Something Special in the Little Apple

Don’t look now but Kansas State is marching to an appearance in the BCS title game. The Wildcats (8-0) are second in the BCS standings behind Alabama.

If you enjoy wide-open football, Kansas State isn’t your pleasure. If you appreciate a blue collar approach that stresses solid defense and limited turnovers, then the Wildcats are a delight.

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder will never coach sexy football. He will never draw attention to himself. He will never attractive a stable-full of blue-chip athletes to Manhattan, Kansas—known as the Little Apple. But what Snyder will do is win plenty of football games.

Snyder is 167-83-1 in his 21st year at Kansas State. The guy retired once and then came back for a second stint in 2009. Coaching twice at the same school is a rarity but it fits Snyder.

The 73-year-old doesn’t look like a coach but rather a high school teacher. His players enjoy playing for a guy who is a disciplinarian. He models his program after former Iowa football coach Hayden Fry who Snyder served under for a number of years as offensive coordinator. For example, have you noticed the Kansas State uniforms? They are exactly like Iowa uniforms except for the color scheme and logo.

Kansas State has a fairly favorable schedule the rest of the way. The Wildcats have home games remaining with Oklahoma State and Texas and road games with TCU and Baylor. They also benefit with no Big 12 Conference Championship game.

But can Kansas State function as a hunted team? Don’t count Snyder and his disciplined Wildcats out. They aren’t looking for style points just hard-working victories.

I will Miss Frank Martin in the Big 12 Conference

Frank Martin was introduced yesterday as the new basketball coach at South Carolina. Martin leaves Kansas State after a five-year run. His record was 117-54 and he led the Wildcats to a regional final in 2010.

Martin will be missed in the Big 12 Conference. The colorful, fiery coach built a solid program at Kansas State. Martin received a big break when Bob Huggins left after one year at Kansas State to take the job at West Virginia. Martin, Huggin’s assistant, was then elevated to the top job.

Rumors persisted that Martin and the Kansas State athletic administration were at odds. The talk was Martin wanted to depart Manhattan, Kansas. Both sides denied the so-called rift. Whether it was truth or fiction, Martin is gone to the Southeastern Conference.

Martin must enjoy a challenge. South Carolina went 2-14 in its league and 10-21 overall last season. The term, NCAA tournament, is a foreign concept. Yes, Martin has plenty of work to do.

I wrote a January blog about Martin’s anger issues. Apparently, it didn’t scare off South Carolina. The Gamecocks need some fire and a culture change.

Martin claims his fiery nature is only in his coaching life. That he tried to tame it down over his Kansas State term.

Regardless, I’ll need to pay a little closer attention to the Gamecock program now. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’m sure I’ll miss Martin’s stare and glare from his Kansas States days, so I better catch a South Carolina game or two on television.

Kansas State Wakes Up

Just a few weeks ago, many (including me) wondered what happened to Kansas State this season. Great expectations were turned into disappointing results. Bad losses equaled a below .500 Big 12 Conference record.

The Wildcats (21-9, 9-6 conference) are now officially off basketball life support. The roar in Manhattan is back and in a big way.

Kansas State won its fifth consecutive game Monday night handling Texas in Austin. The Longhorns seem headed in a difficult direction lately, but we will see.

But could Kansas State become the Michigan State of this season? The Spartans usually play their best basketball late in the season and peak during the NCAA tournament.

Kansas State is a dangerous team. The Wildcats have veteran talent. Maybe the chemistry was lacking earlier in the year. Maybe the effort wasn’t there. Maybe it was a combination of the two or 12 other things. You never really know. The results are all that matter.

Kansas State fans like the reversal The Wildcats are ticketed for the Big Dance (NCAA tournament) rather than one of the loser’s varieties. Even Coach Frank Martin should be sleeping better and be in a better mood.

What's Wrong with Kansas State Basketball?

Manhattan, Kansas, dubbed the “Little Apple,” is the home of the Kansas State Wildcats. Unfortunately the apple has been pretty sour these days with the misfortunes of the Wildcat basketball team.

Kansas State was a darling of preseason polls. Many polls picked the Wildcats in the top five in the country. But then they played the games.

Kansas State has lost three of four games in the Big 12 Conference and are just 13-6 overall. The Wildcats are tied for next-to-the-bottom in the league with Oklahoma.

Guard Jacob Pullen is an all-star player but one man doesn’t define a team. He and Curtis Kelly were the only returning starters back from a 29-8 club.

This team misses point guard Denise Clemente who was a senior last year. But the Wildcats better starting consistently winning or they are in danger of missing the NCAA tournament.

Kansas State has developed a solid tradition under coach Frank Martin. Could it be the opposing teams are fired up to play the Wildcats? Could Kansas State be thinking about its former press clips? Do the players need a kinder, gentler Martin?

The Wildcats are definitely a surprise in college basketball this season. The kind of surprise the Little Apple doesn’t appreciation.