Connect with us

Kansas

Kansas State football garners more team than individual respect in Big 12 preseason polls

Published

on

Kansas State football garners more team than individual respect in Big 12 preseason polls


play

For all the respect Kansas State football received in Big 12 preseason polls going into Tuesday’s media day in Las Vegas, the Wildcats did not get much love individually.

Advertisement

It is hard to fathom, even in an expanded 16-team league, that the Wildcats were picked second behind Utah and yet did not have a single player named to the media’s preseason all-conference team.

That fact was not lost on K-State coach Chris Klieman, though he made it clear during his news conference that he wasn’t losing any sleep over it.

“I don’t pay a lot of attention to it, to be honest with you,” he said. “Everybody sees it, but it’s not something we talk about an awful lot.”

The way free safety Marques Sigle looks at it, the team-wide snub only fuels their fire. There is just one way to change people’s perception.

“It’s motivation,” Sigle told K-State Online. “We’re underdogs, they’re overlooking us, so we’re going to show them when the time comes, when it’s time to put the pads on, on Saturday.”

Advertisement

Kansas State football coaches had a busy summer preparing for five Big 12 opponents

DJ Giddens and Dylan Ewards give Kansas State football running game a potent one-two punch

The Wildcats have several candidates to merit all-conference consideration, Sigle among them. Last year K-State had a pair of first-team selections in offensive lineman Cooper Beebe and tight end Ben Sinnott, plus quarterback Will Howard, defensive end Khalid Duke and safety Kobe Savage on the second unit.

Advertisement

All of them have moved on, leaving only second-team linebacker Austin Moore. That opens the door for some new players to step forward.

The lack of individual recognition tells Klieman that his program as a whole is on solid footing.

“I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you’re a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come,” he said. “I’m sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don’t know if they’re excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams.”

Kansas State football keeps it in the family with commitment from Louisburg linebacker

Moore, now a third-year starter, certainly could break through, as could junior cornerback Jacob Parrish on defense. On the offense, junior running back DJ Giddens rushed for 1,226 yards but blends in at a position that is loaded, while offensive lineman Hadley Panzer will be a third-year starter.

Advertisement

The most intriguing prospect is sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson who only has two career start and one of them at receiver. But like Giddens, he plays a position loaded with proven veterans.

“You’ve still got to perform,” Klieman said, “and we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.”

Who knows how things will look by the time December rolls around.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.



Source link

Advertisement

Kansas

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska

Published

on

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska


The Kansas State Wildcats are officially entering the “pay-attention” neighborhood. After a 98-77 drubbing of a decent Mississippi State squad last night, the 5-0 Wildcats are starting to appear like a legitimately solid squad…one that could be capable of fun things if they can keep things rolling into the heart of the season.

They’ve got another big test tonight. The Cats will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the championship of the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic. The Huskers are also 5-0, and advanced to the championship game after an 84-72 win over New Mexico in the opening game of the classic. The Huskers are led by Fred Hoiberg, who is in his seventh season in Lincoln, and are looking for a return to the NCAA Tournament after winning the College Basketball Crown to end the 2024-25 season.

The last time these two teams met was Dec. 17th, 2023, when the Huskers beat up on the Wildcats 62-46 in Manhattan, a win that snapped a 7-game win streak for the Wildcats over their former Big 12 conference mates. But that K-State team was significantly more offensively inept than the current iteration of the TangCats. These TangCats are lighting up the nets with a return to the “fun” brand of basketball that marked Jerome Tang’s first season in Manhattan. And last night, the Wildcats showed they could even manage some defense more consistently than the final couple minutes.

This will be the biggest test yet for the Wildcats. A win would be a huge springboard into the heart of the season. A loss doesn’t hurt, as long as it’s productive. Can the Wildcats handle the quick turnaround and keep building?

Advertisement

We’ve got an 8:30pm CT tipoff for the championship game of the Hall of Fame Classic tonight from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, and you can catch the action on NBCSN and streaming on Peacock with Steve Schlanger (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst) on the call.

If you can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across portions of the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wade Gerstner (play-by-play) and Clent Stewart (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be available online at K-Statesports.com and via the Varsity Network app, as well as on satellite radio at Sirius/XM Ch. 383. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.



Source link

Continue Reading

Kansas

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis

Published

on

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis


TOPEKA — For nearly 20 weeks, certain lawyers, paralegals, psychologists, interpreters, court reporters and investigators were not paid. Federal funding for a group of criminal justice professionals expired in early July, and the government promised to reimburse them in October, but the longest shutdown in U.S. history delayed that promise. As of Nov. 14, the […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Kansas

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit

Published

on

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Multiple shots were fired at a house where a Halloween party was taking place in a suspected domestic violence incident that killed a 20-year-old woman in Kansas City, Kansas, earlier this month, according to court records released Wednesday.

An affidavit released by Wyandotte County District Court details what happened in the early-morning hours of Nov. 1 at the Kansas City, Kansas, home, where Ana Juarez was fatally shot. The affidavit was filed in the case of 22-year-old Kevin Calamaco-Morales, who is accused of killing Juarez. Charging documents say the two were in a relationship.

Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called to the home on North 11th Street near Barnett Avenue just before 4:30 a.m. Nov. 1. Officers found Juarez with a gunshot wound to her lower back. She was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Investigators interviewed witnesses inside the house and collected video, phone records and Facebook messages sent to the victim that led them to arrest Calamaco-Morales, according to the affidavit.

Advertisement

FOX4 has reached out to an attorney listed for Calamaco-Morales for comment.

Witnesses told police that Juarez went out with friends to Westport and some house parties for Halloween. Back at the house in KCK, they said they noticed Juarez was ignoring her phone, which was “blowing up” with calls or texts. Moments later, they heard gunshots, the witnesses said, and they took cover. Some of the witnesses stated that they saw Juarez getting up and opening the front door.

By the time the witnesses came out from hiding, police officers arrived, and Juarez was lying on the ground.

The house had been hit by gunfire, with some of the bullets entering the home. The victim’s car was also hit by a bullet with the driver’s side window shattered.

Charging documents say that at least one witness told police they believed Calamaco-Morales was involved in the shooting due to his attitude toward Juarez leading up to their Halloween plans. The witness claimed Juarez told them that Calamaco-Morales was controlling and that he initially didn’t want her to go out for Halloween.

Advertisement

Investigators obtained phone records that showed that a number registered to Calamaco-Morales called her 18 times between 4:21 and 4:23 a.m., according to the affidavit. The affidavit also says investigators recovered Facebook messages that were sent to the victim at 4:21 a.m.

Kansas City, Kansas, police took Calamaco-Morales into custody later that day for questioning.

Police also noted that at the address where Calamaco-Morales was taken into custody, they noticed a Honda Accord that was similar to the suspect vehicle they saw on a video that was captured near the shooting scene that morning. The video showed a vehicle parking in front of the home at 4:19 a.m. and a person exiting the passenger side and firing shots.

Charging documents say the Honda had a Kansas tag that was flagged by a license plate reader as being at Seventh Street and Quindaro Boulevard at 4:31 a.m., about nine minutes after the shooting and two miles from the scene.

Calamaco-Morales was arrested and Wyandotte County prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm on Nov. 3.

Advertisement

He remains in the Wyandotte County jail with bond set at $500,000.

The next court hearing is set for Dec. 16.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending