Ismael Massoud shines as unexpected hero of Kansas State’s win over Michigan State
When it became clear that Michigan State was going to fight until the bitter end of a thrilling Sweet 16 basketball game against Kansas State on Thursday it also became clear that the Wildcats needed an unexpected hero to emerge for them to leave Madison Square Garden with a victory.
Enter Ismael Massoud.
The junior forward made so many shots against the Spartans that it seemed like his right arm had turned into a flamethrower.
Hyperbole aside, Massoud truly was red hot for the Wildcats as they found a way to defeat Michigan State 98-93 in overtime. He made four-three pointers, one free throw and then a fadeaway jumper that gave his team a 96-93 advantage in overtime.
“When I’m locked in like that and I’m making shots, I try not to think about anything,” Massoud said. “But I remember when I made my first one I was like, ‘OK, if I can get a couple other of these to go down I’m going to keep knocking them down.’ That’s exactly what happened.”
Call him “Swish” Massoud
The Harlem native has been more than just a valuable role player for the Wildcats during the NCAA Tournament. He hit a game-altering three against Kentucky in the Round of 32 and then drained shots like Steph Curry against Michigan State.
Several of his three-pointers were from NBA range. On one of them, he dribbled free from a defender and stepped back behind the line before hurling a shot that appeared to have no shot at falling through the net. And yet, it ended up as a swish.
He put on a show in front of his friends and family in his hometown.
“I was just trusting the work I have put in,” Massoud said. “It’s all about the work you put in in the dark when no one is watching. If you do that you’re going to shine when the lights are on. I put in the work and I deserve moments like that.”
It hasn’t always been this way for Massoud.
He entered this game averaging only 5.1 points per game. But he hits nearly 40% of his three-pointers. When teams leave him open, he is capable of scoring in bunches.
It’s getting hard to remember there was a time when K-State coach Jerome Tang didn’t like playing Massoud because he was considered a liability on defense.
“Ish decided that he wanted to be a part of this thing,” Tang said. “He wanted to contribute and he knew he could contribute. Then we both started to see the game the same way. He’s looked at it through my eyes and I’ve done a better job of looking at it through his eyes, because he’s got some talent, some serious talent. As a coach I needed to figure out a way to make sure he had an opportunity to display that.”
Massoud was at his best in the final minute of overtime when he drained an important jumper with the game on the line.
That is not usually his shot. He prefers to shoot from deep or right at the rim. He doesn’t have much of a mid-range game. But the Wildcats trusted him in that moment. He delivered.
“I told him there were only four seconds on the shot clock, so if he got it he needed to shoot it,” Tang said. “We set up the play to get an action on the backside. There was an action on the front side first so then we looked to the back side, and I’m glad he was able to hit that shot.