Q:&nbsp;How has rehab been going and is there a date or range that you are aiming for to be back?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off, rehab is going great so far. I’ve been hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and the range of mobility back. So, that’s been going great. I’ve been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far. (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) has been crushing it, pushing me. The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just try to maximize those, and they hold me back because I always want to go a little bit further. It’s been going great. I think the long-term I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctor says that I could be, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process but that’s my goal, so I’ll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win. Obviously, I hope to be able to do some stuff in OTAs and get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. I’m excited for the process. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.”

Q:&nbsp;You mentioned OTAs and training camp. You layer onto the playbook every year, how will you keep up to speed? Do you take things from your experience your rookie year?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think more than anything it’s just being in there, being in the room, being on the field as much as they’ll let me. And then when I’m not able to take the reps, kind of getting those mental reps behind the play and seeing everything develop. The coaches will put me in the right position in order to do that. I’ll take it slow, but at the same time, I’ll push to be out there as much as I can be. We have a great plan in place as far as where we want to get to, but we have to let it all play out and kind of take it a day at a time, which has been hard for me but at the same time it makes me get the best out of every single day.”

Q:&nbsp;What was that moment like for you on the field after the injury?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, I knew something had happened but once I was able to walk a little bit, I thought I might have a chance to get back into the game. You kind of go into the tent, they did the test, and they wanted to take me back into the locker room. You don’t know for sure or anything like that, but when I was able to move, I asked one of the doctors if I could get a brace and just finish the game, but they wouldn’t let me. Obviously, it kind of sunk in once the game ended and then I was able to get the results from the MRI and stuff like that which it’s hard but at the same time you have to flip the script fast knowing that it’s going to be a quick turnaround to get to this season. Now it’s just been motivating trying to push myself, like I said, as much as they’ll let me push myself to be ready for next year.”

Q:&nbsp;How will this impact what you usually do with the receivers during the offseason?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I can’t speak exactly for what (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid exactly is going to do.&nbsp; I would expect us to kind of be here a little bit earlier just with me already being here. I’ve talked with some of the receivers already, I think that’s kind of the mindset that we have is we want to be in the building and getting back to it. The thing about when you lose and you don’t make the playoffs is you have a longer offseason than you usually have. I think guys are getting away right now, kind of getting their minds right, getting their bodies right. Guys are hungry to get back out there. It’s hard to watch these playoff games. We’ll be in the building, and we’ll try to build that camaraderie that way is just doing stuff around Kansas City, maybe take them to some Royals games, whatever that is and try to build those relationships with those guys and being in the building you’ll be able to get the same work that you would’ve gotten down in Texas.”

Q:&nbsp;What went wrong in 2025 in your opinion?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just compounding mistakes. You make mistakes throughout a game. For myself, I look at some of the red zone interceptions I threw in kind of bigger moments in the third and fourth quarter of games. That’s stuff that I haven’t done in the past, and so speaking for myself, just trying to be better in those moments. I think offensively we weren’t consistent enough throughout games. We had stretches in games where we played good, we had stretches in the season where we played really good. We’ve got to be better and that starts with me and then it kind of has to feed throughout the entire offense. So, I think like I said, guys are motivated, coaches, players, we’re all motivated to be better this next year. Like I said, it sucks watching these games. I want to be out there playing football, especially this time of year, it’s the best time of year to play football. It’ll give us the motivation, hopefully, for us to come back stronger next year.”

Q:&nbsp;What does the offense need to do with extra time to evaluate?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“You just have to dive deep into that scheme evaluation and seeing what teams are seeing against us. I think the one part of having so much success is teams watch a lot of film on you, so we try to have good game plans of how to combat what you do and what you’ve done well. You saw that this year, teams were very conscious of the plays that we’ve hit for a long time. So, we have to find ways to counteract that and kind of go at teams and be able to utilize that and make more explosive plays. If we can get back to some of that stuff as well as being consistent on a down-to-down basis that will be stuff that we have to continue to get better at. I think there’s minor tweaks, but at the same time you have to look at the entire picture and see if you can be better at every single area. We’ll see what we get to after watching the film, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes in order to go out there and have success.”

Q:&nbsp;What has Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy meant to you over the past several years?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I love (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Nagy, and he’s done a lot of great things in my career to help me become the quarterback that I am. I know that he’s looking to take that step and get back to the head coaching spot and I hope he gets another opportunity to do that. He’s a great man, a great person, and it’s been cool to see the changes as him as a coach and him going to be a head coach and then coming back but he gave me a lot of ideas to be better as a person (and) as a quarterback and so I’m hoping the best for him as he goes through this head coaching process and he gets another opportunity to go out there and lead an organization.”

Q:&nbsp;Is your surgery more of a repair or a reconstruction?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Honestly, both of them I feel like mean the same thing. But I think what I got from my doctor that cleared it up for me was obviously I had the ACL and LCL, but everything else was clean. As bad as it was, it was as clean as it could be. I found out there’s a lot of little things that can happen around that knee that I’ve never even known. So, I was lucky enough – God blessed me enough to not do some of things that could prolong the injury. So now it’s about rehabbing (and) getting the LCL and ACL right. Giving it time to rest, but at the same time building up that strength so that whenever I am ready to go, I’m ready to go.”

Q:&nbsp;On balancing rehab and still preparing for future years.

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah for sure that’s something that I have to think of I think the coaches (and) the organization all has to think of. At the same time that’s why they give me limits to where I can push it. Dr. Cooper described that to me – so I’ll give you the limits of what you can push it to and then it’s up to you how far you want to push it to that limit. Knowing me, I’m going to push it to that exact limit every single day. There’s places you can’t go yet which I want to but can’t go yet but at the same time, they’re doing it for a reason. That starts with Dr. Cooper and his team (and) it starts with (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) and all of them in the training room and it feeds throughout the entire organization.”

Q:&nbsp;How important is your relationship with Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer when you’re going through an injury like this?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it’s extremely important because what I’ve found out throughout this process is not every day is going to feel amazing. There’s some days you’re going to be sore or some days you’re going to feel stiff, but you have to have someone you trust that’s going to get the best out of you, that’s going to keep you safe and someone that’s going to push you more than anything. Some days I want to go in there and crush rehab (and) some days I just want to get through it, but she (Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer) doesn’t let you have the get through it days. She pushes you to be the best every single day. It’s been a different process, kind of jumping right into working out like this. I always worked out, built up throughout the offseason, but it’s been fun to be with people that care about me and that want to push me to be the best that I can be. I’m in that training room every single day, and I’m trying to make sure that I’m ready to go as quickly as possible.”

