K-State Slate: 1.31.15 - Bracing for the Phog

JT VanGilder brings us up to speed on all the latest recruiting news, heading into the last weekend.

Kansas State and Kansas have been playing basketball against each other since 1907, and the Jayhawks have a most unfortunate 187-92 lead in the series. It's unlikely that this current crop of Wildcats will make much of a dent in that lead, but hope springs eternal or something.

TheBigE had the dubious honor of hosting those reviled mutant avians from Rock Chalk Talk for the Sunflower Showdown Fireside Chat. He also answered questions for RCT for their Across the Court feature.

Kansas State's mid-season improvement brings a bit of intrigue to the matchup (Brad Hallier, Hutchinson News). But Kansas remains the team to beat, if these power rankings are anything to go by. (Eric Bailey, Tulsa World)

Meanwhile, former K-State player Mike Wroblewski knows the secret to success at Allen Fieldhouse: stay loose, don't worry. (Bob Lutz, Wichita Eagle)

As the team braces for the Phog (Ken Corbitt, Topeka Capital-Journal), capsule previews of the game abound, such as the one here (Rustin Dodd, Kansas City Star), for example. Also, TheBigE brings you the BotC preview of the game.

But this preview from Bill Self might be more interesting. (Staff, KU Athletics), although I don't know what to think or how to feel when a KU blogger refers to Kansas State as a "respected rival." (Benton Smith, KUSports.com)

Maybe it's because the Wildcats currently have a one-game winning streak against Kansas? Yeah, I'm going to stick with that. (Mike Norris, Through the Phog)

Enough with the preview talk. It will be go time in a few hours. Here's Jon Morse with the all-important How to Watch post, with all the game TV and radio information you could possibly need.

The Wildcats are in Lubbock today to take on Texas Tech. Kansas State leads the all-time series 14-12, but the team is still in search of its first true road win of the season and will look to halt a five-game losing skid.

Meanwhile, the team and Jeff Mittie will host four basketball camps this summer at Bramlage.

The equestrian team, currently ranked No. 6 in the country, lost the spring opener to No. 9 Georgia. After beginning the year on a winning streak, the Wildcats have now lost their last five consecutive meets. The team will try to end that streak with a win over Tennessee-Martin tomorrow.

It's not all doom-and-gloom for the purple nation in Lawrence today. The track team, and notably Akela Jones (in her debut pentathlon) and Reinis Kregers (heptathlon) dominated the competition at the Jayhawk Classic.

Jones' performance (4,402 points) was so overwhelming, it brought former Kansas State star and Olympian Austra Skujyte to mind. She is now one of only four athletes in Division I to have eclipsed the 4,400-point mark.

Kregers final tally of 5,777 points easily overcame his own personal best and moved him to No. 4 on Kansas State's all-time list.