The 23rd-Best KSU Basketball Analysis That Money Can't Buy

It’s been far too long since I last dedicated a Writing to detailed analysis (read: observations bathed in purple Kool-Aid) of K-State basketball. This is inexcusable and the governing board of this blog (a 1992 Skybox basketball card of Fat Lever and an expired can of Green Giant green beans) are threatening excommunication unless the issue is soon resolved. This is a threat I take seriously.

How long has it been? Since the last K-State Writing (that didn’t involve the author growing physically ill thanks to a loss to Texas A&M):

- Kansas State has lost 7 of 18 games;

- The Wildcats have used eight different starting lineups;
- Seniors Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly were proven the worst secret shoppers in Manhattan;
- Transfer Freddy Asprilla quit the team to return to Colombia;
- Wally Judge sat out due to unidentified reasons;
- Wally Judge returned to the lineup, played effectively, and seemed to redeem himself;
- Wally Judge saw his minutes reduced to that of a kettle corn vendor for unidentified reasons;
- Pullen said he was not interested in playing in the NIT, effectively conveying the message that the team was not giving up;
- Media and fans misinterpreted the comment, thinking Pullen was saying that he would quit the team if the team ended up in the NIT.
- Derek slapped his forehead in cartoon-like fashion when he realized how many folks had misinterpreted Pullen;
- Kansas State picked up new uniforms;
- The Wildcats dropped from No. 3 in the nation to being unranked and not receiving a single vote from a member of the press. (Somehow authorship of The Writings has yet to earn me a vote in the AP Poll. Contact your congressman.);
- K-State fans melted down to the point that an outside observer might have assumed that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were buying sugar cubes at the local market or that the sky was one slight breeze away from collapsing onto all that the eyes see.

As you can see, this basketball season has been quite a ride, and it’s not even February. The Wildcats went from preseason Big 12 favorite to a team in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament entirely, marking a tumble rarely seen in college basketball. Perhaps the sky is falling. Perhaps the program is doomed to return to the days where recruiting coups came in the form of 7-foot volleyball players and guys with the athleticism of George Wendt. Perhaps Bramlage Coliseum would make a really nifty aquarium. Or perhaps this season has simply been a perfect storm of “what can go wrong will go wrong,” and there are still reasons for hope. My guess is the latter.

Consider Rodney McGruder. The sophomore guard shoots with a stroke out of an instructional video, but his greatest strength lies in his ability to get to the basketball. The phrase “nose for the ball” is cliché, and I never gave it much credence. Then I saw McGruder play this season. It’s uncanny and may be inexplicable, but he just seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. How else do you explain a 6’4 guard leading
this team in rebounding? Before being knocked out of the game (lousy floor) on Monday night, McGruder made one of the biggest plays, chasing down a rebound as if it were a baby stroller rolling into traffic and then passing it to the safety of Pullen’s arms. (Note: The baby stroller analogy ends here, as it’s not great to think of Pullen then chucking the stroller through the net of a 10-foot goal.) Pullen took the pass and canned a 3-pointer, putting the Wildcats up by nine and helping push them to a 69-61 victory. The best illustration of McGruder’s ability that my feeble mind can craft is this: if 200 people stood on the Bramlage Coliseum floor and a $100* bill was dropped from the rafters, drifting to the floor through air-conditioned breezes, I have no doubt that McGruder would end up catching it.

*That's $100 in Monopoly money. We’re not going through the “impermissible benefits” thing again.

Consider Shane Southwell and Will Spradling. In previous seasons, coach Frank Martin has had patience with true freshmen… The sort of patience a grizzly bear has with an inebriated woodsman trying to coddle one of
its cubs. Playing time fluctuates, ears ring from shouts on the sideline, and the frosh ultimately ends up with a really good seat during crunch time. For much of the season, those roles have held true for Southwell and Spradling, however both seem to be earning the confidence of the 2010 Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Spradling earned a starting role earlier this season, but struggles to catch up with the speed of Big 12 basketball soon found him returning to a reserve role and losing backup point guard minutes to Juevol Myles.

The best free throw shooter on the team*, Spradling is back to seeing significant minutes, scoring 17 points in the Baylor victory and icing the game at the foul line.

*Contrary to popular belief, that is not akin to picking out the least awkward photo of me from my teenage years. Spradling is legitimately good at shooting free throws.

Southwell remained mostly anonymous* through the first half of the season, earning nicknames like “that kid on the bench that jumps up and down a lot” and “not Nino Williams.” However, out of seemingly nowhere, the Bronx-native earned a promotion to the starting lineup in the midst of conference play. A 6-6 swingman that reminds some (translation: me) of former Wildcat Akeem Wright, Southwell defends with lengthy arms and has the sort of court vision that had Martin mention him as a point guard candidate before the season. He still struggles with ball-handling, but Monday night he showcased a passing ability that few other K-Staters possess. Time after time on Monday night, Southwell zipped passes through defenders to the waiting hands of his teammates. Chest passes are unorthodox on the gridiron, but Southwell showed enough accuracy that he could possibly be the football Wildcats’ best option under center next fall.

*How anonymous? Southwell’s name was misspelled (“Souhtwell”) on the new road jersey’s that the Wildcat’s donned against Texas A&M. Seriously.

Consider the Wildcats’ roster. The featured cast (starters plus top contributors off the bench) has seen more turnover this season than Saturday Night Live saw in the 1990s. Pullen and Kelly, both preseason all-conference picks, have both missed time due to suspensions. Jamar Samuels, last year’s Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, missed time because of an “eye injury” (though he unfortunately never sported an eye patch). Freddy Asprilla, a

transfer who started 13 games early this season, is no longer even on the same continent. Nick Russell, a sophomore guard who started 14 games, seems to now have an ultimate express pass for “The Ride of the Pine” (No lines! No waiting! A reserved seat every game!), and Judge - an 11-game starter - is sharing a seat. Ten different players have started. Fourteen different players have served as relied-upon members of the rotation at times this season. It's not easy to find consistency on the court when there's none surrounding the guys who are playing. If (and this season that's an if deserving of a font larger than your computer screen) the Wildcats avoid further roster catastrophe are close to nailing down a consistent rotation, they might just have an opportunity to focus on the aspects of the game that made them successful last season: a harassing defense and junkyard, do-anything-to-get-the-basketball attitude. (Knocking down shots helped a little bit, too.)

The remainder of the schedule is not easy, with games against the nation's No. 6, No. 7., and no. 11 teams still remaining, but the Wildcats still have the talent and - on the right night - the desire that had conference coaches picking them as the top team in the league prior to the season. If they want a trip to the tournament, they can't expect a cakewalk.*

*Though it would be pretty weird if that's what they ended up with: a literal cakewalk. Imagine the heads of the NCAA telling Frank Martin that his team goes to the tourney if he strolls to the right cake at a local fair. That's good television.

It’s for these reasons and more (including a possible lack of oxygen being transported to my brain) that I refuse to give up on the hope for this basketball season. Maybe the world is not ending. Maybe the Wildcats are turning things around. There's one way to find out. Wait.

(And how does one react if the sky is actually falling, anyway? Wear a helmet everywhere? That’s trouble for us who wear XL ballcaps.)