Q:&nbsp;Are you going to do all your rehab in Kansas City?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We’ve actually already had a good plan, and I met with (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and Bobby (Stroupe) and (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) and the whole team. I’ll be here mostly in Kansas City. There will be times I will be in Dallas with meeting with Dr. Cooper and being with his team as well. It’s been great to see the collaboration with everybody so that we have a plan for every single day that I have this offseason and you have to maximize all those days. A lot of it will be in Kansas City. There will be times where Rick and Julie might be down in Dallas with Dr. Cooper helping me out there as well. I’m doing whatever I can to maximize every day, so we have a good plan that we’ve talked through every single day of this entire offseason.”

Q:&nbsp;What are the traits that you want in an offensive coordinator? Are there specific names?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously there’s names out there but with how many vacancies there are at the head coaching job, you have to let that all play out to see how you build the staff. I know (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid – if (Offensive Coordinator Matt) Nags is able to get another head coaching job, that he’ll (Head Coach Andy Reid) have a good plan of who he wants to bring in. But for me, I just want someone that loves football, that cares about football, wants to give everything they can to win, to hold people accountable and then to bring new ideas every single day. That’s something that we have to continue to do if you want to continue to be great in this league, is you have to continue to evolve and get better and better and that’s something that we’ll try to do here and I want to get back to that winning culture of being accountable to each other and going out there and playing great football every single day, practice or game.”

Q:&nbsp;On the mental side of rehab.

Chiefs Player QuotesJanuary 15, 2026QB PATRICK MAHOMESQ:&nbsp;How has rehab been going and is there a date or range that you are aiming for to be back?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off, rehab is going great so far. I’ve been hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and the range of mobility back. So, that’s been going great. I’ve been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far. (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) has been crushing it, pushing me. The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just try to maximize those, and they hold me back because I always want to go a little bit further. It’s been going great. I think the long-term I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctor says that I could be, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process but that’s my goal, so I’ll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win. Obviously, I hope to be able to do some stuff in OTAs and get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. I’m excited for the process. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.”Q:&nbsp;You mentioned OTAs and training camp. You layer onto the playbook every year, how will you keep up to speed? Do you take things from your experience your rookie year?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think more than anything it’s just being in there, being in the room, being on the field as much as they’ll let me. And then when I’m not able to take the reps, kind of getting those mental reps behind the play and seeing everything develop. The coaches will put me in the right position in order to do that. I’ll take it slow, but at the same time, I’ll push to be out there as much as I can be. We have a great plan in place as far as where we want to get to, but we have to let it all play out and kind of take it a day at a time, which has been hard for me but at the same time it makes me get the best out of every single day.”Q:&nbsp;What was that moment like for you on the field after the injury?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously, I knew something had happened but once I was able to walk a little bit, I thought I might have a chance to get back into the game. You kind of go into the tent, they did the test, and they wanted to take me back into the locker room. You don’t know for sure or anything like that, but when I was able to move, I asked one of the doctors if I could get a brace and just finish the game, but they wouldn’t let me. Obviously, it kind of sunk in once the game ended and then I was able to get the results from the MRI and stuff like that which it’s hard but at the same time you have to flip the script fast knowing that it’s going to be a quick turnaround to get to this season. Now it’s just been motivating trying to push myself, like I said, as much as they’ll let me push myself to be ready for next year.”Q:&nbsp;How will this impact what you usually do with the receivers during the offseason?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I can’t speak exactly for what (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid exactly is going to do.&nbsp; I would expect us to kind of be here a little bit earlier just with me already being here. I’ve talked with some of the receivers already, I think that’s kind of the mindset that we have is we want to be in the building and getting back to it. The thing about when you lose and you don’t make the playoffs is you have a longer offseason than you usually have. I think guys are getting away right now, kind of getting their minds right, getting their bodies right. Guys are hungry to get back out there. It’s hard to watch these playoff games. We’ll be in the building, and we’ll try to build that camaraderie that way is just doing stuff around Kansas City, maybe take them to some Royals games, whatever that is and try to build those relationships with those guys and being in the building you’ll be able to get the same work that you would’ve gotten down in Texas.”Q:&nbsp;What went wrong in 2025 in your opinion?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think just compounding mistakes. You make mistakes throughout a game. For myself, I look at some of the red zone interceptions I threw in kind of bigger moments in the third and fourth quarter of games. That’s stuff that I haven’t done in the past, and so speaking for myself, just trying to be better in those moments. I think offensively we weren’t consistent enough throughout games. We had stretches in games where we played good, we had stretches in the season where we played really good. We’ve got to be better and that starts with me and then it kind of has to feed throughout the entire offense. So, I think like I said, guys are motivated, coaches, players, we’re all motivated to be better this next year. Like I said, it sucks watching these games. I want to be out there playing football, especially this time of year, it’s the best time of year to play football. It’ll give us the motivation, hopefully, for us to come back stronger next year.”Q:&nbsp;What does the offense need to do with extra time to evaluate?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“You just have to dive deep into that scheme evaluation and seeing what teams are seeing against us. I think the one part of having so much success is teams watch a lot of film on you, so we try to have good game plans of how to combat what you do and what you’ve done well. You saw that this year, teams were very conscious of the plays that we’ve hit for a long time. So, we have to find ways to counteract that and kind of go at teams and be able to utilize that and make more explosive plays. If we can get back to some of that stuff as well as being consistent on a down-to-down basis that will be stuff that we have to continue to get better at. I think there’s minor tweaks, but at the same time you have to look at the entire picture and see if you can be better at every single area. We’ll see what we get to after watching the film, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes in order to go out there and have success.”Q:&nbsp;What has Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy meant to you over the past several years?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I love (Offensive Coordinator) Coach (Matt) Nagy, and he’s done a lot of great things in my career to help me become the quarterback that I am. I know that he’s looking to take that step and get back to the head coaching spot and I hope he gets another opportunity to do that. He’s a great man, a great person, and it’s been cool to see the changes as him as a coach and him going to be a head coach and then coming back but he gave me a lot of ideas to be better as a person (and) as a quarterback and so I’m hoping the best for him as he goes through this head coaching process and he gets another opportunity to go out there and lead an organization.”Q:&nbsp;Is your surgery more of a repair or a reconstruction?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Honestly, both of them I feel like mean the same thing. But I think what I got from my doctor that cleared it up for me was obviously I had the ACL and LCL, but everything else was clean. As bad as it was, it was as clean as it could be. I found out there’s a lot of little things that can happen around that knee that I’ve never even known. So, I was lucky enough – God blessed me enough to not do some of things that could prolong the injury. So now it’s about rehabbing (and) getting the LCL and ACL right. Giving it time to rest, but at the same time building up that strength so that whenever I am ready to go, I’m ready to go.”Q:&nbsp;On balancing rehab and still preparing for future years.MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah for sure that’s something that I have to think of I think the coaches (and) the organization all has to think of. At the same time that’s why they give me limits to where I can push it. Dr. Cooper described that to me – so I’ll give you the limits of what you can push it to and then it’s up to you how far you want to push it to that limit. Knowing me, I’m going to push it to that exact limit every single day. There’s places you can’t go yet which I want to but can’t go yet but at the same time, they’re doing it for a reason. That starts with Dr. Cooper and his team (and) it starts with (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) and all of them in the training room and it feeds throughout the entire organization.”Q:&nbsp;How important is your relationship with Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer when you’re going through an injury like this?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it’s extremely important because what I’ve found out throughout this process is not every day is going to feel amazing. There’s some days you’re going to be sore or some days you’re going to feel stiff, but you have to have someone you trust that’s going to get the best out of you, that’s going to keep you safe and someone that’s going to push you more than anything. Some days I want to go in there and crush rehab (and) some days I just want to get through it, but she (Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer) doesn’t let you have the get through it days. She pushes you to be the best every single day. It’s been a different process, kind of jumping right into working out like this. I always worked out, built up throughout the offseason, but it’s been fun to be with people that care about me and that want to push me to be the best that I can be. I’m in that training room every single day, and I’m trying to make sure that I’m ready to go as quickly as possible.”Q:&nbsp;Are you going to do all your rehab in Kansas City?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“We’ve actually already had a good plan, and I met with (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and Bobby (Stroupe) and (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) and the whole team. I’ll be here mostly in Kansas City. There will be times I will be in Dallas with meeting with Dr. Cooper and being with his team as well. It’s been great to see the collaboration with everybody so that we have a plan for every single day that I have this offseason and you have to maximize all those days. A lot of it will be in Kansas City. There will be times where Rick and Julie might be down in Dallas with Dr. Cooper helping me out there as well. I’m doing whatever I can to maximize every day, so we have a good plan that we’ve talked through every single day of this entire offseason.”Q:&nbsp;What are the traits that you want in an offensive coordinator? Are there specific names?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Obviously there’s names out there but with how many vacancies there are at the head coaching job, you have to let that all play out to see how you build the staff. I know (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid – if (Offensive Coordinator Matt) Nags is able to get another head coaching job, that he’ll (Head Coach Andy Reid) have a good plan of who he wants to bring in. But for me, I just want someone that loves football, that cares about football, wants to give everything they can to win, to hold people accountable and then to bring new ideas every single day. That’s something that we have to continue to do if you want to continue to be great in this league, is you have to continue to evolve and get better and better and that’s something that we’ll try to do here and I want to get back to that winning culture of being accountable to each other and going out there and playing great football every single day, practice or game.”Q:&nbsp;On the mental side of rehab.

