Monthly Archives: December 2007

Mama Sayz (12/27)

Dec. 27, 200710:59 a.m.

My Christmas wasn’t nearly as exciting as this, although I did use the last of my remaining vacation time. Sounds like Mrs. Smith had some fun during the holiday:

Well, everyone, the holiday has come and gone and once again I have survived it without any scars. Let me go over some of the “highlights” of the week…

First of all, Tiffany is true believer in Mr. Claus. She noticed that everyone in the house had a Christmas stocking (or, as she calls it, a Christmas “sock”) but her Mommy, and this really bothered her. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the true reason I didn’t have a stocking is because I am the “mystery stocking stuffer.” I didn’t realize how much it bothered her until I got up on Christmas Eve and saw her solution for what seemed to be her biggest problem of the season. She actually got one of her socks that she had on the day before and tucked it in the grids above the fireplace! Now that was even funnier than the never-ending Christmas tree. I still get a chuckle when I think back on it.

I was one of the few people in Manhattan (outside of retail, of course) who had to drag my sleep deprived body in to the office for work, so that left little time to prepare for those last-minutes surprises for the upcoming festivities. Poor Calvin had just come in from an eight-day road trip for work and I immediately dragged him out to the kiosk that was going on in EVERY store in the area. He was good about not putting up a fuss. Maybe it was because he knows that when he’s on the road, I’m home with his “little GUMDROP” a.k.a. Ms. Tiffany. All in all, the stores were just like I expected – you just have to have a game plan which gets you in and out of the store in one piece, which means you may have to keep an eye out for the folks that you may run into who will talk your head off until New Year’s and head in the opposite direction. That’s it and that’s all!

Normally we would spend Christmas Eve at my sister Mona’s house with friends and family, where everyone always wanted to participate in our famous gift exchange, where you could get something very nice or you could end up with something that would make you re-think the whole Christmas thing. Like the time I opened up a beautifully decorated Nordstrom’s box only to find a plate of old chicken bones that Mona had eaten earlier in the day. Yuck! Even though it sounds disgusting, which most times it was, we couldn’t wait to play year after year. This year we obviously couldn’t continue our traditional family gathering but we had a great time with a few of our new-found friends and their family, who invited us over for dinner – minus the gag gifts of course. We had such a good time just being around people who weren’t plotting to see who could come up with the worst gift, and the food was so good that I’m still thinking about it.

After arriving back home, we decided to open presents. Now you see, I have some VERY nosy kids and they try to shake and feel presents that are under the tree with their names on them, so a few years ago I starting writing one kid’s name on another kid’s present. That was always funny because I would never remember whose gift was actually in the box until it was opened – one year Malik opened one of Mychaela’s boxes from Victoria’s Secret and was very unhappy, to say the least. This year, since two of my roommates where M.I.A., I changed things up a little to keep some of the excitement (for me, any way) that we had at Mona’s in the previous years by purposely giving everyone someone else’s gift. The looks on their faces were priceless! They had all turned in their letters to Santa (except Lil’ Mike) so I could have an idea as to what they would like and it worked like a charm.

Mychaela asked for a trip back east and a digital camera, and if she could only have one she’d rather be packing her bags. So when she opened her boxes and found shoes and clothes with miniature personal hygiene items stuffed in her Christmas “sock,” she had a look on her face that screamed, “Is this it?!”

Dymond asked old St. Nick for the new SideKick LX in the “nifty” blue color, which is precisely how he described it to Santa… And he had the same look on his face as Mychaela when he opened up a new digital camera in the “nifty” bronze color. The only difference was that he said “thank you” and sounded genuine, unlike Mychaela.

Calvin has been eyeing a cigar travel bar made by Max Benjamin which was advertised in the Cigar Aficionado magazine, and when I tossed him a gift card holder that was definitely too small to hold anything related to a cigar except for maybe a lighter I observed that same old expression that I received a few minutes prior. He didn’t know that he was holding the second part of Mychaela’s gift and he obviously didn’t know that the gift left under tree marked “Malik” was really for him.

