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Ken Corbittken.corbitt@cjonline.com
Marcus Foster reflects on what went wrong at K-State
Dismissed from team two years ago, Foster excelling at Creighton
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Creighton’s Marcus Foster (0) drives past Villanova’s Eric Paschall (4) and Jalen Brunson (1) during the second half of a championship NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Big East men’s tournament Saturday, March 11, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Foster admits he made mistakes during his sophomore year at Kansas State, creating issues on and off the court that led to his dismissal from the team.
Foster, though, said he wouldn’t change a thing. He is now at Creighton, a unanimous All-Big East player and in the NCAA Tournament, ironically at the same site as K-State but assigned to different regions.
“I had to face some adversity with the circumstances I had at Kansas State and having to transfer to another school,” Foster said Thursday, a day before Creighton, the No. 6 Midwest Region seed, plays Rhode Island at Golden 1 Center. “Taking the year off (under transfer rules) was something I had never done in my career so I had to re-invent myself.
“I really just had to mature and become a better teammate, a better person on and off the court for my teammates. With that time off, it made me become a better person.”
Foster was one of the top freshmen in the nation at K-State in the 2013-14 season but it all fell apart his sophomore year. His success at K-State and the following summer at camps changed his attitude and work ethic.
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“I’ve matured,” he said. “College is a time to have fun, but you can’t have too much fun and my sophomore year I was having way too much fun and wasn’t focused on basketball. I’m figuring out how to balance everything and have an outside life and play basketball.”
Foster was suspended once during his sophomore season by K-State Bruce Weber and after the season he was dismissed from the team.
“He sent me a text message saying how this was the best for me and we have to go separate ways,” Foster said. “We met in person the day before and he was telling me that was the potential chance. I knew it was coming.
“I have no problem with him,” Foster said of Weber. “He has a job to do and I have a job to do and I wasn’t doing my job. The best thing for him to do was deal with the situation over there. There’s no hard feelings.”
Weber said it was a difficult decision but hopes it helps Foster in the long run.
“Marcus made some bad decisions and it’s what happened,” Weber said. “We did our best to try to help him and if I did something to help him in life by saying, hey, you’re not part of this program anymore and it hit a nerve and it helps him for his future, it’s a positive thing for him and I’m doing my job as a coach.”
Freshmen Malek Harris and Tre Harris were dismissed from the team at the same time as Foster, while freshmen Nigel Johnson and Jevon Thomas chose to transfer after a 15-17 season that began with the young, exuberant Wildcats talking about the Final Four.
“I think that team, we just wasn’t in it for each other,” Foster said. “I think we all had our individual mindsets of what we wanted to do and what we wanted to accomplish. The talent was definitely there on that team, I just didn’t think we brought it together as a team standpoint.”
Wesley Iwundu was the lone member of a five-member freshman class that made it four years at K-State, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.
“I just finished talking to him and trying to meet up with him,” Foster said of his former teammate. “Wes has always been my brother since the first day we got on campus.
“I know he’s excited about what Kansas State is doing so I’m excited they’re back in the tournament. I’m happy for D.J. (Johnson) and Wes.”
And Foster is happy how his career has evolved at Creighton — his second choice out of high school in Wichita Falls, Texas — averaging 18.3 points as a junior for the Bluejays (25-9).
“I think everything worked out for the best,” Foster said. “I wouldn’t be the player I am now if I didn’t have to go through that adversity.”
CAREER CONNECTION — Three of the eight teams in Sacramento have a common bond in Oregon coach Dana Altman, who also coached at K-State and Creighton.
“I spent seven years at Kansas State (assistant and head coach) and 16 at Creighton … I’m getting old,” said the 58-year-old Altman, who has been at Oregon for seven years. “I really enjoyed Kansas State. Two of our children were born there and it was a great seven years. At Creighton, the 16 years we spent there were really enjoyable.”
Oregon is the No. 3 seed in the South Region and a win over Iona could set up a Sunday matchup against Creighton.
