IRVING, Texas (AP) – The Big 12 is unlikely to stage a football championship game this year though the NCAA approved a plan last month that would allow the 10-team league to do so.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby says data presented to league athletic directors Thursday pose questions about whether the league has a better chance to get into the four-team College Football Playoff without a championship game than it would with one.

There were no votes or any formal action taken by athletic directors on a championship game, possible expansion or a league-wide television network.

Bowlsby described the four-hour meeting as mostly “high-level discussions.”

The ADs met a day before a meeting of the league’s board of directors made up of school presidents and chancellors.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Perry Ellis scored 19 points, Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte Graham added 10 points apiece and No. 7 Kansas pulled away from turnover-prone Kansas State, 77-59 on Wednesday night.

Dominated on the glass all night, the Jayhawks (18-4, 6-3 Big 12) were able to overcome their poor rebounding and some streaky shooting in part by forcing the Wildcats (13-9, 2-7) into 23 turnovers.

Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr., who had a career-best 33 points in last Saturday’s overtime victory against Kentucky, was shut out in the first half before finishing with seven points. Fellow guard Frank Mason III was just 1 of 5 from the field and contributed eight points.

Still, it was enough to give Kansas its 36th consecutive victory at Allen Fieldhouse.

Stephen Hurt had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats.
 

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the 25th time in his Hall of Fame career, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder released the Wildcats’ annual recruiting class Wednesday with the announcement of 22 student-athletes who plan on joining or have already joined the K-State football program in 2016.

This year’s signing class includes 17 players from the high school ranks, four community-college players and an FBS graduate transfer who will be immediately eligible. Additionally, running back Justin Silmon was awarded a scholarship and will count toward the Class of 2016. Of the signing class, seven are currently enrolled at K-State and will participate in April’s spring practices, which culminate with the Purple/White Spring Game on April 23.

“As I’ve said each and every year, it will be two or three years before we can accurately assess the quality of this or any recruiting class,” Snyder said. “Hopefully we have assessed the skills and intrinsic values of this year’s class accurately, but time will tell. Including Justin Silmon and greyshirts from last year’s class, we have eight of these student-athletes presently in classes and participating in our out-of-season workouts.

“Each member of this class has demonstrated a commitment to becoming the best person, student and athlete possible,” Snyder continued. “As always, we greatly appreciate the high school and community college coaches, faculty members and administrators through the state of Kansas and across the nation who have received our coaches and program so very graciously. I am especially proud of and thankful for the Kansas State faculty, dean of students, director of finance, athletics support staff, athletics director and president for their assistance in conveying to these young men the great support services, education and caring relationships provided by our University.”

This year’s class features 15 players on offense and seven players on defense. The class is made up of four wide receivers, three offensive linemen and tight ends, two apiece of defensive backs, defensive tackles, fullbacks, linebackers and running backs, one defensive end and one quarterback.

 

National Signing Day Quotes

Head Coach Bill Snyder

On filling needs in this signing class…

“I think we did. Once again, it is true that we filled immediate needs if our perceptions are accurate, and we will find that out in a period of time. It is not a closed class right now; we still have a couple visits left. But, overall, I think if you look at the distribution, we have more offensive players than defensive players. In all reality, we will need to add a couple more defensively, but we lost more on offense. To answer the question, I think yes, we got reasonably close to fulfilling our needs.”

 

On what this class will bring to the program…

“In some cases the speed element is there. I have had the chance to watch all of the young guys that are on our campus. The younger (Tyler) Burns, I have been really impressed with. I have been impressed with the kind of speed that (Byron) Pringle, the wide receiver, has had. Our range is better and I think in some of the positions that it is important that we have taller individuals to begin with. In some cases, height gives you the opportunity, and in some cases we have young guys that we have brought in with the idea that was exactly what we were going to try to do. Then we would move them forward as you can take a guy that is really athletic from a position. All of a sudden, he comes more athletic than most people at that position. We have done that with a lot of guys; the tight end scenario has been pretty commonplace for us. I think we have had a lot of guys that have done that and gone on to play quite well. The speed element and the rage element, I think, are two things that noticeable to me right now.”

