“An opportunity I have to take”

Football

As we reported here yesterday, linebacker Elijah Lee has decided to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. He made the announcement in a thoughtful and carefully worded statement he posted on Twitter.

Lee got a middle round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which raises some questions. For example, he might actually do better with another season of college play under his belt, but Lee’s decision was motivated at least partially by a need to support his family:

My mom works a lot. Sometimes from 7 in the morning to 6 at night, then she’s back at it from 7 to midnight. So this is just an opportunity to help her out and take a load off her.

He has the support of the coaching staff and his teammates too, who understand his situation but are sorry to see him go. This is a bit of a blow to Kansas State’s defensive prospects next year, as the Wildcats are also losing linebackers Charmeachelle Moore and Will Davis, defensive end Jordan Willis and safety Dante Barnett, all to graduation.

Meanwhile, Kansas State is promoting its brand in a new way. The school took out a billboard near Lambeau Field featuring Jordy Nelson in his #27 K-State jersey and wishing him luck in the playoffs.

Basketball

The men’s basketball team welcomes Oklahoma to Bramlage Coliseum today. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 PM and the game will be on ESPNEWS.

The Wildcats will look to rebound from a controversial loss to Kansas that ended the team’s 7-game winning streak. Kansas State looked strong in the loss though, and the momentum should help against the Sooners too.

Today’s game features at least one familiar face. Oklahoma is coached by Lon Kruger whose Kansas State jersey hangs from the rafters at Bramlage. But he’s not especially nostalgic anymore, and that’s fine with him and with Kansas State fans. After all, Kansas State will also entertain other former players/coaches in Manhattan this year in Bob Huggins and Brad Underwood.

The women’s basketball team is in action today as well, hosting Texas Tech in a 7 PM game at Bramlage and on ESPN3. The Wildcats are ranked #25 in the latest polls, and like the men’s team, will look to build on the momentum from a good performance in a close loss.

Texas Tech is on a two-game winning streak including a win over Iowa State on Wednesday.

Miscellany

There are things worse than losing a football game for some colleges. For example, there’s the possibility of losing accreditation altogether. That’s the barrel that Louisville is currently staring down, as the state senate voted to abolish the school’s board of trustees. Without accreditation, Louisville cannot receive federal funding or participate in NCAA athletics.