Thoughts from Big Monday (a bad idea in hindsight)

It's Monday afternoon and I'm prepped to watch K-State basketball. Yes, this is a unique situation. Though the 4:30 p.m. game time has a strong high school junior varsity feel to it, I'm fairly confident this game between Kansas State and Missouri will be quite a showcase of skill and intensity and not resemble the sort of game that finds players ogling Maxim magazine in the locker room at halftime.* Whatever the case, I'm in my home office (read: lounging on my couch with my feet propped up on the coffee table) and ready to document all the thoughts on the proceedings that are fit to print (and many that should probably never leave the recesses of my mind). Join me, won't you?

*Inside joke of such insiderness that it's practically hiding in the house's safe room. If you have never known a kid nicknamed "Newbie" I don't recommend attempting to understand it.

- Pregame, a Mentos commercial ends with the request "Like us at Facebook..." I am still new to the world of marketing campaigns, but doesn't begging for people to "like" you come off as a bit needy? I know it's never worked when I've used it as the opening line on a date.

- This game marks Curtis Kelly's second game back from accepting "impermissable benefits" (which, as far as I know, is not the name of an alt rock band... yet). It's Jacob Pullen's fifth game back. Cameras showed well-dressed Missouri fans with signs reading "Pullen: We paid for our suits." Clever? Yes. Chances that it will be imitated at every other Big 12 arena that KSU plays at, receiving more pub than the overweight fans that dance in techno fashion? Very, very strong.

- Freshman Shane Southwell picks up two blocked shots in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the game. Southwell is starting for the second time in his career. He's a wiry wing player, but plays solid defense. My theory behind his promotion is that he plays the role Dominique Sutton played last season, providing a defensive stopper on the perimeter. Let's hope this doesn't mean that Southwell will be playing for North Carolina Central next season.

- Seven minutes in, our game is interrupted by what must be a very important Home Depot commercial. You need new shingles. You really do.

- Minutes later, the talking heads at ESPN reveal that there's been a power outage in the production truck in Columbia, Mo. It's 2011, isn't there an app for that?

- To kill time until the broadcast signal from Missouri is back up and running, we see highlights of the previous game (Villanova and UConn) plus a postgame interview.

- The video of the broadcast returns, but we're without the audio from the game announcers, meaning game commentary is provided by the folks in the home studio at ESPN. Please note that these folks are clueless as to much of anything relating to this game. Apparently I should value play-by-play announcers more than I typically do.

- Back to regular broadcasting, it's time for a KU love-fest from the game's broadcasting duo, despite the fact that this game features Kansas' biggest rivals. Forget what I said about valuing play-by-play announcers.

- From a commercial, I've learned that doubt of his abilities has fueled Tim Tebow's motivation for years. Guess what, Tim? I still doubt you're going to get me to buy that energy drink.

- Pullen's first field goal comes 14 minutes into the game. K-State trails by seven. Yeah, there's certainly no correlation there.

- The game's commentators just decided that Pullen was Robin to Denis Clemente's Batman last season. There's a mental image that is going to have me chuckling for awhile. I hope they flesh this analogy out so that we can determine which Batman characters the rest of K-State's players last season were. Of particular interest, who was The Penguin?

- They didn't. Jerks.

- I could really use an extended soliloquy on Batman, as this game turned depressing. Cats trail 43-28 at the half and they are handling the basketball with the care of nearsighted polar bear.*

*Would a nearsighted polar bear be particularly bad at caring for a basketball? I assume so... I don't know. Obviously bad basketball wreaks havoc on my ability to craft a proper simile.

- With horrible basketball currently being observed, it's the executive
decision of The Writings' editorial board that this Writing must be
brought to a swift end. After all, it could be the confounding things
contained within that are throwing Kansas State off kilter and making
them look an awful lot like the JV teams I referenced earlier. (When
basketball looks this poor, one goes to extreme measures to end such
struggles.)

Catching Up

Nearly a week has gone by since the "publication" of my last Writing. It may sound contradictory, but that piece was one of the most difficult things I've ever written and also one of the easiest. Putting words together about the strong traits of my grandfather was simple, but absorbing the reality of the final two lines was unbelievably tough. Alas, it is something that I'm proud of and I'm glad to know that others feel I captured the most basic essence of a great, great person. Tonight, we return to regular programming, which basically means I get back to writing about things few people care about.* We have some catching up to do.

*The Writings: We're nothing if we're not honest.

The Stubblings
Apologies to No-Shave November enthusiasts, but "Operation: See How Ridiculous Derek Looks With Facial Hair" concluded last week. With a funeral at hand, I figured I should put my best face forward. Unfortunately (and possibly unbelievably), this fresh-shaven look is that face. The progress made through last Sunday was respectable, as far as mustaches and chin whiskers go. I never bought in to the whole idea that the facial hair made me look older until I shaved. Truthfully, it almost seemed like that razor cut away 10 years along with my Billy Martin mustache.*

*Please don't misinterpret this whole "looking older" idea. I was certainly not being confused for someone in his 30s. This basically means that, with the facial hair, I looked my actual age: 28. Now, so fresh and so clean, I am back to appearing 18 and being carded for even glancing at a drink that might have been shipped on the same truck as something alcoholic.

To all who were rooting along with my avoidance anything Bic-or-Gilette-related, please know that it's quite possible the experiment will return in the future. After all, I have free time.


Thanksgiving
It's coming quickly, and with it comes holiday decorations and talk of Christmas shopping. Meanwhile, I'm still wondering what in blue blazes happened to August. Nonetheless, I'll abide by the insistence of my calendar. On the positive side, this means that annual "Thankful For" and "Christmas Gift Idea" Writings are on their way... Well, those are on my positive side, anyway. 

K-State football
I'd say the Wildcats' last two opponents sliced through the KSU defense like a spinal surgeon, but that might imply that the opposing offenses actually had to perform with some sort of skill or accuracy. In truth, there have been times the last few games where it has seemed like the opposing running back could have taken a handoff, spun around in place ten times while humming the Golden Girls theme song, and then - dizzy to the point of losing motor skills - still run for a 15-yard gain.

Struggling defense aside, K-State is still in good position to receive a bowl bid, and should lock one up with a win against North Texas on Saturday. If they lose to North Texas? Well, have I mentioned that basketball season started?


K-State basketball
The Wildcats - ranked No. 3 in the nation - did not play up to that ranking last week. I'm glad we have that blatantly obvious statement out of the way.

Last Thursday, K-State eked out a 76-67 victory over Presbyterian College - a team that many may have confused for a local church squad. The Wildcats looked strong at times in the first 20 minutes, but spent the second half playing like a team that had its collective mind focused on something else - perhaps on trying to figure out what the heck Presbyterian's nickname "The Blue Hose" refers to.*

*Answer: A fierce Scotch-Irish warrior, as seen in Braveheart. No, the team did not wear kilts.

Predictably, KSU coach Frank Martin was ticked off after the game. Some might view K-State's struggles as a huge warning sign; evidence that the team is too caught up in the preseason hype and magazine covers. That's very possible, however there is another possibility. The close call could be the reality check the Wildcats needed heading into a tournament where they'll face Gonzaga and possibly Duke, the defending National Champion and current No. 1 team.

