PREP FOOTBALL=

Class 6A=

Sub-State=

BV North 51, Olathe North 49

Derby 24, Manhattan 6

Class 5A=

Sub-State=

St. Thomas Aquinas 67, Olathe West 21

Wichita Northwest 67, Maize 60

Class 4A=

Sub-State=

Goddard 15, McPherson 14

Class 3A=

Sub-State=

Pratt 21, Andale 19

Sabetha 21, Galena 0

Class 2A=

Sub-State=

Phillipsburg 31, Hoisington 14

Riley County 46, Humboldt 16

Class 1A=

Sub-State=

Olpe 14, Pittsburg Colgan 0

Smith Center 49, Plainville 7

Eight-Man Division I=

Sub-State=

Solomon 28, Canton-Galva 12

Eight-Man Division II=

Sub-State=

Hanover 60, Axtell 14

Osborne 46, Dighton 0

___

Xavier Sneed scored 16 points to lead five Kansas State players in double figures, and the No. 12 Wildcats beat Eastern Kentucky 95-68 on Friday night in the Paradise Jam tournament.

Dean Wade and Cartier Diarra added 14 points each, and Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown Jr. had 10 points apiece for the Wildcats (3-0), who advance to Sunday’s semifinals at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center.

Dujuanta Weaver scored 12 points and Nick Mayo added 11 points for the Colonels (2-2), whose only lead came when Kelvin Robinson’s jumper 19 seconds in made it 2-0.

But Kansas State went on a 13-5 run over the next six minutes before taking a 37-28 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats led by as many as 31 points late in the half when James Love’s hook shot made it 93-62.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior offensive lineman Adam Holtorf and senior wide receiver Zach Reuter have been named to the 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 team, the College Sports Information Directors of America has announced.

It is the second-straight year that Holtorf has been named to the team, while Reuter is a first-time honoree. K-State placed two members on the team for the first time since 2015 when Jack Cantele and Glenn Gronkowski were honored.

Holtorf, who carries a 3.96 GPA in agribusiness, is the first Wildcat to be named to the Academic All-District team in consecutive years since Gronkowski in 2014 and 2015. A native of Seward, Nebraska, Holtorf was also named a First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer for a second-straight year and was nominated with a 4.0 GPA both times. Holtorf has started all 10 games this year at center, helping the Wildcats average 212.2 yards rushing and total 14 touchdowns over the last five games.

A biochemistry/pre-med major who holds a perfect 4.0 GPA, Reuter earned his first-career academic honor from CoSIDA. Reuter just earned his third-straight First Team Academic All-Big 12 accolade and is one of just six players in Big 12 history to be nominated with a 4.0 GPA in three-consecutive seasons.

Reuter, a native of Columbia, Missouri, has recorded the best statistical season of his career during his 10 games of 2018, which includes four starts. He has tallied 14 receptions for 171 yards after entering his senior year with 12 career receptions for 118 yards.

By being named Academic All-District 7 honorees, Holtorf and Reuter now advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, with first- and second-team Academic All-America honorees being announced in early December.

Reuter and 15 other seniors play in their final game inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium this Saturday against Texas Tech. The Senior Day game kicks off at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics

…

[Message clipped]  View entire message

GAME 3

KANSAS STATE (2-0) vs. EASTERN KENTUCKY (2-1)

Friday, November 16, 2018 >> 6:30 p.m., CT >> UVI Sports & Fitness Center (3,500) // St. Thomas USVI

19^th Annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam

COACHES

Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)

Overall: 440-235/21^st season

At K-State: 127-80/7^th season

1. Eastern Kentucky: 0-0

Eastern Kentucky: A.W. Hamilton (Marshall ’05)

Overall: 2-1/1st Year

At EKU: 2-1/1st Year

1. K-State: 0-0

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Kansas State (2-0)

G: #3 Kamau Stokes

G: #5 Barry Brown, Jr.

