By KEVIN HASKIN
TopSports.news
Musings past the mid-month:
• I can assure you, despite what he might be saying, Chris Klieman wishes he had inserted Avery Johnson at Missouri and Oklahoma State.
• The Maize freshman didn’t seem a bit rattled by a road atmosphere at Texas Tech.
• With breathtaking speed, sudden cuts and even a few completions, Johnson flattened Lubbock tortillas in a heartbeat.
• Look, I believe Will Howard can play … and could still have a role with K-State.
• But he’s a pass-first QB who just didn’t have a good assortment of wide receivers.
• K-State must find wideouts with the height to win jump balls, the instincts to get open, and the hands that avoid drops.
• No program in America has proven it’s possible to develop diminutive skill players quite like K-State.
• Still, some additional bone and meat is warranted for QBs to flourish in the passing game.
• Howard has proven he can do just that. We’ll learn how well Johnson attacks through the air.
• And, cope with Big 12 defenders who load up to shackle his shifty feet.
• KU gets an additional week to prepare for a home game I circled long ago.
• The Jayhawks have what it takes to give Oklahoma fits.
• But is there something more contributing to Jalon Daniels’ absence?
• Hopefully not. An off week could provide Daniels the additional recovery he needs to return against the Sooners.
• Seems as if the Jayhawks lack the conditioning needed to remain stout in the fourth quarter.
• Nonetheless, the system introduced by Lance Leipold has greatly improved KU up front.
• KU’s backs are sometimes afforded big holes and sometimes make big gains out of nothing.
• Fun to watch, which could be the ultimate endorsement for the third-year coach.
• Man, do we love the Big 12 hoops tournament in Kansas City.
• No reason not to, but when Brett Yormark noted a new deal in the works to keep the event in KC into the 2030s, a handful of Twitter dissenters got roasted.
• Las Vegas would be an intriguing site, especially with the new Pac-12 additions coming in next season.
• But the sellouts in KC stick out in a landscape where conference tournaments don’t always draw well in other parts of the country.
• Did I hear KU’s infractions case is finally over?
• It had gone on so long, I’d almost forgotten all about it. The ruling was just.
• Kansas City once housed the NCAA headquarters. The outcry over some tweets about KC’s grip on the Big 12 Tournament exceeded any ire over the NCAA’s departure years ago.
• That was before X (formerly Twitter). Did I write that correctly?
• Fast forward to the social media age, and is any organization or universally as criticized as the NCAA?
• Attended the Chiefs-Broncos game last week. It was my first time in Arrowhead as a football spectator since, geez, the 1980s?
• Good for the diet. A trip to the fridge during a commercial break is far easier than stair-stepping to and from the concession stand.
• Count me among those with concerns over the Chiefs offense.
• Ahh, but that might prove silly as many times as we’ve seen Patrick Mahomes perfect, and even ab-lib, his execution.
• No one played a Taylor Swift tune around our tailgate.
• However, the barbecue aroma has a new rival with the introduction of legal Missouri weed.
• Good to see Washburn Rural steaming along undefeated as a Class 6A football contender.
• Prompted me to look up the sites for state championship games.
• Disappointed Washburn is not in the mix (Hummer Sports Park is) to host those games, especially when the other Division II programs in Kansas are part of the mix.
• Always beneficial to bring high school activities to your campus. I remember once speaking at length with Jon Wefald about that. What a character.
• Granted, I wish we could see multiple championship games at fewer sites, but that’s an old lament from an old guy.
• Turned Medicare age since the last column I wrote for Top Sports News. Still feel like I’m 65.
• Drove by Heartland Motorsports Park a few weeks ago and saw a couple posing in front of the entrance video board taking a selfie.
• A memory from the NHRA Nationals, perhaps? Or Country Stampede? Or another event? Glad they could commemorate whatever moment they treasured.
• Shawnee County must not have heard about the photo-op. I didn’t see a tax collector rushing in to charge a booth fee for the photo.