Last season, K-State put together a sloppy effort against Fort Hays State and won by a narrow seven-point margin. Martin's post-game reaction was harsh and I imagine that the practices leading up to the next game were about as enjoyable as dental work completed with a tack hammer. Four days later, the Wildcats topped Washington State - a team featuring one of the top scorers in the country - by 17 points. They followed with 15-point wins over Xavier - whom the Cats would meet in the Sweet 16 months later - and nationally-ranked UNLV. I do not intend to say that I appreciate the fact that K-State barely beat a team with a basketball program about as respected as any Air Bud film, but I do feel that the squeaker is the type of game that helps Martin drive his coaching points home. Is that assessment an accurate one? We'll find out Monday night.

Things you should know - K-State October Edition

If the numbers 59-7 and the phrase “Madness in Manhattan” mean absolutely nothing to you and you have no desire to read of anything related to them, it is probably best to move along. (In fact, I hear that both Good Housekeeping and Guns & Ammo have some real think-pieces online.) If, however, you enjoy reading K-State analysis from a website in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the university or any sort of actual respected media outlet, you’ve come to the right place. The K-State football team is just one win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2006 and the men’s basketball team has officially begun practicing, entering the season as the favorite to win the Big 12. Here’s what you should know…

Carson Coffman can hit water if he falls out of a boat.
The Wildcat quarterback has taken much flak this season from the media, fans, and even authors of little-read blogs. It’s true that he’s not perfect. It’s true that he’s seen struggles on the field. It’s true that he’s responded to blitzes in the same manner that one is taught to react to being attacked by a grizzly bear. Nonetheless, it’s also true that he’s led K-State to a 5-1 record, with the only loss coming to a Nebraska team that is ranked in the Top 10. Coffman played frighteningly effectively against the KU drama department’s cast of “Little Giants: The Musical”*, showing that the Wildcats might have more up their offensive sleeves than off-tackle runs.

*Wait, that was actually KU’s football team? Yowza.

Jacob Pullen is good at basketball
Three years ago, Jacob Pullen was a backup point guard and the third-best freshman on the Kansas State roster. He may have been best known for being Michael Beasley’s teammate and for being verbally berated by coach Frank Martin nearly every game. It’s a safe bet that, at that time, few imagined that Pullen would develop into the type of player he is today. Sure, he showed flashed of great skill, scoring 20 points in the first-ever ever victory over Kansas at Bramlage Coliseum, but few took much notice of No. 0 with Beasley and fellow-frosh Bill Walker in the lineup.

Now? Pullen spent last season teaching folks around the nation to respect (and, yes, even fear) players that neglect razors during the course of a basketball season. First-team all conference honors and a stellar performance in the NCAA Tournament led to the senior guard being voted the Big 12’s preseason Player of the Year for 2010-2011. Pullen won the 3-point contest at K-State’s “Madness” event and has been mentioned as a potential first-team All American.

Daniel Thomas is good at football, but he’s not invincible
When a talented (sorry, KU) opposing defense focuses on stopping the senior running back, the task can be achieved, as exhibited by the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Honestly, this is probably for the best. The last thing we need is Lex Luthor dressing as a line judge in attempt to sneak onto the K-State sideline and spike DT’s Gatorade with kryptonite. 

The Kansas State front court has the potential to be one of the best in the nation
Big 12 coaches voted senior forward Curtis Kelly to the conference’s preseason first-team. Junior forward Jamar Samuels earned preseason honorable mention honors. Transfer Freddy Asprilla is a load at 6-10, 280 lbs., and he earned Freshman of the Year honors in the Sun Belt Conference two years ago. That’s not a bad trio. Add in sophomore Wally Judge, a former McDonald’s All-American who has the potential to be better than the first three we mentioned, and you have a front court that should compete with any in college basketball. 

This fan-base is well-versed in overreaction
One blowout loss to a top-ten team and suddenly many K-State fans weren’t sure whether the team would even compete with the University of Kansas, despite the fact that KU had also just been on the wrong side of a blow-out, but against a team with football history about as storied as that of Hogwarts. Fighting the trend of viewing the Gatorade cup as half empty, I predicted that K-State would win by at least two touchdowns… If only I would have said “at least seven touchdowns.” Oh well.

Good things come to those who wait
Well, predictions of good things do, anyway. In the late 90s and early this decade, the only doom to speak of around K-State’s octagonal basketball facility was the type that surrounded the anticipated result of having the ball in the hands of Joe Leonard, or Pero Vasiljevic, or Chris Griffin, or Tyler Hughes, or Travis Canby, or (in the interest of time and keeping the one person that has read this far interested, I'll stop). There was a lot of bad basketball on display in Bramlage Coliseum, and my friends, my brother, and I kept going back for more. It’s not easy to be one of 250 students at an exhibition game that your team is losing to a squad of washed-up players with the name of a video game company on their jerseys. It’s exponentially more difficult when one of the players, who has torched your team for about 307 points* begins to have in-depth, trash-talking conversations with the student section. Been there, done that. I’ve seen another exhibition loss where a student that won a VIDEO GAME tournament suited up for the opposing squad and actually scored, even though he looked to possess about as much athleticism as Jabba the Hutt.

*Number is approximate.

Throughout the years with Tom Asbury and Jim Wooldridge at the helm, I witnessed blowouts and heartbreakers, with a few encouraging victories mixed in. I remember the anger and frustration that came with year after year of being completely ignored by the tournament selection committee – of the NIT.  Then, with the hiring of a guy named Huggins, things took a turn.

Sure, Bob is seen as a public enemy by many in Manhattan, but the fact remains that K-State basketball would not be in the position it is currently in if he had never made a stop in the former Huggieville. Now, K-State is the favorite to win the Big 12. They’re viewed by many as a potential top-five team this season. Head coach Frank Martin – whose hiring many viewed as a Hail Mary effort to keep Michael Beasley’s commitment – is seen as one of the top coaches in the conference and has become a broadcast media favorite for his sideline reactions. Five years ago televised K-State basketball was a rarity; this season every single regular season game will shown on TV.

The expectations are high with the Wildcats predicted by conference coaches to win the Big 12. There is a chance that things turn sour and the team falls flat on its collective face (see: K-State football, 2004), but that’s certainly not going to occupy my thoughts. I lived through the days where the team’s recruiting coups came from Junction City and it's been rather enjoyable seeing basketball actually become relevant again. This life? It’s good.

Gut feeling

I have never been literally punched in the gut. For this, I'm thankful. You see, I have a feeling that my gut is probably the fragile sort and would not respond well to any sort of physical abuse. After taking one hit, said gut would probably curl up in the fetal position, praying silent prayers for its safety.

Unfortunately, I have taken figurative blows to the gut on several occasions, the most recent of which came last night when the Nebraska Cornhuskers ran past the Kansas State Wildcats on their way a 35-point victory. Through the years I've learned that the fetal position does little to help in said situations.

I have often (probably far too often) used this space to detail certain aspects of collegiate or professional teams that I root for. There have been optimistic looks at hopes for struggling baseball teams (which typically prove fruitless) and running logs of my thoughts during football games (which typically prove uninteresting to anyone that is not a future version of myself). There have been countless hours devoted to attempting to keep up with everything these teams do, even if the team is just inviting a high school recruit to come watch a game. One fact remains: these are games.