All eyes where on little Miss Tiffany as she rushed to open her carefully wrapped gift. Everyone knew Santa wouldn’t disappoint the little girl who not only wrote a letter (with Malik’s help) but also actually made a phone call to the “Big Guy” to request a Dora toy and a make-up kit. After she opened the Dora toy, she raced to open gift No. 2, which is when every one started to get suspicious and figure things out. Once she tore into the second box, she revealed a “nifty” blue Sidekick LX. She knew what it was from observing the boys from the basketball team use theirs. She screamed with delight and said, “Thank you, Santa!” Dymond immediately yelled, “Hey, I asked for that!” Tiffany yelled back, “No, this is mine!” That’s when the big swapping session began and every one got what he or she wanted except for Dymond. Once Tiffany saw the Barbie Power Wheel Jeep that was brought upstairs that was hidden in the back room of basement for the last week, Dymond practically had to dive for the box that she tossed in the air before it hit the ground.

Even though I wasn’t able to be with Mona and the gang this year I still found a way to pull pranks on roommates and it was just as fun… I wish I had a video camera.

Unfortunately, Malik was on the West Coast and Lil’ Mike was on the East Coast during this time and was not able participate in my new game, but Lil’ Mike will be home tonight. After he gives me his letter to Mr. Claus, I will give him a perfectly wrapped box full of underclothes and socks and a real lump of coal that I got from a co-worker’s dad (thanks Hanna) just to see the look on his face. Don’t worry – he got something that he’s really going to appreciate, I hope. I just can’t reveal it now since he doesn’t know but if you really want to know what it is, just ask him the next time you see him. In addition, when Malik returns home he’ll be sure to get the same style of prank.

Hmmm, I wonder if Lil’ Mike’s love for pranks is hereditary or not.

Since I was a bit long-winded (apologies extended), I’m going to make this week’s question short BUT very SWEET:

Can you give us an update on the whole Samuels and Sutton ordeal? Are they here yet? When will they get to play?

Thanks and keep us posted,

Gavin

YES, YES and Very Soon! Welcome aboard, Dominique and Jamar! You couldn’t have picked a finer place…Enough said!

Oh, last BUT certainly not least – congrats Lil’ Mike on one player of the week and two rookie of the week awards thus far in the season. The sky is the limit.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball, Mama Sayz | Comments (8)

Thursday with Frank

Dec. 20, 20072:01 p.m.

Must give thanks for this to Levi, who listened in on Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin’s conference call this morning. Sorry for the delay.

On Jacob Pullen:
“Here’s the reality of the matter: Jacob, in high school, they ball-screened for him, and he came down and shot it every time. OK, so now he comes to college, he’s 17 years old, he’s got this 6-foot-3, 285-pound guy screaming at him every time he makes a mistake rather than just let him shoot the ball like he did for four years in high school. And you know, he’s got to understand how to balance what he needs to do. Here’s the other adjustment he’s got to make: If we played slow, where you walk it up the floor and the swing guard passes the ball, cuts through and goes through 27 cuts then he gets it back, then his touches are down. Then his opportunities for turnovers, just like opportunities for assists are down. Well, you know, we don’t play that way. We get the ball to a point guard and we ask him to go as fast as he can and go make a decision in a split of a second, so he’s making that adjustment also. Again, Jake is fine; I’ve got no problem with Jake. He’s got to figure out a way to cut out the lackadaisical turnovers — that’s the one that bothers me.”

On the point guard making the easy play instead of the fancy one:
“Well that’s the transition from high school to college. In high school, you can make the magnificent play and nobody gets hurt from it if it doesn’t happen. In college, you make just a bad mistake like that and the team pays, because the other team has five good players that are going to get the ball and go down and score. With him, it’s not a matter of him being aggressive — he’s always aggressive. With him, he makes a lackadaisical pass, and those are the ones he’s got to eliminate.”