 

On quarterback Skylar Thompson…

“He is so athletic and he is a very hard worker. He is an intelligent, bright young guy that will pick things up quickly. Those are the key elements, but I like other things as well, like the ability to throw the football. I have not seen it in person yet. I have seen it on video tape, and what I see on video tape appears to be appropriate in that phase of the game. To get a dual-threat guy, he has the capacity to do exactly that.”

 

On quarterback Skylar Thompson competing for playing time this season…

“We will see. (Graduating and enrolling early) gives him the opportunity to come in and compete and get his degree or get started on his master’s. It also gives him out-of-season programs and spring practice going into the summer. You know with summer, coaches cannot be there with young guys, so it gives him the chance to go through that spring practice where he is with coaches. We get to see him before his eligibility really even starts. Then we can define at that time if he can step in immediately to compete for a great deal of time.”

 

On the wide receivers in the class…

“We have some speed and we also, like a said a moment ago, we have some range. We have some guys that have some height to them. That is kind of, in college football today, a key element because you see a lot of mismatches. Sometimes you see those 5-foot, 9-inch corners having to play against 6-foot-4 wide receivers and those become no contests sometimes. It is important to have that kind of range in your program. We need to do it on both sides of the ball, but certainly it helps you on the offensive side.”

 

On wide receiver Byron Pringle…

“They all look good on film, but we have the opportunity (to see him). He is here and he is in the out-of-season program. I get to see him in the agility work, and he does a nice job there. He shows some quickness. He is a good, hard worker, good change of direction guy. I cannot see him throwing or catching a ball, but that will come in spring practice. Again, that is the value of having people here so they can go through a competitive environment in the spring. Then, going into the summer, they are really invested in the program, and they can go out and continue to get better.”

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

 

————
RYAN LACKEY
Assistant Director | Athletics Communications

 

 

 

Junction City Middle School 8^th grade boys A-team earned another win at Shawnee Heights to move their record to 4-0.  Junction City was led in scoring by Jeremiah Bisio with 19 points.  Darren Battiste added 18 points and J’Lin Powell had 12 points.

The B-team boys fell 16-53.  The team will be in action at home Thursday playing Manhattan Eisenhower with a 3:30 tip off at Junction City Middle School.