G: #20 Xavier Sneed

F: #32 Dean Wade

F: #14 Makol Mawien

Eastern Kentucky (2-1)

G: #0 Dujuanta Weaver

G: #2 Jordan Oakley

G: #3 Peyton Broughton

G: #4 Kelvin Robinson

F: #10 Nick Mayo

SERIES HISTORY

Overall: Tied 1-1

At Neutral Sites: EKU leads 1-0

Last Meeting: W, 87-59, 12/1/1972

Weber vs. Hamilton: First Meeting

OPENING TIP

• No. 12/11 Kansas State (2-0) heads south for the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam this week, as the Wildcats open the four-day tournament with a matchup against Ohio Valley Conference member Eastern Kentucky (2-1) at 6:30 p.m., CT on Friday, Nov. 16 at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The 19th annual event is making a return to the U.S. Virgin Islands after being relocated to Lynchburg, Va., and Liberty University last November due to hurricane damage.
• The winner of Friday’s late game will receive an off-day on Saturday, Nov. 17 and return to the court at 6:30 p.m., CT on Sunday, Nov. 18 against the winner of the Northern Iowa (1-1) and Penn (3-0) game, while the losers will meet at 4 p.m., CT on Saturday. The other side of the bracket includes Missouri (1-1), Old Dominion (1-1), Oregon State (2-0) and Kennesaw State (1-1). Missouri plays Kennesaw State in the first game of the tournament on Friday at noon CT on Friday, followed by the matchup between Oregon State and Old Dominion in game two at 2 p.m., CT.
• The winner of each bracket will face off in the U.S. Virgin Island Championship game on Monday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m., CT. There will be three consolation games that will precede the title contest at 12 p.m., CT (seventh-place game), 2 p.m., CT (fourth-place game) and 4:30 p.m., CT (third-place game), respectively.
• This will mark the Wildcats’ second appearance in the Paradise Jam and the first since the 2002 event. K-State lost back-to-back to BYU (64-73) and Toledo (50-58) before defeating Michigan, 82-71, in the consolation game.
• Previous winners of the Paradise Jam include Maryland (2013), Seton Hall (2014), South Carolina (2015) and Creighton (2016) as well as Big 12 member Baylor (2007). Colorado won the latest title in 2017 with a 79-70 victory over Mercer in a field that included Drake, Drexel, Houston, host Liberty, Quinnipiac and Wake Forest.
• K-State has a 15-8 (.652) record in regular-season tournaments under head coach Bruce Weber, advancing to the tournament finals on three occasions, including the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off (losing to No. 4 Michigan, 71-57), 2015 CBE Hall of Fame Classic (losing to No. 9 North Carolina, 80-70) and the 2016 Barclays Center Classic (losing to Maryland, 69-68). The team has also participated in the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off (1-2 record), 2014 Maui Invitational (1-2 record) and 2017 Las Vegas Invitational (3-1).
• K-State has not won an in-season tournament title since defeating Southern Illinois, UTEP and Long Beach State to capture the 2011 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i. The Wildcats also won tournament championships in 1990 (BMA Holiday Classic), 1993 (Hawai’i Nike Festival), 1994 (Capital City Classic), 1995 (Otis Spunkmeyer Classic) and 2006 (Las Vegas Holiday Classic). Overall, the school has a 123-78 (.612) all-time record in 75 in-season tournaments dating back to the program’s first season in 1905, most of which came in the Big Six/Seven/Eight Holiday Tournament that ran in Kansas City from 1943 to 1978 and involved mostly members of the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight Conference teams.
• K-State moved to 2-0 for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons on Monday and extended its non-conference winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum to 25 consecutive games with a 64-56 win over Denver, as senior Barry Brown, Jr., scored a game-high 25 points.

