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In Football
The story behind the Honga Bear
I really meant to publish this earlier in the day, but I guess I just forgot, probably because of the rather disappointing lack of responses. Anyway, if anyone actually cares, it's...
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In Uncategorized
My move to SB Nation
Hello, faithful readers. I would imagine since most of you are avid and intelligent Kansas State fans who know how the Internet works, you've probably already figured out that the...
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In Uncategorized
Searching for consistency from young Wildcats
All season long, I’ve been frustrated by the inconsistencies of K-State’s three guards who are currently coming off the bench: Will Spradling,...
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In Basketball
Kansas postgame a.k.a. review of the Jacob Pullen Show
Magical. Surreal. A dream come true. These are just a few words that came to mind as I tried to think of ways to describe Kansas State's stunning...
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In Basketball
Colorado post-mortem: This one’s going to sting
I'm not sure what it is about Colorado that brings about the ugliest, most heartbreaking losses for Kansas State. It would have been enough for...
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In Football
Who will be K-State’s next QB?
It's always fun to read about elite high school football players who spurned powerhouses like LSU, Miami and Oregon to come to Kansas State to play for Coach Snyder. It's...
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In Basketball
Moving on and learning from Wally Judge
I'm sure by now you've all heard the news that Wally Judge has quit the Kansas State basketball team. It's certainly unfortunate news, and a...
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In Basketball
The challenge for Frank
Last season, it seemed Frank could do no wrong. The Wildcats won big games, were praised nationwide for their intensity, and then made quite a run in the NCAA tournament. Big 12...
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In Football
The curious case of Jim Leavitt
Other than Bill Snyder, Jim Leavitt might just be the most important coach in Kansas State's rise from nothing to national power in the early 1990s. Leavitt was the linebackers...
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In Basketball
Not the start we were looking for
If Saturday's game was a test of how far this team's offense has come, there's little doubt that Kansas State failed miserably at...
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In Football
A look ahead to Fall 2011
Generally speaking, it's the third year that a new head football coach is said to really have his own players, and thus finally be subject to true criticism or praise. Bill Snyder...
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In Football
When patriotic gestures go bad
Adrian Hilburn is a senior from New Braunfels, Texas, a town of about 50,000 people around 35 miles northeast of San Antonio. He probably wasn't terribly high on anyone's...
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In Baseball
Welcome
Some of the finest Kansas State Wildcat wit and wisdom is on the way. Stay tuned.
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In Basketball
Dèja vu for ‘Cats at the Phog
Well, that sure seemed familiar. Yeah, 18-6 is slightly better than 18-0, and it was nice to tie the game at 45 rather than stop at 45-42, but the similarities between this year's...
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In Basketball
McGruder, where art thou?
After Kansas State’s first loss to Kansas back in January, one of my friends made the argument that “right now”, he would take Rodney McGruder over Xavier Henry. On first...
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In Basketball
So long, seniors
It's Fake Patty's Day in Manhattan, which is a really remarkable example of the frivolous lengths college students will go to in order to rationalize drinking in excess and engaging...
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In Basketball
Wildcats make right choice with Martin (again)
Last season, the surprise team in the Big 12 was the Missouri Tigers. As Missouri kept climbing the polls and entered the top 10, it became...
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In Basketball
What seed for the Wildcats?
Just one week ago, Kansas State was as much of a sure thing for at least a #2 seed as Brazil is to make the World Cup every four years. Even after a predictable mid-week setback in...
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In Football
The Quarterback Quandary
Michael Bishop is not walking through that door. Chad May is not walking through that door. Hell, Jonathan Beasley is not walking through that door. Nope, at least for this season,...
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In Football
KSU spring game? Yawn.
Bill Snyder, as much as I love him and appreciate what he's done for Kansas State, has a lot of little quirks than annoy me as a fan and a journalist. I can at least understand...
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In Football
The art of kick returning alive and well at KSU
Other than weak nonconference schedules, there are few things Bill Snyder's Wildcats have been better at than special teams. Snyder was one of...
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In Football
Riding the Thomas train
As a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I'm pretty optimistic about the backfield they have for the 2010 season. Todd Haley has the good fortune of having not only Jamaal Charles, who showed the...
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In Football
The (Premature) Daniel Thomas Heisman Watch: Week 2
This could easily be the last week I'm able to use this headline for this feature. If things go well Thursday night, this could get real. Daniel...
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In Basketball
How good is Nebraska?
Pardon me if I'm hesitant to jump on the "Nebraska is back" train. The college football landscape has changed since the Huskers' glory days, and there may never be any teams...
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In Basketball
Can Pullen live up to the hype?
With an extra two days between games and the Daniel Thomas Heisman Watch still existing only in a parallel universe, it seems like as good a time as any to take a quick basketball...
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In Football
Containing RG III
Photo by Clint Cox/The Lariat Online Kansas State and Baylor have a lot in common. Both have historically bad football programs are seeking that all-important sixth win Saturday...
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In Football
Is there anything this defense can stop?
We came into this week thinking that even though Kansas State's defensive line and rush defense was awful, at least the K-State secondary was doing...
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In Football
Oklahoma St.: depth charts, quick thoughts and predictions
Game 1 of the World Series was supposed to be a pitcher's duel between Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee. Last year's OU-Texas game seemed destined to be a...
