Slate: Happy Thanksgiving, Wildcatland

We here at Bring on the Cats would like to wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. We give thanks today that there is some Wildcat action for us tonight, and we give extra thanks for all the student-athletes who are giving up spending time with their family today to compete for our beloved K-State.

K-State Athletics even had a Thanksgiving meal for the international students in the various athletic programs, who normally don’t participate in this U.S. holiday.

Volleyball

The K-State volleyball season did not end well. It was senior night at Ahearn, but the Wildcats sole senior, Bryna Vogel, was unable to participate in her final contest as a Wildcat. The VolleyCats didn’t far well regardless, losing in straight sets to West Virginia (22-25, 25-27, 18-25), giving up their first season sweep to the Mountaineers. It wasn’t all bad, as Alyssa Schultejans and Kylee Zumach each notched 14 kills and Zumach hit .500 with zero attack errors on 28 attacks. That’s pretty impressive.

The Wildcats finish their season at 10-19, 3-13 Big 12 - their first sub-.500 season since 2010. The Wildcats also end their NCAA tournament appearance streak at three.

Basketball

The Wildcat men’s team will be in action tonight to take on Arizona State at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Our own Eric Rubottom will be on site (mostly on vacation), so we’ll have some in-person commentary on the game.

For their part, Kellis Robinett reports that the team still has much to prove tonight and during the tournament. The Wildcats goal is to win a trophy, but they will have a tough hill to climb to get there.

We’ll have your how to watch info, as well as an open game thread for you later today, so if you’re avoiding your family after dinner, we’ve got your back.

The K-State women will also be in Las Vegas, playing Friday and Saturday. On Friday, they take on the No. 5/4 UCLA Bruins, who are at 3-1 on the year, but with their only loss a 78-60 home defeat at the hands of mighty UConn.

Football

Kellis was busy on Wednesday, as he also hosted his regular weekly Q&A where he discussed lots of football, Skylar Thompson, best pies, and more!

Robinett also brings us the latest news on the Jim Leavitt fiasco situation, with the latest quotes from the Oregon defensive coordinator that he doesn’t remember all that transpired in the last offseason.

Other

Kansas wheat is used for a lot of things, but K-State researchers may be adding one more usefulness: fuel. The High Plains Journal reports that a team at K-State, along with one at a university in China, have come up with a way to turn wheat straw into ethanol.