NOTES ON EASTERN KENTUCKY

• Eastern Kentucky returns seven lettermen, including two starters (Nick Mayo and Jacquess Hobbs, from a squad that posted an 11-20 overall record and finished ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference with an 5-13 mark in 2017-18. The Colonels welcome a new head coach in 2018-19 in former N.C. State assistant coach A.W. Hamilton as well as seven newcomers.
• EKU was picked sixth (out of the 12-team league) in the OVC Coaches poll with 118 points with Belmont tabbed as the favorite with 227 points and eight first-place votes. Mayo was selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team.
• EKU is off a 2-1 start after knocking off NAIA foe Midway, 107-52, at home on Tuesday. The Colonels opened the year with a 105-77 loss to Marshall at home on Nov. 7 before earning an 81-78 win at Chattanooga on Nov. 10.
• High-flying EKU is averaging 88.3 points on 40.8 percent shooting (93-of-228), including 27.1 percent (23-of-85) from 3-point range, to go with 47.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 10.0 steals and 4.0 blocks per game. The squad is shooting 66.7 percent (56-of-84) from the line. Foes are averaging 78.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting, including 36.1 percent from 3-point range.

–www.kstatesports.com–

TOM GILBERT
Director for Men’s Basketball Communications | K-State Athletics

Pronunciations: DaJuan (DAY-wan)  |  Kpegeol (KAH-pay-GUL)

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of four prep standouts on the first day of the Fall National Signing Period on Wednesday with the additions of Antonio Gordon (Lawton, Okla./Eisenhower), DaJuan Gordon (Chicago, Ill./Curie Metropolitan), Goodnews Kpegeol (St. Paul, Minn./North/Taylor Made Prep) and Montavious Murphy(Houston, Texas/Concordia Lutheran).

The four-man recruiting class is a consensus Top 40 class nationally by a number of recruiting services, ranking No. 39 by Rivals.com and No. 40 by 247Sports.com. It is highlighted by DaJuan Gordon, who is rated among the Top 150 players in the country by both services, including No. 114 by 247Sports.com and No. 144 by Rivals.com.  All four are considered among the Top 100 players at their respective position nationally.

The largest Fall Signing Class in the Weber era, it includes players from four different states (Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas) at four different positions (point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward).

“We are excited to welcome these four outstanding players to K-State,” said Weber. “Obviously, this is a significant signing class because of who these recruits are replacing in Barry (Brown, Jr.), Dean (Wade) and Kam (Stokes). Those guys might go down as three of most significant players in our program in recent history, statistically for sure and hopefully win-wise. We are having to replace not only scoring, but rebounding, assists, steals and minutes – whatever the category may be – with this class.”

“We thought we needed players who are versatile. I think that’s the key phase with this class – versatile. You can’t just go replace players like Barry, Dean and Kam, but remember they were once freshmen, too. They have all put in the work to become really good players. The staff and I feel confident that these four players have the necessary mindset and skills to do the same thing.”

• A 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward Antonio Gordon is a native of Lawton, Oklahoma, where he is entering his senior season at Eisenhower High School after leading the Eagles to a 21-6 overall record and a trip to the Class 5A state semifinals as a junior in 2017-18.

• A 6-foot-4, 170-pound combo guard, DaJuan Gordon is a native of Chicago, where he is entering his senior season at Curie Metropolitan High School after leading the Condors to a 26-5 overall record and a trip to Class 4A State Tournament in 2017-18.

• A 6-foot-6, 180-pound shooting guard, Goodnews Kpegeol is playing a postgraduate year at Taylor Made Prep in Pensacola, Florida after leading St. Paul North High School in St. Paul, Minnesota to a 22-5 overall record and a first-place finish in Metro East Conference play as a senior in 2017-18.

• A 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward, Montavious Murphy is a native of Houston and is playing senior season at Concordia Lutheran in Tomball, Texas after playing the last three years at Klein Collins.

The quartet will fill the loss of the three-man graduating senior class of Barry Brown, Jr., Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade, who will all complete their eligibility in 2018-19, as well as a currently open scholarship.

/////////

Antonio Gordon

6-9 // 205 // PF

Lawton, Okla.

