The Kansas State Wildcats are coming off of a 44-38 win over Texas Tech. The Wildcats play at Oklahoma at 11 a.m. this Saturday.

Head Coach Bill Snyder
On what has changed for K-State to lead the Big 12 in turnover margin…

“Having more experienced players who can process information more quickly and consequently react faster because of their experience. Sometimes that is not all created by interceptions, but the idea that sometimes good pressure is put on the quarterback; we’ve created some fumbles just by catching the quarterback in the middle of the throwing motion. Jordan Willis comes to mind as having been a pretty decent pass rusher. He has made improvement in that area and has been responsible for a couple of turnovers. He just reacted quicker to certain things that has allowed his pass rush to become better. It is a matter of experience again. We’ve gotten our hands up and tipped passes, which created interceptions.”

On Jesse Ertz’s play against Texas Tech…

“He made some decent decisions. He brought the ball out when it was necessary to do so and ran the ball reasonably well. He threw the ball reasonably well during the course of the ballgame, especially in the first half. Some of the things that impeded our passing game in the second half didn’t all fall on his shoulders. He made some good decisions that just didn’t turn out good.”

On the play of offensive lineman Abdul Beecham…

“He has really come along and has done a nice job. I have been impressed with what he has done so far. He is becoming a physical player, as well as fundamentally he is good. He is just playing well.”

On D.J. Reed’s rise to being a starter during fall camp…

“It was going to be very competitive between Reed, (Cedric) Dozier and a couple other guys. Reed and Dozier surfaced rather quickly and were very competitive all the way up to the beginning of the season. I think they are guys with athletic abilities and have experience playing with other programs. It came down to who performed on the practice field the best. It was really a tight call, but Reed has adapted to the system quite well. He has had some difficulties, but he continues to make improvement, and I was really impressed with the interception that he made. It was how he read the scheme and broke on the ball, to make that quick decision. It shows that he is progressing with the system. Dozier played well for the time that he was in there too.”

On the impact of defensive scores…

“It would be a key element. It means a lot of things – it means you stopped a drive, gained field position, and it means you got points on the field which helps your offense out. It goes without saying that it is extremely valuable. The non-offensive touchdowns are monumental, whether through the kicking game or defense.”

On the impact of younger community college players making plays…

“I think it is significant to us, whether they are community-college transfers or out of high school, just finding the right people. Part of it is certainly the skill level, but there is a lot more that goes into it. I think that all of the young guys fit the criteria for what it is about to be a part of our program beyond the skill level – good guys, willing to work and have the discipline and values. That gives them the chance to be the players that their capabilities allow them to.”

On the development of Charles Jones…

“I think there are a number of things for Jones to be the complete running back that you would like, but I was pleased that he did run aggressively. He wasn’t dancing around to make something happen that just wasn’t there. A lot of guys get caught up in doing that sometimes. Sometimes we will have to get the one yard rather than the minus four, and line up and try it again. It takes maturity, and he is gaining that as we go. There are some other things that he will make improvements on. It was the explosiveness that which he ran that was significant and important for us.”

Sophomore Defensive Back D.J. Reed

On his performance against Texas Tech…

“I thought I made a lot of good plays, but I still have to get better. I gave up a 41-yard completion, so I have to work on that, just reading the receivers’ speed. The plays I watched, I was proud of myself and how I played on the two interceptions but the second one did not count.”

On facing Oklahoma Quarterback Baker Mayfield…

“Watching film on Baker, he is very versatile, he can get out of the pocket, extend plays, and he is very good on his feet. Our defensive line is going to have to do a good job containing him and make sure that he does not get outside the pocket because he is pretty mobile and can throw the ball too.”

Sophomore Offensive Lineman Abdul Beecham

On starting the game…

“My emotions were high. The first thing I did was call Mom and Dad back home and let them know I was starting. I just felt like all my hard work at practice during the week was starting to pay off. It was a good feeling.”

