- 13 hours ago
Gopowercat.com's Tim Fitzgerald checks in.
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00:00Sports Daily on KFH.
00:07Thanks to Crestview Country Club for being a great supporter of the program.
00:11We are coming up to the holidays.
00:14Crestview's all got all your holiday needs covered.
00:17They've got a big Thanksgiving brunch.
00:19They do Thanksgiving to go.
00:21They've got all kinds of club events to get you ready for the holidays
00:25and celebrate them as well.
00:27The social aspect of it is a lot of fun.
00:29A lot of great families.
00:31It is not, from my experience, hoity-toity,
00:35which is something that I've learned over the years.
00:37A lot of great families.
00:38A lot of kids, the pool in the summertime,
00:41all the tennis and golf you could ask for.
00:43Give them a call.
00:44Go take a tour.
00:45You'll see what I'm talking about.
00:46Tell them we sent you here from Sports Daily.
00:47All right, we come back.
00:50And, Brady, we will see if we catch Tim Fitzgerald.
00:55We are waiting to see Fitz.
00:59I'll shoot him a text.
01:00We don't see him yet.
01:03But we'll try to get him connected here.
01:08You mentioned that trade.
01:11There he is.
01:12Oh, there's Fitz.
01:12There's Fitz.
01:13All right, here we go.
01:13Here we go.
01:14We got you, Fitz.
01:14How are you, Fitz?
01:15I'm good, boy.
01:16Sorry about that.
01:17I just lost track of time.
01:19It happens.
01:20It happens.
01:21It happens, especially when you know that maybe you conveniently lost track of time.
01:28When you know that you've got to try to make sense of some K-State football and some K-State
01:33basketball.
01:33Maybe a handy accident there.
01:39No comment.
01:40But, yeah, it's not real fun talking about K-State sports right now.
01:46We did this last year, Fitz.
01:48We're not supposed to be doing this again.
01:51I know.
01:52I know.
01:55It's not coming together quite like anyone expects it, including Colin Kline.
02:00So, you know, we live in a college sports world where there's no patience because it's been proven that you
02:10can hit the lottery, right?
02:12We've seen it happen.
02:13We saw it happen at Kansas State in Jerome Tang's first year.
02:17But it's kind of fleeting success.
02:22And I get the feeling right now we've got two coaches at Kansas State who are trying to build it
02:27the right way in an era where you can get away with not building it the right way.
02:34But you have to admit, Colin, everyone expected a little bit more from this K-State team and maybe not
02:40a step back from what they were last year.
02:42But that might be what they're looking at as they try to find the right players that fit what they
02:49need.
02:49And, honestly, they just had some guys that aren't as good as what they expected that came to the portal.
02:56Yep.
02:56And plus, I think, you know, we're learning that, you know, there's a learning curve with this.
03:01And maybe Colin Kline's kind of learning about the learning curve a little bit as well, kind of having all
03:06the responsibilities.
03:07And also being on the sideline, you spend so much time in the booth as an O.C.
03:13So a learning curve there.
03:15And like you said, I think it's kind of showing that maybe there were some misses on some defensive players.
03:20And, you know, even going back with Colorado, there were some good things on the offensive side.
03:26We're all worried about the quarterback spot.
03:28There really wasn't an issue in that loss against Colorado.
03:31What was your thoughts on not on changing the mind on going to overtime instead of maybe going with the
03:38hot hand with the QB and trying to win it there on a two-point conversion?
03:43Look, the week before, I really disagreed with the fourth and 12 trying to get a first down.
03:51This one, I understood exactly what happened.
03:53He had a play.
03:56They were really confident in that play.
03:58Now, let's keep this in mind.
04:00This is a young man who'd practiced basically two days since getting injured in week one.
04:07So probably he wasn't prepped up on a lot of specialty plays.
04:11You know, he probably had the playbook down, but there wasn't probably a lot of depth to.
04:18And they had one and they loved it.
04:21And Colorado immediately called timeout because I think they diagnosed the play.
04:26And so did Colin.
04:27So they had to change the play.
04:29And I recognized what happened.
