K-Stated

It can be said with certainty.

Kansas State is concerned about its perimeter game.

The coaching staff is seeking shooters, anything to avoid a repeat of the 0-for-13 embarrassment K-State tossed up from long range in its second-round loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.

But Wednesday’s commitment from Hutch center Abdul Herrera - the first pledge in the Class of 2008 - only adds depth to the frontcourt.

“He’s excited,” Hutch coach Ryan Swanson said Thursday. “It’s a good opportunity for him. He has known Frank for a long time. Frank originally recruited him to Cincinnati, and he knows what Abdul can and can’t do.

“… They’re not recruiting him to replace Mike Beasley or Bill Walker. They’ll probably bringing him in to play five, six minutes a half. He’ll do whatever they ask him to do.”

Herrera, who averaged about seven points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes per game for Hutch, is likely the only big K-State will land.

The focus is squarely on the backcourt, specifically wings that can shoot.

According to Art Alvarez, the head of the Miami Tropics, Isaac Sosa fits the description.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his only season of high school basketball at Grandview Prep in Boca Raton, Fla. Raised in Puerto Rico, Sosa was largely ignored by most schools because he transferred so late to Grandview.

“He’s a stud,” Alvarez said. “The problem is, nobody knew about him. He couldn’t play high school, and he didn’t travel (during the summer). He never played AAU basketball until now.”

At last week’s Kingwood Classic, Sosa blew up with the Tropics. He’s no longer a secret.
He already has offers from K-State, Washington State and Colorado - “(Jeff) Bzdelik has been to my house twice already,” Alvarez said. The coaches are smitten with Sosa’s basketball IQ, which Alvarez insists is off the charts.

“He’s a big-time shooter and he’s only 18 years old,” Alvarez said. “He’s the type of kid Frank (Martin) loves.”

Because of the pre-existing relationship between Alvarez and the K-State coach, there is a natural connection. Plus, the K-State presence of Luis Colon and Denis Clemente, two former Tropics, doesn’t hurt.

“I love Frank to death,” Alvarez said. “I’ve known him forever… We’ll give Frank every opportunity. He’ll always have carte blanche with us… But it needs to be the right fit.”

Buchi Awaji, the 6-foot-3 wing from Citrus College who averaged 16.5 points and made 55 percent of his field goals this season, which includes 40 percent from three-point range, is currently in Manhattan. A source indicated that Awaji was enjoying his visit, and it’s been made clear how much of a priority he is.

And there’s a new name to add to the mix - Varez Ward, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from the Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C.

Ward committed to Cincinnati in March, but he backed out of his pledge recently; interesting, that left the Bearcats scrambling. When I was talking Thursday to Swanson, the Hutch coach said UC coach Mick Cronin was in the gym checking out Bobby Maze, the former OU guard who is still looking for a home. Maze had given his word to Maryland, but the Terps balked, claiming they couldn’t get Maze admitted - but somehow Tyree Evans could be cleared? Anyway, Cronin was on the case, joined by Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. And before anyone wonders why K-State or any other Big 12 school isn’t involved, Swanson said Maze would have to sit out another year if he remained in the conference.

Sorry for the tangent…

The word on Ward is that K-State is going to try to get involved because he’s wide open again.

Here was the scoop from an ESPN report in early February:

“This post-grad player plays very hard whenever he takes the court. Ward has tremendous quickness, leaping ability and hang-times, making him a very effective penetrator. He also has good strength, allowing him to withstand a blow in the paint and still finish successfully at the rim, plays good defense, using his lateral foot speed and strength to bother opposing guards and has good passing ability and vision. His jump shot, though the weak area in his game, has improved dramatically since the summer. He will need to continue his work on his jumper for the next level.”

Patterson School coach Chris Chaney elaborated.

“He was one of the cornerstones for our team,” Chaney said. “He can play either guard spot. He’s a real tough kid with a high basketball IQ, very athletic. He just knows how to play. He’s a winner-type of kid.”

As for the Cincy de-commitment, Chaney explained that Ward simply wasn’t feeling the Bearcats 100 percent.

“He wants to see what’s out there, see who needs his position,” Chaney said.

As for the outside stroke, Chaney said Ward’s isn’t the greatest, that it’s not the best part of his game.

“But he can shoot it,” the coach said, adding that Ward was either the team’s second- or third-leading scorer. “Everything else he does is so good… He’s not a bad shooter. He’s a streaky shooter. He can beat you off the dribble, and that makes everything so easy for him.”

Chaney said Ward hasn’t qualified yet, but the coach anticipated that happening soon.

As for Montrell McDonald, I can only go on what kids tell me. He told me this morning he hadn’t made up his mind. I reported what he said. I can live with what I reported.