Marcus Johnson could give Kansas State a late-season boost from the 3-point line
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State forward Marcus Johnson earned an opportunity and hit five 3s vs. TCU.
- Coach Jerome Tang praised Johnson’s readiness after limited minutes.
- Good shooting and playmaking could earn him more minutes, despite defense.
Marcus Johnson’s first 22 games with the Kansas State men’s basketball team came and went without much of anything happening for the senior forward.
He scored a grand total of five points to go along with nine rebounds and one assist in 39 minutes of action.
For that reason, most K-State fans recognized the 6-foot-7 and 265-pound Johnson for his robust stature more than his talents on the hardwood.
Still, K-State coach Jerome Tang had a message for Johnson as he spent the vast majority of those games on the bench ... stay ready.
“His opportunity was going to come,” Tang said. “Every dude is going to get their opportunity, and Marcus has been ready for it.”
Johnson’s opportunity finally came during an 84-82 loss against TCU on Saturday. The Wildcats were down four players, and several members of their active roster were suffering from flu-like symptoms. Like it or not, that combination thrust Johnson into the lineup. He took advantage by knocking down five 3-pointers.
Few expected that kind of production from a player who was previously 1-of-13 on the season. Perhaps that is why a group of K-State fans began chanting his name during the first half at Schollmaier Arena.
He made the most of his moment.
“Personally, it is a big confidence boost,” Johnson said afterward. “I’m going to keep trusting in my work and keep staying in the gym.”
Both Johnson and his teammates knew he was in for a big game when he got a friendly roll on his first shot attempt. He launched a shot from beyond the arc, and the ball took several bounces on the rim before it fell through the net.
The Wildcats took that as a good sign.
“We see it at practice,” Tang said. “When Marcus makes that first shot, he sees it go in and it just gets easy for him. The rim gets big.”
Johnson fired away the next few times he touched the ball, as he did last season when he averaged 16.2 points per game at Bowling Green.
“As soon as that first one fell,” Johnson said, “I knew the next one was going to be money.”
K-State could use more games like that from Johnson. Not only did he knock down shots, but he also made some nice passes off the dribble and sent out three assists.
His defense and stamina need to be improved. But he has obvious potential on offense.
It will be interesting to see if he becomes a bigger part of the K-State game plan moving forward. His big game at TCU likely earned him more minutes, but Big 12 opponents know about him now. Can he have another strong outing after his name starts to show up on the scouting report?
He stayed ready. Now he’s ready for the next challenge.