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Now that's more like it. The Big 12 has returned to some semblance of normalcy.
KU is back in its familiar position, far ahead of the pack. K-State is in the top four, where it always finishes the season under Frank Martin. Baylor and Missouri are humbled, neé undefeated.
Iowa State remains slightly ahead of the truly mediocre teams, with a chance to punctuate itself as so much more with an upset of KU tomorrow. Texas and Oklahoma State are clawing to remain relevant.
Oklahoma and Texas A&M are proving to be who we thought they were; the Sooners before the season started, the Aggies just before conference play began. And Texas Tech is wishing it had gone to the Pac-12 after all.
K-State Basketball
Martavious Irving's new role off the bench suits him well. If he keeps scoring 16 points per game, then it will suit all of us well.
Big 12 Conference
Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas made waves by calling Missouri "selfish" and "disruptive" for refusing concessions offered by the Big 12 to stay through the 2012-13 season. He has also mentioned that Fox could renegotiate its new TV contract to pay less if the Big 12 doesn't have 10 teams. Lay that groundwork, commissioner.
College Football
Spencer Hall has another installment on how to handle national signing day, including the Rosetta Stone for coded comments fans make on February 1.
It wasn't Chip Kelly, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will deprive a college team of its head coach. Greg Schiano is leaving Rutgers to become the new head coach for the Bucs.
K-State Basketball
K-State rolled to a 67-49 win over Texas Tech in Lubbock last night.
Victor Ojeleye had eight points, filling in for the non-existent Jamar Samuels.
K-State Football
Defensive end Jordan Willis, a junior out of Rockhurst (Mo.) High School, has verbally committed to K-State.
K-State Women's Basketball
The Wildcats couldn't hold a nine-point halftime lead and fell to Iowa State at home, 66-57, in Manhattan.
Big 12 Basketball
LeBryan Nash got hot late and erased a Missouri lead as Oklahoma State upset No. 2 Mizzou in Stillwater. Also, Markel Brown had a filthy alley-oop dunk over MU's Matt Pressey.
Big 12 Conference Expansion
The conference's expansion committee met via teleconference yesterday, but apparently just exchanged pleasantries as "nothing of substance" was discussed and no action was taken. Rumors are that Louisville and BYU are still being considered as expansion targets.
Who: K-State vs. Texas Tech
When: January 25, 2012 | 8:00 p.m.
Where: Lubbock, Texas | United Spirit Arena (15,098)
Media: ESPNU | 1350 KMAN
K-State travels to Lubbock tonight in search of its third-straight conference win when it takes on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tech is winless in conference play, and I'd prefer we keep it that way.
If you can, I highly recommend listening to the radio broadcast tonight, which will feature Brian Smoller on the play-by-play. Smoller is one of the best broadcasters I've ever heard. At the same time, our sympathies to Wyatt Thompson and his family as they mourn the death of his father this week.
Go Cats!
Kansas State's offense is shooting a woeful 42.1% in conference play, and an absolutely atrocious 35.8% on the road. Of course, there isn't one simple explanation, or one simple fix.
Part of the blame goes to the coaches and players for far too often, not being able to execute good halfcourt sets or anything resembling an offense. Another part lies with the fact that K-State is simply devoid of elite creators (Rod could be there by the end of the season) or sharpshooters (Will Spradling is close on some days) and wings or post men that can consistently hit midrange jumpers, both of which are crucial to opening up a defense and creating better opportunities for everyone.
But the most fixable part of K-State's shooting problems is that some guys simply haven't figured out their roles on the basketball team. Much like Carson Coffman did during his at-times-frustrating-but-surprisingly-successful senior year, these guys need to realize what they can do, and what they can't.
With that in mind, I've got some player-specific tips, as well as a short preview of the worst Big 12 team since, well, I'm not sure, but perhaps in quite some time.
K-State Basketball
Frank Martin has officially reinstated Jordan Henriquez, and the junior center could play for K-State tonight in Lubbock against Texas Tech.
Even with Henriquez back, don't be surprised to see freshman Adrian Diaz log some minutes. Despite Martin's "piss poor job coaching that kid" earlier this year, Diaz is starting to understand his role for K-State.
With Angel Rodriguez making an appearance in the starting lineup, Martavious Irving now provides a spark off the bench for K-State.
This doesn't necessarily fit under basketball specifically, but K-State is 49th in the country in money spent on recruiting.
Big 12 Basketball
In Tuesday action, Texas got a home win over Iowa State, while Baylor managed to get back on the winning track against Oklahoma in Norman.
College Football
Texas gave Mack Brown a four-year contract extension, which means his contract now runs through 2020. Chip Brown tweeted that the rumors this fall of Brown stepping down were negative-recruiting based, so an extension was the answer. To which I say well done, devious Bill Snyder. Well done.
K-State Basketball
That didn't take long. It looks like Jordan Henriquez's "indefinite" suspension could end up lasting about a week, as Frank Martin said he could return for Wednesday's game against Texas Tech.
K-State is No. 22 in this week's AP Poll.
SB Nation's weekly Bracketology slots K-State as a seven seed this week. Don't really want to see a team like Purdue in the first round, but we should start to see K-State trend up from here.
K-State Football
Some sources indicate Matt Wallerstedt may be interviewing for K-State's vacant defensive coordinator position.
Big 12 Basketball
KU sleepwalked through most of a 64-54 win over Texas A&M last night.
Great Writing
If you don't read anything else about Joe Paterno, and I wouldn't recommend reading most of it, you should read Spencer Hall's "Bury the Man, Keep the Statue."
Conference Realign...Ugh, Are We Really Going to Start This Again?
Somebody in West Virginia believes the Big 12 is going to raid the ACC. Or something. I don't even care anymore.
Seems to me like this could be a recipe for success...