Chiefs Quotes: 1-16-25

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today they have agreed to terms with 19 international free agents.

“The 2026 international signing class features 19 incredible athletes that we are so excited to welcome to the Royals family,” said Royals Sr. Vice President, Major League &amp; International Operations/Assistant General Manager,&nbsp;Rene Francisco. “This group highlights the tremendous work done by the entire international scouting department, and we cannot wait to see these young men grow into professionals as they chase their dreams of playing for the Royals.”

The class features five right-handed pitchers, four infielders, four outfielders, three left-handed pitchers and three catchers. Among the group are 17-year-olds&nbsp;Angeibel Gomez&nbsp;(ahn-hi-bell), a Venezuelan outfielder and MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 ranked international prospect, Cuban infielder&nbsp;Jaider Suárez, who MLB Pipeline ranked as their No. 22 international prospect in the class and Venezuelan catcher&nbsp;Adrián Lunar, the 2nd-highest ranked catching prospect in the class, per MLB Pipeline.

Video of Gomez can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/top-international-prospects-angeibel-gomez-of" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;and video of Suárez can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/dVUor4lHFYw?si=gxflCs3R29IsbOoc" target="_blank">here</a>.The complete list of Kansas City’s 19 international free agents is below:

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today they have agreed to terms with 19 international free agents.“The 2026 international signing class features 19 incredible athletes that we are so excited to welcome to the Royals family,” said Royals Sr. Vice President, Major League &amp; International Operations/Assistant General Manager,&nbsp;Rene Francisco. “This group highlights the tremendous work done by the entire international scouting department, and we cannot wait to see these young men grow into professionals as they chase their dreams of playing for the Royals.”The class features five right-handed pitchers, four infielders, four outfielders, three left-handed pitchers and three catchers. Among the group are 17-year-olds&nbsp;Angeibel Gomez&nbsp;(ahn-hi-bell), a Venezuelan outfielder and MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 ranked international prospect, Cuban infielder&nbsp;Jaider Suárez, who MLB Pipeline ranked as their No. 22 international prospect in the class and Venezuelan catcher&nbsp;Adrián Lunar, the 2nd-highest ranked catching prospect in the class, per MLB Pipeline.Video of Gomez can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/top-international-prospects-angeibel-gomez-of" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;and video of Suárez can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/dVUor4lHFYw?si=gxflCs3R29IsbOoc" target="_blank">here</a>.The complete list of Kansas City’s 19 international free agents is below:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768507802336.png" alt="Outlook-bs5j2cej.png" />
 <figcaption>Outlook-bs5j2cej.png</figcaption>
 </figure>

⚾️ Royals agree to terms with 19 international free agents

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3b3aed64-ae84-48fa-bd56-3fc3b559defc?elinkdata=35142">Brandon Avedon</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b6d68a25-c974-4be8-9852-782210464195?elinkdata=35142">Evens Appolon</a> combined for 37 points and 16 rebounds, but Kansas Wesleyan couldn't overcome its turnovers and McPherson's balanced scoring attack.

Six Bulldogs scored in double figures and 15 KWU turnovers led to 18 McPherson points in an 84-72 Kansas Conference loss inside Mabee Arena on Wednesday night.

Wesleyan fell to 6-10 overall, 4-7 in the KCAC and lost four consecutive games. McPherson improved to 12-5 and 8-3.

The Coyotes trailed 35-32 at intermission after scoring the last seven points of the half. McPherson, though, opened the second half with a 12-2 run and led 47-34. Down 60-53 with 9 minutes left, McPherson scored seven unanswered points and led 67-53 with 6:50 remaining.

KWU responded with an 11-3 run and trailed 70-64 with just under four minutes left. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bcb51508-7fa0-46d7-97bd-381d1e66b4e5?elinkdata=35142">Matthew Garber's</a> 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining narrowed the deficit to 75-69 but McPherson closed it out by scoring the next nine.

"I think we missed way too many layups," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6ae6ac3b-5b4e-4d2b-8630-1638374cb967?elinkdata=35142">Jordan Murdock</a> said on the postgame radio show. "We were 28 of 70 (shooting), 40 percent, and a lot of those (misses) were at the rim, especially in the first half. When that happens, they end up winning the game, so we've got to do a better job. It's becoming a recurring theme, and we've got to step up."

