Slate: No Fan November

Basketball

Tuesday was press conference-heavy at K-State. Coach Bruce Weber and Rudi Williams addressed the media for the first time this season as basketball (hopefully) starts next week. Weber was asked about the challenges and struggles they’ve faced trying to get this season going, including struggling getting enough bodies at practice.

Over on the women’s side of things, after coming off an incredible freshman campaign which say her earn 2020 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a 2020 All-Big 12 First Team honors, sophomore center Ayoka Lee has been named to the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List and the 2021 Wade Trophy Watch List as announced Tuesday. Lee was already a unanimous selection to the 2020-21 Preseason All-Big 12 Team and is garnering status as a 2021 All-American contender.

As reported yesterday by our own AMS, K-State Athletics has announced that due to recent COVID spikes, and in conjunction with the University’s decision to cancel in-person graduation activities originally slated for this weekend, there will be no fans allowed in Bramlage Coliseum for the men’s and women’s basketball games in the month of November. Presumably this ban could extend into December, but AD Gene Taylor has been very consistent on being flexible with these things and waiting until more information is available. The announcement does not specify, but using the language “general public” implies that player families and guests may still be allowed in.

Gregg Marshall is officially out at Wichita State, and as part of his resignation package will receive $7.75mil paid out over the next six years. Taylor Eldridge at the Wichita Eagle spoke to former K-State WR and lawyer Curry Sexton, among other lawyers, about how Marshall got away from WSU with such a big golden parachute.

Football

The game may still happen, but now attendance at Jack Trice Stadium will be limited to families and guests of student-athletes, meaning no fans in Ames this weekend (but it appears as though the band will be allowed to play if they so choose). Just one more thing to add to the #FARMAGEDDON weirdness.

Speaking of the game in Ames, Luke Thompson had Des Moines Register sports producer/reporter Danny Lawhon on Bring on the PodCats this week to discuss this weekend’s contest.

K-State’s football press conference featured Phillip Brooks, Ekow Boye-Doe, and Eli Huggins in addition to the regular appearance of Chris Klieman. Klieman said tight end Briley Moore is still a game-time decision and is improving, but still hasn’t “put on pads yet” (yeah, he likely won’t play). There’s actually a lot of good stuff in the press conference this week, as Klieman talks Iowa State, analytics, and about a dozen different questions related to playing football during the pandemic. Klieman was also asked about the transfers, and he explained why he isn’t concerned about the transfers (and we explained why you shouldn’t be overly worried either).

Skylar Thompson has been named a semi-finalist for the fourth-annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award, as announced by the award’s committee on Tuesday. This is the second time a Wildcat has been up for the award, given to a honor a player’s leadership both on and off the field, as Dalton Risner was a finalist for the award in 2018.

Soccer

After carding a shutout in her first career start, K-State freshman Peyton Pearson collected both Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week and Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors, as announced by the conference on Tuesday. Pearson joins fellow freshman goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer with two weekly awards this season. Pearson’s shutout came via nine saves (a K-State season high) on 28 total shots, and helped her team earn it’s first-ever consecutive conference victory.