Sure, Thursday night's K-State-Nebraska came was a battle of unbeatens. It was a match-up that involved the Cornhuskers attempting to show the nation that they are certainly a Top-10 team, while the Wildcats wanted to show that they deserve a spot in the Top 25. It even served as an historic occasion, as - thanks to Nebraska's decision to ditch their Big 12 brethren for annual trips to Pennsylvania Dutch Country - it marked possibly the final time that the two programs would ever meet on a football field.

The result was one that pained those for whom purple is a permanent wardrobe fixture. Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez found more open field than a traveler who takes a wrong turn in Western Kansas and the K-State defenders pursuing him seemed to be reenacting every slow-motion sequence that has ever taken place in film. Nebraska scored and scored. Fans clad in red (far too many of them) cheered endlessly in the stadium named for the Wildcats' head coach, and K-State fans held their guts in disgust. (Or as the result of disgust-fueled drinking.)

The loss hurt. Most do. Thanks to the stoicism from my dad credits to our Swedish heritage, I typically maintain a pretty even keel; never excited to the point of mindless screaming (whew), but never mad to the point of turning green and yelling self-narrations like "Hulk smash!" Yet, some of the most frustrating moments of my life have come as the result of numbers on a scoreboard. My brother-in-law still insists that the angriest he has seen me was after K-State's loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl in early 2004. I was mad about the loss. I was mad about obnoxious Buckeye fans sitting next to me. I was even angry about the ignorant folks sitting behind me who apparently had never seen football before. I was peeved, miffed, fed up, steamed, et cetera. I was this worked up, all about a game.

Why can sports seem so important? There have been plenty of events in my life that have certainly been more important than anything that takes place on a field or a court, and several happenings that have served far more severe (figurative) kidney punches. Such punches are the type that can make you truthfully fear what could be ahead. They can make you wonder how life could be so cruel. They are also the moments in life that can lead one to truly being thankful and appreciative for all they have been blessed with. Such moments trump anything sports can offer. For this, I will accept no debates.

We've determined that, in the grand scheme of all that comprises life, sports don't really matter. (Yes, it apparently took seven paragraphs to reach that mind-blowing conclusion... I'm a little slow.) Why bother with sports when they can leave you curse-mutteringly mad (the author's angry state) but ultimately hold the same importance as your decision to buy one or two Crunchwrap Supremes at Taco Bell? I think I've answered my own question.

We're a society that lives for living vicariously. Through movies, television, books and video games we're largely wrapped up in the successes (Way to save the brake plant, Tommy Boy!) and failures (Stomped by Bowser again? C'mon Mario!) of others. Sports serve as a way feel like a part of that success. You can read so much about an athlete that you feel like you know him or her. You can purchase apparel to match that of your team. You can memorize stats and schedules. If you're loaded with cash, you can even purchase tickets so close to the action that an athlete might steal your popcorn. Essentially, you can get so wrapped up in a team that it honestly feels like its performance affects yours, (I know there have been days that I've gone to work with a smile solely because of the numbers on a scoreboard the night before) and yet, it really doesn't matter.

A sports fan* can be exuberant with victories and devastated with losses, but (as long as said fan is mentally stable) their lot in life is unaffected. When your favorite baseball team loses 100 games in a season, your job is still safe. When your favorite football team wins as often as a Keno player who can't count higher than five, your family still accepts you. When your favorite basketball team drops a game thanks to shooting free throws as accurately as a cross-eyed goat, life moves on. Sure, the punches hurt, but they can be forgotten.

*Please note, this refers to loyal sports fans only. Fair-weather fans cannot be invested in this sort of manner... They also don't have souls.

Do I take sports too seriously at times? Absolutely. Could I imagine things any other way? No chance. Sure, I've been reminded far too many times throughout my 20+ years as a competent* sports fan that the figurative shots to the gut hurt, but there's always hope for tomorrow (even if your head coach regularly uses phrases like very confirmed )... Plus, figuratively, I can take a beating.

*Usage of this adjective is up for debate.

Things you now know - K-State 1-0

Thanks to a 31-22 victory over the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, K-State is 1-0 and their streak of victories in season openers is still intact. Let's review what we learned (or were reminded of) in the victory.

Daniel Thomas may not be human.
Thomas carried the ball (a career-high) 28 times. He ran for (a career-high) 234 yards. He took more hits than a blind cage fighter. He even touched the ball on eight-of-12 plays on K-State's opening scoring drive. A mere mortal would have collapsed in a heap of muscles and ligaments. Thomas, on the other hand, broke free for a 35-yard score on his final carry of the day. Some might suggest that he should be tested for every performance enhancer imaginable. Me? I'm not sure how one tests if a running back is actually a cyborg. See if he responds positively to pictures of female robots?

Thomas' backup is not to shabby, either
UCLA defenders might have assumed they'd get a bit of a break when Thomas left the field on Saturday. If so, they though wrong. Senior running back William Powell helped ensure that the Wildcat running game did not miss a beat when Thomas left the field, gaining 72 yards on just six carries. What answer is there when two opposing backs combine for 305 yards against you? I'm somewhat surprised UCLA defenders did not begin casually approaching Thomas and Powell and - rather than attempting to tackle them - attempt to convince them that they were headed the wrong direction.
"You'll have to forgive my friend. He's a little slow... Your end zone is back THAT way."

Running back is a team strength, but quarterback is not
To Carson Coffman's credit, he looked fairly strong on his first four passes of the day (all of which he completed) and the final 11-completions-16-attempts line is not bad... Unfortunately, Coffman seemed to react to a pass rush in the same sort of manner that the teenage iteration of the author reacted around females that showed any interest in him whatsoever: flustered and completely clueless of what to do. (Luckily, the author was never crushed by a 300-pound lineman as a result of his misgivings.) The Bruins sacked Coffman five times and the quarterback missed a wide-open Brodrick Smith on a layup of a pass that would have meant a sure six points. Coffman left the game for a few minutes with cramps and backup Collin Klein did nothing to show that he should have been playing instead.

Coach Bill Snyder knows what he's doing*
What do you do when your quarterback play is rough, but your running back is one of the best in the nation? You run. You run again. Then, you run some more. When you pass the ball, you keep the routes short and try to keep the reads easy. You're looking at precisely what was done on Saturday.

*Hello, Obvious. My name is Derek. Pleasure to meet you.

Defensive end Brandon Harold is a difference-maker
As a freshman in 2008, Harold tallied 10.5 tackles for loss on his way to being named a Freshman All-American by multiple publications. Last season, the Wildcats were hoping for a similar performance. Instead, injuries limited Harold to just one game. In his stead, K-State was forced to improvise in attempt to create a pass rush. Such improve included moving a 4th-string quarterback and a safety to defensive end in passing situations. The results were about as encouraging as a pep talk from Debbie Downer. Harold returned to the K-State starting lineup on Saturday. Though he registered just one sack, he pressured the quarterback on several occasions and helped cause the mess that was Kevin Princes 9-completions/26-attempts/2-interceptions line.

