K-State Slate: 4.5.15 - Series losses and second chances

We're in the home stretch of our K-State Sports Bracket Challenge. Here's your Final Four. Vote early, vote often.

Speaking of the Final Four...actually, I'd just rather not. Duke beat Michigan State to spare us of the nightmare scenario of a championship game featuring two Big Ten teams. That said, a Big Ten team is now in contention to win it all, and if Wisconsin pulls it off, the B1G will be 2-0 in sports championships that actually matter. In other words, no matter the outcome of this NCAA Tournament, evil (aka Jim Delaney) has won.

On a more positive note, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2015, including Kansas State great Rolando Blackman, was introduced during the Duke-Michigan State game (Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star).

A ninth-inning RBI double helped West Virginia beat Kansas State 3-2 to take the series. Despite building an early 2-0 lead, the BatCats gave up three unanswered runs to lose the contest. Starting pitcher Nate Griep allowed a season-high eight hits over five innings, including three for extra-bases. Coach Brad Hill praised the effort despite the loss.

Up next, Kansas State will host No. 18 Nebraska on Wednesday.

On Easter Sunday, it seems only fitting that a Kansas State player is getting a second chance. Jake Waters, still recovering from shoulder surgery, may still get an opportunity to impress NFL teams (Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle). At this point, however, he's relying mostly on Kansas State game film to make his case. If nothing else, they should prove what a tough competitor he is, especially considering he set school records for passing despite being unable to lift his arm for most of the season.

The men's golf team is headed to North Carolina for the 2015 Gary Koch Invitational. This is the fifth of seven spring contests for the team. The format requires 36 holes on Monday followed by 18 holes on Tuesday. The Wildcats are hoping to do better than the 12th place finish from their last event.

Coming into the match on Saturday, the tennis team had a six-match winning streak in the Sunflower Showdown. That streak is now over, with Kansas beating Kansas State 4-0 in Lawrence. The Jayhawks picked up the early lead by winning the doubles point, i.e. going 2-0 in the first two doubles matches played. Kansas also won the singles matches at numbers two, five and six to take the series lead and render the remaining matches redundant. Interestingly, Kansas State was ahead in the final doubles match and in the singles matches at numbers one and four when play was stopped.

Last week, the Sacramento Kings signed a 7'5", 360 lb. player from the D-league to a 10-day contract. The world promptly went crazy. That's because Sim Bhullar will be the first player of Indian descent to ever suit up for an NBA team. He's not the next Yao Ming, or even the next Jeremy Lin, but he's been a marketing success for the Kings. There's also an outside chance Bhullar might help the NBA attract fans in India, a country of rabid sports fans who don't pay much attention to the NBA.