K-State Wildcats Q&A: DJ Giddens, Deion Sanders and a look ahead to basketball season
There is no Kansas State football game to discuss this weekend, but there are plenty of other great topics to cover in this week’s mailbag.
So let’s dive right into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
Is it too early to talk about basketball? Asking for a friend. If not, does the men’s or women’s team have a better year and why? - @bfullingt1 via X.
A football bye week in October seems like the perfect time to start talking about basketball.
But instead of making me pick between the men’s and women’s teams, why don’t we highlight a few things to expect from each squad instead.
For the record: there is a chance they could both be really good.
But let’s start with the men’s team.
There has never been a wider range of possible outcomes for a K-State basketball roster. Jerome Tang has assembled an impressive group of talent, but nine of them are newcomers and it’s impossible to predict how long it will take this group to come together as a team.
Are the Wildcats going to play big or small? Are they going to defend with man or a zone? Are they going to thrive in the paint or on the perimeter?
I don’t have any solid answers to those questions yet. The season is still more than a month away.
But I can tell you that K-State’s new roster is filled with smart and charismatic basketball players who seem like they really want to be in Manhattan. The Wildcats should be able to shoot better than they did a year ago, and they should be able to play excellent defense. There’s a chance Tang can push the right buttons and have another team like did two seasons ago. But there’s also a chance this group doesn’t jell perfectly and it is once again on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
For what it’s worth, Bart Torvik projects K-State as the nation’s 29th best team heading into the season. Problem is, that only translates to ninth in the Big 12. The conference is going to be a bear.
Switching over to the women, I think it’s fair to expect another quality season. The Big 12 coaches picked Jeff Mittie’s team to win the conference and Ayoka Lee is back. If she stays healthy, K-State will definitely return to the NCAA Tournament and maybe challenge for another high seed.
I do wonder how much the Wildcats will miss Gabby Gregory, though. She seemed to pull the team together last season. That might not be easy to replace.
Still, there is plenty of other talent on that roster. Serena Sundell should excel. This team should have a high floor, so long as everyone stays healthy.
Great to see the women’s basketball picked first in the Big 12. What is the ceiling and floor for this season? - @pastorcshane via X.
The ceiling is going to be high.
If Ayoka Lee stays healthy, Serena Sundell continues to shine and their supporting cast plays at a high level it won’t shock anyone if the Wildcats win the Big 12 this season and then push for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Both are admirable goals. The women’s basketball team hasn’t won a conference championship since 2008 and it hasn’t advanced beyond the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament since 2002.
Everything was set up for the Wildcats to make a run in the Big Dance last season and it didn’t happen. So any kind of success in March would be an improvement.
K-State’s best conference finish under Jeff Mittie has been third, which happened last season. So contending for a Big 12 championship would be a big step. The door is open without Texas and Oklahoma around. But Baylor and Iowa State remain good.
I’m not sure what the floor is for this team. But I do think the Wildcats could experience some growing pains without Gabby Gregory in the starting five, even though the Gap Goat she made famous is still part of the team.
Can K-State lose her and improve this season? I’m not so sure, but that is exactly what the Big 12 coaches are predicting.
Name a surprise, breakout player for men’s and women’s basketball, please. - @kstatefanfirst via X.
Max Jones could be a pleasant surprise for Jerome Tang’s team.
I feel like he got lost in the shuffle of the roster rebuild because he transferred in from Fullerton and started his college career at the Division II level. But even though he didn’t arrive with much fanfare, he can really shoot the ball and he’s capable of scoring in bunches.
On the women’s side, let’s go with Zyanna Walker. The Wichita native made some nice plays for Jeff Mittie’s team last season, and I expect her to be a more consistent contributor now that she is a sophomore.
Does CU players bait social media into giving them some random bulletin board material to thrive on over the next week? Playing the whole someone said something we have to prove the world wrong? - @CaseyWas677069999 via X.
I don’t get the vibe that Colorado needs to feel disrespected to play good football.
With Deion Sanders leading the way, Colorado seems more like a team that would rather have all the love and positive attention in the world shining on the Buffaloes. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are both trying to win the Heisman Trophy. I feel like they would be more likely to scoff at bulletin-board material than feel motivated by it.
But I could be wrong about that.
Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had the incredibly silly idea to make a “too small” gesture during a game against Hunter and the Buffaloes went on to win that game 28-9.
In fact, Colorado has looked amazing ever since that moment. It pulled off a thrilling comeback against Baylor the following week and then followed that up with a resounding victory at UCF.
You have to give Coach Prime his flowers. He has the Buffaloes playing well right now.
The Buffs are now home underdogs against the Wildcats, though. I suppose they can use that as disrespect if they want. Or they can puff out their chests and try to prove that their recent winning streak isn’t a fluke.
What I’m saying is, Colorado should be appropriately motivated for this game no matter what is said leading up to kickoff.
What uniform will DJ Giddens be wearing in fall of 2025? -@brisul via X.
The Dallas Cowboys have picked a Kansas State football player in each of the past two NFL Drafts. Maybe they will stick with that trend and select DJ Giddens next spring.
I’m sure they won’t be the only team interested in Giddens, though.
Giddens is technically only a junior, so he could choose to remain in college and wear a purple uniform again next season. But I sincerely doubt he goes that route. The Junction City product is one of the best running backs in the country, and he has already rushed for 604 yards and two touchdowns this season. He appears ready for the NFL.
Running backs also can’t play forever. That is one position where you’re better off taking hits in the NFL than in college.
K-State fans should enjoy Giddens now, because this is probably his final year with the Wildcats.
If they made a movie about K-State, who would Michael Keaton play? -@Kvan1111 via X.
I would cast him as Gene Taylor.
We have seen the great Michael Keaton portray Batman, Beetlejuice, Ray Kroc and Mr. Mom. Now it’s time to see if he can convince an audience that he can lead an athletic department.
My other casting decisions ...
Russell Crowe as Chris Klieman. Denzel Washington as Jerome Tang. Chase Stokes as Avery Johnson. Eric Stonestreet as Taylor Braet. Jason Statham as me.
This story was originally published October 4, 2024 at 9:58 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats Q&A: DJ Giddens, Deion Sanders and a look ahead to basketball season."