UCLA's receivers need to invest in Stick-um... or crazy glue... or a pot of honey...
When Harold wasn't haunting Prince's dreams, the Bruin QB did not receive a lot of help from his receivers. If you were counting their dropped passes, I hope you had a calculator handy. 

This season could be a fun one
The game against UCLA was certainly no gimme. K-State was far from perfect, but they showed they have what it takes to overcome some adversity and pick up victories... That's certainly more than some folks down the road to the east can say.

Things You Should Know - 2010 Kansas State Football Season Opener Edition

When Kansas State's 2010 football season kicks off on Saturday, there will be plenty of boisterous excitement, booze-fueled craziness, water-fueled craziness, and unbridled optimism. There will also be a lot of utterances of "okay, who the heck is that guy" as can often be the case for a very casual fan when a season begins. If you are a very casual fan (or even if you're not... I'm not about to discriminate against readers) you're in luck (or out of it, depending of your opinion of the author), as my interest goes slightly beyond that point. With that in mind, The Writings present things you should know about the 2010 Wildcats just in time for the season opener. Here's hoping these details can keep you up to speed with the football talk you might hear leading into Saturday... If not, here's hoping these details are at least seen as more insightful than tales of Burger King employees.*

*Don't worry, BK fans. I'm sure the local eatery will provide some material again someday soon.

- Carson Coffman will start at quarterback for Kansas State. He's the son of Paul and brother of Chase, retired and current NFL players, respectively. Coffman began last season as the Wildcats' starter, but after failing to impress lost the job to Grant Gregory, who may or may not have been playing with a severe shoulder injury for the majority of the season. This year, Coffman beat out Colin Klein - who played wide receiver in 2009 - and Sammuel Lamur - who earned the team's 2009 Scout Team Player of the Year award, but whom never was a full-time starter in junior college - for the starting spot. Don't be surprised to see turnover at the spot if turnovers are an issue.

- At running back and wide receiver, the Wildcats may have as much collective talent as the team has seen since the first Snyder era. Alas, much of said talent is also unproven. The proven end of it comes from Daniel Thomas, the running back who led the Big 12 in rushing in 2009. Lead blocking for Thomas is Braden Wilson, a sophomore fullback who seems to seek contact whenever he can. At wide receiver, K-State will feature a slew of talent, even if there aren't staggering stat lines to back them up. Broderick Smith and Chris Harper - transfers from Minnesota and Oregon, respectively - bring sheer athleticism to the position. Harper graduated from a Wichita high school and was the first Oregon player to score passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns in the same season. Meanwhile, Tramaine Thompson - at 5-foot-7 - will do nothing if he does not remind you of Brandon Banks. Aubrey Quarles returns at WR after missing last season due to injury... He's the only receiver mentioned that has actually caught a pass for the Wildcats in an actual game.

- Defensive tackle Prizell Brown came to K-State as a tight end weighing around 260-pounds. He now weighs 290 and will start at defensive tackle. How did he gain all that weight? Peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, milkshakes, and weight training. I kid you not. I believe some young, talented* recently wrote a feature story on this very subject for a K-State specialty publication. You should probably go buy it. (It's been awhile since I've had a good, shameless plug. It feels so right.)

*The Writings: Where "talented" is used in place of "delusional" on a regular basis.

- The Wildcats lost last year's top cornerback, Josh Moore, to the NFL's Chicago Bears. They'll replace him this season with a young man named Terrance Sweeney, whom coaches call the fastest player on the team.

- K-State features a pair of true freshmen on the season-opening depth chart: linebacker Tre Walker and safety Ty Zimmerman - a Junction City graduate.

- The Wildcat with the best chance of a long NFL career might be the long-snapper, Corey Adams. That's no real knock against the rest of the team. He's just rather good at what he does, and it's an NFL position where specialized talent if really appreciated.

- There will be no Power Towels anywhere near most seats at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Thank goodness.

Retraction

Editor's note:
In wishing the university of Nebraska a fond farewell yesterday, the author mistakenly operated under the assumption that Baylor would go to the Pac 10 along with it's Texas brethren, and that Colorado would be left lonely in the remnants of the Big 12. We at The Writings regret the error.

You see, the author assumed that the six schools in the Big 12 South would stick together... like the Super Friends. What the author forgot was that Baylor is the Big 12 South equivalent of Aquaman. You can search high and low, but you'll struggle to find someone that will really admit to being a fan of Aquaman, and, while he does have some distinct talents (swimming and, uh, swimming), few can really argue that he's a valuable member of the group. Replace "Aquaman" with "Baylor" and "swimming" with "women's basketball" and you're looking at another pretty apt description.*

*I know they had a pretty solid men's basketball season... Please don't make me change my Aquaman Corollary.

 

Beyond my error in thinking that Baylor would be treated like something other than the smelly kid at recess, I also may have misinterpreted the grand exodous from what was once a top-notch conference in both football and basketball. Don't get me wrong, it still looks like the Big 12 is going down faster than the public opinion of Dan Beebe, but the twist comes in the fact that there seem to be a few different emergency evacuation plans in play.  Recent rumors link Oklahoma and a mystery date to the SEC, Oklahoma State to the Pac 10, Texas A&M to both the Big 10 and the SEC, Kansas to the Big East, and Texas to to just about every league imaginable, including a company softball league in Mississippi (they bring some different things to the table).

Perhaps this whole situation won't wrap up as neatly as originally thought, but the fact remains those leading the Big 12 had the opportunity to be proactive (remember, expansion rumors were flying last year. That's a fair amount of time to try to find a way to keep your league together.), but instead apparently sat in the league office watching old clips of Billy Tubbs interviews. The result is the disintegration of league that has featured four national champions in college football since the league's inception in 1996. Good move.

This is going to be interesting/ugly/depressing/(insert your own adjective here... The Writings: Looking for Reader Interaction since 2010)/disappointing/a situation that many will regret.

Bad Bye

Well, that was fun. According to reports by just about every news source in existence (I'm fairly confident that even Ron Burgandy is reporting it by now), the University of Nebraska will announce Friday that it is packing up suitcases full of corn and leaving the Big 12 for the Big I Can't Count Conference. With such a move, the next domino expected to topple is that the entire Big 12 South will be absorbed by the Pac 10. It's possible that Missouri might also get an invite to the Big Anything But Ten, meaning that K-State, KU, Iowa State and Colorado would be left standing like the four awkward guys no one will pick during a snowball dance.

All indications are that if Nebraska would have declined the Big Ten offer, then Texas - which holds more power in the conference than the president, the UN, or the galactic emperor - would have stayed in the Big 12, meaning a simple Horned Frog bandage could have covered the loss of Missouri. In other words, Nebraska is to blame for the demise of the conference.

Alas, I won't hold ill will. I won't have sour grapes over the fact that K-State may very well end up in a conference without an automatic BCS bid. No, instead I'll just bid the Huskers farewell, and I'll do it in the most classy way I can currently think of...

Kansas State v. Nebraska 1998
Created by YouTube user slacker905

Kansas State v. Nebraska 2000
Created by YouTube user slacker905

Kansas State v. Nebraska 2002
Created by YouTube user slacker905

KSU destroys NU 38-9 in Lincoln
Video uploaded by MitchWilkinson



Could Nebraska folks post videos of K-State that are a lot more embarrassing than those above? Sure they could. But what's the point?

