The Big 12 North remains a ways from returning to the prominence it enjoyed when the conference first formed in the late 1990s, but if Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska for the division title is any indication then better days are certainly on the horizon.
After years of struggles by the Kansas State Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which have coincided with a dip in the North's strength, the two meet Saturday in Lincoln for a winner-take-all showdown. Neither team has had quite the season it anticipated but each has won enough for the right to play for the Big 12 championship, likely against No. 2 Texas, Dec. 5.
"Certainly we've been in this position before, probably in different ways," said veteran Wildcats coach Bill Snyder, who broke out of a three-year retirement to return to the sidelines this season. "By the same token, I can't remember other than the very early years that playing against the Nebraska teams was not a great challenge and certainly key ball games were after those initial years after they beat us so soundly."
"It's neck and neck," Prince said. "It's not one guy working to beat out the other, but they are pushing each other in performance. When you watch tape, it's real hard knowing the difference between how No. 8 [Johnson] is doing and No. 9 [Patton] is doing."
Patton is the smaller and more agile back in the mold of former Wildcat Darren Sproles. He started three games and rushed for 609 yards and six touchdowns during an impressive freshman campaign in 2006. Johnson, a 5-11, 200-pound senior, seems a bit more durable. He started the last five games and accumulated 403 yards rushing and two touchdowns a year ago. Coach Prince seems to appreciate the increased competition this spring. He's also in no hurry to name a starter and plans on using them both.
"I really don't know which one is better," Prince said. "They are both doing some terrific things in terms of ball security and route running."
The Wildcat coach added, "I don't see it changing much. I like to play two running backs. And, I'd like to have a third guy come in as a change up. Who that third guy is, I don't know." If either back can get the Wildcat running game going, it will help take the pressure off sophomore quarterback Josh Freeman who had six touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 2006.
It's confusing when a coach that recruited players takes off for a new job. Especially when the recruited players haven't actually set foot on the campus yet. Having said that, K-State recruit Michael Beasley and his mom apparently don't talk nearly enough.
Beasley's mother, Fatima Smith, told The Kansas City Star on Saturday that he would honor his commitment.
"He's happy. He's satisfied," Smith told the Star. "We're just glad it turned out this way."
Smith said Dalonte Hill, who was promoted to associate head coach under new Wildcats head coach Frank Martin, was the key to Beasley going to Kansas State.
Beasley seemed to contradict his mother's remarks later Saturday.
"I haven't [asked to be released from Kansas State] yet," Beasley said after the Nike Hoop Summit game in Memphis, Tenn. However, it appeared he was unaware of the Wildcats' promotion of Martin, as he said, "I'm waiting to see who gets the job first.
"I haven't talked to [Huggins] yet. He had to do what was best for him, but he still didn't look out for his recruits. He supposedly had the best recruiting class in the nation, but he didn't look out for us."
Kind of scary that Beasley was completely unaware that K-State made coaching adjustments and promotions a full day later. Maybe he has his cell phone turned off as he prepared for the high school all-star game (Memphis recruit Derrick Rose has been rooming and working him). His "package deal" partner Dominique Sutton made early noise about some other schools, but that was before Assistant Coach Frank Martin was promoted and Dalonte Hill -- the primary recruiter for Beasley -- was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
At this point who knows for sure. If I were K-State, I wouldn't be sure of Beasley until he enrolls for that 1st semester of the 2007-08 season. And definitely don't count on him to finish that second semester of the year as soon as the season ends.
"That name thing is a little odd," [quarterback Josh] Freeman said, "but he's got really good feet. He can play."
Alesana comes from Western Samoa, which is known for its double-naming tendencies. Unfortunately the practice is less common here, meaning that no matter how well he plays, he will always be overshadowed by his name. So far, however, Alesana seems to be taking it in stride:
"Oh yes, I get a lot of questions about my name," Alesana Alesana says. "It's normal where I come from. But it's not normal around here. I am proud of my name. I love my name."
The Kansas State coaches won't care what he's called as long as he improves the team's offensive line play. The Wildcats overmatched offensive line gave up 28 sacks in 2006.
I feel for you, gentleman. Your basketball program was barren for so long, Bob Huggins breathed life into it, and now he's abandoning you ... it hurts, I know. But if it's not too much trouble, could you send those lighters to Morgantown when you're done? They're going to need them to burn couches. Thanks.
(Also, sorry about the editing ... there were some naughty words and gestures at the beginning that had to be cut. For the full, uncut version of "Bob Huggins the Abandoning Douchebag," click here.)
Michael Beasley did not decide to attend Kansas State because he was excited about spending time in the thriving metropolis of Manhattan, Kansas. He decided to attend Kansas State because Bob Huggins is, somehow, an amazing recruiter. With Huggins gone now, what happens to Beasley?
Well, according to K-State Athletic Director Tim Weiser, nothing happens to Michael Beasley, and Michael Beasley will damn well like it. From NBADraft.net, Beasley signed a letter of intent at Kansas State, and they don't seem real eager to let him out of it.