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d0d8e768-1710-4e0e-9e56-ecd2c7a36778?elinkdata=35142">Wyatt Powell</a> added nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal off the bench for KWU. The Coyotes were 8 of 28 from long range and 8 of 15 at the free throw line.

McPherson shot 35 of 67 for the game (52 percent), 20 of 34 in the second half (59 percent) and was 8 of 18 from the 3-point line for the game. The Bulldogs scored 46 points in the paint compared to KWU's 34.

The six McPherson players in double figures scored between 10 and 12 points.

The Coyotes won the rebounding battle 46-34 and had 26 second chance points to the Bulldogs' 13 but the turnovers were pivotal.

"Every team that we play they're under 12 (turnovers) for the game and we've got 15 to 20 so we've got to clean that up," Murdock said.

<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3b3aed64-ae84-48fa-bd56-3fc3b559defc?elinkdata=35142">Brandon Avedon</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b6d68a25-c974-4be8-9852-782210464195?elinkdata=35142">Evens Appolon</a> combined for 37 points and 16 rebounds, but Kansas Wesleyan couldn't overcome its turnovers and McPherson's balanced scoring attack.Six Bulldogs scored in double figures and 15 KWU turnovers led to 18 McPherson points in an 84-72 Kansas Conference loss inside Mabee Arena on Wednesday night.Wesleyan fell to 6-10 overall, 4-7 in the KCAC and lost four consecutive games. McPherson improved to 12-5 and 8-3.The Coyotes trailed 35-32 at intermission after scoring the last seven points of the half. McPherson, though, opened the second half with a 12-2 run and led 47-34. Down 60-53 with 9 minutes left, McPherson scored seven unanswered points and led 67-53 with 6:50 remaining.KWU responded with an 11-3 run and trailed 70-64 with just under four minutes left. <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bcb51508-7fa0-46d7-97bd-381d1e66b4e5?elinkdata=35142">Matthew Garber's</a> 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining narrowed the deficit to 75-69 but McPherson closed it out by scoring the next nine."I think we missed way too many layups," coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6ae6ac3b-5b4e-4d2b-8630-1638374cb967?elinkdata=35142">Jordan Murdock</a> said on the postgame radio show. "We were 28 of 70 (shooting), 40 percent, and a lot of those (misses) were at the rim, especially in the first half. When that happens, they end up winning the game, so we've got to do a better job. It's becoming a recurring theme, and we've got to step up."<a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/d0d8e768-1710-4e0e-9e56-ecd2c7a36778?elinkdata=35142">Wyatt Powell</a> added nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal off the bench for KWU. The Coyotes were 8 of 28 from long range and 8 of 15 at the free throw line.McPherson shot 35 of 67 for the game (52 percent), 20 of 34 in the second half (59 percent) and was 8 of 18 from the 3-point line for the game. The Bulldogs scored 46 points in the paint compared to KWU's 34.The six McPherson players in double figures scored between 10 and 12 points.The Coyotes won the rebounding battle 46-34 and had 26 second chance points to the Bulldogs' 13 but the turnovers were pivotal."Every team that we play they're under 12 (turnovers) for the game and we've got 15 to 20 so we've got to clean that up," Murdock said.

🏀 Coyotes fall to McPherson 84-72

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball got double-doubles by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e134903-0553-4ed2-af56-dd86e9b2cc09?elinkdata=35106">Raegann McDonald</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b0d064a-bbc5-413e-a7de-aeb89e05e96b?elinkdata=35106">Jocelyn Hall</a>, while five players reached double figures for the Coyotes on Wednesday night against the McPherson College Bulldogs.

The result was a dominating 86-55 win inside Mabee Arena.

Defense set the tone early for the Coyotes in the game, as KWU held McPherson to 2 of 16 shooting in the first half for 12.5 percent, and limited the Bulldogs to 29.4 percent shooting for the night (20 of 68).

Meanwhile the Coyote offense was efficient, shooting 33 of 78 for 42.3 percent, helped along by an 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) effort in the fourth quarter.

Wesleyan also turned 20 McPherson turnovers into 28 points on the night. Meanwhile, the Coyotes had another night with more assists (19) than turnovers (16).

It was a slow start for both teams, as KWU held a 4-0 lead to open the game. The score was stuck at 4-2 Coyotes for nearly two minutes before Hall scored her sixth point of the night to give KWU a 6-2 lead. A three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/baf70b99-6737-4916-94db-0acc49a59277?elinkdata=35106">Adriana DiPrima</a> got the Coyotes out to a 9-2 lead, but McPherson got back within six at 11-5 with 5:01 to go in the quarter.

Again the score got stuck at 11-5 until <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb3ad155-a80f-4482-b257-e0f1a981960c?elinkdata=35106">Anna Jueneman's</a> rebound and stick back with 1:56 left broke the scoring drought for both teams. It also started a 10-0 run for the Coyotes who took a 21-5 lead with 46 seconds left on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b22f15c-fd66-4cd0-a431-85e23ce0972c?elinkdata=35106">Emma Gertken's</a> 3-pointer. McPherson got the last points of the quarter to make it 21-7.

KWU pushed the lead out to 25-7 in the second on Hall's free throws, but McPherson got back within 11 at the 5:34 mark. KWU led 38-21 with two minutes left and carried a 15-point lead into the half.

McPherson got within 11 with 6:21 left in the third at 48-37, but a 12-2 run by the Coyotes capped by a Gertken free throw gave KWU a 60-39 lead and the Coyotes took a 60-41 lead after three quarters.

Wesleyan led 75-54 with 4:38 left in the game and closed things out with an 11-2 run to come away with the 86-55 win.

Hall had 18 and 10 rebounds for the Coyotes. McDonald added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Gertken had 16, Jueneman had 14 and Ozuna added 12 to go along with eight assists. KWU won the rebounding battle 53-41.