Bye, Nebraska. May your athletic department be blessed with the genius thinking that goes into decisions like firing Frank Solich after a 9-3 season and hiring a failed NFL coach in Bill Callahan.

From the Archives - OKC Trip

I received a reminder recently that, aside from a story on floor moppers, I hadn't posted much from a recent trip to Oklahoma City for to view the NCAA Tournament. Now it's time to work on rectifying that.

When one is driving south on I-35, there's no need to look for a sign alerting you when you cross from Kansas into Oklahoma. No, the canyon-like potholes and road-shoulders littered with shredded tires provide a welcome that no sign could. "Welcome to Oklahoma. Be kind to our roads, as we sure won't fix them... Oh yeah, if you add to our roadside collection of shredded rubber, you better have Survivorman-like skills, as cell phone coverage is as scant as Aborigines in the NBA."

The trip is a scenic one. Not only does one encounter massive billboards boasting that a rest stop has "CLEAN RESTROOMS," but - on rare occasions - you might even see a person bundled up like an eskimo, perched atop an overpass waving at passing cars.  It was like the guy had been hired to welcome folks to Alaska only to later find out he was horrendous when it came to reading maps.

At the Ford Center - the finest arena in all of downtown Oklahoma City - my brother in I took in some pretty good action. Between the dancing mascots* and the stranger jabbering next to me as if we were old roommates**, there was actually some excellent action on the court. We saw a Wildcat victory, a double-overtime thriller between BYU and Florida, and a Northern Iowa squad just days away from crushing the hopes of Jayhawks everywhere.

*It seems that, away from Kansas State University, dancing is a hobby embraced by mascots. The BYU Cougar showed off moves straight out of "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo," and even the Florida Gator performed moves with the flair of the most ravenous death roll. Why doesn't Wille the Wildcat dance in similar fashion? Is it because it's tough just maintaining balance with such a large head? (I can support that statement.) Is it because he's confused about why he has an animal head, yet a human body? I need answers.

**A big fan of a school that I don't exactly adore sat next to me for the second pair of games. He proceeded to fill me in on his life story (unfortunately I forgot to take notes that I could refer to later when writing his unauthorized biography, titled "There's a Point in Here Somewhere."), and also ask me on multiple occasions whether my brother and I had attended the first session of games. This would not have been a strange question, except K-State played in the first session of games, and we were wearing shirts that spelled out "K-State" in pretty blatant manner. Also, the answer to the question remained the same every time he asked it: "Yes. Sure did."

Unfortunately, our weekend in OKC wrapped up early, once meteorologists decided to begin forecasting blizzards for the city. Thus, we traveled through conditions that would have made the Abominable Snowman quiver to make it home on Friday night and watched K-State's second-round victory and KU's surprising tournament exit from the comfort of Kansas. It would have been pretty memorable to have had the opportunity to view such action from the Ford Center*, but I certainly wouldn't have changed the way things turned out.

*Contrary to popular belief, the Ford Center is neither made of Fords nor is it home to Harrison Ford.

There is such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown.

Butler 63 - Kansas State 56.

The sight of that score, the thought of that game, the mere mention of the Final Four- It all still stings, like an unexpected pass caught by your nose. Two days after competing in one of the greatest games in NCAA Tournament history, the K-State Wildcats fell short in their bid to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1964. The loss wasn't an easy one to take. The Cats actually led by a point with just four minutes left in the game. As with any loss, there were decisions to question and plays to wish they could try again.

Really there seemed to be all sorts of things to regret. The loss had the author of this very blog so down that he actually boycotted sports for the next day-and-a-half. Yes, we're talking about the same blog author that has watched all seven rounds of an NFL Draft from start to finish. The same blog author who watched well-over 100 televised Royals games last year. The very same blog author that has read more books about Michael Jordan than exist in the Harry Potter series. This guy boycotted sports. Why? The Final Four was right there! They were so incredibly close! Why bother with sports if they always end in disappointment?

Thankfully, as has happened a bevy of times before, the author then realized that he was being moronic. K-State just wrapped up one of the greatest seasons in team history. They won 29 games, topped the then-No. 1 team in the nation, played in the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Jacob Pullen became on of the top players in the nation and Frank Martin was honored as the top coach in the conference. This was the season I was grieving over?

Really?

In the past 20 years I had witnessed K-State fall to the depths of the college basketball world, where prized recruits are drawn from towns like Brewster and Junction City. It's where your team loses exhibition contests to teams named after video game companies. It's where there's extreme disappointment when your team can't bring in a 7-foot volleyball player to protect the paint and where your only time on SportsCenter comes when your center commits one of the most boneheaded plays in the history of the sport. (See: Fiasco, Pasco)... As recently as five years ago, my hopes for a "successful" season hinged on the decisions made by the NIT selection committee.

The big picture point here is that I - along with many fans that continually shuffled into Bramlage Coliseum during the Asbury and Wooldridge eras - have seen some pretty rough basketball. (And by "rough," I mean horrible.) The progress made in the past four years has really been just short of incredible. The Wildcats have a very solid foundation returning next season - in essence, only losing Denis Clemente - and can expect to be a top-ranked team in 2010-2011 preseason polls. Depending on potential departures from that school down the road, K-State could even enter the season as the favorite to win the Big 12.

Will there be tough losses in the future? Absolutely. Grief that corresponds with the losses? Sure. But, considering where the program has been, it's pretty good grief.

Copyright Derek D. Larson

Wow. I say that in Elite fashion.

6 Xavier vs. 2 Kansas State Highlights



Go Cats!

A Taste of the Tourney

A trip to Oklahoma City to take in some NCAA Tournament action provided plenty of material worthy of being dissected by The Writings. This is the first of such dissections.

When you watch the tournament on television, you get a good feel for the excitement surrounding each game; the pep bands, the zany mascots, the antics of the head coaches, and every smile or grimace painted on the faces of the student-athletes are all captured in fine fashion by the television cameras. Alas, there's an important facet of the tournament that goes unnoticed by the television viewing audience. I'm talking, of course, about the lane sweepers.

Every four game minutes, there's a media timeout scheduled in college basketball. This largely serves as an opportunity for television and radio stations to broadcast the commercials of their sponsors. But, while you are stuck wondering what Luke Wilson has done to be featured on three of every four commercials aired, back at the arena the limits of child labor laws are pushed to their max. Oddly, it proves frighteningly entertaining. You see, the third graders pushing mops at the Ford Center stuck it to the man in their own fashion: they didn't pay a lick of attention to what they were doing.

Sure, when a timeout hit the floor, they'd wield their mops and towels with ninja-like readiness, but when it came to actual sweeping, well, it didn't seem to be the primary thing on their minds. A young girl pushed a mop aimlessly while apparently searching the crowd for the Jonas Brothers. Typically, the in-game mopping is limited to the free throw lanes on the court, but this girl didn't bother to limit her range, reaching the mid-court line without thinking a second thought. Her two towel-dragging partners did not fare much differently, watching the scoreboard screens rather than actually making sure they were soaking up any moisture that might have dripped onto the floor. Sure, the static graphics on the screen were exciting, but the players that hydroplaned on slick spots might have appreciated if the gallon of sweat left on the floor by modern giants had been soaked up.

