K-State Slate: 1.17.15 - Crucial basketball game ahead

The BigE brings you the all-important Fireside Chat, this time with a Baylor flavor, courtesy of Our Daily Bears.

Kansas State welcomes Baylor to the Octagon this afternoon at 2 PM CT. TheBigE previews the game, as do Kellis Robinett (Kansas City Star), and CBSSports.

Bruce Weber may be trying to play hardball to send his players a message. Whether it works long-term remains to be same. (Ken Corbitt, Topeka Capital-Journal). Certainly, Weber doesn't want to get punked by Baylor again. (Associated Press, via FoxSports Kansas City)

Meanwhile, Stephen Hurt is shooting his way into the starting lineup. (Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star)

Also, Bill Self thinks it's too early to predict the Big 12 this year. If that made you roll your eyes, you are not alone. (Rustin Dodd, Tribune News Service, via Hays Daily News))

The women's basketball team wants to pack the house tonight, for their contest with Iowa State. Tip off is at 7 PM. Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year candidate Breanna Lewis may be Kansas State's best player, and forward Ashia Woods is averaging 9.1 points per game and is the team leader in rebounds.

What's the long-term outlook for Kansas State after Bill Snyder? Nobody knows, but in the short term, he'll be walking the sidelines in 2015. (Jake Trotter, ESPN Mailbag)

Tyler Lockett and B.J. Finney will get drafted, but it's anyone's guess as to the rest of the departing seniors. (Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star)

Lockett is, um, a lock for the draft, because all he does is get open. (Sean Keeler, FoxSports Kansas City)

As we noted in yesterday's Slate, the track and field team is set to host Kansas and Wichita State for all-state honors in the KSU-KU-WSU Triangular. (Kelly McHugh, K-State Sports Extra).

Wichita State's track team is pretty excited about the event, especially as the event presents a rare opportunity for the school to compete with Kansas State and Kansas. (Paul Suellentrop, Wichita Eagle)