Defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State opened up basketball practice today in Manhattan; making it a perfect time to evaluate Ten Things I'm wondering about K-State basketball.

I've shared this before, but I've got some first-hand experience hearing rival Big 12 conference coaches raving about Cartier Diarra and his ability to become a star if asked to be a lead guard and primary scoring option. I think that's exactly the role Diarra will be thrust into this season, and I'd personally be very, very surprised if he doesn't turn into a 15-plus points per game scorer and battle for All-Big 12 recognition this season.

Even if Diarra is a star, and possibly even K-State's leading scorer, Xavier Sneed is going to be a major, major factor, of course. When I talk about Sneed's role, what I'm thinking about is whether or not he elevates to the No. 1 option offensively (or No. 2, behind Diarra), if he's used as K-State's primary defensive stopper, and how many minutes he plays at the four. Sneed will be K-State's best, and most versatile, player, but how will he be used?

Shaun Neal-Williams has more experience in K-State's system, more size and length, greater athleticism, and hasn't had to deal with serious off-season injury, all advantages he should have in the point guard battle with junior college transfer David Sloan. Sloan, however, is a more natural point and has truly impressed his teammates and coaches, as he's recovered from injury and quickly gotten himself back into shape. Sloan has more progress to make from a health perspective and will likely start out behind Neal-Williams, but both are going to fight for minutes leading K-State's attack.

I'm not intentionally ignoring Mike McGuirl in this conversation, either. He's a very valuable piece, but I see him much more as a two or a three than a point guard.

K-State center Makol Mawien is one of the best defenders not only in the Big 12, but quite possibly in college basketball. His ability to switch onto smaller ball-handlers, force guards away from the basket (before quickly recovering) hedging on screens, and his general combination of athleticism, defensive IQ and willingness to work, make him extremely valuable on that end of the floor. He's a major reason why K-State is regularly one of the best defensive teams in the nation. What will his role be offensively, though, with Dean Wade gone? Mawien can step out and shoot the ball, even from three-point range; will we see more of that this year?

It's hard not to be excited about DaJuan Gordon, a four-star rated recruit, Chicago Player of the Year, U19 Team-USA participant, etc. Gordon is built to be a huge problem for teams as a shooting guard and small forward, plus K-State has tried him a little at the point, and I could even envision a scenario where he plays a small-ball four for brief stretches. I believe him to be closer to 6-foot-5 than he is 6-foot-3, and he's going to give K-State a lot of versatility. Gordon is going to be a factor as a true freshman. The question, of course, relates to whether that is as a role player, or that of a young star.

Every indication suggests K-State will give true freshman Montavious Murphy and Antonio Gordon every shot to earn minutes at the Wildcats' wide open four spot. Murphy has battled injury a bit through the off-season but should be good to go, while Gordon has remained healthy. Both fall into the category of stretch fours, with Gordon a better shooter/scorer but Murphy a better athlete and potentially ball handler/passer. Both are going to play, but will either be good enough, fast enough, to start at the power forward spot?

K-State's remaining bigs - Levi Stockard, James Love and Nigel Shadd - all are more traditional/center types. Mawien is a better fit as a four than any of these three, but either way depth is going to need provided at center. And, there will certainly be plenty of times where Mawien is joined on the floor by one of these names. Stockard, by far, has the most experience and production in his career of the trio. Love offers the most size, while Shadd the most athleticism. I feel confident Stockard will still see relatively regular minutes, the real question comes with what kind of steps Love or Shadd can make.

This is more a selfish curiosity, but what will crowds be like at Bramlage Coliseum early in the season? This is a program that, over the last two years, has been to the Elite Eight and then snapped rival Kansas' 14-year conference title streak to capture the Big 12 Championship (shared with Texas Tech) a season ago. At some point they've probably done enough to earn greater fan support early in non-conference play/while football is still taking place, and maybe we've arrived at that point?

K-State has a pair of Rivals150 members already committed in fast-rising four-star point guard Nijel Pack and three-star wing Luke Kasubke. The Wildcats may end up signing more than three players in this class, but at the moment there is only one spot - technically speaking - remaining.

The most likely name to fill that, at this very moment, would be another four-star, Rivals150 member in Orlando wing Selton Miguel, who is set to make his decision within the next week.

I'm interested to see where the media and coaches vote K-State in the preseason. Now, of course, preseason rankings have literally zero impact or influence on where you'll actually finish or what you can accomplish, but where will people land on this K-State team? Will there be faith in Bruce Weber and Chris Lowery, plus a core that returns successful, experienced players in Sneed, Mawien, Diarra and McGuirl? Or, will there be a belief Wade, Barry Brown and Kam Stokes were carrying things for the Wildcats? We won't have to wait long to find out. Until seeing the media predictions, I mean. A real answer will take quite some time to actually find.

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