High School: Eisenhower (coached by Todd Millwee)

AAU: MoKan Elite [coached by Matt Suther]

Primary Recruiter: Brad Korn

Bio:

• Rated among the Top 100 forwards in the country and the No. 4 prospect in Oklahoma by 247Sports.com.
• Has helped Eisenhower High School to a 39-15 overall record the past two seasons, including consecutive appearances in the Class 5A State Tournament… The Eagles posted a 21-6 overall record, including a 13-3 mark in Oklahoma Big 10 District play, and advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament in 2017-18.
• Selected to the Oklahoman’s Super 5 Third Team and to the Tulsa World’s All-State Team in 2017-18.
• Has averaged 16.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 39 career games the past two seasons at Eisenhower, connecting on 48.1 percent (240-of-499) from the field.
• Averaged a team-best 20.7 points on 48.8 percent shooting (203-of-416), including 32.5 percent (37-of-114) from 3-point range, with 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game as a junior in 2017-18… Connected on 77.1 percent (94-of-122) from the free throw line.
• Scored in double figures in all 26 games as a junior in 2017-18, including 13 games of at least 20 points and three other games of 30 or more points… Totaled 13 double-doubles… Scored a season-high 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting in a win over MacArthur on Jan. 12, 2018… Turned in a 37-point, 13-rebound in a regular season loss at eventual Class 5A champion Memorial on Jan. 27, 2018.
• Paced the team in 10 categories in 2017-18, including scoring, rebounding, blocks, points (537), field goals made (203) and attempted (416), free throws made (94), offensive (110) and defensive (156) rebounds and total rebounds (266)… Ranked second in 3-point field goals made (37) and attempted (114) and free throws attempted (122), while was third in assists and steals
• Played for MoKan Elite in the Summer of 2018, helping the squad to the Final Four of the prestigious Peach Jam in July… Averaged 5.8 points on 60 percent shooting with 2.2 rebounds per game.

Head coach Bruce Weber:

“Antonio is someone we have been recruiting for quite some time. He’s another guy who is a bit of a late bloomer. He played on an AAU team that didn’t get a lot of attention. He is a guy that replacing some like Dean (Wade) and Dean brings so many things to the court and so can Antonio. He can shoot the 3 and has a great motor. One of the things that stands out about him is that he is very skilled for a guy his size and plays very hard. We are really excited about him, obviously for his versatility and skill set, but also about where he can develop over time.”

MoKan Elite Head Coach Matt Suther:

“Antonio has been a late bloomer. He is a very versatile player to play multiple forward positions. He has continued to develop the skills to be more of a face up guy. He has great athleticism to shoot or put in on the floor. Probably the thing that sticks out most to me is his attitude and how good of a teammate he is. He is a great kid.”

“I think with the way Coach Weber plays, I think he is going to be very versatile for him and expand his skill set. With guys that are versatile like that, it creates a lot of flexibility for a coach. He’s the type of guy that you love coaching. I think the biggest thing is he’s going to be versatile and play multiple positions. He’s hard to take out of the game.”

/////////

DaJuan Gordon (DAY-wan)

6-4 // 170 // G

Chicago, Ill.

High School: Curie Metropolitan (coached by Mike Oliver)

AAU: Team Rose [coached by Jerrel “J.O” Oliver]

Primary Recruiter: Brad Korn

Bio:

• A consensus Top 150 prospect by several recruiting services, including No. 114 by 247Sports.com and No. 144 by Rivals.com… Also rated among the Top 40 shooting guards in the country, including No. 18 by 247Sports.com and No. 36 by Rivals.com… Rated as the No. 4 prospect in Illinois by 247Sports.com.
• Rated as the No. 3 prospect in Illinois by the City/Suburban Hoops Report and Chicago Sun-Times.
• Helped Curie Metropolitan High School to a 26-5 overall record, including a second-place finish in the Chicago Public School Red South with an 8-1 mark in league play, as a junior in 2017-18… The team advanced to the Class 4A State Tournament.
• Averaged 16 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Head coach Bruce Weber:

“I think DaJuan was the second kid to commit to us. He is a Chicago kid. He has that toughness that Chicago kids have; that competitive spirit. He’s a little bit of a late developer. Not many knew of him. He plays really, really hard. Much like Barry (Brown, Jr.), he just competes on every possession. He is more of a slasher, getting to the basket, defending. He does all the little things. He just needs to continue to work on his shooting, but that will come with time. He just loves to be in the gym.”

