normal.

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 8:37 PM with the headline "Newcomers a welcome addition to Kansas State basketball locker room."