If my brother and I had any sense at all, we would have begun betting on whether or not this trio would actually come close to doing their assigned jobs each timeout. It was undeniably entertaining.

A Splendid Day

Saturday, March 20, 2010 will go down in Derek Larson history* as one superb example of why March is one of the greatest months of the year. Much more on this later.

*Warning: Overall, Derek Larson history is pretty boring.

Basketball, St. Patrick's Day - How could they not be connected?

It seems fitting that St. Patrick's Day coincides with college basketball's March Madness year. After all, basketball is a sport filled with towering athletes who are unbelievably athletic and St. Patrick's Day brings to mind... stubby folks drinking booze.

Okay, maybe the connection is not crystal clear, but the fact remains that the two events typically arrive hand-in-hand. There's no doubt* that truth behind St. Patrick's Day is that it's a celebration of leprechauns' (prior to their unfortunate extinction) adoration of sexual harassment. How else could one explain all the pinching?

*Editor's note: There's plenty of doubt. Nothing but doubt, really.

No matter what the motivation is behind the "holiday"*, the fact remains is that there seems to be a conspiratorial motive behind it this year. Those who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day are pinched, mocked, and occasionally subject to ritualistic sacrifice. This makes the fact that Kansas State University plays a team known as the Mean Green tomorrow oddly coincidental, no? A mass convoy of basketball fans will converge upon Oklahoma City today, all wearing green. If you were from North Texas, wouldn't such optical support give your at least a slight boost of confidence? Where's National Barney Appreciation Day when we need it?

*"Holiday" in this usage, means "excuse to drink like a dippy bird."

Pick Me, Pick Me

Though it was unfortunate to see the Kansas State Wile E. Coyotes come up short again in their pursuit of the Kansas JayRoadrunners (I knew K-State should have worked an Acme anvil into their game plan), such disappointment evaporates quickly upon realization that today is Selection Sunday.

Today marks the first Selection Sunday that I can remember where the fact that the Wildcats will be announced as one of the teams in the 65-team field is inarguable. The Wildcats have earned the success they have encountered this season and today we find out how they'll be rewarded. I'd argue that they should be no lower than a No. 2 seed, but - as wacky as it might sound - I'm not sure than any members of the tournament selection committee read this blog. (I know, I was shocked upon this realization, as well.)

With so much basketball coming later this week that it could very well drip out your ears*, it's clear why mid-March is one of the greatest times of the year. It's also clear that I should be sure to work some tournament blogging in.

*If this does happen to you or a loved one, please seek medical assistance.

No. 6

The Kansas State Wildcats are ranked No. 6 in the nation by both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls. Per pollspeak.com, no AP voter feels the Wildcats are any worse than the No. 10 team in the nation. K-State has performed well enough this season that their even being mentioned as a potential No. 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

All of these details are common knowledge to most Kansas State fans, but I had to type them as they're still kind of hard to believe. As detailed in previous Writings, I've seen a lot of bad basketball in the last 15 years. How far has this team come? How welcome is this return to national relevance? Let the following video serve as a little reminder of how cursed this team seemed for awhile.

A Few Things to Think About - K-State Basketball Edition

While eating lunch today, ESPN's SportsCenter* showed a graphic of the top ten teams in college basketball. There at No. 9 was Kansas State. The Wildcats have been ranked for weeks now. They've topped the then-No. 1 team in the nation. They were barely nipped by the current No. 1 team in a game so tight that frat guys might try to wear it as a t-shirt. They have continually proven that they deserve to be considered as one of the best in college basketball this season, yet I still sit stunned for a few seconds when I see "Kansas State" listed next to that No. 9. It's not that I feel this season has been any sort of fluke; to the contrary, I don't think the team is going anywhere but up next year. It's just that I've seen so many losses in Bramlage Coliseum that having the chance to view a fairly consistent winner is a shock to the system. It's like eating nothing but rancid Spam for 15 years and then winning the opportunity to eat at a top-flight steakhouse twice a week.

*I figured this show could use a bump from The Writings**. I hope it makes it.

**The Writings: We Don't Know the Meaning of Delusion.

How different are things surrounding K-State basketball? Consider:

- Kansas State has topped four ranked teams this season, including the Texas Longhorns while they were ranked No. 1. Four years ago, the Wildcats were 0-3 against ranked opponents.

- The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 9 in the nation. Five years ago they finished 10th in the Big 12. (Unfortunately, all of the nine teams ahead of the Cats that season were not ranked in the nation's top 10.)

- Six years ago, K-State won 14 games total. This season, the Wildcats won their 14th game on Jan. 12.

- Seven years ago, K-State averaged 7,157 in attendance per home game. In 2009-2010, the Wildcats are averaging 11,685 fans per home game. The difference (4,500+) is about the same as the population of neighboring Clay Center, Kan.

- This season, Kansas State outrebounds opponents by an average of 5.8 rebounds per game. Eight years ago, with stalwarts like Western Carolina and Farleigh Dickenson on the schedule, the Wildcats rebounding margin was -1.2.

- It's not uncommon to hear the PA announcer urge students to scoot together to make sure all in attendance can fit in the bleachers this season. Students line up in subfreezing temperature hours before game time to ensure they get decent seats. Nine years ago, my high school friends and I would show up 10 minutes before game time and mosey into the college student section to sit on the third row with my brother. We had ample room to stretch, do calisthenics, or take naps and - even though they usually brought out five or six pies - we were nearly always guaranteed a pizza thanks to a halftime promotion.

- Ten years ago, K-State's recruiting pipeline was Junction City High School; a team whose last state championship came in 1970. Now, the Wildcats are tapped into AAU's DC Assault, a team that has featured fomer Big 12 Player of the Year Michael Beasley, as well as current Wildcats Dominique Sutton, Jamar Samuels, Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder. No offense to Travis Reynolds and Quentin Buchanan, but DC may have the advantage here.


Is it shortsighted to celebrate a No. 9 ranking with seven games left on the schedule? Absolutely. As Frank Martin is quick to note: "You don't throw parades in (insert month that indicates the season is still in progress here)." There's a lot that could still happen this season; injuries, suspensions, plagues, or alien abductions. Nonetheless, having had a good taste of where this team has been, I'm going to the slight shock that comes with a national ranking each step of the way.

Writing of Doom

The Octagon of Doom.

It's a nickname for Kansas State University's Bramlage Coliseum that has suddenly gone mainstream. Much like the notion that Vin Diesel has discernable talent, no one is sure exactly where the nickname originated, but signs point to a K-State sports message board. Since Bramlage has taken a new national identity, it seems like now is a good time to examine the name and determine whether it is a good fit for the arena.

First, there's "Octagon." For those who don't appreciate geometry, an octagon is a polygon with eight sides. Bramlage is a coliseum with eight sides. Using fancy algebraic equations*, we know that 8=8. Therefore, we can deduce that the term "Octagon" is an appropriate one in this instance.

*I haven't taken a math class since high school. This is about as fancy as my equations get.