On his lack of experience…

“When I was running out there and seeing all those fans, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really it.’ I just thought about how this was my chance to be in the spotlight. I have to perform when needed and that is what I needed to do. That is what we have to do as a team to move forward.”

On his self-assessment of the game…

“I felt like I had a solid game. There are some things that I could have done better to help the team close the victory a little sooner. We are going to work this week to get those things corrected.”

Redshirt Freshman Defensive Tackle Trey Dishon

On Oklahoma’s offense…

“They have a lot of guys coming back on offense. They are pretty good up front. They are young, but they have a good combination of run and pass.”

On D.J. Reed…

“He comes in to work every week and he has been doing pretty good for us. He and Duke (Shelley) like to get after it. They like to compete in practice. They are coming along very well, and I think you will see a lot more improvements from them as the year go on.”

On Oklahoma’s running backs…

“They are both really good. I remember watching them when I was younger and watching them last year when they came here to play. They have strength and speed. They are a good run team, and I think that will be a good challenge for us.”

Redshirt Freshman Running Back Alex Barnes

On Abdul Beecham…

“He really played well in his first start. He did a good job of opening holes for Charles (Jones) and Dalvin (Warmack), so it was a good opening day for Beecham.”

On young defense playing well…

“They are doing as well as you can expect playing against the number on offense in the country that Texas Tech had. They did a really good job stepping up and made some really good plays.”

On getting the running game going…

“We are going to need another physical game from guys like (Abdul) Beecham. It is going to be a physical ballgame all the way around. We both like to run the ball and have a lot of playmakers on both sides. It should be an exciting game.”

————
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber and selected players met with the media on Mondayafternoon at its annual media day kickoff at the Ice Family Basketball Center.

The Wildcats, who are just a little over a week into practice, return nine lettermen and six players with starting experience in 2016-17, including All-Big 12 Third Team selection Wesley Iwundu and All-Newcomer honorees Barry Brown andDean Wade. Overall, the squad returns five of their top six scorers from last season, along with nearly 70 percent of their rebounding, assist, steal and minute totals.

K-State hosts the first of two exhibition games on Friday, October 28 against Division II foe Pittsburg State before officially tipping the season off at 8 p.m., on Friday, November 11 against Western Illinois.

2016 Kansas State Men’s Basketball Media Day Quotes
Head Coach Bruce Weber

On Kamau Stokes and dealing with his injury…

“When it happened first in the game he really did not do anything and he came to the bench. It was a free throw right after he did it and he kind of limped but he said he was fine. He sat down and a couple minutes later I said go back in the game. All of a sudden, you can see him grimace, he fell down and that was it. Even after the game, he said he was fine and said he could do anything. It was a tough setback for him and for us at the time. Any time that you get away from basketball for four or five months, when you do not play live, it takes a while to get back. The trip this summer helped us and really helped him. We have to be careful with him. Mentally he has to go through the fear factor. We obviously need him and we just got to be patient with him but he also has to work at it to get that knee back.”

On Dean Wade and his confidence…

“Last year I joked how good he was but I told you guys not to tell him. Now I have gotten to the point where I tell him that he is a good player. He got to believe that. I talked to his father after the scrimmage on Saturday and I told him that I think Dean is getting close to where he started to feel that he is a good player. He is in the gym. We always get the coaches, graduate assistants or managers, come in at night and they always text us when the players are in. There is a lot of nights when it is 9 at night and Dean is in here, shooting. That is a positive and a big step for him. I think his biggest step will be when we play good teams that have good power forwards or forwards. He has to remind himself that he is a good player and that will be his final step. He has played well. On Saturday (at the scrimmage) he was 4-for-6 from 3-point range and led us on the Play Hard Chart. I think he has been a pretty good factor I would say pretty much every day at the practices so far.”