On Winston Salem:
“They’re pretty good. They compete. I mean, they’re not a Big 12 championship team, but they’re a good basketball team. They went to Iowa State and played them nose-to-nose for 35 minutes of that game, and they went into Wake Forest and gave them a heck of a run. So they’re battle-tested. They’ve got five returning starters back, they’ve got a fifth-year point guard, you know, they’ve got some good players. And I think that once they get back to playing games in their league that they’re going to win a whole bunch of games. But we need to continue to make progress defensively. We need to continue to make progress rebounding the basketball. Then offensively, what we just talked about, we’ve got to get to where we make good decisions with the basketball. You know, that’s the one thing that I was kind of bothered by in the A&M game. I thought we made poor decisions with the basketball. We’ve got to get back to making better decisions.”

What are the holiday plans for the team?
“We’ll dismiss the team after the Winston Salem State game, and we’ll reconvene here on the 26th.”

Is this a tough time of the year to coach?
“Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not. Last week was obviously a problem for us with finals and the ice storm and things of that nature. Guys just weren’t zoned in at practice. But the last two days, they’ve been great. I anticipate us having a good practice again today.”

Any David Hoskins update?
“No. We’re still status quo on that.”

On Dominique Sutton and Jamar Samuels:
“Uh, can’t answer that. They’re not students at our school.”

Do you anticipate Sutton and Samuels being students at you school?
“You’ve got to ask me about guys that are enrolled here and play for me and I’ll be more than happy to talk about them.”

Can Mike Beasley be too unselfish?
“He’s only like third in the country in scoring at 25 points a game. I mean, he’s averaging 14 rebounds a game. Someone was making a big deal about Tyler Hansbrough having his fifth consecutive double-double. Mike’s had 10 consecutive double-doubles. Mike plays to win the game, that’s what he cares about.”

On Bill Walker after six points against Florida A&M:
“Bill’s going to do what he’s got to do to win the game. Against Notre Dame, he didn’t feel we were playing well, so he tried to score the ball every time. Against Cal, because of matchups, he knew he had to be extremely aggressive on offense and he did it every time. If we had to replay the Oregon game, I think he would have went about it a little bit differently, just as far as his aggression on offense. I thought he played well against Oregon, he just didn’t look to score. Bill’s told you himself, and I’ve told you because that’s who I know Bill is, Bill’s not into averaging 18 points. Bill’s going to do what he needs to do on a night-in-and-night-out basis to win the game he’s playing in. That’s the only thing he cares about.”

On Walker’s knee:
“It’s fine. He’s fine.”

What do you want for Christmas?
“A heck of a lot more wins.”

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball | Comments (3)

Mama Sayz (12/19)

Dec. 19, 20072:06 p.m.

Looks the holidays have Mrs. Smith camped out in the kitchen. She tackles those issues and a question from one of her readers this week:

First, I want to apologize if I have
offended anyone with last week’s edition regarding my “Christmas”
tree. I will now be politically correct and use the term “Holiday”
because, believe it or not, I do try to be sensitive in all that I do
and never want to disrespect any one’s beliefs.

With that said, let’s move on.

We survived our first winter storm in
Kansas without many problems. We were fortunate enough not to have
lost power at all, which is more than I can say for countless people
here in the Little Apple. I hope that everyone is able to resume some
normalcy in their lives sooner rather than later.