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In Football
Oklahoma State postgame reax
While I can't say I was completely shocked, I must say I was fairly impressed by just how well the Kansas State defense gave the illusion of containing the most explosive offense in...
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In Football
Missouri: Depth charts, quick thoughts and predictions
40 degrees. A strong wind. Maybe some rain, if not a torrential downpour. That would be something close to the ideal weather for Kansas State...
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In Basketball
K-State basketball: An auspicious start
We'll get to yet another terrible defensive performance and a litany of missed opportunities in yesterday's football game later (probably tomorrow),...
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In Football
It’s tough to win without a defense
It’s getting difficult to find new ways to describe just how bad Kansas State’s defense is this year. I understand that I was very much...
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In Basketball
How to defeat Duke
Last night's 17-point win over Gonzaga was nice, and certainly made the statement that Kansas State belongs among the nation's elite. But a victory tonight over the defending...
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In Basketball
Missing: Jacob Pullen
Jacob Everse Pullen, a 6-0, 200 lb. 21-year-old guard for Kansas State University, was reported missing last night in Kansas City. Although some fans claim they saw Pullen Monday...
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In Football
K-State’s defense: Historically bad?
All season long, I've been bemoaning just how bad the Kansas State defense is this year. But through it all, I'd like to think I haven't been the...
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In Basketball
First semester grades: Starters
Kansas State has two more huge nonconference games looming on the horizon (Florida, UNLV), but in the meantime, it’s finals week, also known as the most boring week of the college...
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In Basketball
First semester grades: Bench players and team
Yesterday, I took a look at K-State's six starters (I count Jamar Samuels) and gave out some grades for their performances through the first 10...
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In Basketball
A Kansas State Christmas list
It's that time of year again, and here's my Christmas list for Santa on behalf of Kansas State University athletics. Feel free to add any suggestions in the...
Latest Articles
The story behind the Honga Bear
Posted by hongabear on April 6th, 2011 under Football
I really meant to publish this earlier in the day, but I guess I just forgot, probably because of the rather disappointing lack of responses. Anyway, if anyone actually cares, it’s time to end the suspense and reveal the origin of the honga bear.
The year was 1997, and K-State was
My move to SB Nation
Posted by hongabear on March 31st, 2011 under Uncategorized
Hello, faithful readers. I would imagine since most of you are avid and intelligent Kansas State fans who know how the Internet works, you’ve probably already figured out that the reason I’ve been making significantly fewer posts here on Ahearn Alley is because I’ve moved over to sbnation, where the
Arkansas : Mike Anderson :: ????? : HCFM
Posted by hongabear on March 31st, 2011 under Basketball
The Big 12, and in fact, most of the college basketball world has been buzzing recently with the somewhat sudden, unexpected departure of Missouri’s Mike Anderson. It’s just the latest example of a college coach who gives off the illusion of absolute loyalty, only to break the hearts of a
First round danger: Utah St. preview
Posted by hongabear on March 17th, 2011 under Basketball
I have no qualms with the seemingly consensus opinion that K-State is slightly over-seeded (the only team in the Big 12 with that distinction) and fortunate to be ineasily the weakest region in the bracket.
But for all of that good luck, there’s also a downside. The Wildcats got matched
Tournament Tuesday: Final edition
Posted by hongabear on March 8th, 2011 under Basketball
K-State merely continued to prove its tournament worthiness that was established for good last week and avoided hurting its chances for a low seed with a nice win against Iowa St.
Unfortunately for the Big 12, all three of its bubble teams suffered some costly losses that are making this
The case for Jacob Pullen as Big 12 POY
Posted by hongabear on March 4th, 2011 under Basketball
In the first 10 years of the Big 12’s existence, the Player of the Year came from the team that won the conference’s regular season title every year except 1999, when it was won by some Nebraska player named Venson Hamilton who now plays for Ikaros Kallitheas in Greece
Tournament Tuesday: Fifth Edition
Posted by hongabear on March 1st, 2011 under Basketball
On paper, Muammar el-Qaddafi has a better chance of staying in power than Iowa State does of winning on Senior Night. But I suppose stranger things have happened. Plus, the last four Kansas State and Iowa State games have been decided by four points. At least the ‘Cats won three
Tournament Tuesday: Fourth Edition
Posted by hongabear on February 22nd, 2011 under Uncategorized
Not much changed for Kansas State since last week, as the ‘Cats took care of business against Oklahoma and watched the carnage around the conference and the rest of the country. This week features what is undoubtedly K-State’s most important six-day stretch of the season, which we’ll get to shortly.
First,
What’s so tough about winning in Lincoln?
Posted by hongabear on February 21st, 2011 under Uncategorized
Homecourt advantage obviously exists to a certain extent everywhere, and for certain teams (Kansas, Duke, Kentucky) it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why it takes on added meaning in hallowed arenas that are almost always full and home to some outstanding teams. Other places, such as The Pit
Letdown avoided
Posted by hongabear on February 20th, 2011 under Uncategorized
During Wichita State’s heartbreaking loss Friday night (that was not a foul) that gave us false hope for an ultimately disappointing Bracketbusters weekend, the announcers on ESPN2 took a moment to laud college basketball teams in Kansas for an excellent season.
The analyst whose name I didn’t bother to learn
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