Kansas Prep Scores
Tuesday’s Scores
By The Associated Press
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Abilene 60, Wamego 51
Andale 77, Winfield 37
Anderson County 63, Central Heights 40
Andover 54, Hutchinson 53
Andover Central 73, Goddard 58
Attica 64, South Barber 35
Augusta 65, Mulvane 31
Barstow, Mo. 73, KC Christian 35
Baxter Springs 61, Southeast 36
Berean Academy 48, Hutchinson Trinity 37
Bishop Miege 52, BV North 38
Bishop Seabury Academy 79, Council Grove 54
Blue Valley Southwest 60, St. Thomas Aquinas 57
Buhler 75, Wellington 60
Burlingame 63, Northern Heights 56
Burlington 70, Caney Valley 57
BV Northwest 59, Blue Valley Stillwell 58
Cair Paravel 49, Shawnee Mission Christian 24
Caldwell 53, Oxford 46
Canton-Galva 42, Ell-Saline 34
Cedar Vale/Dexter 55, Central Burden 41
Central Plains 53, Otis-Bison 34
Centre 70, Elyria Christian 59
Chanute 67, Parsons 63, 2OT
Chapman 53, Clay Center 47
Cheney 37, Garden Plain 35, OT
Coffeyville 71, Labette County 48
Conway Springs 61, Bluestem 28
Cunningham 55, Fairfield 41
DeSoto 66, Baldwin 44
Doniphan West 57, Onaga 44
Fort Scott 54, Independence 52
Fredonia 74, Neodesha 59
Gardner-Edgerton 48, BV West 43
Girard 71, Frontenac 45
Goddard-Eisenhower 67, Derby 62
Guymon, Okla. 63, Southwestern Hts. 53
Halstead 63, Haven 0
Hartford 73, Herington 57
Hesston 71, Sterling 48
Highland Park 59, Topeka 56
Hillsboro 67, Nickerson 56
Hoisington 73, Smoky Valley 42
Holly, Colo. 58, Syracuse 57
Holton 31, Perry-Lecompton 18
Hutchinson Central Christian 71, Chase 57
Inman 60, Bennington 54
Iola 49, Santa Fe Trail 48
Jackson Heights 71, Immaculata 25
Jefferson North 71, McLouth 21
KC Harmon 64, Atchison 62
KC Piper 69, Lansing 58
KC Sumner 66, KC Washington 63
Larned 68, Kingman 38
Little River 39, Goessel 34
Lyndon 66, Wabaunsee 63, 2OT
Maize 61, Newton 41
Maize South 64, Valley Center 58
Marion 62, Remington 57
Marysville 82, Riley County 59
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 45, Horton 38
Meade 83, Hooker, Okla. 73
Mission Valley 32, Madison/Hamilton 30
Moscow 58, Keyes, Okla. 51
Moundridge 52, Sedgwick 35
Nemaha Central 55, Jefferson West 46
Northeast-Arma 57, Oswego 51
Osage City 58, Silver Lake 43
Ottawa 50, Spring Hill 44
Paola 66, Louisburg 39
Pleasant Ridge 64, Oskaloosa 48
Pratt 61, Lyons 52
Pratt Skyline 75, Stafford 21
Pretty Prairie 59, Burrton 41
Riverside 56, Hiawatha 52
Riverton 42, Pittsburg 35
Rock Creek 60, Centralia 28
Rose Hill 60, Clearwater 50
Rossville 70, St. Mary’s 44
Royal Valley 60, Atchison County 18
Rural Vista 57, Wakefield 36
Salina Central 60, Great Bend 51
Salina Sacred Heart 57, Southeast Saline 50
Sedan 76, West Elk 60
Shawnee Heights 74, Leavenworth 47
Solomon 49, Peabody-Burns 13
South Central 76, Kinsley 43
South Gray 65, Hodgeman County 38
Southern Coffey 59, Crest 58, 2OT
Spearville 66, Pawnee Heights 34
St. John 82, Norwich 29
St. John’s Military 65, Wichita Life Prep 47
St. Paul 45, Pleasanton 44
Tescott 70, St. Xavier 30
Troy 60, Frankfort 44
Valley Heights 79, BV Randolph 41
Wellsville 47, Prairie View 34
Wetmore 63, Linn 41
Wichita Bishop Carroll 68, Wichita Northwest 53
Wichita Campus 63, Arkansas City 47
Wichita Collegiate 84, El Dorado 29
Wichita Heights 49, Wichita West 34
Wichita Independent 69, Douglass 51
Wichita South 72, Wichita North 47
Wichita Southeast 81, Wichita East 68
Wichita Trinity 45, Belle Plaine 38
Yates Center 58, Erie 43
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Cimarron vs. Scott City, ppd.
Clifton-Clyde vs. Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud, ppd.
Concordia vs. Pike Valley, ppd.
Dodge City vs. Garden City, ppd.
Ellinwood vs. Victoria, ccd.
Hanover vs. Washington County, ppd.
Hitchcock County, Neb. vs. Rawlins County, ppd.
Hoxie vs. Oakley, ppd.
Hugoton vs. Holcomb, ppd.
Phillipsburg vs. Southern Valley, Neb., ccd.
Republic County vs. Beloit, ppd.
Salina South vs. Hays, ppd. to Feb 4.
Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament
Golden Plains vs. Weskan, ppd. to Feb 3.
Palco vs. Triplains-Brewster, ppd. to Feb 3.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Abilene 54, Wamego 37
