SLATE: Kansas State 11th in preseason coaches poll

After landing the 12th spot in the AP preseason poll earlier this week, K-State improved on that placing by one spot in yesterday’s USA Today coaches poll. As with the AP poll, the Cats are closer to 8th-ranked Villanova than they are 13th-ranked West Virginia when looking at the vote totals.

K-State is two spots back of the only true mid-major in the top 25, ninth-ranked Nevada. But another member of that cadre, a familiar face indeed, just missed the top 25: Loyola (IL) is just six points back of 25th-ranked Nebraska in 27th place. (Folks, Gonzaga and Villanova don’t count, so hush.)

Kansas is of course number one, while TCU checks in at 21st to join K-State and West Virginia in the Big 12’s contingent of ranked squads. Texas received four votes and Baylor two. Texas Tech, who joined Kansas and K-State in the Elite Eight last year, got a big fat zero and you’re all free to laugh as you see fit.

Wednesday, the Big 12 announced that the Big 12 tournament will remain at the Sprint Center through at least 2024. The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel thinks this is right and proper now and forever.

Football

Yesterday, Crimson and Cream Machine was busy with K-State. Their benevolent despot, Jack Shields, answered some Sooner questions for JT yesterday, and they should be posting JT’s answers to their own queries later today.

Also at C&CM, Allen Kenney dropped in with some film study of the Cats, and he’s concerned about Alex Barnes and the K-State run game as well as the clear advantage the Wildcat offensive line has over the Oklahoma front six.

At the Eagle, Kellis Robinett says the one thing Oklahoma shouldn’t do on offense is throw the ball anywhere near cornerback Duke Shelley, who’s suddenly emerged as the team’s emotional leader on both sides of the ball.

Also covering Shelley: Corbin McGuire in today’s Sports Extra.

At Fansided’s Stormin’ in Norman, Chip Rouse points out that if there’s one team Oklahoma hates playing in Norman, it’s K-State. (Did you know that K-State is responsible for 20% of OU’s home losses since Bob Stoops took over?)

Women’s Basketball

Dean Wade isn’t the only Wildcat power forward up for the 2018-19 positional award being given out by the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame. Peyton Williams has been added to the watch list for the Katrina McClain Award, which is the women’s counterpart to the Karl Malone Award.

Baseball

Team Purple posted a five-hit shutout over Team Gray in game one of K-State’s Fall World Series at Tointon last night. They’ll face off again tonight and Saturday night, both games at 6:00pm.

Soccer

And so what seemed so promising in August now ends up as a step backward. The Wildcats once again finished in the Big 12 cellar, but at least last year they had the big win over Kansas to cling to. After last night’s 1-0 loss at Iowa State, K-State ends the season with an 0-9 record in conference play, and 4-12-2 overall.