K-State's Bruce Weber still looking to fill open scholarship

When Ron Freeman left the Kansas State basketball team back in April, head coach Bruce Weber gained an extra scholarship for the 2016-17 season.

Weber tried his luck first with junior college forward Freddie McSwain. The Neosho County Community College transfer ultimately chose to become a Hoosier at Indiana University instead.

Weber rolled the dice again recently with Tyrek Coger. A 6-foot-9 forward from Cape Fear Community College, Coger was scheduled to visit Oklahoma State, K-State and Charlotte. But after his visit to Stillwater, he canceled his other planned trips and decided to become a Cowboy under new head coach Brad Underwood.

Now, with a little over four months until the season tips off, Weber still has yet to award the scholarship to anyone.

"We've still been looking and somebody popped up last week and we thought maybe we had a chance," Weber said at a media availability on Tuesday. "If something's there we'll fill it. Craziness happens in college basketball though. You just saw the young man from Nebraska leaving that late. Things happen."

As the Wildcats prepare for a summer trip to Europe, the possibility of adding a new face to the roster continues to loom over the program. That uncertainty might bother some teams and players. Does it bother K-State?

"No way," sophomore guard Barry Brown stated. "We'll always accept new guys, trying to fill those pieces we need for this next season. If we could bring in someone who would help us immediately, I would never be upset about that."

"Having another guy would definitely help," sophomore guard Kamau Stokes added. "But if we don't, then we don't. We just have to get it done. But if we do, it'd definitely help."

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, as the season crawls closer, those options outside of the current roster begin to drop off.  If Weber can't bring in someone from the outside, he likely will use the scholarship internally.

"I know there's been some consideration for (Austin) Budke getting that last scholarship if we don't find something," senior guard Wesley Iwundu said. "But I think the coaches just want to take their time and make sure it's the right piece because, in the past, things haven't always been the best with late additions. So I think we're just taking our time with that."

The 6-foot-6 senior walk-on from Beloit High School and Hutchinson Community College played in crucial game situations for the Wildcats last season, and even did so much for his team that Weber once proclaimed him a "miracle" for K-State.

Awarding a scholarship to a walk-on is in Weber's history. Just last season, former walk-on Brian Rohleder was given a scholarship.

It is a situation that has worked in the past and one that Weber feels comfortable pulling the trigger on.

"We're happy with the group we have," Weber said. "I'm very fortunate to have good walk-ons from Zach (Winter), to Austin, Mason (Schoen), Pierson (McAtee), and now Kade Kinnamon. We've got a good group and if we have the scholarship open, we'll definitely use it for one of those guys like we did with Brian Rohleder last year."

Source: K-State's Bruce Weber still looking to fill open scholarship