Good grief, it took me forever to read the newspapers this morning.  Lots to get to...

From the KC Star, we have an interesting look inside the life of Michael Beasley's mom, Fatima Smith.  This is really an interesting read, as it chronicles the series of events that brought Beasley and, with him, Smith and her other children to Manhattan.  She really sounds like an amazing woman who takes incredible care of her children...something we need more of in society.

My only complaint about the story is something that almost always bothers me about journalism stories.  The writer (Bill Reiter) can't resist making multiple allusions to Manhattan being out in the middle of nowhere.  If your job is to break news, wouldn't you stick to what is actually news to everybody.  We get it already.  It's 120 miles to Manhattan from KC and Wichita, so it's out there a ways.  It just makes the story irritating to read.  Sorry, that's the writer in me coming out.  Onward...

Also in KC, the 'beaker's beat writer, J. Brady McCullough, asks and then answers the question: How do you stop Michael Beasley?  My guess is Bill Self will take the same approximate approach to Beasley that he took to Kevin Durant last year.  Let him get his, as long as getting his doesn't mean 50, and make sure the rest of the team doesn't kill you.  I would guess Self is much more interested in defending Bill Walker and our guards (as the story notes).

At 14-4 and 4-0 in the Big 12, K-State is now ranked No. 22.  I didn't mention this yesterday because I really don't think rankings are a very big deal.  Generally I don't understand what in hell is going through the pollsters' minds when they do the rankings.  What was it that was so impressive about our victories over Iowa State and Colorado--two of the worst teams in the conference--that warranted a ranking this week when wins over Oklahoma on the road and Texas A&M in a blowout didn't?  Anyone?  Oh wait, we have a big game that needs to be hyped this week...got it.

While we're talking about national stories, we hear that Frank Martin doesn't have a problem with Michael Beasley's win prediction.

Good.  If you're going to say it, own it.  And to amplify what Martin said, you damn sure don't play these games because you intend to lose or think you're going to lose.

Also from the TCJ, more on Beasley and how the 'beakers plan to defend him.

Down in Wichita, we get more hot ink from our favorite columnist, Bob Lutz.  Old Lutzy really throws down the gauntlet for Michael Beasley today.  This is his opening sentence:

Michael Beasley, put up or shut up.

Excuse me while I recover from my maniacal laughter.  But a middle-aged, thin-haired sportswriter just told the best college basketball player in the country to put up or shut up!  First of all, I highly doubt Beasley feels any need to answer the challenge of what is apparently the best writer Wichita can find, a writer whose bias against K-State has been thoroughly and convincingly exposed for the world to see.  I'm sure that if K-State were to lose tomorrow, sometime in the future when Beasley is playing in the NBA, making millions of dollars and living the life, he'll think back and be like, "Damn!  I couldn't live up to Bob Lutz's challenge.  I sure am a failure at life."

That's it for my views on the barrels of ink that have been expended on K-State today.  Check in later tonight or tomorrow for some information from Rock Chalk Talk about the opponent tomorrow.  We'll skip "Kicking the Tires" for this game because I'm sure you already know plenty about KU.  The open game thread will go up tomorrow morning.

It's 24 hours until game time.  I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty worthless at school tomorrow.