Curie Metropolitan High School Head Coach Mike Oliver:

“He’s going to be a hard worker. He’s an energy guy. He is going to bring a lot energy and he’s a guy that is still looking to prove something to people that he is a high-level basketball player, so he is going to work.”

“We’re excited for him, because he is going to get better and he has time and support to get better. He is going to have some guys to push him with things that he has to be better with. He has to get stronger and learn to how to play the college game but once he does that he is going to be a good basketball player.”

Team Rose Head Coach Jerrel “J.O.” Oliver:

“I think he is going to bring his athleticism and will to score the ball. He is one of the best scorers in the country and is underrated with athleticism. I truly believe he can become a star. He does so much on the court and he can do so many things. I tell him all the time, he’s a star. If he works hard and do what he’s supposed to do, he can do so much. He’s one of a kind.”

“I see him developing as a combo guard and being able to play right away. He has a strong makeup and opportunity to step up and do things because he’s extremely talented.”

/////////

Goodnews Kpegeol (KAH-pay-GUL)

6-6 // 180 // SG

St. Paul, Minn.

High School: North (coached by Damian Johnson)

Prep School: Taylor Made Prep (coached by Anthony Taylor)

AAU: Grassroots Sizzle [coached by Brian Sandifer]

Primary Recruiter: Chester Frazier

Bio:

• Rated among the Top 100 shooting guards (No. 71) in the country and the No. 27 prospect in Florida by 247Sports.com.
• Playing a postgraduate year at Taylor Made Prep in Pensacola, Fla., after finishing his four-year prep career at North High School in St. Paul, Minn. … As of Nov. 4, he was averaging 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game while connecting on 36 percent from 3-point range.
• Helped North High School to a 22-5 overall record, including a 15-1 mark in conference play, as a senior in 2017-18, under first-year head coach Damian Johnson.
• Averaged a team-best 18.2 points in 19 games played as a senior in 2017-18… Totaled nine 20-point games with a season-high 29 points against Stillwater on Dec. 7, 2017.
• Guided North to a 24-6 overall record and its first trip to the Class 4A State Tournament in 17 years as a sophomore in 2015-16 under head coach Joe Janquart, scoring a team-high 23 points against Tartan in the Section 4 Championship… The Polars lost to Hopkins in the quarterfinals, where he scored a team-high 13 points.

Head coach Bruce Weber:

“We watched Goodnews over the summer, and I think (assistant coach) Chester (Frazier) recruited him a little before that. He is a young man who is a little of bit of a late developer and grew late. He finished high school (St. Paul North) this past spring and didn’t have the (college) offers that he wanted and decided to head to prep school for a year (Taylormade Academy) to continue to work on his game. He has a lot of abilities, a lot of skill. He gives you that versatile, swing guy. The biggest thing with him is that he can make plays. He is a little older (19) and can provide a little more maturity to our back court.”

Taylor Made Prep Head Coach Anthony Taylor:

“I think he has an incredible feel for the game. He can make plays for himself and other players as well. I think he can do very well if he continues to develop and get better. Coach Weber has done a great job in developing players and I think Goodnews will fit right in with that.”

“After visiting K-State with his parents, he felt like K-State was the best place for him to be for the next four years. He will be a kid with a lot of versatility on the offensive end and he has a chance to be a special player.”

Grassroots Sizzle Head Coach Brian Sandifer:

““He’s a highly skilled, under the radar athlete. He’s super athletic and has a great basketball IQ. More so than anything he brings a high IQ and can be a solid leader. I think with Coach Weber and Coach Frazier, the coaching staff at K-State is just what he needed.”