On impressions with Wade’s development and what his next step is…

“The biggest thing when he got here was his body. He had to get stronger and put the weight on to deal with the physicality of college basketball and especially the Big 12. He started to make a lot of progress, but people forget that he had pneumonia. He practiced one day out of 14 and trying to play games. We had another setback, last spring, when he got the flu. Out of our four weeks of workouts he missed two weeks. More than anything, during that time he lost a lot of weight. It has been up and down and finally it looks like he is staying around 228-230 pounds. His bench press also has jumped up. The body was the first thing, the second is his confidence. Like I talked about, he is a good enough player, the confidence and his preparation has to be there. Then, just that “old man” understanding the game, knowing when to go, when not to. Being always under control, being in the zone all the time and it comes over the course of a time of being relax and confident. If he can take that step he will be one of the better players in the league.”

On importance to reach the postseason…

“It is very important for our program, our guys, especially seniors and there is no doubt about that. We were very close last year. When you really look at it whether is Kamau’s injury or the close games. We were probably three or four possessions away from being in the NCAA Tournament but we did not get there. Now after a year of experience, trip to Europe, adding a couple of guys, you hope that all adds up to having success and getting back in the tournament.”

On D.J. Johnson and his leadership…

“D.J. has been with us from the start. He has been through some positive things like winning the Big 12 Championship and going to NCAA Tournaments. Then, all the surgeries, boots and doubts but he has stayed very focused and worked very hard. He is making it through all the practices (so far) and it has been two years since he has been able to do that. He has done a really good job with his body, he is just a physical specimen, he is in shape, he is strong and lean. It all adds up when he is feeling good about himself.”

Senior Forward Wesley Iwundu
On getting to the NCAA Tournament this season…
“It’s high up there on our goal list. We know what we have to do this year to get there, so we’re preparing every day to get to that spot at the end of the year.”

On the Big 12 this season…
“It’s going to be a pretty even league this year. I’m pretty sure KU will be considered the top contender again, but it’s going to be a fight to get there, but we’re looking forward to it.”

On his responsibilities as a senior to keep this team on track…
“I kind of got used to my role last year, so this year I know what’s expected of me as a senior. D.J. [Johnson] and I need to lead the young guys and be that big help for them. We’re just ready to go out there and show everybody what we can do, and just kind of get to it this year.”

Senior Forward D.J. Johnson
On the pressure this senior season…
“It’s easier, especially when the younger guys come in ready to work and are really ambitious, just like Wes [Iwundu] and I. That makes it a lot easier, and we don’t think about it. I know when game time comes around, we’ve done everything we can to prepare ourselves to get a win, so I’m not too concerned about it.”

On what he took away from playing a full season last year…
“Another year of having those younger guys like Kamau [Stokes], Barry [Brown] and Wes [Iwundu] – well not so much Wes – but having those young guards and having another year under our belts will be a big help after looking around at our competition and seeing how much older they were. And now the time’s here, they’ve got a year under their belt, they continued to improve and got in the gym and shot, so I’m really excited for this season.”

On Kamau Stokes’ return…
“It will be nice to have him back; just another addition. Carlbe [Ervin] was a big help last year as well when Kamau went down and Carlbe has grown a lot too and gotten a lot better. But, it’s great to have Kamau back as well. Two true points guard are great to have.”

Senior Guard Carlbe Ervin
On his role this season…
“Finding Dean [Wade] and just helping other people get open shots, making free throws and hitting shots when I’m open.”

On this team’s goal of getting to the NCAA Tournament…
“I’m very confident. We have more depth and right now an eight-player rotation. We got a lot of people that know what they are doing now. And experience, D.J. [Johnson] is really, really healthy and Wes [Iwundu] is shooting the ball well. Everything is going well right now.”

On the most improved player since last year…
“Barry [Brown] is shooting the ball well and Wes [Iwundu] is shooting the ball really well. I don’t know, I honestly don’t know between them.”