Andale 46, Winfield 32
Anderson County 41, Central Heights 11
Andover Central 49, Goddard 41
Argonia 50, Udall 42
Arkansas City 32, Wichita Campus 28
Atchison 72, KC Harmon 17
Attica 42, South Barber 33
Augusta 54, Mulvane 26
Baldwin 53, DeSoto 50
Barstow, Mo. 59, KC Christian 27
Baxter Springs 52, Southeast 39
Berean Academy 50, Hutchinson Trinity 19
Burrton 34, Pretty Prairie 29
Cair Paravel 49, Shawnee Mission Christian 24
Caldwell 52, Oxford 25
Caney Valley 69, Burlington 65, OT
Canton-Galva 62, Ell-Saline 52
Central Plains 66, Otis-Bison 36
Centralia 47, Rock Creek 30
Chanute 48, Parsons 18
Clay Center 54, Chapman 27
Conway Springs 51, Bluestem 19
Council Grove 75, Bishop Seabury Academy 23
Cunningham 50, Fairfield 25
Derby 67, Goddard-Eisenhower 34
Doniphan West 37, Onaga 34
El Dorado 42, Wichita Collegiate 39, OT
Elyria Christian 53, Centre 42
Erie 51, Yates Center 26
Frankfort 45, Troy 44
Fredonia 56, Neodesha 47
Garden Plain 43, Cheney 39
Girard 54, Frontenac 44
Goessel 69, Little River 41
Guymon, Okla. 69, Southwestern Hts. 44
Haven 38, Halstead 20
Herington 52, Hartford 45
Hiawatha 39, Riverside 15
Hillsboro 55, Nickerson 38
Hoisington 40, Smoky Valley 23
Holton 53, Perry-Lecompton 33
Humboldt 42, Eureka 34
Hutchinson 44, Andover 37
Hutchinson Central Christian 55, Chase 21
Immaculata 31, Jackson Heights 20
Independence 60, Fort Scott 49
Inman 39, Bennington 35, OT
Jefferson North 62, McLouth 21
KC Sumner 55, KC Washington 18
Kingman 45, Larned 18
Labette County 65, Coffeyville 41
Lawrence Free State 53, KC Schlagle 39
Leavenworth 47, Shawnee Heights 4
Lee’s Summit Community Christian, Mo. 51, Heritage Christian 46
Madison/Hamilton 41, Mission Valley 35
Marion 45, Remington 33
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 45, Horton 38
Meade 59, Hooker, Okla. 35
Metro Academy 60, KC Turner 7
Moundridge 39, Sedgwick 22
Nemaha Central 47, Jefferson West 34
Newton 50, Maize 48
Northern Heights 54, Burlingame 41
Norwich 44, St. John 31
Paola 62, Louisburg 34
Pleasant Ridge 64, Oskaloosa 41
Prairie View 54, Wellsville 41
Pratt 55, Lyons 38
Pratt Skyline 60, Stafford 35
Riley County 61, Marysville 59, OT
Rose Hill 51, Clearwater 33
Rossville 70, St. Mary’s 44
Royal Valley 41, Atchison County 40
Rural Vista 42, Wakefield 37
Salina Central 72, Great Bend 65
Santa Fe Trail 33, Iola 31
Sedan 58, West Elk 29
Sherwood, Mo. 49, Maranatha Academy 17
Silver Lake 77, Osage City 44
SM West 64, SM East 47
Solomon 47, Peabody-Burns 19
South Central 54, Kinsley 39
Southeast Saline 60, Salina Sacred Heart 19
Southern Coffey 62, Crest 27
Spearville 56, Pawnee Heights 19
Spring Hill 33, Ottawa 31
St. Paul 58, Pleasanton 35
St. Teresa’s Academy, Mo. 50, SM North 35
Sterling 62, Hesston 57
Syracuse 41, Holly, Colo. 22
Tescott 56, St. Xavier 10
Topeka 80, Highland Park 31
Topeka Hayden 49, Washburn Rural 45
Uniontown 43, Chetopa 39
Valley Center 61, Maize South 42
Valley Heights 62, BV Randolph 41
Wabaunsee 75, Lyndon 31
Wellington 65, Buhler 41
Wetmore 56, Linn 51
Wichita Bishop Carroll 32, Wichita Northwest 23
Wichita East 53, Wichita Southeast 46
Wichita Heights 69, Wichita West 32
Wichita Independent 45, Douglass 35
Wichita Trinity 64, Belle Plaine 35
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Cimarron vs. Scott City, ppd.
Clifton-Clyde vs. Glasco/Miltonvale-Southern Cloud, ppd.
Concordia vs. Pike Valley, ppd.
Dodge City vs. Garden City, ppd.
Ellinwood vs. Victoria, ppd.
Hanover vs. Washington County, ppd.
Hitchcock County, Neb. vs. Rawlins County, ppd.
Hoxie vs. Oakley, ppd.
Hugoton vs. Holcomb, ppd.
Phillipsburg vs. Southern Valley, Neb., ppd.
Republic County vs. Beloit, ppd.
Salina South vs. Hays, ppd. to Feb 4.
Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament
Northern Valley vs. Weskan, ppd. to Feb 3.
Triplains-Brewster vs. Logan, ppd. to Feb 3.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Suzie Fritz, K-State volleyball’s winningest coach and leader of the program for the last decade-and-a-half, has signed a four-year contract extension, K-State Athletics Director John Currie has announced.