Next up, "of doom." In this case, the preposition "of" means "having" so for this phrasing to be accurate, we need to determine whether or not Bramlage has doom. The best way to figure this out is to compare Bramlage to something that we already know has doom; something like the temple from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Think about that temple. In it, a person some people fear and other despise tears out the hearts of innocents with a bare hand. Sounds a little bit like what Sherron Collins did the other night, no?

Prior to arriving at the temple, Indiana Jones and friends take part in a banquet that features extravagant dishes like monkey brain stew. Odds are that PETA's annual meeting wouldn't feature a catered meal with that dish. PETA also doesn't approve of the idea of live chickens being thrown onto the Bramlage Coliseum court.

In the Temple of Doom, Indy, his lady friend, and Short Round take a ride in a mine cart on a track that features more ups and downs than most rollercoasters. What do you know, this sounds like a bit of Saturday night's game, too. Standing in Bramlage, I was pretty convinced K-State had lost the game a few times. Then I was convinced they had won a few other times. Then I was pretty convinced Dominique Sutton should have been shooting a couple free throws to break a tie at the end of regulation. Then, after Collins hit his shot and was fouled (according to the refs) near the end of overtime, I was pretty convinced that I should push myself down the Bramlage steps... Sounds like a roller coaster to me. 

Outside the Temple of Doom, folks think they're safe, but then a bridge collapses and those who previously felt comfort in the fact that they were supported by a bridge were eaten by vicious crocodiles. Outside Bramlage, folks who leave the arena get to the comfort of their cars in the parking lot, only to soon discover that the parking lot empties so slowly that they may not see an actual road for another 40 minutes. By that time, one might be wishing they'd been eaten by starving, razor-toothed reptiles.

Heart removal, animals, roller coasters and situations that make a person wish for an end to suffering... It seems that "of doom" is an accurate description for The Octagon.

Octagon, check.

Of Doom, check.

Yup, the name fits.

Hooked 'em

Though a former president (or at least his SNL portrayl) warned against it many times, on Monday night the K-State Wildcats messed with Texas. With a national audience and an arena packed so full that students were standing in the aisles, the Wildcats out-hustled, out-fought, and generally out-played the Texas Longhorns - the No. 1 team in the nation. Not bad for a team that finished 6-10 in conference play just four years ago.

Though they are ranked in top 10 by both nationally respected polls*, The Writings have yet to really delve into what makes the 09-10 Wildcats a team to talk about. You can probably chalk to that up to two-parts laziness, one-part fear of causing some sort of jinx. No, I'm not really superstitious and I haven't read Pedro Cerrano's Guide to Voodoo, but sometimes a person is just overly cautious. (I often push over ladders just to avoid the possibility of accidentally climbing and then falling off of them.) Nonetheless, some combination of my journalistic instincts (of which their are few) and my sheer excitement about what this team could potentially accomplish (of which there is much) has made this a topic The Writings can no longer ignore. If you're prepared to attempt to follow a rambling diatribe hitting on all things Wildcats, keep reading. If not, keep reading anyway. Maybe you'll learn something. (The Writings: We're here to teach.)

*That's the AP and the ESPN/Coaches' poll. Estimated date of the Derek Larson poll also being nationally respected: Nov. 4, 2342.

---
An aside, as I watch the replay of the game as I type: nice work by the ESPN camera crew on zooming in on a college student wearing a cross on his neck while the crowd serenaded the referees with a chant that rhymes with gullspit... Yes, he was an integral part of the chant.
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If anything was made evident by last night's victory, it was that this team's true identity lies in sweating the small stuff. When the team is grabbing offensive rebounds, beating the opposing squad down the floor and making hustle plays is when it's at its best. Before last night, the argument could have been made that the Wildcats would stand no chance in games where guards Jake Pullen and Denis Clemente (the team's top two scorers) were not hitting shots. The fact that the Pullmente duo combined to shoot 4-for-24 on Monday night should help obliterate such theories.

---
Bob Knight - who was an excellent coach, by the way... seriously, a legendary coach... I hold great respect for his coaching ability - referred to K-State center Luis Colon (pronounced like "cologne" - a pleasing thought) as Colon (pronounced like the part of the body - a not-so-pleasing thought).
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Unlike teams from the past few years, this Kansas State squad is assembled in such a fashion that it can recover when its top scorers are rendered ineffective. Two years ago, in Frank Martin's inaugural campaign, if a team was able to negate Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, the scoring load fell to a freshman Pullen (who was not yet ready to be a go-to guy) and senior Clent Stewart (who averaged just under 7 points per game). Last year, Pullen and Clemente led the Wildcats in scoring, but beyond that pair, K-State depended on Darren Kent (whose best sport was golf) and Jamar Samuels (who a year ago was so skinny he was nearly invisible from a profile view).

This year, even when Pullen and Clemente are putting up enough bricks to build a new practice facility, the Wildcats have options. There's the sophomore version of Jamar Samuels, who tracks down offensive rebounds as if he's using GPS and is able to somehow complete shots after absorbing crushing contact from players like Dexter Pittman - a man so large he seems destined to one day battle The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. There's Curtis Kelly, who may not be well versed in consistency, but who is one of the top low-post scorers in the Big 12 when he's on his game. There's Rodney McGruder, a freshman whose playing time has varied, but who has made the most of the opportunities he's been given and has shown versatility in doing so. Against Texas, McGruder scored 11 off the bench with most coming around the rim. Earlier this season, McGruder showed off his long-range game, connecting on four 3-pointers and scoring 20 points in just 22 minutes.

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Reason #3,271 why sideline reporters are not necessary in basketball: by the end of the game, in-depth reports concern electrolyte jellybeans.
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---
It's a shame that the ESPN announce crew couldn't do enough homework to realize that Big 12 North teams only play those in the South once during the regular season... and one of them even coached in the conference.
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While the 2009-2010 season has shaped up to be far more than anyone (other than those that sit on the Wildcat bench each game) might have hoped so far, it is true that not everything is perfect surrounding this team. Depth in the post is questionable. The offense lacks movement. The team is prone to fouling. (A lot.) The freshmen are raw. All told, there's plenty of improvements this squad can still make. There are plenty of reasons to think that things could go awry.

Guess what... I don't care.

I once convinced myself to be optimistic about a K-State team whose top player was named Phineas and ended up winning a whopping 11 games. Annually, I talk myself into thinking the Kansas City Royals have a chance to compete in their division, only to wonder what in the world I was thinking by the time the calendar reads June. (Still working on that for 2010... Give me time.) My favorite NFL team has won a combined 10 games over the last three seasons. Based on my rooting history, you could almost argue that I'm a foul-weather fan. You will have to excuse me if I take a little pride when one of "my teams*" actually ascends to national prominence. Each Monday I'm going to wait impatiently for new polls to be released like a kid waiting to open Christmas gifts. After each victory, I'm going to watch Sportscenter solely to see K-State highlights. After each loss, I'm going to feel like someone just kneed me in the kidney. I'll continue to wear more purple than most people own think about K-State basketball far more than any person should.

I've always liked purple Kool-Aid.

*To the extent of my knowledge, I hold no actual legal ownership over any of the aforementioned teams. Despite the fact that a lot of my money has gone to the university throughout the years, administrators assure me that this is still the case.