“I haven’t thought too much ahead,” Altman said. “We have Iona (Friday) and that’s what we’re focused on, but those two places were really great to my family and myself and we really enjoyed our time there
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Ken Corbittken.corbitt@cjonline.com
Marcus Foster reflects on what went wrong at K-State
Dismissed from team two years ago, Foster excelling at Creighton
Comments
97 Share
Creighton’s Marcus Foster (0) drives past Villanova’s Eric Paschall (4) and Jalen Brunson (1) during the second half of a championship NCAA college basketball game in the finals of the Big East men’s tournament Saturday, March 11, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Foster admits he made mistakes during his sophomore year at Kansas State, creating issues on and off the court that led to his dismissal from the team.
Foster, though, said he wouldn’t change a thing. He is now at Creighton, a unanimous All-Big East player and in the NCAA Tournament, ironically at the same site as K-State but assigned to different regions.
“I had to face some adversity with the circumstances I had at Kansas State and having to transfer to another school,” Foster said Thursday, a day before Creighton, the No. 6 Midwest Region seed, plays Rhode Island at Golden 1 Center. “Taking the year off (under transfer rules) was something I had never done in my career so I had to re-invent myself.
“I really just had to mature and become a better teammate, a better person on and off the court for my teammates. With that time off, it made me become a better person.”
Foster was one of the top freshmen in the nation at K-State in the 2013-14 season but it all fell apart his sophomore year. His success at K-State and the following summer at camps changed his attitude and work ethic.
ADVERTISING
“I’ve matured,” he said. “College is a time to have fun, but you can’t have too much fun and my sophomore year I was having way too much fun and wasn’t focused on basketball. I’m figuring out how to balance everything and have an outside life and play basketball.”
Foster was suspended once during his sophomore season by K-State Bruce Weber and after the season he was dismissed from the team.
“He sent me a text message saying how this was the best for me and we have to go separate ways,” Foster said. “We met in person the day before and he was telling me that was the potential chance. I knew it was coming.
“I have no problem with him,” Foster said of Weber. “He has a job to do and I have a job to do and I wasn’t doing my job. The best thing for him to do was deal with the situation over there. There’s no hard feelings.”
Weber said it was a difficult decision but hopes it helps Foster in the long run.
“Marcus made some bad decisions and it’s what happened,” Weber said. “We did our best to try to help him and if I did something to help him in life by saying, hey, you’re not part of this program anymore and it hit a nerve and it helps him for his future, it’s a positive thing for him and I’m doing my job as a coach.”
Freshmen Malek Harris and Tre Harris were dismissed from the team at the same time as Foster, while freshmen Nigel Johnson and Jevon Thomas chose to transfer after a 15-17 season that began with the young, exuberant Wildcats talking about the Final Four.
“I think that team, we just wasn’t in it for each other,” Foster said. “I think we all had our individual mindsets of what we wanted to do and what we wanted to accomplish. The talent was definitely there on that team, I just didn’t think we brought it together as a team standpoint.”
Wesley Iwundu was the lone member of a five-member freshman class that made it four years at K-State, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.
“I just finished talking to him and trying to meet up with him,” Foster said of his former teammate. “Wes has always been my brother since the first day we got on campus.
“I know he’s excited about what Kansas State is doing so I’m excited they’re back in the tournament. I’m happy for D.J. (Johnson) and Wes.”
And Foster is happy how his career has evolved at Creighton — his second choice out of high school in Wichita Falls, Texas — averaging 18.3 points as a junior for the Bluejays (25-9).
“I think everything worked out for the best,” Foster said. “I wouldn’t be the player I am now if I didn’t have to go through that adversity.”
CAREER CONNECTION — Three of the eight teams in Sacramento have a common bond in Oregon coach Dana Altman, who also coached at K-State and Creighton.
“I spent seven years at Kansas State (assistant and head coach) and 16 at Creighton … I’m getting old,” said the 58-year-old Altman, who has been at Oregon for seven years. “I really enjoyed Kansas State. Two of our children were born there and it was a great seven years. At Creighton, the 16 years we spent there were really enjoyable.”
Oregon is the No. 3 seed in the South Region and a win over Iona could set up a Sunday matchup against Creighton.
“I haven’t thought too much ahead,” Altman said. “We have Iona (Friday) and that’s what we’re focused on, but those two places were really great to my family and myself and we really enjoyed our time there