“He handles the ball tight enough, he can play at the 1 through 3 positions. He just has to become more of a vocal guy. He can make big plays and get emotional, but he can also get a little reserved. Goodnews is a guy that can get to the basket and finish under or above the basket. He finishes very well. Defensively, I think he can guard the 1 through 4 positions. He has the athleticism to lock people down.”

/////////

Montavious Murphy

6-8 // 190 // PF

Houston, Texas

High School: Concordia Lutheran (coached by Bill Honeck)

AAU: Drive Nation [coached by Jermaine O’Neal and Derrick Shelby]

Primary Recruiter: Brad Korn

Bio:

• Rated among the Top 100 forwards in the country and the No. 23 prospect in Texas by 247Sports.com.
• Playing his senior season at Concordia Lutheran in Tomball, Texas after playing three years (2015-18) at Klein Collins High School.
• Averaging 19.6 points on 51 percent shooting (35-of-69), including 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from 3-point range, with 10.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.6 blocks through 5 games at Concordia Lutheran… Has double-doubles in 4 of 5 games… Scored 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds in a win over Port Arthur Memorial on Nov. 10, 2018, while he added 23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over Second Baptist on Nov. 13, 2018.
• Selected to the District 16-5A Second Team as a junior at Klein Collins in 2017-18.
• Played AAU with Drive Nation in the Summer of 2018, averaging 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 15 games, while playing alongside fellow Division I signees Avery Anderson III(Oklahoma State), Victor Iwuakor (Oklahoma), Jahmius Ramey (Texas Tech) and Drew Timme (Gonzaga).

Head coach Bruce Weber:

“With the way basketball is played right now, however, you want to call it, “small ball,” you need versatile forwards. Montavious fits this for us. He can do a lot of things. He has a little bit of size, he has a body, he has skills, he’s a really good dribbler. He can make plays and pass the basketball. He is off to a really good start to his senior season (averaging 19.6 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first five games). One thing he really wanted to work on was his 3-point shooting and he’s off to a good start there (8 3-pointers through five games). He plays for a really good high school coach in Bill Honeck (at Concordia Lutheran), who has a reputation for having outstanding teams and really developing players. He was one of the first players to commit to us.”

Drive Nation Head Coach Derrick Shelby:

“For us, Montavious was always one of the hardest workers in the game. He always came with maximum effort and produced at a high level. He is a very, very good basketball player. At 6-9 and being able to step out, I think he will be a big factor at K-State. But more importantly, he can play the 3 and 4 positions, and play out on the perimeter. K-State got a good one.”

“He’s a good kid and has a great family. When you bring a kid in to a team, the family part is always important, and the family for Montavious was phenomenal. He is a kid that will take care of business in the classroom and will be the first one in the gym and the last one out.”

–www.kstatesports.com–

TOM GILBERT
Director for Men’s Basketball Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior right tackle Dalton Risner was named one of 20 semifinalists for the 2018 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, the organization announced Thursday.

Risner is one of five semifinalists from the Big 12 named to the list for the award that focuses primarily on a player’s leadership both on and off the field.

A product of Wiggins, Colorado, Risner’s semifinal status for the award adds to his lengthy off-the-field accolades during his senior season. Risner is a finalist for the Williams V. Campbell Trophy – also known as the “Academic Heisman” – a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, was named to the Allstate/American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team and is finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.

A 2017 First Team All-American and the fifth three-time team captain in school history, Risner has made it a priority to make a positive impact on those in the community. He started the RiseUp Foundation last summer, which was started in both a blog and v-log form to “encourage everyone to RISE above the evil and sin in this world and be a positive shining light in the lives of others.” Among many other activities, he also visits Buttonwood Special Needs Home and has bonded with one member in particular, Mike, while he is a Big Brother to Kayden, who was battling leukemia but is in remission.

The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which is in its second year, honors Jason Witten, a man who displayed immense amount of leadership during an NFL career that saw him become the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver. Witten served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his playing days as, in addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, he also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others.

