Kansas State Basketball Player Preview: Brandon Bolden

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Well folks, color me crimson and blue, because I’m actually counting down to basketball season. K-State’s football team is sitting at 2-3 without a conference victory, and I’m angry. However, I’m not giving up on the year – I still believe K-State outplayed Oklahoma State and know this is still a bowling team. Yet that doesn’t change the fact that hardwood season is approaching quickly. In light of this fact, The Jug will be previewing K-State’s roster over the next month until NCAA play gets underway with a tip-off against Northern Colorado on November 8. Up first, we have a transfer from Georgetown University, Brandon Bolden.

Bolden made the decision to transfer from Georgetown to K-State in May following a freshman season in which he didn’t see a lot of action. As per NCAA rules, Bolden will be required to sit out his first year on campus. However, he still has redshirt eligibility and will take advantage of it, leaving him with three years of eligibility starting in 2014.

Bolden possesses the quality coach Bruce Weber is searching for more than anything else – size. He is 6’11” and displays decent mobility at the forward position. Bolden played in just four games and had five cumulative minutes during his year at Georgetown. However, he was forced to fight for playing time on a roster with four centers and four additional forwards that stood at least 6’8″. The Sumter, SC native was a three-star recruit and sought after by several big name programs coming out of high school. He held offers from Baylor, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, VCU, and Virginia Tech before choosing the Hoyas.

Bolden will be a welcome addition to the Wildcats, who remain in desperate need of big men following the graduation of starter Jordan Henriquez and transfer of Adrian Diaz. The raw report on Bolden is that he’s, well, really raw. He’s failed to demonstrate the basketball specific skills that make great offensive players, but has incredible athleticism and should be able to make plays based on his pure strength and leaping ability. This is the key characteristic that K-State asks of almost all its big men, and hopefully he adds another layer of toughness to Bruce Weber’s squad.