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Football
It’s the middle of July, which means football is just around the corner. BracketCat counts down the days to kickoff with #49 Wesley Burris and #48 Ian Nordell.
The official run-up to Big 12 football begins with Big 12 Football Media Days, which begin tomorrow (Monday, July 16th) in Frisco, Texas. For Kansas State, Alex Delton, Skylar Thompson, Dalton Risner, and Duke Shelley will all be in attendance, along with Bill Snyder.
USA Today’s Paul Myerberg lists the biggest stories to watch for at this year’s Media Days. Snyder’s future in Manhattan features prominently. Dennis Dodd strikes essentially the same note in his preview for CBSSports too, wondering how much winning football Snyder has left at 79 and in his 27th year at Kansas State. Even the Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig gets in on the act, but in a slightly less tedious—if not exactly humorous—way.
Oklahoma is, as usual, the favorite to win the Big 12 title this season. This is the third consecutive preseason “win” for the Sooners, and given that Oklahoma has won a league-leading 11 titles, the distinction, such as it is, is at least well-earned.
Kansas State is, as reported here last week, picked to finish sixth in the conference, i.e. in the bottom half of the standings. That’s fine; that’s just how Snyder and the Wildcats like it.
In his weekly Q&A, Kellis Robinett talks Media Days, Kansas State’s two-quarterback situation, and his favorite memory from Media Days-past, which invokes Dan Beebe and is reminiscent of nothing if not the bungled marketing ethos of the Big 12.
Basketball
From hope for a new season, we go to despair over a run that ended much too soon. TBT’s Purple and Black, the team of Kansas State alumni, is out of The Basketball Tournament, losing 76-74 to the ATL Dirty South.
THIS IS WHY WE LOVE THE ELAM ENDING!!!
— TBT (@thetournament) July 15, 2018
Atlanta Dirty South takes their first lead OF THE GAME at 73-72, Purple & Black ties it up at 73-73 and Bernard Parks DRAINS A THREE TO WIN IT FOR DIRTY SOUTH 76-74!!!
What. A. Finish! #TBT2018 pic.twitter.com/WqwSCvGQ87
In other basketball news, former Wildcat guard Amaad Wainwright will continue his career at Louisiana State-Shreveport, an NAIA school. Wainwright was suspended indefinitely by Kansas State earlier this year after being charged with two felonies (obstruction in connection with a shooting incident, and fleeing the police at 10 MPH) in Johnson County. In a recent court appearance, he pled not guilty to both charges.