04:31They were like, let's try to win this in overtime because we don't have a play that we feel like
04:37improves our chances of winning.
04:40Keep in mind, two-point conversions are on average 40%.
04:44So if you can't come up with a play, your odds of converting are below average.
04:51I mean, you're more likely not to convert.
04:55So without a good play, they decided, let's go to overtime.
04:59And then, you know, they felt like they had the momentum at that point.
05:03But, yeah, that momentum was so shallow.
05:06The whole game was just kind of weird.
05:08And Colorado made one more play than K-State.
05:12And it's got to be a great disappointment.
05:15But at some point, the players got to rise up and take care of business.
05:20And the only reason Colorado scored a touchdown in overtime was just crappy coverage.
05:26They were in the right defense.
05:28And someone just let a receiver go right by them and didn't cut off the angle of the pass and
05:34touchdown.
05:36I just, I mean, it's going to be a disappointment now, no matter what happens for K-State.
05:42And this is kind of the fear.
05:45And before we talk about basketball, it's kind of the same topic with football.
05:49Everyone, you know, is excited.
05:52I think K-State is very fortunate that Colin Kline was there when Kline decided to step away.
05:58But there's always this unknown of how it goes early.
06:03And I just, I don't know how patient people are.
06:07And I don't know how patient people need to be right now, quite frankly.
06:11The one thing I'll say that's different about football than basketball, which we'll get to, though,
06:15is it does appear like there are reinforcements on the way, right?
06:18Like the recruiting trail has been fruitful for K-State by most accounts.
06:24Would you agree with that?
06:25Like, yeah, yeah, they're doing a great job recruiting.
06:32We're talking football, right?
06:33Football, yeah, football.
06:34Yeah, they're doing a great job recruiting for next season.
06:38Now they've got to hold it together.
06:41And I think they can.
06:42I mean, I don't think that's a tough sell to tell young men that, look, we're in year one.
06:46We need you to help.
06:48And, you know, everyone wants to hear that.
06:50And if they do hold that together, they're going to bring a great infusion of talent.
06:55But now I think if they go into the portal and they're not wholesale changing the roster,
07:01like it happened last year, I think they're going to hone in on exactly what they need.
07:08And my gut says they're going to be looking for defensive tackles.
07:12They're going to be looking for front seven type of guys.
07:15You can find the fast guys.
07:18You know, a lot of the star defensive backs in K-State's history weren't high-level recruits.
07:25They were – Terrence Newman was no one coming out of high school.
07:28No one.
07:29And believe me, I covered him when he was really young in high school.
07:33And he was just a fast-track guy and not even that big.
07:38And – but he turned out to be a, you know, Hall of Fame type player in the NFL.
07:43And you can do that with those guys.
07:45It's harder to do that with a big guy because you've got to be at a level of athleticism.
07:51I think they realize right now that when they go into the portal, they're going to have many needs.
07:56But none of them are more significant to winning and losing than defensive tackle and quarterback.
08:02And if they need a quarterback, maybe they'll have to do it.
08:06But maybe Blake Bardette's an answer.
08:08Maybe Avery comes back again.
08:09I don't know.
08:10But defensive tackle, they've got to get some answers there, period.
08:13And if they don't, and they don't shore up linebacker, they're in big trouble just going forward.
08:19But the thing is, is Colin sees all of that.
08:22But – and I'm confident they'll know what they want.
08:26And if they have the money to get it, they'll get it.
08:29Yeah, Pitts, I think that was a big frustration with that Colorado loss was that – and then some other
08:35losses as well.
08:36It's just like kind of a lack of complementary football, especially the defense helping out.
08:40Because I thought Blake Bardette played really, really well.
08:43What was your thoughts on Blake Bardette?
08:44It looks like he's going to have to start against Oklahoma State in Manhattan.
08:47You brought them onto exactly what they needed, which was not just making plays,
08:51but doing it with fire and passion, I think he woke them up.
08:56If that converts over to this week, we'll see.
09:00But, you know, I've made this analogy a few times this week, that Avery Johnson's that sports car,
09:07that when he opens it up, man, it's beautiful.