Betty Crocker is overrated! I wanted to
get in the “Holiday” spirit and start a new tradition of baking
“Holiday” cookies with the kids. Well, let me tell you, that was
one of the shortest tradition known to man. First, you have to mix
and stir and kneed and all that stuff. While that may not sound like
much, try doing all of that while watching the football game (the
Washington Redskins, of course!), entertaining Ms. Tiffany, cooking
dinner, taking numerous phone calls, etc. etc. etc. - get the
picture? Well, first let me say that MY homemade sugar cookies tasted
nothing like the blue wrapper roll of Pillsbury dough which I knew I
should have picked up. Even after the cookies where all decorated
like the “Holiday” pictures that you see in the magazines, they
still tasted like cardboard.  It’s been three days since I’ve put
my hard work in on that project and the cookies still remain in the
same place. We’re talking about a house full of kids who
practically eat anything that isn’t breathing and they left

Mama’s
cookies there to waste away. Anyway, I have realized that a pinch of
salt here and a dash of vanilla there just isn’t for me. Although,
the cookies were beautifully decorated (even with Tiffany eating more
icing and getting getting more on her face than she actually put on
the snowman, which she made especially for Daddy) they didn’t pass
the “KID” test, because they are still here. 

Looks like Christmas is going to be put
on hold for a while at my house. Why, you ask?  Because Mr. Beasley
hasn’t turned in his “letter to Mrs. Claus.” For the life of
me, I don’t know why he drags this out. He know the rules. If
anyone sees him out there, tell him to just ENTERTAIN his mother… I
don’t ask for much - jeez!

On another note, I hear that the
freshman of the basketball team where allowed to speak to the
media… FINALLY! Is that good or bad? I’ll let you all be the
judge. I read a few of the interviews that were printed in some of
the local newspapers and all I have to say is “Who let the dogs
out? Woof , woof , woof, woof…” (I crack me up sometimes.) On a
serious note, it will be VERY entertaining to say the least! I guess
I’ll have to interview Lil’ Mike some time soon for “Mama SayZ” in
the coming weeks so get your questions ready.

Speaking of questions, here we go. This one is from Brad:

Ms.
Smith,

I
love the writings. Thanks for generously providing them every week.

Questions:

Do
you like to cook much?
Is there a favorite meal of the team’s that
you fix or that you all eat in general?
How would you describe the
cohesion of the team currently?
What do you think of Sutton and
Samuels coming in at semester?

Have
a great week, stay warm, enjoy KC, and I’ll look forward to the next
installment.

Well, Brad, I don’t like to cook at all BUT I
have to.

I mean, I have five kids and a few extra additions, thanks to
the team, and they have to eat. As far as a favorite meal, there
isn’t one. I just watch what I cook depending on who’s coming
over, like no red meat or pork if Ron (Anderson) is over. The kids at
home pretty much eat whatever is being cooked, except Mychaela has
been practically begging for fajitas lately. It’s the basketball
guys who come with special requests, such as breakfast food in the
middle of the night like french toast - even after waffles are on the
menu for the day. But all in all, it’s not a problem.

I think the team is playing well
together. The more they play, the better they get. It’s all about
gaining the experience of playing together against others, and to me,
they are doing a great job.

The addition of Sutton and Samuels will
be a great addition, I’m sure. Other than that, I have no comments
on their arrival until they get here.

By J-Mart | Filed under Mama Sayz | Comments (12)

The NCAA’s Agent Zero

Dec. 17, 200711:31 a.m.

Jacob Pullen wears No. 0 in honor of Gilbert Arenas, who goes by the nickname “Agent Zero.”

In my estimation, the continued development of the freshman point guard from Chicago might be more vital to where the Wildcats hope to go as anything else that needs to be addressed this season. Speaking to the media for the first time this season, Pullen - who is the epitome of poise with a microphone or digital recorder in his face - discussed a variety of topics Sunday, all pertaining to basketball.

What’s up with the hair (see left)?
Kind of a business decision, but also just got tired of it. I had braids since I was a freshman. Everyone was getting used to it, so I just got rid of it. (Putting pressure on Blake Young?) Nah, Blake’s not going to cave. He’s going to keep his.

