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Kansas State's Spradling hopes shooting slump is in the past
Published 2/7/2012 in Sports
By ARNE GREEN
Special to The Telegram
MANHATTAN — Will Spradling had an idea, even if nobody else did.
Mired in a four-game shooting slump with no end in sight after leading Kansas State in 3-pointers all season, Spradling was the least surprised of anyone when he suddenly snapped out of it.
"I felt a little more confident (because) I shot it real well in warmups," Spradling said Saturday after knocking down 4-of-5 3-pointers on the way to a team-high 19 points in the Wildcats' 64-53 victory over Texas A&M. "I could remember going through warmups and missing only like one three, so I felt really good before the game.
"I think that helped me a lot going into it."
It also helped the Wildcats, who with the help of Spradling and 13 second-half points from Angel Rodriguez, snapped a two-game losing streak to even their Big 12 record at 5-5 with an overall 16-6 mark. They play host to last-place Texas Tech (7-15, 0-10) at 7 tonight in Bramlage Coliseum.
Spradling, who went into the A&M game with a team-high 33 3-point goals and a 36.3 percentage outside the arc, was just 1-of-13 in his four previous outings. But Saturday's showing was as much a product of perseverance as coincidence.
"It felt good because I'd really been in the gym working on my shot a lot lately and it was nice to see it finally pay off and get my confidence back," Spradling said.
K-State coach Frank Martin's instructions for Spradling during the slump were simple.
"What I told Will here for the last five, six or seven days, it's not that his shot wasn't going in," Martin said. "You've still got to shoot.
"You've got to trust the fact that Jamar (Samuels) and all our other guys are going to go get offensive rebounds, which is what we do. Because we can't offensive rebound if our shooters don't shoot the ball."
Spradling's first 3-pointer against A&M could not have come at a better time. Naji Hibbert had just scored on a steal and layup that capped a 12-2 run that put the Aggies up 16-6 with 12 minutes left in the first half.
K-State's Thomas Gipson answered with a basket and was fouled, but missed the free throw. The Wildcats rebounded and got the ball in the left corner to Spradling, who drained the three, was fouled and completed a rare four-point play and a six-point possession.
Spradling made two more in the half as K-State closed to within one at the break, then scored seven points in the second period when the Wildcats pulled away.
"The only three I really missed was in and out and I felt like that was a good shot, so I'm going to keep the confidence and go into practice (Sunday) feeling good about myself and keep playing aggressive.
"I'm not going to relax like I did the last couple of games when I hadn't been playing well. I played passive."
He'll get no argument from Martin.
"My thing to him is, 'You've got to shoot the ball, man. I don't care if you miss, I really don't,' " Martin said. "If they're open, they're supposed to shoot.
"But when you're open and you don't shoot, you're hindering your team. I'll never take a player out for shooting a shot that he can make."
When K-State played Texas Tech on Jan. 25 in Lubbock, Texas, Spradling missed all five of his field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers. But it didn't matter since the Wildcats rolled to a 69-47 victory against an overmatched Red Raider team that is struggling under new coach Billy Gillispie.
Martavious Irving had 16 points off the bench and Rodney McGruder 13 to lead a balanced attack in that first meeting, while Jordan Tolbert scored 18 for Tech.
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