09:09It's a wonderful thing, and it's beautiful to witness.
09:14Blake Bardette's the off-road vehicle.
09:17He's the Jeep, and he's not as pretty.
09:22He's not as functional and, you know, all around some things.
09:28But right now these are rocky times, and they're off-road, and they've got to get through it.
09:32And having a quarterback that's willing to sacrifice, keep in mind, that dude was playing injured,
09:38and he did not look at it like he was playing injured.
09:41It looked like he was understanding exactly what he needed to do, which was lay it all out there.
09:49And if he couldn't finish the game, he knew he gave it all, but he did.
09:53And somehow he got up after getting his bell rung on the sideline
09:56and an official mysteriously not calling it out of bounds.
10:00He got up and kept playing football and then went on to just throw a game-winning touchdown
10:04on a remarkable play by the quarterback.
10:06So that's what they need right now.
10:09They just need that dude who's going to lay it all out there, pick up every yard possible,
10:13show through actions, and what he does, other people can do too.
10:19You can play this hard.
10:20You can put your nose into there and get possibly injured.
10:24But that's what it takes to win right now.
10:27Tim Fitzgerald, GoPowerCat.com, joining us.
10:30Talk a little football.
10:31All right, let's talk hoops.
10:33Very disappointing opener.
10:34Lost to South Dakota State at home to begin the Casey Alexander experience.
10:41Brady has said that it's okay.
10:43Expectations are low.
10:44It doesn't feel as bad as when Tang was at all the high expectations, and then they let you down.
10:49I don't think that sentiment's going to last.
10:51Cal State Northridge last night, listen, they're not bad.
10:56We saw them last night.
10:57I'm not sure where they stack up against South Dakota State, but K-State's going to have to play a
11:01lot better than that.
11:02I think I'd be more willing, Fitz, to say, okay, it's fine.
11:06You're one, whatever.
11:08But in basketball even more than football, those turnarounds are supposed to happen faster.
11:14And I think what would have me concerned isn't that they might not be very good this year.
11:20It's what did we see this offseason that makes you think they're going to be better next year?
11:24Because it kind of feels like they missed on most of the big prospects people had them penciled in for.
11:31I'm going to push back on all that.
11:33They have about 25% of the NIL budget of Jerome Tang.
11:37That's a choice made by some donors that were taken advantage of by a guy who really didn't know what
11:44he was doing, but could convince people he did.
11:47And he had the evidence of one season that he did.
11:50They got burned.
11:51I think they're going to come back.
11:53Financially.
11:54Financially, which will be huge.
11:58But Casey Alexander, you can do this more in basketball than football.
12:04He wants to develop team players.
12:06He's going to do something radical Jerome Tang forgot could be done.
12:10Recruit high school players and develop them.
12:14And you know what's going to happen?
12:15Some of them will leave.
12:17Some of them will get NIL offers other places.
12:19But what he proved at Belmont was he'd lose two or three front-line players every year because of NIL,
12:27and he'd keep winning 20 games.
12:29Because the star was the system.
12:32And they are one game in with an entirely new roster who's never played in this system.
12:38They are not very well cut out in this system right now.
12:42And it's a system.
12:44It's based on a great deal of discipline, teamwork, and really understanding each other.
12:51The kind of bond that's developed over time, not in a preseason or summer workouts.
12:58When you're not just learning to play together, you're learning the expectations of a coaching staff.
13:05This was the first game.
13:07Do I think they're going to be very good this year?
13:09No.
13:10At times in that game, you could honestly say South Dakota State's got the same amount of athletes on the
13:16court.
13:17Now, I don't know if that's fair.
13:18I don't know if that's accurate.
13:19But they're not going to beat anyone because they've just got a dude that can rise up and hit 30.
13:27And I'll say this.
13:29They lost, but it's refreshing not seeing an offensive possession be point guard, dribble around, and then drive to the
13:37hole and try to get a layup or do something.
13:41They're actually running something.
13:43They're playing with basic basketball fundamentals.
13:45They're just not doing it well enough now in a cohesive manner to make this work.