Looks like Frank Martin gives it to you pretty good at times, really yelling at you and yanking you on and off the court…
He’s doing it for the best of me. I never get mad at Coach because his decision is his decision. He always told me from Day 1 he’d be tough on point guards, tough on me, to be exact, and I thank him for that because it helps me out. He won’t let me come to practice and take a day off… Can’t do that.

Do you understand?
I’m young, so… I like a flashy play. If I feel if I can make a behind-the-back or between-the-legs pass, I’m going to do it, and I know if I mess up, I’m going to get subbed. But I also know he has faith in me that he’ll put me right back in because he knows I’m a good point guard.

How has the season gone so far?
I feel like we lost a few, but nothing that wasn’t supposed to happen. I feel like when we lost to George Mason, they just were more ready, older than us, had a feel for the game. That type of thing is going to happen, but I feel if we played them later in the season, we’d be ready. It’s still a learning experience for most of us, even the seniors like Blake. He’s only been here a year… (It’s been) a learning experience about us playing together.

Is it all coming together?
You can see the differences in our practices just by watching film. It’s certain plays we’re making now that, like, if I look at you, you know I’m looking at you for backdoor. It’s certain things… Our offense is moving now, just getting more comfortable.

What about the shooting?
Our shooting hasn’t been great. We’re getting in the gym. I can’t say anything bad about anybody. Everybody… We get shots up, and sooner than later, our shots are going to fall.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball | Comments (3)

Feeling a Draft: B-Ez and Bill

Dec. 14, 20073:09 p.m.

Pardon the late delivery, but here is the promised Q-and-A with Aran Smith of NBADraft.net, which can be found here. If you’re a draft nut like I am, there aren’t many things better than this site. And, like most of you, if you’re a Kansas State fan, you’ll love where Smith has Michael Beasley and Bill Walker on his most recently updated mock draft.

But check it out for yourself - after reading below, of course:

1. You have Michael Beasley listed as the top pick in your 2008 mock
draft. Easy decision?
Yes. As long as Beasley stays out of
trouble between now and draft day, I can’t see anyone overtaking him. Right
now I would separate Beasley, (Memphis’ Derrick) Rose and (Indiana’s Eric) Gordon from the rest of the pack.
(Texas A&M’s DeAndre) Jordan also has a ton of upside, but he’s really raw.

2.
Is he the best freshman in the country? If so, is he the best player in the country?
Yes and maybe. The stats don’t even tell the whole story. Beasley has  carried this team on his back and they have lost a few games
despite great games on his part. He’s a man amongst boys out there,
even though he’s usually a few years younger than his opponents. He
may struggle to win Player of the Year the way Durant did just because he’s playing
at Kansas State and doesn’t have as much talent around him,
particularly at point guard. Here’s to the 19-year age rule!

3.
What is the feedback regarding Mike you’re hearing from NBA scouts,
etc.? What do they like? Dislike?
They like his versatility,
athleticism, overall talent and potential. They don’t like the problem
child reputation that he had in high school. But he seems to have matured and
become more focused.

4. What about Bill Walker? Is his
stock rising again? I see he’s suddenly a first-rounder  again in your
mock.
Yes. It seems like it has taken him a few games to play himself
fully back into shape. He still isn’t as explosive as he was in high
school. But he seems to be getting that back. Against Cal, he had his
best performance yet and showed that he has pro moves and the hunger
to dominate. he is definitely on the rise again and stands a good
chance of getting into the first round if he keeps playing at this
level.

5. Should the presence of these two NBA-caliber talents carry Kansas State into the NCAA tournament?
They
definitely should be a tournament team. Beasley guaranteed wins against
Kansas,  which might be far-fetched but you like to see
the confidence.

(BONUS). 6. Who do these two remind you
of? Anyone past or present in the NBA?
I hear a lot of people
say Derrick Coleman for Beasley, but to me he’s like Carmelo Anthony. Coleman
was supremely talented but never had the killer instinct that Beasley’s
showing. Anthony has such a nose for scoring and bulls people just like
Beasley. Walker was the most athletic guy I’d ever seen in high school. He
jumped higher than Vince (Carter). He’s not back to that level yet so maybe a thicker
Gerald Wilkins.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball, Feeling a Draft | Comments (2)

This and that (12/14)

Dec. 14, 20073:02 p.m.