Kansas Wesleyan Women's Basketball got double-doubles by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4e134903-0553-4ed2-af56-dd86e9b2cc09?elinkdata=35106">Raegann McDonald</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b0d064a-bbc5-413e-a7de-aeb89e05e96b?elinkdata=35106">Jocelyn Hall</a>, while five players reached double figures for the Coyotes on Wednesday night against the McPherson College Bulldogs.The result was a dominating 86-55 win inside Mabee Arena.Defense set the tone early for the Coyotes in the game, as KWU held McPherson to 2 of 16 shooting in the first half for 12.5 percent, and limited the Bulldogs to 29.4 percent shooting for the night (20 of 68).Meanwhile the Coyote offense was efficient, shooting 33 of 78 for 42.3 percent, helped along by an 11 of 19 (57.9 percent) effort in the fourth quarter.Wesleyan also turned 20 McPherson turnovers into 28 points on the night. Meanwhile, the Coyotes had another night with more assists (19) than turnovers (16).It was a slow start for both teams, as KWU held a 4-0 lead to open the game. The score was stuck at 4-2 Coyotes for nearly two minutes before Hall scored her sixth point of the night to give KWU a 6-2 lead. A three-point play by <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/baf70b99-6737-4916-94db-0acc49a59277?elinkdata=35106">Adriana DiPrima</a> got the Coyotes out to a 9-2 lead, but McPherson got back within six at 11-5 with 5:01 to go in the quarter.Again the score got stuck at 11-5 until <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/bb3ad155-a80f-4482-b257-e0f1a981960c?elinkdata=35106">Anna Jueneman's</a> rebound and stick back with 1:56 left broke the scoring drought for both teams. It also started a 10-0 run for the Coyotes who took a 21-5 lead with 46 seconds left on <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/7b22f15c-fd66-4cd0-a431-85e23ce0972c?elinkdata=35106">Emma Gertken's</a> 3-pointer. McPherson got the last points of the quarter to make it 21-7.KWU pushed the lead out to 25-7 in the second on Hall's free throws, but McPherson got back within 11 at the 5:34 mark. KWU led 38-21 with two minutes left and carried a 15-point lead into the half.McPherson got within 11 with 6:21 left in the third at 48-37, but a 12-2 run by the Coyotes capped by a Gertken free throw gave KWU a 60-39 lead and the Coyotes took a 60-41 lead after three quarters.Wesleyan led 75-54 with 4:38 left in the game and closed things out with an 11-2 run to come away with the 86-55 win.Hall had 18 and 10 rebounds for the Coyotes. McDonald added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Gertken had 16, Jueneman had 14 and Ozuna added 12 to go along with eight assists. KWU won the rebounding battle 53-41.

🏀 KWU WBB dominates Bulldogs 86-55

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Jaliya Davis scored a career-high 30 points and S’Mya Nichols became Kansas women’s basketball’s all-time leader in free throws as the Jayhawks fell to Oklahoma State, 85-76, Wednesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse.

Nichols was 8-of-18 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw as she surpassed the legendary Lynette Woodard for the most free throws made in program history. Nichols, who leads the nation in free throws made and attempted this season, has now made 508 free throws in less than three seasons, topping Woodard’s mark of 505, set during her historic career from 1978-81. Nichols added six assists and five rebounds in the effort.

Davis has now scored 20 or more points in all five games since her return from injury. She finished with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while also hitting 10-of-13 free throw attempts, and added six rebounds.&nbsp;

Kansas falls to 11-7 (1-5 Big 12) on the season, while Oklahoma State improves to 15-4 (4-2 Big 12). The Jayhawks are now headed to Arizona for a two-game road trip beginning on Saturday, Jan. 17, with a trip to Tempe to face Arizona State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

“It was the three pointers in the first half, and then not recovering on ball screens,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “We're one of the better field goal percentage offensive teams in the league, but you have got to guard somebody, and you’ve got to rebound. You can't give up nine threes by helping off of corners.”

In the first period, Kansas jumped out to a quick 5-0 start, with Davis scoring the opening basket and Sania Copeland adding the next points off a fast-break finish and a free throw. Oklahoma State answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 9-9 heading into the first media timeout. Kansas briefly grabbed the lead at the free-throw line as Davis knocked down two shots, but the Cowgirls responded with two three-pointers to give them the lead at 15-11. Kansas closed the opening quarter strong, with Davis converting a layup in the final seconds to give the Jayhawks a 21–20 edge as they headed to the break.

Oklahoma State held momentum early in the second quarter, using a pair of threes and points at the line to build a small lead. Kansas was able to stay in striking distance behind timely free throws and continued scoring from Davis. She converted a jumper that made it 29-27 at the 5:17 mark, before Oklahoma State countered. The Cowgirls went on a 17-0 run that included four three-pointers, taking their largest lead of the half at 44-29 with 1:56 to play in the first half. KU regained some offensive momentum before the break as Nichols and Lilly Meister hit three consecutive three-pointers, with Nichols knocking down one and Meister hitting two. Nichols added a final layup with 24 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 46-40 heading into halftime.

Kansas struggled to find its rhythm to start the third quarter, allowing Oklahoma State to build a double-digit lead at 56-43. The Jayhawks then settled in, sparking an 8-0 run, capped by a Laia Conesa three-pointer and two additional layups from Davis, one of which she converted a three-point play on, which cut the deficit to 56-48 with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. KU kept chipping away at the deficit as Nichols drove for another layup and drew a foul on the play. She knocked down both free throws to bring the team within eight at 58-50. The added free throws from Nichols marked her 505th and 506th make, setting a new school record, which surpassed Lynette Woodard who held the record at 505 makes. Kansas and Oklahoma State traded a couple of baskets, and the Jayhawks closed the quarter trailing 64-54.&nbsp;

The Jayhawks and Cowgirls traded the first few points before Kansas cut the lead to eight with two free throws from Davis. Oklahoma State responded with a five-point run to push the lead to 73-62, forcing a media timeout with 4:35 remaining. Out of the break, OSU extended its advantage to 74-62, but Kansas battled back with Davis and Conesa closing the gap to 76-66. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but Oklahoma State maintained its lead and held on for the win, 85-76.