Fritz agreed to the extension through the 2020 season, which was approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors and President Kirk Schulz. Fritz had one year remaining on her current five-year contract signed in 2012. Under the new deal, she will receive a base salary of $161,500 in 2016; $166,500 in 2017; $171,500 in 2018; $174,500 in 2019; and $177,500 in 2020.

“First, I would like to thank President Kirk Schulz and Athletics Director John Currie for their continued support of me, my staff and our program,” Fritz said. “Under their leadership, we have seen tremendous things happen at Kansas State University, and I am extremely proud to have the opportunity to be a part of their team. We place tremendous value on being part of the K-State Family and are very blessed to work at such an exceptional University within the wonderful community of Manhattan.”

Fritz, 43, is 295-168 (.637) in her 15-year head coaching career, all of which has been spent at K-State. The longest-tenured coach in program history has accumulated 158 of her 295 wins in Big 12 play, placing her fourth in league history in career conference wins.

“Being the volleyball coach at K-State is sincerely my dream job,” Fritz added. “During our time here we have coached and been a part of the lives of many extraordinary young women who have gone on to have impactful careers, which is an incredibly rewarding experience for us as coaches. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to have that role in addition to maintaining the wonderful relationships with our exceptional staff and administration. My family loves K-State and Manhattan, and we are thrilled to serve and represent both for many years to come.”

Originally from Clay Center, Kansas, Fritz has guided K-State to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four over the last five years. Since 2001, the Wildcats’ 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament are the second-most by current Big 12 teams.

“Under Coach Fritz’s leadership, we have achieved sustained success with 11 NCAA Tournaments in her 15 seasons including appearances in four of the past five years,” Currie said. “She has done a tremendous job as head coach while being a great role model and mentor for our student-athletes, and we look forward to continued success with her leading our volleyball program.”

The Wildcats have been ranked 124 times under Fritz while she has also taken three teams that were not ranked in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll to be slotted in the final poll of the respective season. The last time she lifted a team from outside the top-25 into the final poll was in 2011 when K-State reached the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.

From an individual awards standpoint, Fritz has tutored Wildcats to earn 12 All-America honors, 18 all-region selections, 40 All-Big 12 awards, and 101 Academic All-Big 12 distinctions (the most in the conference since 2001).

The Academic All-Big 12 honors represent Fritz’s leadership in success on and off the court. The Wildcats, who had a perfect APR score in 2013-14, have garnered 12 AVCA Academic Team Awards under Fritz, including one in each of the last five years. This past season, Katie Brand and Kersten Kober were the only Big 12 student-athletes to earn academic all-district honors, bringing the total honorees of that award to 18 in Fritz’s tenure. Kober also earned the program’s first Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award this past season.

Last season, Fritz helped a team without any seniors overcome a 1-3 start to conference play by winning eight of its final 12 regular season matches to capture its highest finish in the Big 12 standings in four years. The Wildcats also reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Fritz is a two-time winner of the Big 12 Coach of the Year award, capturing the honor during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. The 2003 campaign was the best in program history as the Wildcats set a school record for wins (30) and were a perfect 16-0 at home en route to winning the Big 12 title.

Fritz was originally named the head coach during the 2001 season after earning the interim head coach title prior to the start of that campaign. She served as an assistant coach with the program from 1997-2000, helping the team reach four NCAA Tournaments. Fritz has served as a coach for 15 of K-State’s 16 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Next year’s team will return 14 letterwinners, including two-time All-America Honorable Mention Brand alongside fellow seniors Kober, Katie Reininger and Brooke Sassin. Other key returnees include 2014 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Kylee Zumach, 2015 All-Big 12 Freshman Team selections Macy Flowers and Alyssa Schultejans, and rising junior Bryna Vogel, who finished third on the team in kills and digs last season.