Asked Jim Epps, Kansas State’s senior associate athletics director, about a report this week in the Tulsa World that said Oklahoma State and K-State were in discussions to face each other in football in what would count as non-conference, likely season-opening games in 2013 and 2016.

Not quite, Epps said Friday.

He said he and the rest of the athletic directors in the Big 12 have been lamenting how expensive non-conference games have gotten and, consequently, how difficult they’ve become to schedule. So, he and his Big 12 A.D. brethren - about two months ago, Epps said - began kicking around the idea of staging high-profile, regional interleague matchups that might be appealing.

For instance, Epps said he spoke with Texas A&M’s Bill Byrne about perhaps playing the Aggies in Arrowhead Stadium or the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

But nothing was ever definitive, Epps said.

Also, the 2008 football schedule, which can be found here, is final. Epps said there had been some internal conversations about attempting to drop Fresno State, which has been nothing but trouble for the Wildcats, but they were squashed.

"We asked Ron (Prince), ‘Do you want to consider an alternate opponent?’," Epps said. "He said forget it. So, the schedule is set."

By J-Mart | Filed under Football | Comments (4)

Mama Sayz (12/13)

Dec. 13, 20075:02 p.m.

She’s going to be the queen of all media before long. Mrs. Smith is back with another installment, and now she’s even adding photos. Next, videos, and then who knows? Maybe she’ll be coming at all of you live.

For now, though, here’s what "Mama Sayz":

First, let me apologize for being late
for our weekly meeting…   

On Monday I lost something very
important to me in the garbage and to make a very long story very
short, it was returned to me by the driver of the WM trash removal
truck in the same condition. My family and co-workers tell me how
lucky I am to have it returned to me in this day and time but for
some strange reason I didn’t panic. After being put in contact with
the driver through his dispatch/customer service department and after
meeting the driver, I just sensed his honesty and felt at peace that
everything would work itself out and it did. Thanks, Rob and Mike.

Well, this week my roomies and I are
preparing for the holidays. Not only do they HAVE to write their
letters to Santa, but they have to help put up the Christmas tree. We
have (had) a seven-foot tree that Lil’ Mike has been complaining
about for the last few years because he says it’s too short and
puny. Until this year, I just ignored him. But for some reason, when
we pulled out our “old faithful,” it did look a bit on the
“Charlie Brown”-ish side and it even leaned to the left. I
immediately started asking the kids what they did to my tree, and of
course they acted as if they didn’t notice a thing, continuing on
with their set-up. Just then I remembered seeing a tree a few weeks
earlier at Hobby Lobby that was nine feet tall, so when they weren’t
looking I disappeared and made a dash for the store. Once I arrived
at my destination I was so disappointed to see that all of the trees
that were left were in the same condition as the one the kids were
desperately trying to save from a sudden death back home. All but
one, and I was convinced that it was going home with me. Once getting
the boxes home, which contained our newest member of the family,
Dymond had to drag them in from the garage and the kids couldn’t
believe what “Mama” bought home. For you see, my dear friends,
the tree stands a whopping 12 feet tall. It was the funniest thing
I’ve seen in a long time. I couldn’t stop laughing as the kids
kept adding pieces and it kept growing and growing and growing.  We
even had to add the star on the top before Ron Anderson put the last
part on while standing on a chair. There were people stopping and
staring as they drove by, and when I got outside to take a look for
myself I thought, “WOW! This looks like the beanstalk and the giant
was going to come tumbling down!” I still laugh when I come in the
house. Of course, Lil’ Mike wasn’t home to help put the tree
together, so when he and Biliel came into the house the next day,
they just stared. I said to Lil Mike that he better not out-grow this
tree any time soon, and he just fell to the floor in laughter. All of
the kids have written their letters to Santa except Lil’ Mike, as
usual. He’s always the one who refuses to write his letter until he
realizes that no one gets Christmas until all letters are turned in.
Then the other kids start to plead with him to write his and he
finally gives in. Maybe I’ll share the funniest one next week…

