KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time in program history, Kansas State women’s basketball was selected as the Big 12’s preseason favorite to win the conference.
Every Big 12 conference member gathered in Kansas City, Mo. on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming season, including how the Wildcats garnered their preseason prowess.
For West Virginia head coach Mark Kellogg, the answer is simple: experience.
K-State returns four starters with at least three years of starting experience, highlighted by the Preseason Player of the Year, center Ayoka Lee.
“First and foremost, four of five starters are back — you’re talking about one of, if not the best post player in the country,” Kellogg said.
One of Lee’s competitors for the best post player in the country is Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. The stand-out sophomore had Lee on her mind first when thinking about centers she’s learned from.
“Ayoka Lee for sure was somebody that was really established,” Crooks said. “I was the new kid on the block, so getting that experience [against her] was huge.”
While Lee grabs the spotlight, All-Big 12 guard Serena Sundell shines just as bright in Kellogg’s mind.
“Serena Sundell is one of my favorite players in the league,” he said. “I just think that kid is so good, probably underappreciated … she is so talented with what she does.”
When Lee announced she’d used her remaining injury redshirt for a seventh year, it sent mixed reactions throughout the conference.
“There’s part of the … ‘Uh oh. Now we have to figure this game plan out again, which we couldn’t quite figure out even a year ago,’” Kellogg said. “The competitor in you wants to play against the best kids. That’s a great thing. Then there’s a part of you that goes, ‘You can go ahead and go, we’ve seen enough of you here.’”
Texas Tech’s Krista Gerlich agreed with Kellogg’s stance, jokingly saying her immediate reaction was “darn it.”
“But that’s good for her,” Gerlich continued. “I love the college game, I love that these girls are committed and want to see it through with their team. So I’m really proud of her.”
With such high expectations, one could expect Lee to feel the weight of the Wildcats’ success on her shoulders. However, head coach Jeff Mittie said that’s not who Lee is.
“She’s always where her feet are, and that’s what I’ve loved about her from the time she came in as a freshman,” Mittie said. “She’s just so grateful for the entire experience. She uses words as a young adult of thankful, grateful, appreciative, more than any kid I’ve ever coached.”
Part of the reason players like Lee stay committed to the Little Apple is the headman Mittie.
“I think he’s really good — a lot of people say, ‘Give him a clipboard, and he’s as good as it gets,’” Kellogg said. “Tons of respect for what he does, the coach he is and the type of team he has … It fits his personality, Manhattan and Kansas State. As a coach, that’s always the best thing.”
Kellogg is no stranger to Manhattan, despite entering just his second year at West Virginia, recalling a resounding 74-49 loss at Bramlage Coliseum in 2017 when Kellogg led Stephen F. Austin.
Bramlage lives vividly in Gerlich’s mind as well.
“I think [Mittie] has a great home court advantage as well, it’s really hard to play in Manhattan,” she said. “… I was really happy for K-State when they sold out the arena for the NCAA tournament, I think that’s fantastic.”
After the non-conference slate progresses from Nov. 4 to Dec. 18, K-State opens conference play on Dec. 22 at home against Cincinnati.