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Jaliya Davis scored a career-high 30 points and S’Mya Nichols became Kansas women’s basketball’s all-time leader in free throws as the Jayhawks fell to Oklahoma State, 85-76, Wednesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse.Nichols was 8-of-18 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw as she surpassed the legendary Lynette Woodard for the most free throws made in program history. Nichols, who leads the nation in free throws made and attempted this season, has now made 508 free throws in less than three seasons, topping Woodard’s mark of 505, set during her historic career from 1978-81. Nichols added six assists and five rebounds in the effort.Davis has now scored 20 or more points in all five games since her return from injury. She finished with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while also hitting 10-of-13 free throw attempts, and added six rebounds.&nbsp;Kansas falls to 11-7 (1-5 Big 12) on the season, while Oklahoma State improves to 15-4 (4-2 Big 12). The Jayhawks are now headed to Arizona for a two-game road trip beginning on Saturday, Jan. 17, with a trip to Tempe to face Arizona State. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.“It was the three pointers in the first half, and then not recovering on ball screens,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “We're one of the better field goal percentage offensive teams in the league, but you have got to guard somebody, and you’ve got to rebound. You can't give up nine threes by helping off of corners.”In the first period, Kansas jumped out to a quick 5-0 start, with Davis scoring the opening basket and Sania Copeland adding the next points off a fast-break finish and a free throw. Oklahoma State answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 9-9 heading into the first media timeout. Kansas briefly grabbed the lead at the free-throw line as Davis knocked down two shots, but the Cowgirls responded with two three-pointers to give them the lead at 15-11. Kansas closed the opening quarter strong, with Davis converting a layup in the final seconds to give the Jayhawks a 21–20 edge as they headed to the break.Oklahoma State held momentum early in the second quarter, using a pair of threes and points at the line to build a small lead. Kansas was able to stay in striking distance behind timely free throws and continued scoring from Davis. She converted a jumper that made it 29-27 at the 5:17 mark, before Oklahoma State countered. The Cowgirls went on a 17-0 run that included four three-pointers, taking their largest lead of the half at 44-29 with 1:56 to play in the first half. KU regained some offensive momentum before the break as Nichols and Lilly Meister hit three consecutive three-pointers, with Nichols knocking down one and Meister hitting two. Nichols added a final layup with 24 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 46-40 heading into halftime.Kansas struggled to find its rhythm to start the third quarter, allowing Oklahoma State to build a double-digit lead at 56-43. The Jayhawks then settled in, sparking an 8-0 run, capped by a Laia Conesa three-pointer and two additional layups from Davis, one of which she converted a three-point play on, which cut the deficit to 56-48 with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. KU kept chipping away at the deficit as Nichols drove for another layup and drew a foul on the play. She knocked down both free throws to bring the team within eight at 58-50. The added free throws from Nichols marked her 505th and 506th make, setting a new school record, which surpassed Lynette Woodard who held the record at 505 makes. Kansas and Oklahoma State traded a couple of baskets, and the Jayhawks closed the quarter trailing 64-54.&nbsp;The Jayhawks and Cowgirls traded the first few points before Kansas cut the lead to eight with two free throws from Davis. Oklahoma State responded with a five-point run to push the lead to 73-62, forcing a media timeout with 4:35 remaining. Out of the break, OSU extended its advantage to 74-62, but Kansas battled back with Davis and Conesa closing the gap to 76-66. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but Oklahoma State maintained its lead and held on for the win, 85-76.NOTES<ul>
 <li>Junior S’Mya Nichols finished with 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, and moved into No. 16 on the all-time scoring list, passing Lisa Brady at 1,387 from 1987-90. Nichols has now scored 20 points in 10 games this season and has recorded 10 consecutive games scoring in double figures, and 72 games in her career.&nbsp;</li><li>Nichols went 6-of-7 from the charity stripe and set the all-time record for most free throws made in a career, passing Lynette Woodard who held the record with 505 career free throws, Nichols sits at 508 career free throws. Nichols has now made five or more free throws in 12 games this season.&nbsp;</li><li>Nichols 23-point performance is the 34th 20-point performance of her career, breaking a tie with Angela Aycock (1992-95) for second place on the all-time 20-point game list. First is Lynette Woodard with 47.&nbsp;</li><li>Nichols recorded 6 assists against Oklahoma State and has now recorded at least five assists in all six Big 12 games this season, and 12 times total this season.&nbsp;</li><li>Freshman Jaliya Davis set a new career high with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Davis recorded her first 30-point performance of her career, while 30 points is her fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points, and ties S’Mya Nichols for the third-longest streak by a Kansas player since 1999. Davis has scored in double figures in all eight of her games this season, while shooting above 50% from the field in all eight games as well. Davis tied a career high with 10 made field goals for the third time this season.&nbsp;</li><li>Davis set a new career high in free throws made and attempted after going 10-of-13 from the charity stripe.&nbsp;</li><li>Kansas went 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and has shot 50% or better from three-point range in four games this season.&nbsp;</li><li>Senior Lilly Meister went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, marking her first game with multiple 3FG made in her career.&nbsp;</li><li>Meister pulled down 5 rebounds in Wednesday’s contest and has recorded at least five rebounds in 10 consecutive games.&nbsp;</li><li>Junior Laia Conesa scored six points on 2-of-2 shooting from the field, and 2-of-2 shooting from beyond the arc. Conesa’s two made three pointers ties a season high for three pointers made in a game.&nbsp;</li><li>Conesa pulled down 4 rebounds against Oklahoma State, marking her eighth consecutive game with at least two rebounds, and 34th time in her career.</li>
 </ul>

🏀 Nichols Breaks Free Throw Record as Jayhawks Fall to OSU

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley Kugel scored 19 points, Jamichael Stillwell added 18, and UCF weathered Kansas State's comeback bid to win 82-73 on Wednesday night.

The Knights (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) shot 53% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc. Themus Fulks had 13 points (6-for-11 shooting) and dished 12 assists for his fifth game with 10 or more assists this season. Devan Cambridge chipped in with 11 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting.

UCF narrowly won the rebound battle, 35-34, paced by seven rebounds each from Kugel and Stillwell.

A 20-6 run near the midway point of the first half put UCF up by double-figures, and they led 42-28 at halftime.

K-State cut the lead to one point in the second half, but could not pull ahead in the frame. Their last lead came with 15:24 remaining in the first.

PJ Haggerty scored 23 points (9-for-18 shooting) for the Wildcats (9-8, 0-4), and Khamari McGriff added 15 points. Nate Johnson racked up 10 assists. K-State struggled from beyond the arc, converting on just six of their 30 3-point attempts.

UCF won their second straight game, after their 11-game winning streak was snapped by Oklahoma State on Jan. 6. Kansas State has dropped four straight contests after winning four straight to end their non-conference schedule.

Kansas State: visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.

UCF: hosts No. 1 Arizona on Saturday. ___&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768444381078.png" alt="Photo K-State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo K-State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Riley Kugel scored 19 points, Jamichael Stillwell added 18, and UCF weathered Kansas State's comeback bid to win 82-73 on Wednesday night.The Knights (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) shot 53% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc. Themus Fulks had 13 points (6-for-11 shooting) and dished 12 assists for his fifth game with 10 or more assists this season. Devan Cambridge chipped in with 11 points on perfect 4-for-4 shooting.UCF narrowly won the rebound battle, 35-34, paced by seven rebounds each from Kugel and Stillwell.A 20-6 run near the midway point of the first half put UCF up by double-figures, and they led 42-28 at halftime.K-State cut the lead to one point in the second half, but could not pull ahead in the frame. Their last lead came with 15:24 remaining in the first.PJ Haggerty scored 23 points (9-for-18 shooting) for the Wildcats (9-8, 0-4), and Khamari McGriff added 15 points. Nate Johnson racked up 10 assists. K-State struggled from beyond the arc, converting on just six of their 30 3-point attempts.UCF won their second straight game, after their 11-game winning streak was snapped by Oklahoma State on Jan. 6. Kansas State has dropped four straight contests after winning four straight to end their non-conference schedule.<h2>Up next</h2>Kansas State: visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.UCF: hosts No. 1 Arizona on Saturday. ___&nbsp;

🏀Kugel's 19 points, Stillwell's 18 lift UCF over Kansas State 

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;One of the most electrifying and dynamic players in the early 2000s, Kansas State's Terence Newman has been selected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2026.Newman is the seventh K-State player or coach to be selected to college football's highest honor and the fourth in the last 15 years. He joins former running back Darren Sproles (Class of 2021), linebackers Gary Spani (Class of 2002) and Mark Simoneau (Class of 2012), as well as coaches Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (Class of 1966), Charles Bachman (Class of 1978) and Bill Snyder&nbsp;(Class of 2015).