On a basketball note, it was fun being
at “The Garden” last week. Spending time with friends and family
is always a plus. So many people have told me they’ve seen me on
TV.  I wonder if it’s true that the television really adds 10
pounds – memo to self: The treadmill is my friend!

Two thumbs up for Big Bill – what a
way to handle your business this week!

O.K. everyone, let’s hit the refresh
button on the questions this week, OK? Also, I am going to try and
insert a weekly picture to reflect what I’m talking about if it
applies.

Do as Mrs. Smith says. You’ve got questions — man, I’ve got questions. Send them her way via the comments field below.

By J-Mart | Filed under Mama Sayz | Comments (12)

Borges: “Not now”

Dec. 12, 20071:58 p.m.

Al Borges resigned as Auburn’s offensive coordinator earlier this week, meaning he won’t coach the Tigers in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Clemson.

While K-State doesn’t have an opening in that capacity, it is known Ron Prince is an admirer of Borges. Remember the news conference the week before the season opener against Auburn?

"They have two of the very best coordinators in college football in Al Borges and Will Muschamp," Prince said then. "These are guys that have extensive resumes and they’re absolutely terrific football minds."

Thing is, Borges is available. He’s looking to get back to work, too.

But when reached Wednesday, Borges - who has been a major conference coordinator since 1995, starting at Oregon and followed by stops at UCLA (1996-2000), California (2001), Indiana (2002-03) and Auburn (2004-2007) - said he has never had a conversation with Prince.

"I haven’t had any contact with him," Borges said. "Not now, not before, and not before our game. Not that I didn’t want to…"

He asked if there was an offensive coordinator opening at K-State. James Franklin currently occupies that role. Despite rumors, there hasn’t been any movement on Prince’s staff. That could change in the coming weeks, though, especially with the annual coaches’ convention - where a lot of hires are made - scheduled for Jan. 6-9 in Anaheim.

By J-Mart | Filed under Football | Comments (16)

Feeling a Draft: The full Nelson

Dec. 11, 20076:32 p.m.

Not trying to pimp someone else’s site or drive beloved K-Stated traffic elsewhere, but I’m a huge fan of the folks at NFLDraftScout.com. I like what they do, which is basically follow and dissect not only the prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft but also the players in the coming years. It’s not just their opinions — they consult numerous NFL front-office types to form their theories.

Warning — it’s comprehensive, you will waste a substantial amount of time there, and you’ll have to pay for premium. But it’s worth it, trust me.

I spoke Tuesday with senior analyst Rob Rang about Jordy Nelson, who had the kind of senior season an NFL hopeful only dreams of.

Technically, this could have been a “Five,” but I’m not going to skimp on y’all this week. Not quite a bonus "Five," but it’s something. Enjoy.

Where do you have Jordy?
I still think he’s a second-day guy, a third- or fourth-round guy. For Jordy, it’s going to be how he runs and performs in the Senior Bowl or the East-West Shrine Game. His production this year was staggering. His playing speed on film was also impressive. I saw the Kansas game in particular, and how he beat Aqib Talib was impressive… When NFL teams went through (colleges) in the spring, I think he was still injured and he was timed in about the 4.6, 4.5 range. But I don’t think that’s indicative of his speed. I think he’s faster. It doesn’t hurt to have Brandon Marshall in Denver having a big year. He’s a former defensive back that made the transition as well at Central Florida. Because of that, teams are looking at these type of guys and saying, ‘Hey, let’s see what he can do.’ The fact that Marshall has had such a breakout year, they’ll be excited. Especially because (Jordy) is a great kid. And the special teams? Icing on the cake. He’s not your typical receiver in that way. The position is known for the prima donna type, but he has the defensive back mentality teams are looking for.

