SB Nation User Blog: EMAW

Texas Gets No Respect

EMAW — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:11:45 -0000

Texas Gets No Respect

From the great Joe Posnanski. Apparently no one told Crosby that BCS schools ranked #3 can claim the "no respect" card.

Dickey Hired as O-Line Coach

EMAW — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:40:18 -0000

Dickey Hired as O-Line Coach

No, not that Dickey. Snyder has snatched another from the Sugar Bowl Champions.

I See You, Girl

EMAW — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:48:57 -0000

The last few weeks for K-State fans have been flooded with news and speculation about Bill Snyder's coaching staff and the play of a men's basketball team striving to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. Meanwhile, the women's basketball team has been flying under the radar.

Well, I don't think a 12-0 start that is the best in school history can be considered flying under the radar. But, it's true, our ladies in purple have not gotten the appropriate love from some of us in the blogosphere or other media outlets. No more, I say.

Last season could have been considered one of the best of Patterson's career. The Cats were coming off a tough '06-'07 season that started with an exhibition loss to Emporia State, and finished with an NIT loss to Wyoming. Not much was expected in '07-'08, but Shalee Lehning and company led K-State to a regular season Big XII title and a spot in the NCAA tournament. Along the way, Patterson was named Big XII Coach of the Year.

Now, Lehning is making the most of her senior campaign and is on pace to possibly break a couple of NCAA records in the meantime. Her triple-double against Washington was the fourth of her career (a conference record) and the second of the season (NCAA record is four in a season). It's hard to find a guard in women's basketball that has such a wide range of skills. Plus, how many of you have your own sweet web site?

Ashley Sweat is also coming into her own as a consistent performer for the Cats. She's averaging 15.5 points/game and 4.9 rebounds/game this season, compared to 11.2 and 3.5 last season. A definite rise in production. Sweat could be looked at as a key member to this team once they hit Big XII play. It's nice to have a forward that can hit free throws at an 80% clip. If she continues to put up consistent numbers throughout the conference stretch, this team could be looking to repeat.

Another strong contributor to the team's success this year has been Marlies Gipson, who provides the other half of K-State's strong front court alongside Sweat. Gipson is second in scoring to Sweat and is an even better free throw shooter. Kari Kincaid has proven to be a dangerous threat from behind the arc, hitting over 40% of her shots from three.

Let's see....two front court players averaging double digits, a three point threat whose range starts when she gets out of bed, and a talented, multi-skilled leader running the show from the point? Yep, that's a recipe I like.

The Cats close out the non-conference portion of their schedule with a game against over-matched Central Arkansas on Saturday. Here's wishing the ladies good luck as they try to encapsulate the same success they experienced last season. We'll all try to pay better attention from here on out. At least, we definitely should.

Austin Meek's Interviews Lya Wodraska About Andy Ludwig

EMAW — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:40:21 -0000

Austin Meek's Interviews Lya Wodraska About Andy Ludwig

Yes, it's a slow time of year here at BOTC. With basketball taking a breather for the holidays, I've found this link from the Topeka Capital-Journal. It's become no secret that Utah fans are not sad to see Ludwig make his way to Manhattan, but at least Ms. Wodraska offers us a little bit better glimpse of our new OC.

As an added bonus, Wildcat fans should be watching the Sugar Bowl with a keen eye since it will be the "Andy Ludwig Preview Show".

Open Game Thread: K-State vs. Centenary

EMAW — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:10:53 -0000

Sorry to get this up so late. Not sure if any one is going to be around this afternoon to post on the thread, but feel free to do so if your around.

Hopefully we can continue to roll into the holiday break.

VOTE FOR JORDY NELSON!

EMAW — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:43:12 -0000

We already know Jordy Nelson is a certified, class A bad ass, but now we can choose to see him on a Super Bowl commercial. The NFL is asking fans to vote on which player's commercial they will play during the Super Bowl. Just clink this link and vote for Jordy. Vote as many times as you can/want!

If you don't vote, you will be subjected to watching "Kiss Cam" highlights instead of the Super Bowl.

The Joys of Frank

EMAW — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:25:24 -0000

If there's one thing K-State fans know about Frank Martin, it's that he is intense. I don't mean just a little intense, I mean "I would put my head through a brick wall to win this game" intense. Fox Sports announcer Ted Robinson even compared the look on Frank's face to that of legendary Mike Ditka. However, some say Frank's intensity is too much, and that it is causing detriment to the team and the program.

Let me see if I get this straight.

Up until last year, Wildcat fans had been suppressed to 12 years of some pretty poor basketball. Even when we thought we had it good and maybe found success, we discovered new ways to lose. Finally, K-State fans have found a coach we can grimace, sweat, and suffer with.

But, as anyone can see, Frank's emotions tend to get the best of him. The latest example came Sunday night in the game at Oregon's MacArthur Court. During several points in the game, the FSN cameras became affixed upon Martin standing and yelling at some of the players while using some colorful language.

Before I get too far, I want you to know this is not a post berating Frank for his actions, nor is it a post defending him either. I simply want to point out both sides, so hopefully everyone can calm down and just realize there is a happy medium that Frank is trying to find.

I don't get too distraught when a coach in any sport cusses out his players. I am not a person who is easily offended, and I tend to let the language fly on frequent occasions. In the testosterone-fueled world of sports, it's easy to get caught up in the action and drop our guard. I am not personally offended if I hear Frank, or any other coach berate his players with some colorful language. I've experienced it, I accept it, I get it. You can't re-direct the spirit and fire of competition.