13:52By midseason, they're going to be beating some people they shouldn't be beating.
13:57And I just – I know we're living in an era of people don't have patience, but for heaven's sakes,
14:04it's one game.
14:05I get it.
14:06I understand that.
14:08That's not what worries me or bothers me.
14:10What worries me or bothers me is they didn't have a good offseason either.
14:13And if you're telling me they're going to have more money to go have a better offseason, then okay.
14:19But I need to see that before I'm ready to say this is going to work because he can be
14:24the greatest coach in the world.
14:25In the Big 12, you've got to have athletes that are good enough to be in the Big 12.
14:28Yeah, you're right.
14:30But is that his fault?
14:32No, I'm not saying any of this is his fault either.
14:35Okay.
14:36Like I like Casey Alexander.
14:37I think he was the right hire.
14:39I think it was the right change of pace.
14:42My concern comes with where are these athletes going to come from because they couldn't get any of them.
14:49It didn't feel like this offseason.
14:51If that's strictly a resource thing, then yeah, I think K-State will step up.
14:54That's my only concern.
14:56Yeah.
14:57You know, I've never, one of the things about the NIL era I've always been careful about is it's not
15:04the school's money.
15:06It's not my money.
15:07It's a donor's money.
15:09They get to decide when and how they give.
15:14And I think they'll come around.
15:16They were, they got, I think a lot of them feel like they've got a scam run on them and
15:23they fell for it and they're a little embarrassed.
15:25That's just an outside opinion.
15:26I have not talked to these people about that because it's none of my business.
15:30It's their freaking money.
15:32But I think they love K-State basketball.
15:34And what Casey Alexander brings to the table, it's a little old school sensibility that that generation of donor can
15:43relate to.
15:44That he's got this Jack Hartman vibe to him, but with a better, a little bit of personality.
15:52And I think the donors will really respond to that now.
15:57But boy, he, he, he was spinning his wheels working in NIL, but they went out and found the very
16:04best players they could, that they felt like could give them a chance to win.
16:09Not because they individually are a superstar, but the pieces would fit together.
16:14And he said it before, he feels really good about where this team can get.
16:19They're just not close to there now.
16:21Yeah, Fitz, that's kind of what I've been trying to reiterate last couple weeks, really the whole offseason.
16:27I think folks outside of K-State don't understand the damage that was done last year.
16:36And I'm not sure that that was kind of in motion a little bit before that, but it just kind
16:40of seems like everything just hit the band last year.
16:44And like you said, you got to have, you got to have donors, you got to have money, you got
16:48to have that NIL stockpile of cash ready to go.
16:52And understandably so, there was a pullback.
16:55So that's kind of the situation we're in this year.
16:58And kind of a big reason why for me, I think Casey Alexander gets a lot of leash with understanding
17:03just how much damage was done.
17:05And it's going to take a bit to recover.
17:08You're exactly right.
17:09Like, they, what am I trying to say here, that there's a lot to undo here.
17:17And a bond was broken with a lot of fans.
17:20A lot of fans walked away and they haven't come back yet.
17:23And they have no reason to come back after that.
17:25But I think they'll get there.
17:27I think at some point, the level of discipline within the basketball team will be refreshing.
17:36I got, look, they lost that game and Jerome Tang lost plenty of games he should have won.
17:41But they lost knowing how to dribble, pass, rebound, you know, basic fundamentals of basketball that were often totally vacant.
17:51And it was all about athletes.
17:53Yeah, they could jump real high, but it doesn't do you any good if they bounce the ball off their
17:58foot twice a game.
18:00So, we'll see where this goes.
18:02Yeah, they probably should win on Friday or it's going to get even uglier.
18:07But I'm very confident about the long-term expectations or hopes of this program.
18:14GoPowerCat.com, Fitz.
18:16Thanks for stepping in, maybe getting me.
18:19I just, I want it to work because I agree.
18:22I think he feels like the perfect coach there.
18:24I just got to know that they can get players good enough to win.
18:26But we'll go check it out at GoPowerCat.com.
18:29Get ready for the next one, football and basketball.