The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Once the 2026 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted, only 1,129 players and 241 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.86 million who have played or coached the game during the past 157 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%)&nbsp;of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.

Regarded as one of the most dynamic football players in school history, Newman electrified fans playing for Snyder from 1999-2002 and followed his Wildcat days with a 15-plus-year career in the NFL.

A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Newman put together an unforgettable senior season in 2002, earning Consensus All-American honors as a cornerback and returner while also earning All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. He also won the 2002 Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

Newman, a K-State Ring of Honor and Athletics Hall of Fame member, was also a two-time All-American while competing for K-State Track &amp; Field, winning two Big 12 Championships with a school record 6.62 in the Indoor 60-meters and 10.20 in the Outdoor 100-meters, two marks that still stand.

In 2003, Newman became the second-highest draft pick in school history as the No. 5 overall selection in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and earned two Pro Bowl selections during his career.

Joining Newman as players in the Class of 2026 are Jerry Azumah, RB (1995-98) – University of New Hampshire; Ki-Jana Carter, RB (1991-94) – Penn State University; Bruce Collie, OT (1981-84) – University of Texas at Arlington; George Cumby, LB (1976-79) – University of Oklahoma; Aaron Donald, DT (2010-13) – University of Pittsburgh; Marvin Harrison, KR/WR (1992-95) – Syracuse University; Garrison Hearst, RB (1990-92) – University of Georgia; Chris Hudson, DB (1991-94) – University of Colorado; Mark Ingram, RB (2008-10) – University of Alabama; Olin Kreutz, C (1995-97) – University of Washington; James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08) – Ohio State University; Jordan Lynch, AP/QB (2010-13) – Northern Illinois University; Herman Moore, WR (1988-90) – University of Virginia; Bob Novogratz, OG (1957-58) – United States Military Academy; Ndamukong Suh, DT (2006-09) – University of Nebraska; Peter Warrick, WR (1996-99) – Florida State University; Eric Weddle, S (2003-06) – University of Utah.

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;One of the most electrifying and dynamic players in the early 2000s, Kansas State's Terence Newman has been selected to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2026.Newman is the seventh K-State player or coach to be selected to college football's highest honor and the fourth in the last 15 years. He joins former running back Darren Sproles (Class of 2021), linebackers Gary Spani (Class of 2002) and Mark Simoneau (Class of 2012), as well as coaches Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (Class of 1966), Charles Bachman (Class of 1978) and Bill Snyder&nbsp;(Class of 2015).The 2026 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8, 2026, at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.Once the 2026 Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted, only 1,129 players and 241 coaches will have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.86 million who have played or coached the game during the past 157 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%)&nbsp;of the individuals who have played/coached the game have earned this distinction.Regarded as one of the most dynamic football players in school history, Newman electrified fans playing for Snyder from 1999-2002 and followed his Wildcat days with a 15-plus-year career in the NFL.A two-time All-Big 12 selection, Newman put together an unforgettable senior season in 2002, earning Consensus All-American honors as a cornerback and returner while also earning All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. He also won the 2002 Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.Newman, a K-State Ring of Honor and Athletics Hall of Fame member, was also a two-time All-American while competing for K-State Track &amp; Field, winning two Big 12 Championships with a school record 6.62 in the Indoor 60-meters and 10.20 in the Outdoor 100-meters, two marks that still stand.In 2003, Newman became the second-highest draft pick in school history as the No. 5 overall selection in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and earned two Pro Bowl selections during his career.Joining Newman as players in the Class of 2026 are Jerry Azumah, RB (1995-98) – University of New Hampshire; Ki-Jana Carter, RB (1991-94) – Penn State University; Bruce Collie, OT (1981-84) – University of Texas at Arlington; George Cumby, LB (1976-79) – University of Oklahoma; Aaron Donald, DT (2010-13) – University of Pittsburgh; Marvin Harrison, KR/WR (1992-95) – Syracuse University; Garrison Hearst, RB (1990-92) – University of Georgia; Chris Hudson, DB (1991-94) – University of Colorado; Mark Ingram, RB (2008-10) – University of Alabama; Olin Kreutz, C (1995-97) – University of Washington; James Laurinaitis, LB (2005-08) – Ohio State University; Jordan Lynch, AP/QB (2010-13) – Northern Illinois University; Herman Moore, WR (1988-90) – University of Virginia; Bob Novogratz, OG (1957-58) – United States Military Academy; Ndamukong Suh, DT (2006-09) – University of Nebraska; Peter Warrick, WR (1996-99) – Florida State University; Eric Weddle, S (2003-06) – University of Utah.

Terence Newman Elected to College Football Hall of Fame

WICHITA, Kansas – The Minnesota Twins announced their 2026 Minor League coaching staffs, including the staff for their Double-A affiliate the Wichita Wind Surge.   

Nico Giarratano will take the helm as manager of the Wind Surge, taking over for Brian Dinkelman who was promoted to manage the Minnesota Twins Class AAA club, the St Paul Saints, following one season in Wichita. Giarratano managed the FCL Twins last season. He will be joined on the staff by Pitching Coaches Jesus Sanchez and Stephen Ridings, Hitting Coaches Andrew Cresci and Julian Gonzalez, Strength and Conditioning Coach Meagan Vota, Lead Athletic Trainer Taylor Carpenter, Assistant Athletic Trainer Asja Morello, and Baseball Technology Coordinator Chase Carder. 

Giarratano, who is entering his fourth year with the Twins organization, arrives in Wichita after leading the Florida Complex League Twins to a 39-20 record and a division title in 2025.  He spent the 2023 and 24 seasons as a development coach at the Twins Florida Complex.  Before joining the Twins organization, Giarratano broke into coaching managing the Seattle Mariners’ Dominican Summer League team in 2022.  Prior to coaching, he played collegiately at the University of San Francisco and was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft.  He went on to play three seasons in the Giants’ system, reaching High-A. He wrapped up his playing career with Durango of the Mexican League in 2021, hitting .249 (45-for-181) with eight doubles, one home run, 21 RBI and 17 runs scored in 61 games.