After all that, you still consider him a second-day guy?
At this point, yes. At the Senior Bowl or the East-West game, he has to light it up there. Then, he has a chance to move himself up. The third round wouldn’t be a shock. The second round would be great.

Is that the best course of action for Jordy?
In theory, he should work out at the Combine. There are going to be a lot of questions of whether this kid is legit… Because he had a breakout senior year, a lot of guys (in his position) choose to ride the momentum.

Does he compare to Marshall? I’ve heard some lazier comparisons…
That’s the thing. Based on what I saw, he flashes things like (Marshall). Yeah, I’ve heard that stereotype of every white receiver… It is lazy. They’re going off of the spring reports, when he ran a 4.6, 4.5. That’s why it’s so important he runs well. There are so few white receivers who have shown they can run well. Maybe people will find out Talib isn’t as fast as they thought. A lot of people will point to that — a game against a high-profile defender. Talib is on everybody’s All-American teams, and look at what Jordy did to him… It’s vital (Jordy) runs well.

How much ground can he make up?
If he can run like I think he can, I think a first-day grade, it’s possible. I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying that until he does it, until he goes to one of these all-star games and performs like I think he can… A two-round jump is pretty significant. He wasn’t even considerable a draftable commodity before the season. It’s been a pretty amazing transformation in one year.

There you have it. Check back tomorrow when I converse with Aran Smith
at NBAdraft.net about Mike Beasley and Bill Walker. Peace.

By J-Mart | Filed under Feeling a Draft, Football | Comments (3)

This and that (12/10)

Dec. 10, 20072:43 p.m.

Just got off the phone with Dominique Sutton, who said he will be arriving in Manhattan on Saturday and traveling with the Wildcats to K.C. the following day. He said he hasn’t spoken with Frank Martin or Dalonte Hill about whether or not he’ll suit up for the Dec. 17 game at the Sprint Center against Florida A&M.

“I’m not sure how it’s all going to work,” said the 6-foot-4 forward.

Pat Bosco, K-State’s associate vice president/dean of student life and institutional advancement, said Monday that Sutton has been admitted to K-State but he has not yet enrolled for the spring semester. Bosco also said that’s not unusual, adding that about 400 new students wait until just before the spring semester starts to enroll.

Sutton, who finished his English requirements the past few weeks at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., said he expects Jamar Samuels, another K-State commit, to join him on campus the same day. Right now, Samuels is scrambling to find out if he secured a qualifying score on his ACT. He took the test before Thanksgiving, but he has yet to see the results.

Samuels, a 6-foot-9 forward, did not return calls Monday.

Dec. 17 is shaping up to be a busy day. It’s also the day Chris Harper and Arthur Brown (who is no longer considering K-State) will make their college announcements known at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame at 3:30 p.m.

Harper, the Northwest quarterback, said he is still trying to make a decision. Two weekends ago, he visited Oregon, where he was blown away by the facilities and their space-age features, which includes a fingerprint-scanning system for entry to the training room.

“They have better facilities than everybody,” he said.

Undeterred, coaches have been making home visits. Last week, it was K-State’s Ron Prince.

“I know him better than any other head coach,” Harper said. “He’s real down to earth.”

Today, it’s Illinois’ Ron Zook.

“He’s real cool,” Harper said. “I like him a lot.”

Distance won’t be a negative for Harper, he said, because his parents intend to move with him wherever he goes.

It’s a big decision, one that he isn’t rushing into. He expects television crews to be at the Hall of Fame, and he said he’d probably do “the hat thing,” which means donning the school’s headgear that he chooses. But he won’t tipping anything off with the rest of his wardrobe.

“I’ll wear something neutral, like white,” he said.

By J-Mart | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (10)