Sophomore Forward Dean Wade
On what he took away from the trip to Europe…
“It just gave me confidence all around. You’re playing against guys that have been playing in the pros since they were like 16 years old over there. They know all of the tricks and trades, and just to go over there and compete and get a little head start before a lot of other teams do with the team practices over the summer, it just gave me a little boost – more than last year, a little bit of self-confidence this year.”

On his development heading into this season…
“I think a lot of it was in my mind. I just didn’t have self-confidence. This year I’ve just been working about getting my mindset right and getting stronger in the weight room. It was a hard process at first last year going from (Class) 2A to the Big 12, the toughest conference in the nation, but this year I feel like it’s all coming a lot easier for me.”

On if he accomplished his goals this offseason…
“If I didn’t, I think I got close to it. I worked hard almost every day. I think I could’ve gotten into the gym a couple more times than I did, but overall I think I had a pretty productive summer… My post moves, I worked on them hard. I was focusing on them all summer, trying to get them down, so when they switch on me, I can take guards into the post. I think I got everything down in the post that I needed to get down and a little extra.”

Sophomore Guard Barry Brown
On what he’s learned after one season…
“I think, just the in’s and out’s of college basketball and knowing what the coaches are expecting, knowing what it’s going to take to eventually win a Big 12 Championship and making it to the NCAA Tournament. The older guys tell us day-in and day-out what it takes because they’ve been there before. We’re trying to get to where they’ve been already. Just every day, they’re telling us about hard we’re working, the work that needs to be put in and the time outside of basketball on the court with film and stuff like that needs to be put in to get to that stage.”

On emulating Wesley Iwundu’s game and leadership…
“Wes is just a really hard worker. I think that alone makes the teammates around him want to work hard and get to the stage that he’s at right now … Just being more vocal and showing more action. He’ll say something and then actually show you how it’s supposed to be done so you have both of those things. Overall, he’s just a good teammate.”

On having success as a freshman…
“It was great. It was fun. It was a great experience. I’m sorry Kamau went down, but I got a lot more minutes and it was just a good experience to get some time under my belt coming into this next season.”

–www.k-statesports.com–

TOM GILBERT

Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State sophomores Byron Pringle and D.J. Reed were honored for their play in K-State’s 44-38 victory over Texas Tech as they were named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week and Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, respectively, the conference office announced Monday.

Pringle earned his second special teams honor this season (Missouri State), while Reed is a first-time honoree for newcomer of the week, which the conference began awarding this season. K-State has now earned five weekly conference honors this season asDominique Heath was also the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week following the Florida Atlantic game, while Elijah Lee earned the defensive award after the West Virginia contest.

Both Reed and Pringle had non-offensive touchdowns that factored prominently in the win over Texas Tech. With the game tied 7-7 in the first quarter, Reed jumped in front of a Red Raider pass toward the sideline and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. It was the Wildcats’ first pick-six since the 2014 Oklahoma game and K-State’s longest interception return since Dante Barnett had a 51-yard return against Michigan in the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

Right before halftime, Pringle returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, which quickly shifted the game’s momentum. The return touchdown was the first of his career, while it marked the nation-leading 12th straight season K-State has returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The return was also the 42nd combined kickoff- and punt-return touchdown since 2005, which leads the nation.

With the pick-six and return touchdown, K-State now has a nation-leading 104 non-offensive touchdowns since 1999, which also leads the nation.

K-State travels to Oklahoma this Saturday in an 11 a.m., contest that will be shown nationally on ESPN. The game can also be heard across the K-State Sports Network and on ESPN Radio.

 K-State’s Big 12 Weekly Honors

Florida Atlantic: Dominique Heath (Special Teams)

Missouri State: Byron Pringle (Special Teams)

West Virginia: Elijah Lee (Defensive)

Texas Tech: Byron Pringle (Special Teams), D.J. Reed (Newcomer)

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY

Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics