Monthly Archives: October 2008

THE MORNING AFTER: Texas A&M

Oct. 12, 20088:19 a.m.

Are you back on the bandwagon? If so, I’d still urge caution. It’s going to get bumpy ahead.

Can more wins be expected from Kansas State? Sure. Expectations are good. Expectations are healthy.

I still see major issues with the defense, though. Major issues. Let’s be clear – that was an AWFUL team the Wildcats beat yesterday. Save the talk of the Aggies being “extraordinary.” Simply not true. Mediocre on a good day, maybe, although Jerrod Johnson has the potential to be a good one.

But the Wildcats suddenly have confidence. If they doubted Ron Prince in any way before, they don’t as much now, after a win. He’s clearly using his offense and special teams to mask his defensive shortcomings, and I’ll bet all he’s preaching to the unit is to make some key plays, i.e. turnovers.

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By J-Mart | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (7)

CLOSEUP: Gabby Mayo

Oct. 10, 200812:00 p.m.

From left to right: Gabby Mayo, Daryle McNair, and Brandon Banks. This picture was taken at the 2006 Nike Outdoor Nationals, where Mayo (11.43) and Banks (10.43) both won the 100, and get this – it was on Father’s Day, which is why McNair is in the middle, chillin’.

You can read all about Brandon Banks’ little sister here. She’s amped up to see Brandon – she’s the only one who calls him by his complete first name – since it’s been a while. If anyone is going to the A&M game, bring her some K-State gear. She needs some.

“I talked to him yesterday,” Mayo said Wednesday. “We talk almost every day. He likes it up there.”

Mayo grew up with her mother in Raleigh while Banks and McNair lived in Garner. But Mayo said she was always with Banks and McNair – Raleigh and Garner are separated by about seven miles.

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By J-Mart | Filed under CLOSEUP | Comments (2)

Frank Martin clinic pushed back

Oct. 9, 20082:53 p.m.

From the K-State sports information department:

Kansas State head coach Frank Martin has moved his annual men’s basketball coaching clinic to Saturday, Nov. 8 at Bramlage Coliseum.

The clinic, which was originally set for Saturday, Oct. 11, will now be moved to the Saturday between the women’s and men’s exhibition games due to facility issues.

Presentations begin Saturday morning with a featured speaker as well as demonstrations by Martin and the rest of the coaching staff.

The cost of the clinic is $70, which not only includes admission to the clinic, tickets to both men’s and women’s exhibition games, catered lunch and discounts at Manhattan area businesses.

The women’s exhibition is set for Friday, Nov. 7 against Emporia State at 7 p.m., while the men will entertain Washburn in their only exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.

By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball | Comments Off

K-State at Colorado on FSN @ 6 p.m.

Oct. 8, 20082:44 p.m.

From the K-State sports information department:

The Big 12 Conference and Fox Sports Net have announced that Kansas State’s football game at Colorado on October 18 will be broadcast on FSN Rocky Mountain, Kansas City, Midwest and Southwest beginning at 6 p.m. CT.

The broadcast will be the second on Fox Sports Net this season for Kansas State, as the Montana State game was aired on Fox College Sports, and the fourth telecast overall. All-time, the Wildcats are 56-50 when playing on television.

A complete listing of Big 12 televised games for October 18 is below.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

FSN – Texas Tech at Texas A&M, 11 a.m. CT

VERSUS – Nebraska at Iowa State, 11:30 a.m. CT

ABC – Kansas at Oklahoma or Missouri at Texas, 2:30 p.m. CT

FSN Rocky Mountain, Midwest, Southwest – Kansas State at Colorado, 6 p.m. CT

ABC – Kansas at Oklahoma or Missouri at Texas, 7 p.m. CT

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

K-Stated: The Vlog, Take 6

Oct. 8, 20081:03 p.m.

One of our K-State readers saw me vlogging (that almost sounds offensive) and said I look like Forest Whitaker. Not sure what to make of that, other than “Ghost Dog” is one of my favorite underrated movies of all-time. And “The Last King of Scotland” was good, too.

But, as usual, I digress. Here’s what you’ve been waiting all week for:

By J-Mart | Filed under Football, K-Stated: The Vlog | Comments (2)

Keep an eye on Hutch

Oct. 7, 200811:01 a.m.

Hutchinson Community College began practice last week, and you can expect Kansas State’s coaching staff to keep an eye on the Blue Dragons.

One reason is 6-10 sophomore forward Cliff Dixon, whom Hutch coach Ryan Swanson describes as a skilled big. Because Dixon transferred into Hutch this year, he can’t go to the ACC or the SEC, two leagues who have rules prohibiting its schools from taking junior college transfers who haven’t spent three semesters at the same institution.

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By J-Mart | Filed under Basketball | Comments (2)

K-State 8th? Sound right?

Oct. 7, 200810:08 a.m.