However, I do understand why parents of young children are concerned. They don't want their impressionable kids to think that Frank's actions represent normal adult behavior. There are also some who are probably embarrassed that he is representing K-State in a negative connotation through his exaggerated actions on the sidelines. I agree, someone not familiar with K-State basketball probably thinks our coach is either a.) part of the mafia, or b.) in need of anger management. While I am not personally embarrassed by Frank's actions, I do feel he is hurting his image. But, anyone that hears the guy talk in an interview or press conference would realize he just cares...A LOT.

Yes, I think Frank is a good coach and has the ability to do great things in Manhattan. It's obvious the players respect him and play hard for him each game. I guess that is why I take issue with the folks that think Frank's temperament is the reason for K-State's three straight losses. As a former athlete, I understand that some coaches communicate differently. Bob Knight and John Wooden are two of the most successful coaches in college basketball history, yet their attitudes were polar opposites. In the same token, athletes react differently to those varying forms of communication. It's the coach's job to get a read on which players he can yell at, and to which ones he needs to take a more gentle approach. Frank's learning, and he's probably still grasping this concept.

With that being said, he does need to tone it down a bit. I know, I know, it wouldn't be the same just watching Frank sit down like zombie-faced Mike Krzyzewski, but we may see some families begin to revolt. Yelling F-bombs across a packed arena in front of thousands of fans is definitely different than calling Jake Pullen a motherf***er in practice with only the team and a couple of managers looking on. There's a time and place to break out the f-bombs, and I truly believe Frank knows the difference. Unfortunately, we are experiencing the maturation of a coach who is experiencing only his second season as the head coach at a major university. Given time, we should see him tone it down.

On Monday, Frank issued an apology to the fans and his family during his weekly radio coach's show in Manhattan. I think we'll definitely see a different Frank over the rest of the season. My hope is that he keeps the intensity. Let the f-bombs fly, just try and do it more conspicuously. It's obvious these players will run through a brick wall for him. The only problem we may see is a player turning to stone after Frank stares him down.

Former K-State golfer Aaron Watkins headed to the PGA Tour

EMAW — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:24:10 -0000

Congratulations, Aaron! I'll admit I don't think I ever heard his name until reading this article, but it's awesome to see a Wildcat mixing it up with the likes of Tiger and Paddy.

Rodgers retained as Special Teams Coach and Recruiting Coordinator

EMAW — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:02:18 -0000

Rodgers retained as Special Teams Coach and Recruiting Coordinator

Glad to see that J-Rodg will be back next year. One bright spot this year was our special teams. Hope he can do just as well with recruiting.

Tidbits from Camp Snyder (Assistant Coaches Edition)

EMAW — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:35:35 -0000

I threw this together rather quickly, but hopefully this serves as an update for those of you who were not able to listen to Snyder's interview on the KC sports stations this afternoon. I was able to listen to the interview conducted by Kevin Kietzman on 810 WHB and thought I would offer up a brief synopsis of what was discussed.

I've also gone a little further and have given you a quick take on the coaching staff that Snyder is assembling. Hit the jump to enter Camp Snyder.

Before I get too far, I should clarify that while I agree with my colleagues TB, and Panjandrum, that Bill Snyder returning could damage K-State football down the road, I know there were many other options that would have proved disastrous for this program. I think Bill has the ability to get us back to respectability, but he can't just wave the magic wand and restore the order.

With that said, Snyder seems fired up for his return to the sidelines. Throughout the entire interview with Kietzman he was compelling and even fired off a couple of shots at some of his rivals. More on that in a second.

Following the obligatory questions and answers of what he had learned since retiring, and how many hours he was working, Kietzman jumped to the questions we've been waiting for: Who is going to be on your coaching staff?

Obviously, Snyder did not formally announce any members of his staff, he did say the staff would be announced very quickly. My guess is that we should hear something by Monday or Tuesday of next week, after the conference championships have been played and bowls announced. He supposedly has all of his coaches in place except for a few on the offensive side of the ball.

One interesting nugget in this pile is that Joe Bob Clements was said to have taken a position at K-State earlier this week. This came to light after a recruit Clements was interviewing told a reporter that he was no longer in contact with JB, since he had taken a job at KSU. This report was confirmed later today by the KSU Athletic Department. However, when asked about this on Kietzman's show today, Snyder just laughed and said "Would I do that? I wouldn't take a coach from one of my friends, would I?" Let's just say it was very tongue-in-cheek and I loved it. I'm not big on Joe Bob as a recruiter, though I do think he will be a good addition back on the K-State staff, especially since he has spent some time behind enemy lines.

A true highlight of the conversation was when Snyder confirmed that he is looking very hard at coaches with ties back to Kansas State. This followed the question of whether or not Vic Koenning was going to return to Manhattan to be the new Defensive Coordinator. Once again, Bill refused to comment on coaches (or recruits, which would have been illegal and is a post in and of itself).

So, after this enlightening conversation - I know, I know, I don't do it justice with my cumbersome and short synopsis - where do we stand with the Offensive and Defensive Coordinators for next year's Wildcats? Here are my thoughts.

Defensive Coordinator - All signs point to Koenning, especially since he was released by Clemson last week, making a move to another school very easy. As an added bonus, if we land Koenning, he will most likely bring with him Malliciah Goodman, a 5-star DE.

Offensive Coordinator - Rumors abound that Snyder will go after either Dana Dimmel or Chuck Long to fill the OC role. My bet is that this is Dimmel's job to turn down. If that's true and Koenning is the new DC, then we will have two former D1 head coaches on our staff. Not sure yet whether that is good or bad.

As far as the rest of the staff, there may be too many rumors to sift through, but we do know that Joe Bob Clements is coming back as the Defensive Ends coach. Others have mentioned Mo Lattimore staying on as D-Line coach, and I wouldn't be surprised considering Mo's been with the program since Jesus was in knee-highs.

Everything else is mostly speculation, but there is definitely people in place. Let's just hope the staff Snyder is building can help rebuild the house that bears his name.