Freshmen Gordon, Murphy finding their place at K

Feb 08, 2024

Kansas State true freshmen DaJuan Gordon and Montavious Murphy, who lost five games between them during their entire high school senior seasons, aren’t used to this. K-State has lost six of its last nine games and the Big 12 Conference schedule is only beginning. It’s a learning process as the pair of young players try to fight their way through the grind.

Gordon, the No. 3-rated player in the state of Illinois, is averaging 6.5 points on 43.4% shooting with 3.1 rebounds in 21.8 minutes during 13 contests with the Wildcats.

Gordon lost two games his senior season and led Curie Metropolitan to a third-place finish in the Class 4A State Tournament.

“Going back to day one in high school, when you’re a freshman it’s learning from the seniors and upperclassmen at your school,” Gordon said. “Here’s it’s more harder. You don’t have experience so you don’t know what really to expect. It’s different than high school but it’s way harder than high school.”

Murphy, the No. 1 player in the city of Houston, is averaging 3.8 points on 34.8% percent shooting with 3.5 rebounds in 24.5 minutes while playing in just six games due to injury in Manhattan.

Murphy lost three games his senior season and led Concordia (Texas) Lutheran to the final four of the Class 6A State Tournament.

“As a freshman, you’re always looking up to the big guys and you know it’s going to be a process,” Murphy said. “You just take it one day at a time.”

This is all that K-State head coach Bruce Weber can ask from his young up-and-comers, who are a part of a transition year for the Wildcats.

Weber, 157-95 in eight years at K-State, has a culture of winning with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a share of two Big 12 regular season titles.

Weber believes at least one of these young guns will carry the torch in the leadership department either one, two, or three years down the road.

“I don’t think any doubt DaJuan will be one,” Weber said. “He’s even done it now. He speaks up quietly but he speaks up sometimes and I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll be a leader. Monta, I think he’s just going to be an example. I don’t think he has that personality or that confidence. Him and Antonio (Gordon) complement each other. One is very confident and the other one is very just solid and does what he supposed to every day.”

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For now, K-State, 7-6 overall and 0-1 in the Big 12, and off to its worst season start since 2001-02, searches for answers. Just as seniors Xavier Sneed, Makol Mawien and Pierson McAtee and junior Cartier Diarra share the front of the K-State basketball media guide, it appears the team leadership, too, is shared by many. There is assuredly no Barry Brown, in terms of production or personality, on this squad.

“All of the upperclassmen lead in a certain kind of way,” Gordon said. “X leads vocally and on the court because he plays so hard. Carti is the same way and Mike (McGuirl) is the same way. They all lead in a different kind of way. I feel like there’s no person that straight leads. Everybody is a guy I can talk to when I need help.”

Adds Murphy: “Everybody is being vocal and everybody wants to lead in a different type of way. Everybody has a different type of leading and it’s just different.”

Gordon’s time as a leader could be coming. Just not this year.

It’s become evident the role of leadership isn’t exclusive to one player this season.

“Xavier has been the most vocal of anybody, Carti puts in the time, Mak, there’s days when he practices really hard and is a good example of that, and Pierson quietly does a great job,” Weber said. “He cares so much about the team and the program. When they combine them all, you don’t have that dominant guy like Barry.

“When I mention what each one of them does, Barry did it all.”

Weber sees promising hints from Gordon, who followed up a 10-point performance against Marquette with a career-high 13-point effort behind a career-high three 3-pointers against Alabama State.

“He wants to do better, and do so well, and can get frustrated a little bit,” Weber said. “I just said to him, ‘How many minutes did you play yesterday?’ He said, ‘Twenty-seven.’ I said, ‘Go take a look around and see how many freshmen in the country are playing 27 minutes. You’re doing OK.’ Heck, he gives us a lot. There’s no doubt. And he always tries. He tries as hard as everyone. It might not always be perfect, but he tries.”

Gordon had eight points on 3-for-7 shooting and with 27 minutes saw the third-most action of any K-State player during a 66-61 loss at Oklahoma in the Big 12 opener on Saturday.

Murphy has seen limited minutes in the last two games after sitting out seven contests with a knee injury. He scored a career-high eight points against Monmouth. He had five at UNLV. Murphy cherished the opportunity to play in his first Big 12 game alongside his fellow freshmen. He had four points against the Sooners.

“We were having fun,” Murphy said. “The outcome wasn’t fun and there were a lot of nerves but when we got into the game it started feeling natural. We just got to move onto the next one.”

That will arrive when K-State faces TCU, 10-3 and 1-0, in Tuesday’s 8 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.

Gordon indicates that he’s finding his confidence — another step in the process.

“Yeah, now I’m just starting to see the game a little slower,” he said. “At first, it was really fast when I first started playing, but now it’s a little slower. I watch film a lot and I’m learning the game as far as what spots are open and if I can beat somebody to the basket, shoot a shot, or pass the ball.”

How much does that next step in growth excite Gordon?

“It just tells me,” he said, “that my future is bright.”

For now, Gordon and Murphy, who knew nothing but winning a year ago, buckle in for a grinding Big 12 season. They’re trying to find their way along with the rest of the Wildcats.