"Our policy as a department is that we don't grant releases. We invest a lot in recruitment, training, scholarshiping and boarding of our student athletes, and for us to grant releases is something that we would have to be convinced is in the best interest of both the university and the student athlete."
I'm thinking that some kind of a "I refuse to play for Kansas State, so let me go," letter might do the trick. I understand that Kansas State's upset about Huggins leaving, but it would be pretty spiteful and petty to not let an 18-year-old play where he wanted to play next year.
"As of now I'm still signed with Kansas State," Beasley said. "But I don't know what the future holds."
"It's his hometown and I'm pretty sure he loves the town and loves the area. It's a little bit of a shock for me. But life is a shock."
Asked if he wanted to follow Huggins, Beasley replied, "No comment." He added he had yet to speak with Huggins, but said "If my phone rings I'll answer it."
According to sources close to the situation, Huggins met with representatives from West Virginia in Ohio in the past 48 hours after John Beilein left for Michigan. He will return to Manhattan tonight and is expected to meet with Kansas State officials within the next 24 hours.
Two industry sources said the West Virginia job is Huggins' if he wants it.
And from Parrish:
Now, according to another source, Huggins is seriously considering the opportunity, but he's struggling with whether to pursue his desire of returning to the Big East at the expense of walking away from a Kansas State roster full of elite-level talents who would've never considered attending KSU if not for Huggins luring them to a remote part of the country far away from their homes.
Bob Huggins, in every way except in the ability to win basketball games, is the anti-John Beilein. Beilein favors a precise half-court set, Huggins prefers to win through superior athleticism. Beilein doesn't necessarily recruit NBA-level talent, Bob Huggins is a magnet for NBA-level talent. John Beilein has been known to put a high value on character, Bob Huggins has been known to put a high value on liquor.
From John Beilein to Bob Huggins ... there almost can't be any greater contrast in head coaching styles. If this happens, basketball fans in Morgantown are going to need a lot of therapy to get through the transition.
"This whole idea of being versatile, is essential to the schemes right now that you're facing. So many of the offenses are being run by the coach from the sideline-either hand-signaling or gesturing into the quarterback the specific play to run against the defense that they see on the field at that time. Much of this is a response to try to be more multiple defensively and I think you're going to see that be a continuing trend."
The new defensive alignment is just one of the recent changes in Manhattan. This off-season saw six coaches leave the Kansas State coaching staff. Finding new homes were defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, running backs coach Tim Horton, wide receivers coach Pat Washington, tight ends coach James Jones, and longtime strength and conditioning coach Rod Cole. Prince filled the defensive coordinator position by promoting from within the KSU ranks by moving special teams coach Tim Tibesar to this spot. He also hired Greg Burns from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the defensive backs coach.
With a new defensive staff and new defensive system, the Wildcat players will certainly be tested. Tibesar, however, insists that the move was made with the best interest of the players in mind.
"We're going to be multiple," Tibesar said. "We'll use a three-man line and a four-man line, just like we did last year. Some of those things will be very similar. The biggest thing is that we want to try to use our personnel to the best of our capabilities."
Coming off a solid true freshman season at Kansas State, quarterback Josh Freeman has upsized to a hefty 255-pounds. He played the 2006 season at roughly 6-6, 238 pounds. With that height, I don't doubt that Freeman has the frame to carry his current weight, but where will the coaching staff draw the line? Right now head coach Ron Prince is too busy comparing him to potential No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell.
"I hear people talk about this JaMarcus Russell from LSU and how big he is," Prince said. "If JaMarcus Russell and Josh Freeman stood next to each other right now, they'd probably look very similar."
Sure. And if I stand next Brad Pitt and you squint your eyes real hard, we too, probably look very similar. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it so.
Despite possible girth-related issues, Freeman should have a lock on the quarterback spot for the Wildcats. He will be looking to improve on a freshman campaign that saw him complete just over 50% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ratio of 6 to 15. Freeman is also expected to take on more of a leadership role.
"Josh has been a good leader. He's really been focused," Prince said. "He's going to be a sophomore next year, but he's excited to do and play like a senior."
In case you've missed the FanHouse's awesomely awesome and fantastic Spring Practice Questions, I've cobbled together the "Complete Series" for Big 12 teams.
Seriously, read these, folks. They're about football. And right now the sporting world isn't about football. And you're dying for more football. That's why you're here. To endure this choppy writing of mine. And read these Big 12 Spring Practice Questions. The complete series. Below.
The Big 12 North remains a ways from returning to the prominence it enjoyed when the conference first formed in the late 1990s, but if Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska for the division title is any indication then better days are certainly on the horizon.
Kansas State head coach 
It's confusing when a coach that recruited players takes off for a new job. Especially when the recruited players haven't actually set foot on the campus yet. Having said that, K-State recruit Michael 
Warm up the "so nice they named him twice" references. If things go well 
Michael Beasley did not decide to attend Kansas State because he was excited about spending time in the thriving metropolis of Manhattan, Kansas. He decided to attend Kansas State because Bob Huggins is, somehow, an amazing recruiter. With Huggins gone now, what happens to Beasley?
Both 
After finishing 70th in total defense in 2006, 
Coming off a solid true freshman season at Kansas State, 
