‘He’s got the heart of a lion:’ freshman DaJuan Gordon emerging as K-State’s leader
Shortly after Kansas State lost its third straight basketball game against Texas on Saturday, Wildcats coach Bruce Weber made sure to point out a few positives that could easily go unseen by anyone watching this team from afar.
The biggest was DaJuan Gordon, a freshman guard who played hard to the end against the Longhorns and finished with nine points and five rebounds.
“He’s got the heart of a lion,” Weber said. “I think he is slowly but surely going to become our leader.”
It might not be a good thing for the Wildcats that their coach is praising the leadership qualities of a rookie role player from Chicago who hasn’t started a game since arriving in Manhattan while averaging 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. That actually explains a lot about why K-State (7-8, 0-3 Big 12) is off to its worst start in 18 years.
But Weber seems willing to lean even more heavily on Gordon as the Wildcats prepare for a 7 p.m. Tuesday home game against Texas Tech, saying there’s a decent chance he will be in the starting lineup.
That’s how much Gordon proved to Weber with his hard play against Texas. When the game was over, Weber said Gordon had “a swollen eye” and “bumps and bruises,” but he still looked ready and willing to play another 40 minutes.
“He loves to play and I sensed from the beginning he has got that determination thing and that grit,” Weber said. “He competes all the team. He always tells the coaches we need to do more competitive drills. He just loves it. He loves the game and he is starting to (lead). I think everyone is frustrated. We haven’t won and he wants to win, so he is speaking up a little more, which is a positive thing. And he is backing it up with his play.”
Gordon is starting to become one of K-State’s most dependable reserves. He is averaging seven points and four rebounds while seeing 27 minutes of action in Big 12 games.
This season hasn’t gone quite as well as some expected for him when he signed with the Wildcats as a four-star recruit. But he is starting to figure some things out, especially behind the scenes.
“DaJuan does a great job of coming in and pushing everybody, even as a freshman,” K-State senior Xavier Sneed said. “Just talking and being as vocal as he is, he does a great job of coming out and competing every day.”
When asked if he expected to take on a leadership role with the Wildcats as a freshman, Gordon replied bluntly.
“Yes,” he said. “That’s just me being myself. I have always been a leader so I am trying to lead on the court.”
No one asked him to step up in the leadership department.
“I am just tired of losing,” Gordon said. “I have to try and push my guys in a certain kind of way.”
K-State could use even more from Gordon moving forward. Starting shooting guard Mike McGuirl has lost his shooting rhythm in recent games and the Wildcats haven’t eclipsed 70 points in more than a month.
Gordon has provided a boost with defense, put backs and mid-range buckets, but he could help most by making a few three-pointers.
He is still developing as a player, but Weber likes what he has seen from Gordon so far.
“He wants to win,” Weber said. “He keeps texting me that ‘We are going to win, Coach. We are going to win. That is the difference between average players and really good players.”