Monthly Archives: April 2009

More Manhattan Classic info

April 16, 20093:21 p.m.

Props to Matt Suther, who produced the following list of participating programs in the Classic off the top of his head:

Martin Brothers, Team Texas Elite, Spiece Mo-Kan, Houston Clippers, Texas D-I Ambassadors, Hoop Planet (Atlanta), All Iowa Attack and the Kansas Players.

The last two teams are interesting because they feature Harrison Barnes, a 6-foot-6 guard who is arguably the top player in the Class of 2010, and Perry Ellis, whom I wrote briefly about earlier and might be Barnes’ equal in the Class of 2012.

Don’t shoot the messenger, but Barnes has been to several Kansas games, spotted sitting behind the bench – again, similar to Ellis in that regard. But given his enormous list of offers, Barnes seems wide open. And that’s also the information I keep receiving about Ellis, despite rumors the gifted freshman was a Jayhawk lean.

Also, K-State assistant football coaches have been in Wichita today. Someone – we couldn’t get a name – stopped by Northwest (recent commit Demarcus Robinson). Joe Bob Clements checked in at Southeast, presumably for Joseph Randle. For more information on Randle, visit Varsity Kansas – The Blog (cool name – think I could pull off K-Stated – The Blog? Actually, K-Stated is a blog, while Varsity Kansas is much, much more than that. I answered my own inane question. Carry on with your lives.).

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Dribbles: Perry Ellis, two Tays and more

April 16, 200910:41 a.m.

The interest in Perry Ellis certainly isn’t dying down any.

My “people” – yep, I’ve got people – tell me that Texas A&M was at an open gym workout at Heights last week. The Aggies were represented by assistant coach Pooh Williamson, not head coach Mark Turgeon, who, of course, spent some major, major time in the ‘Ta.

Next week, Kansas State assistants Dalonte Hill and Brad Underwood are expected to visit. My “people” also said Oklahoma, which – I think – has landed more McDonald’s All-Americans in the past three seasons than any school in the Big 12, will be passing through next week as well.

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Bill being Bill

April 15, 20092:32 p.m.

That wacky Bill Snyder… He’s at it again.

Secretive as ever, the Kansas State coach bristled yesterday when asked what defense K-State is going to run – several recruits have noted it’s a 4-2-5 – and all he has spilled about the offense is that it will be “broad-based.”

Yep, this is going to be fun.

He took it a step further, though, when asked about the running back situation. Snyder suggested if the season started today – it doesn’t – Keithen Valentine would be the starter.

But then he said Logan Dold would probably be No. 2.

Which sounds fine, given all Dold did last year for the Wildcats. But a source told me that Dold has been shifted to safety, where the depth at the so-called “Wildcat” spot, the fifth defensive back that is almost another linebacker, is somewhat thin at the moment.

To paraphrase Ron Prince, that’s what I was told.

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Quarter-back to the future

April 2, 20097:10 p.m.

All three Kansas State quarterbacks – sophomore Carson Coffman and freshmen Collin Klein and Joseph Kassanavoid – aren’t exactly what Bill Snyder is used to trotting out behind center, but then again, maybe they are.

“All three of us could run this offense,” Kassanavoid said Thursday.

Snyder said the offense wasn’t complete yet. The coach said it would be a process in finding each of their strengths and planning accordingly.
At the moment, Coffman, who played a little last year, is atop the depth chart. It’s his turn, and he was emphatic Thursday about his chances.

“I got a taste, and I’ve been waiting for this opportunity,” he said.

He’s the frontrunner, and he has something to prove. Seems Snyder didn’t offer Coffman out of Kansas City’s Raymore-Peculiar High. Coffman said he ran some wing-T in high school, presumably which should help with the run-based portion of the offense that will likely exist.

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Lance Stephenson?

April 2, 20097:05 p.m.

I listened to Kevin Kietzman’s show “Between the Lines” on the way back from Manhattan today. Always entertaining, I can’t ever turn the channel – especially when the topic is Kansas State.

Well, Kietzman dropped a bombshell, suggesting that because Kansas is now back in pursuit of Xavier Henry, the Jayhawks’ chase of Lance Stephenson might be over. And, because Stephenson feels spurned, his representatives might have reached out to K-State (or Missouri) in an attempt to gain revenge against KU.

Hey, I love drama as much as anyone, so I made some calls.

Don’t know if the motivation is legitimate, but I do know K-State is curious about Stephenson. I suspect the Wildcats will investigate and then move forward. But, yes, K-State is interested.

Sonny Vaccaro, the director for grassroots basketball for Reebok, is close to Stephenson. He said he spoke to the 6-foot-6 guard “this week,” and still believes it will come down to KU, Maryland and St. John’s.

“I’d be very surprised if someone else got in the picture,” Vaccaro said.

As for DeMarcus Cousins, I’m hearing he’s going to bide his time and sort things out. I don’t think he’s in a rush, and he’s not exactly a follower, either. Cal might still bag him for Kentucky. I expect K-State to make a hard push, but don’t be surprised if Anthony Grant, the new coach at Alabama, makes a play and actually lands Cousins, who is from Mobile. It would be interesting – I believe Martin is the godfather of Grant’s children, and vice versa – to see if that would strain the friendship between the two buddies from Miami Senior.

I doubt it – it’s business, really.

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