Kansas State basketball transfers have surpassed Bruce Weber’s early expectations

Kansas State men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber did something this spring that he has never previously tried during his nine years with the Wildcats.

He infused the roster with transfers.

Not just one or two. Weber brought in three veteran newcomers who look capable of making a major impact next season: stretch forward Ismael Massoud (Wake Forest), point guard Markquis Nowell (Arkansas-Little Rock) and combo guard Mark Smith (Missouri).

Weber has been pleased with three since the day they signed scholarship papers with the Wildcats, but it was difficult for him to know everything about them with COVID-19 restrictions preventing them from visiting campus or simply talking face to face.

Now that they are living in Manhattan, and he has gotten an opportunity to coach them for nearly a month, his optimism has done nothing but climb.

“We have been very, very fortunate with our additions,” Weber said during a phone interview this week. “They have been better than even I expected.”

A physical, versatile guard

Mark Smith was the first transfer to join the Wildcats. His decision was made easy because of the history he has with Weber and his coaching staff. Smith strongly considered K-State before he played for both Illinois and Missouri. He was also the first of K-State’s transfers to arrive on campus, as he moved to Manhattan shortly after his classes ended at Mizzou.

“Mark is the oldest one,” Weber said. “We know him and we have been around him. He has played basketball at a high level with two other high-major programs. I think his physicality and his versatility as a player have been impressive.”

His biggest challenge thus far has been adjusting to the way Weber runs practice.

The basketball terminology is different at K-State than it was at Missouri and Illinois before that. Their styles are also not identical. Weber says Smith is still learning and trying to get caught up in that area of the game. But everything else is going well.

Smith averaged 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds, while shooting 31.5% from three last season, but he was more productive in previous seasons.

Weber hopes a fresh start will bring out the best in Smith. He can envision Smith playing both guard positions and spending time on the wing.

“He gives us a big, physical guard who can shoot the basketball,” Weber said. “The thing he really wants to do is expand his game a little bit and handle the ball a little more. Maybe he won’t be a point guard, but he will get more opportunities to make things happen and create plays.”

Green light from three

Here’s a question Weber has been thinking about since Markquis Nowell arrived on campus.

Will he grant the 5-foot-7 guard permission to shoot three-pointers from way out near half court, the same he did at Arkansas-Little Rock?

He’s starting to formulate an answer.

“I don’t know if I will let him do it all the time,” Weber said, “but he can make those shots.”

K-State’s social media team shared a video of Nowell effortlessly draining a string of three-pointers at a recent practice, and Weber said he was every bit as impressed watching Nowell shoot live as fans were viewing the footage on their phones.

“His shooting ability is amazing,” Weber said. “He works really hard and you can tell he just loves the game. He is one of those kids who wants to prove it and show you that he is good.”

The Wildcats have needed a sharp shooter in recent years. Last season, they were the worst shooting team in the Big 12 and only made 29.6% of their three-pointers. Nowell should help them immediately upgrade in that area. He shot 36.6% over three seasons at his previous school.

Weber is intrigued to see if Nowell can also help K-State in other ways.

“He has still got to learn some things,” Weber said. “I think he is figuring out that the size and physicality at this level is different than what he has experienced before.”

A real nice addition

Weber wasn’t sure if he wanted to bring in a third transfer during the offseason, as the Wildcats were returning 13 scholarship players without one. But he decided to roll the dice on a mega-sized roster when he watched video of Wake Forest transfer Ishmael Massoud.

He thought the 6-foot-8 forward was too good to pass on.

All of K-State’s newcomers have impressed Weber in various ways, but Massoud seems to have surpassed expectations the most.

“He is really talented,” Weber said. “He can shoot the basketball and he’s got length. He has been better than I even thought. He can do a lot more things, even post up a little bit. He has been a real nice addition to our group.”

Massoud averaged 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds while playing much of his sophomore season out of position at center at Wake Forest.

Don’t forget about the freshmen

Maximus Edwards and Logan Landers are also on campus and making a positive first impression as freshmen.

Edwards, a three-star guard, hasn’t been able to do much of anything on the court, as he continues to recover from a leg injury that required surgery. But Weber says he can already tell he is “a great kid with a great attitude.” He thinks he will have “a great motor.”

Weber says Landers, a three-star forward, is a better shooter than most forwards his size. He has also been impressed by his speed.

“They are both growing up right now,” Weber said, “ but they are going to do good things for us.”