Category Archives: Uncategorized

Recruiting update (03/27)

Good stuff from gopowercat.com Thursday on Buchi Awaji (BOO-che uh-WAJ-ee) – I give props where it’s due. I spoke with his coach at Citrus College, Rick Croy, on Thursday and he said Awaji is a priority for K-State. “They need someone to come in and score,” he said. “The way they recruited him has been real professional… Real consistent.” Usually, Croy said, the recruitment has been handled by Matt Figger and Brad Underwood, but yesterday, it was Frank Martin. “I know they feel confident he can help them,” Croy said. He called Awaji “a great scorer with really, really good character.” The other schools in the mix are Georgia Tech, Nebraska and Iowa State.

Right now, it doesn’t look good with Tyree Evans. Not saying K-State isn’t interested, but the Motlow State guard said Thursday he hasn’t been contacted by the Wildcats since the season has ended. Maybe Awaji is more of a priority – I don’t know. He said he hasn’t heard from “anyone,” and he’s trying to get his grades in order.

Wesley Witherspoon can’t make up his mind. I spoke with his mother, Carol, on Thursday, dubbed “The Gatekeeper” by Wes’ father, Will, because she has taken such an active role in his recruitment. Anyway, “The Gatekeeper” said she spoke with Dalonte Hill this week, and she spoke with him last week as well. Only problem, it seems, is the lack of attention that showered on Witherspoon during the season. “The communication wasn’t there,” Carol said, adding she didn’t think her son would take one of his two remaining official visits to K-State; he has already gone to LSU, Texas and Virginia. But, because her son’s mind changes like the weather, she wasn’t willing to rule anything out. He is playing in the Jordan Classic in Madison Square Garden on April 19, and he might make a decision the first week of May. Interesting tidbit – former K-State assistant Charles Baker recruited Witherspoon’s older brother, Wynton, to Manhattan. Baker is now an assistant at Colorado, which is also recruiting Witherspoon.

K-State is going to be the second official visit for Cowley County’s Montrell McDonald. The former George Washington guard is scheduled to be in Manhattan tomorrow. Frank Martin and Brad Underwood were in touch immediately after the season ended. “There are no negatives about the school,” McDonald said. “As for the positives, it has to be the coaches. They’re good guys. I don’t really know any of the guys.” His first official visit was Oregon back in the fall, and McDonald said there was a possibility he might take his remaining three trips.

Mama Sayz (03/24)

It’s about time, isn’t it? And it looks like she has enlisted a ghostwriter — her daughter, Mychaela, begins this week’s entry. You’ve been waiting to hear what “Mama Sayz,” and here it is. Don’t forget to read until the end, though. And I’ll do an end-of-the-season “Post Mortem” later this afternoon…

Hey, its Mychaela! Unfortunately you wont be hearing from my mother since somehow she got me to write the blog this week. Had a bit of a writer’s block but I guess I’ll start from here…

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Go to Posting Up for Cats-Trojans blogging

Our Levi Wolters is blogging tonight during the K-State game on our tournament blog, Posting Up. Go there for his thoughts throughout the game, then check his postgame thoughts.

A Sprint through March… A March to the Sprint?

Couldn’t decide so I went with both. I’ll let you all be the judges.

Here’s the view from my seat:

sprint view

Plush digs, right?  OK, Missouri vs. Nebraska, 1st half:

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And the winner is… (03/10)

Great effort by all three contestants. Strong efforts in back-to-back weeks, and both times, my choice hasn’t prevailed. But that’s not what “Forum Friday” is about.

It’s about you.

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What’s the Big deal (03/10)

Random musings from Monday’s Big 12 coaches’ teleconference call:

SHOCKING — Mike Beasley is the Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year. Well deserved. Beasley and Texas point guard D.J. Augustin were also the only unanimous First Team selections, which, by the way, were decided by the coaches.

IF the NCAA Tournament was today — and we know it’s not — Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon believes his Aggies would be in. “I feel where we are because the league’s so good…,” he said. That said, he said A&M is gunning for the Big 12 Tournament crown.

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My take, Iowa State (03/08)

Today should reveal everything we need to know about Kansas State. Really.

Hate to make too much of one game, but — as Brian McNamee might say — it is what it is. Oh, there’s a pretty good chance K-State is already in the NCAA tournament field, but why leave it to chance? The Wildcats have to play today in Ames with that as motivation. Have to.

I can’t see Iowa State’s guards doing too much damage, but one of my favorite players in the Big 12, Wesley Johnson, might. He’s going to be a tough cover, but Andre and ‘Nique should do OK on him, right? Elsewhere, you have to like the matchups - Bill with Brackins and Mike with Jiri.

Advantage, K-State — even if it’s on the road. The Wildcats have too much on the line. Or so you’d think…

Make sure to check here during the game for my updates.

The racket over a bracket…

I wish I had the patience and the brain-power to figure these things out. But I don’t. It’s sad, really. But I my buddy Dave Curtis, who covers the Florida Gators for the Orlando Sentinel, gave it crack yesterday, and I was impressed. You can view his work here.

Meanwhile, the sports staff here at the Eagle concocted our own March Madness of sorts. The official title is “The State of Basketball,” and the explanation can be found here. Today’s match-up is No. 1 Kansas vs.  No.5 Alabama, and voting can be conducted here.

That’s a lot of heres, I know…

K-State vs. Colorado (03/04)

FINAL, KSU, 78-72

Driveway shooter connects on a 3, and it’s down to 8 again. K-State can’t seem to finish these guys. A Roby layup slashes the lead to six with 1:26 left. Mike makes a pair, and he has 31 points and 14 rebounds. Roby answers with 42.3 seconds left. The Wildcats hold on, and Beasley and Co. take a victory (goodbye?) lap around the Fred afterwards. Not particularly impressive, but as Frank later says, it’s a much-needed win. ‘Nuff said.

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And the winners are…

Wildcat Legend and the dude simply known as… dude.

In the inaugural “Forum Friday,” which I think is going to be far better than I originally imagined, W.L.dusted the competition, nearly doubling the number of votes captured by the runner-up, the incomparable Steve Dave. Although Steve Dave will argue that I ruined the integrity of his essay, the truth is I didn’t understand most of what he wrote. Nevertheless, look for S.D. in other capacities here at “K-Stated.”

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