“I am honored to announce this impressive group as the semifinalists for the second annual Collegiate Man of the Year,” said Witten. “All of these student-athletes are shining examples of what makes college athletics so great. These 20 men have demonstrated exceptional character and leadership, often while overcoming large challenges. They are great representatives for the game of football, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point.”

Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 10. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on February 12, 2018, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.

Risner and 15 other seniors will play their final game inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium this Saturday against Texas Tech. The Senior Day game kicks off at 2:30 p.m., and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State’s football program posted 24 Academic All-Big 12 honorees – including a league-high 21 first-team members and conference record four players with a 4.0 GPA – as the conference office announced the 192-member Academic All-Big 12 teams on Thursday.

The 21 first-team selections set a school record and tied for the fifth most in Big 12 history. It was the most First Team Academic All-Big 12 selections by any institution since the 2004 Nebraska squad had 22.

Headlining this year’s list were a Big 12-record four players that were nominated with a 4.0 GPA in wide receiver Zach Reuter (biochemistry) – who tallied a 4.0 GPA for a third-straight year – tight end Blaise Gammon (finance), offensive lineman Adam Holtorf (agribusiness) and wide receiver Landry Weber (business).

A product of Columbia, Missouri, Reuter and Oklahoma State’s Britton Abbot became the fifth and sixth players in Big 12 history to be nominated with a 4.0 GPA in three-straight years, joining Oklahoma’s Gabe Ikard (2010-12), Nebraska’s Dave Todd (2004-06) and Chad Sievers (2002-04), as well as Oklahoma State’s Kyle Eaton (2000-02).

Reuter, Gammon and Holtorf were all repeat first-team honorees and were also joined by Kyle Ball (finance), Alex Delton (education), Scott Frantz (education/social studies), Denzel Goolsby (financial services), Brock Monty (finance), Colby Moore (mass communications/MBA), Dalton Risner (communication studies) and Dalton Schoen (mechanical engineering).

Other Wildcats earning first-team accolades this year include Ross Elder (business), Dalton Harman (construction science and management), Ryan Hennington (business), Andrew Hicks (social sciences), Nick Kaltmayer (electrical engineering), Nick McLellan (kinesiology), Tyler Mitchell (accounting), David Tullis (education/social studies) and Drew Wiley (animal sciences and industry).

K-State’s second-team members were comprised of Alex Barnes (kinesiology), Blake Lynch (finance) and Dalvin Warmack (management and marketing).

Since head coach Bill Snyder’s return to the sidelines in 2009, the Wildcats have totaled 196 Academic All-Big 12 recipients (19.6 per year), including 144 on the first team (14.4 per year).

Additionally, Kansas State has totaled a conference-leading 135 Academic All-Big 12 honors over the last five years, 29 more than the next closest team.

Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services, the 2017 football academic all-league squad is comprised of 128 first-team members combined with 65 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

Kansas State hosts its Senior Day contest this Saturday with a 2:30 p.m., game against Texas Tech inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Tickets for the home finale are available through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kansas – Four Wildcat programs, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s golf, recorded Big 12-best Graduation Success Rate figures, while the football program ranked second in the league, as the NCAA released its latest graduation rate data.

K-State’s men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s golf and women’s golf programs each recorded perfect 100-percent marks to lead the Big 12, while the football program checked in at 82-percent.

As a department, K-State is tied for fourth among the current Big 12 membership with an overall average GSR of 85 percent. Baylor (90 percent), Iowa State (88) and Texas (88) pace the league ahead of the Wildcats.

“We continue to be proud of our student-athletes, coaches, support staff and faculty for their continued commitment to excellence in the classroom,” said Kristin Waller, Associate AD of Student-Athlete Services. “This report is a great measure of current academic achievement and further proof of our dedication to across-the-board academic success.”

The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate.
The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success.

– kstatesports.com –

 
KENNY LANNOU
Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications and Public Relations | K-State Athletics