Trice commits to K-State

Kansas State has now secured two names for the Class of 2018.

St. Louis guard Shaun Williams had already signed with K-State, and now the Wildcats have also secured the verbal pledge of junior college forward Austin Trice.

Trice committed after his official visit to Manhattan this week.

Trice is a 6-foot-7 rebounding machine from Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. He’s eligible right away and has two seasons left to play in Manhattan.

Kansas State defeated Illinois, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Washington State for Trice's services.

The main skill that he will add to Bruce Weber’s program immediately is his tenacity and effectiveness on the glass. Some players rack up rebounding stats due to sheer size or even being in the right spot at the right time. What differentiates Trice, and why his rebounding numbers could translate, is the instincts he has around the basket and his activity level.

He’s not doing it with sheer size or picking his spots. He’s able to rebound out of his area with regularity. He’s going after balls and grabbing ones that aren’t meant for him.

Simply, what he can contribute is what Kansas State was missing during its tournament run.

Figuring out how Trice fits into the defensive picture in terms of constructing lineups will be interesting, but he can provide short spurts of immediate impact right away.