From the Big 12:

IRVING, Texas – For the first time in Big 12 history, Oklahoma is the preseason favorite to win the conference title in a vote of the league’s head coaches. The Sooners received three first-place votes in polling for the 2008-09 season. The previous high for OU in the preseason selections was second on four different occasions. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Oklahoma welcomes back four starters from last season, returning nearly 70 percent of its scoring overall. The Sooners are led by sophomore Blake Griffin. The forward was the first freshman in OU history to earn All-Big 12 First, Second or Third Team honors after leading the squad in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (9.1) and field goal percentage (.568).

Texas came in just behind OU with 107 points and will also return four starters. The Longhorns bring back 73.7 percent of their scoring and 89.7 percent of rebounding, with nine of the team’s top 10 scorers slated to suit up again. Senior A.J. Abrams and junior Damion James are the top returnees. James set a UT single-season rebounding record with 393 boards a year ago.

Baylor easily surpassed its highest preseason prediction in Big 12 history, tying Kansas for third in this year’s poll. The Bears, fresh off their first NCAA appearance since 1988, hope to earn the first back-to-back NCAA bids in school history. Prior to this poll, the highest BU had been selected in the preseason tally was No. 7 in 2006-07.

KU, the defending-NCAA champion, earned the remaining three first-place votes. The Jayhawks will be sporting a fresh look this season with an entirely new starting lineup. Junior guard Sherron Collins and sophomore center Cole Aldrich, who were significant contributors a year ago, will be joined by a highly-rated recruiting class.

Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Missouri – all postseason squads last season – were chosen fifth, sixth and seventh. The remainder of the poll saw Kansas State at No. 8, followed by Nebraska, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Colorado.

The Big 12 season gets underway on Friday, November 14 with seven schools in action. Conference play begins Saturday, January 10 with five league contests.

The Big 12 Conference will hold its preseason media day on Thursday, October 23 in Oklahoma City – site of the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships.

2008-09 Big 12 Preseason Poll

Team (First place votes) Points

1. Oklahoma (3) 109

2. Texas (4) 107

3. Baylor (2) 103

Kansas (3) 103

5. Texas A&M 79

6. Oklahoma State 69

7. Missouri 51

8. Kansas State 50

9. Nebraska 49

10. Texas Tech 39

11. Iowa State 20

12. Colorado 13

So, what do you think? About right? Too low? Too high? I think there’s no question the league will be down a bit, which makes it a little wide open. I think the Wildcats will better than anticipated – call it a hunch. What says you?

By J-Mart | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (11)

THE MORNING AFTER – Texas Tech

Oct. 5, 20081:15 p.m.

Want the silver lining?

Kansas State would be atop the conference standings right now – if the Wildcats were competing in the Sun Belt Conference. Yep, they’ve beaten North Texas – which lost 42-10 yesterday to Florida International, which lost to Kansas, 40-10 – and Louisiana-Lafayette.

K-State would own the Sun Belt.

And not to be too flip, but was this the ultimate goal? To lower expectations to this degree? All we kept hearing in August was how this team was going to be compete for championships – in the Big 12 North and the Big 12 overall.

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By J-Mart | Filed under Football, THE MORNING AFTER | Comments (19)

FLIP SIDE: Texas Tech

Oct. 3, 200811:47 a.m.

Is there a flip side? Seems like nobody is giving Kansas State a legitimate chance to win this weekend. So I’m tossing it out there for you all, especially since I didn’t have any luck luring a Tech beat writer to contribute something. Send your thoughts on Saturday’s game – no more than 50 words, please – to jmartin@wichitaeagle.com (or jmartin@kcstar.com) and I’ll post some of the more entertaining responses today or tomorrow.

The best entry gets – and I kid you not – an autographed Bob Krause K-State hat from the Scott City Catbackers “Nut Fry.” Giddy up!

By J-Mart | Filed under FLIP SIDE, Football | Comments (5)

CLOSEUP: Baron Batch

Oct. 2, 20081:12 p.m.

(J-MART NOTE: This is a somewhat new feature to add some perspective on Kansas State’s upcoming foe. It might be a star player, an assistant coach, a cheerleader, whatever. If you have suggestions for Texas A&M, next week’s opponent, list them below. Thanks.)

His first reaction is laughter.

Texas Tech sophomore Baron Batch can’t help but be amused when he’s asked about the Red Raiders’ sudden inclination to use their running backs to, well, run the ball.

“People are like, ‘Hey, you have a running game,’” Batch said.

Batch teams with senior Shannon Woods to form a highly productive tandem in the backfield. Tech averages 146.5 yards on the ground, which is 66th in the nation. And with all things considered — mostly the fact that Graham Harrell threw for 5,705 yards in 2007 — that is a significant upgrade from last season, when the Red Raiders were so one-dimensional.

Not anymore.

Already, Tech has 586 rushing yards. In 2007, in 13 games, the Red Raiders finished with 771.

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By J-Mart | Filed under CLOSEUP, Football | Comments Off