SLATE: Kansas State reveals two big non-conference games

Finally, twelve years later, Kansas State will have the opportunity to avenge the end of Denis Clemente’s career. The matchups for the 2022 Big 12/Big East Challenge have been announced, and the Wildcats will be heading to Indianapolis on November 30 to face the Butler Bulldogs.

Butler, of course, defeated an exhausted K-State squad 63-56 in the 2010 Elite Eight; that’s the only previous meeting between the two schools. Indeed, in this very space last year we were outraged at being matched up with Marquette yet again, especially after the Butler game had actually been scheduled for the 2020-21 campaign but was cancelled due to COVID. Now, we’re finally getting it.

That’s not the only big non-conference announcement this week, however. The women also landed a big game, as on November 17 they will be hosting last year’s Big Ten champions, the Iowa Hawkeyes. It will be the sixth meeting between the two schools and the fourth in Manhattan; the Cats lead the series 4-1 and 3-0 at home.

At the Eagle, Kellis Robinett focuses on newcomer Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who he says may be the most intriguing addition to the roster.

Football

If you enjoyed watching K-State open the floodgates and play fast in the Texas Bowl, you’re going to be excited. Robinett also reported on the latest from Vanier, where we discover that the no-huddle is absolutely sticking around, and the Phillip Brooks says the players love it.

Well, the offense, at least.

Baseball

We were hoping to report this morning that K-State had clinched at least the seventh seed in the Big 12 tournament, but instead all we can report is that any chance of finishing fifth or sixth was absolutely destroyed last night by West Virginia. Blake Adams (5-6), having been roughed up early, was left out there to soak innings and the Wildcats fell to the Mountaineers 15-4 in the first game of their three-game set.

K-State (27-25, 8-14) still just needs a win or a Baylor loss to lock in that seventh spot, while West Virginia (31-20, 12-10) ensures they’ll be no worse than sixth, with a slide into the fourth seed still on the table. Game two begins tonight at 5:30.