K-State Slate: 4.30.15 - Heading into the draft

Several former K-State players are contemplating their NFL futures right now. Tyler Lockett, expected to be an early round pick, is prepared for the next chapter in his football life (Ken Corbitt, Topeka Capital-Journal). There's more on Lockett from his hometown paper here. (Mark Cooper, Tulsa World)

Meanwhile, B.J. Finney is at peace regardless of what the future brings (Arne Green, Salina Journal), and Curry Sexton is content to wait for that elusive phone call, knowing it might not come (Green, Salina Journal).

Five former Kansas State players (Jake Waters, Weston Hiebert, Sexton, Lockett and Zach Nemechek) were honored by the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society for maintaining at least a 3.2 GPA throughout their collegiate career.

Current Kansas State football players are also in the news. Dominique Heath showed off his skills in the return game last weekend as he tried to fill Lockett's shoes (Timothy Everson, K-State Collegian), while Deante Burton hopes 'the curse' is just a figment of his imagination (Kellis Robinett, Kansas City Star).

This anecdote from the spring game caught my attention: Kevin Haskin apparently nodded off during Bill Snyder's presser and Coach called him on it. (Capital-Journal)

The big news today is about the Big 12 conference and a possible championship game (Jon Solomon, CBSSports). If it smacks of the conference caving in to pressure, it probably is. Bob Bowlsby claims that the CFP committee's Jeff Long told him "13 data points are better than 12." Whether this is empirically true is besides the point. I have trouble believing a conference championship game will solve the Big 12's problem anytime soon. This conference is being slighted for the lack of name recognition and the lack of big media markets more than anything else. If last year's Big 12 conference had been a neck-and-neck contest between Texas and Oklahoma, I'm pretty sure the Big 12 does not get snubbed.

In football news of the kind we can all be less cynical about, an 89-year old former Kansas player scored a touchdown in an alumni scrimmage. Bryan Sperry was a letterman at both Kansas State and Kansas back in the 1940s.

The BatCats had a bad loss (5-0) on Tuesday but bounced right back last night, blanking Minnesota 9-0 in Minneapolis. (See, Jon Morse, it's not all my fault!)

Five Wildcats pitchers combined for the shutout, and Steve Serratore had his first career home run as Kansas State piled up the hits. Coach Brad Hill was all praise for his pitching staff.

Next up, the team is home again for its last non-conference series of the season against Arkansas State.