Jesus Sanchez enters his fourth season with the Twins organization and second season with Double-A Wichita. Last season he spearheaded a Wind Surge pitching staff that finished with the fewest walks and third lowest ERA in the Texas League. A native of Venezuela, he racked up 410 strikeouts over a 15-year minor league career from 2008-2022, making it as high as the Triple-A level.  

Stephen Ridings will make his coaching debut this season.  He wrapped up his pitching career last season pitching with Oklahoma City Comets in the Pacific Coast League in 2025.  The eight-year professional baseball player made his MLB debut in 2021 with the New York Yankees and pitched in five career MLB games.  He spent time in the Cubs, Royals, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers organizations.   

Andrew Cresci returns to Wichita for a second season.  Last season with the Surge, the team led the league in home runs and runs scored and finished second in the league in batting average.   Prior to 2025 he spent three seasons in the Houston Astros organization.  He has been a hitting trainer at Driveline, and is the hitting coordinator for the Italian Softball Federation.   

Julian Gonzalez enters his second season with the Twins organization and his fourth season in professional baseball, spending three seasons in Baltimore Orioles organization before joining Minnesota.  Gonzalez was the Hitting and Development coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2025, helping them to a first half division title and playoff appearance.

Taylor Carpenter and Asja Morello will work as Athletic Trainers for the club. Meagan Vota will serve as the Strength and Conditioning coordinator. Carpenter spent the 2022 season in Wichita and has been in Twins organization for the past five seasons.  Morello and Vota were both with the Surge in 2025.  Chase Carder will return for his fifth season as the Baseball Technology Coordinator. 

WICHITA, Kansas – The Minnesota Twins announced their 2026 Minor League coaching staffs, including the staff for their Double-A affiliate the Wichita Wind Surge. Nico Giarratano will take the helm as manager of the Wind Surge, taking over for Brian Dinkelman who was promoted to manage the Minnesota Twins Class AAA club, the St Paul Saints, following one season in Wichita. Giarratano managed the FCL Twins last season. He will be joined on the staff by Pitching Coaches Jesus Sanchez and Stephen Ridings, Hitting Coaches Andrew Cresci and Julian Gonzalez, Strength and Conditioning Coach Meagan Vota, Lead Athletic Trainer Taylor Carpenter, Assistant Athletic Trainer Asja Morello, and Baseball Technology Coordinator Chase Carder. Giarratano, who is entering his fourth year with the Twins organization, arrives in Wichita after leading the Florida Complex League Twins to a 39-20 record and a division title in 2025. He spent the 2023 and 24 seasons as a development coach at the Twins Florida Complex. Before joining the Twins organization, Giarratano broke into coaching managing the Seattle Mariners’ Dominican Summer League team in 2022. Prior to coaching, he played collegiately at the University of San Francisco and was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He went on to play three seasons in the Giants’ system, reaching High-A. He wrapped up his playing career with Durango of the Mexican League in 2021, hitting .249 (45-for-181) with eight doubles, one home run, 21 RBI and 17 runs scored in 61 games.Jesus Sanchez enters his fourth season with the Twins organization and second season with Double-A Wichita. Last season he spearheaded a Wind Surge pitching staff that finished with the fewest walks and third lowest ERA in the Texas League. A native of Venezuela, he racked up 410 strikeouts over a 15-year minor league career from 2008-2022, making it as high as the Triple-A level. Stephen Ridings will make his coaching debut this season. He wrapped up his pitching career last season pitching with Oklahoma City Comets in the Pacific Coast League in 2025. The eight-year professional baseball player made his MLB debut in 2021 with the New York Yankees and pitched in five career MLB games. He spent time in the Cubs, Royals, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers organizations. Andrew Cresci returns to Wichita for a second season. Last season with the Surge, the team led the league in home runs and runs scored and finished second in the league in batting average. Prior to 2025 he spent three seasons in the Houston Astros organization. He has been a hitting trainer at Driveline, and is the hitting coordinator for the Italian Softball Federation. Julian Gonzalez enters his second season with the Twins organization and his fourth season in professional baseball, spending three seasons in Baltimore Orioles organization before joining Minnesota. Gonzalez was the Hitting and Development coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2025, helping them to a first half division title and playoff appearance.Taylor Carpenter and Asja Morello will work as Athletic Trainers for the club. Meagan Vota will serve as the Strength and Conditioning coordinator. Carpenter spent the 2022 season in Wichita and has been in Twins organization for the past five seasons. Morello and Vota were both with the Surge in 2025. Chase Carder will return for his fifth season as the Baseball Technology Coordinator.

⚾️ Wind Surge announce 2026 coaching staff  

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post

The Southeast of Saline basketball teams continued their strong run of recent form with another sweep on Tuesday, as the girls' team decimated Lyons, while the boys snuck past the Lions in overtime.

The opener of this two-game set was never close, as the Lady Trojans took a commanding 27-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.

This was a total team effort, as six different Southeast scorers contributed two or more points in the first quarter alone, and eleven different Lady Trojans finished the night in the score column.

A staggering 28 turnovers helped SES turn defense into offense, building their lead to 35 at halftime, and 52 at the end of the third quarter, before putting the finishing touches on a 74-22 victory.

By virtue of sharing the ball, no one performance truly stood out despite the high watermark in points, as Southeast’s leading scorers on the night were Taryn Goetz (12), Kyiah Samuelson (10), and Suttyn Douglas (10).

On the other side, no one Lady Lion scored more than six points in this game, and only five players were able to notch any scoring at all.

With this dominant result, the Lady Trojans improve to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in league play, while Lyons falls to 1-9 and 0-5 respectively.

Boys: SE of Saline 60, Lyons 58 (OT)

The boys' game saw large back-and-forth swings early, and a tightrope act down the stretch, leading to a fun overtime battle between league foes.

Southeast seemed to have things in hand after the first quarter, holding a 17-8 lead, but one that was quickly dashed by Lyons, who outscored the Trojans by three in the second quarter, and five in the third, cutting the deficit to one after three.

The fourth quarter went back and forth and it soon became clear that 32 minutes would not be enough to decide the game as the score sat at 51-51 ahead of overtime.

A fierce battle between Tiernan Ptacek and Paco Espinoza continued in the bonus frame, but with help from Hendrix Lund the Trojans were able to create separation and secure a 60-58 victory in OT.

In addition to overtime heroics, Ptacek posted a new career high, scoring 27 points as the only Trojan in double digits on the night.

That pace was matched by Espinoza, who dropped 27 alongside Detrell Stanley (12) for Lyons in the loss.

Southeast of Saline is picking up steam, having won back-to-back games, and now sits at 3-7 overall and 2-3 in league play.

Lyons falls to 4-6 overall and 1-4 in the NCAA.

You can watch both games on demand below.

By TYLER HENRY Lead Sportswriter - Salina PostThe Southeast of Saline basketball teams continued their strong run of recent form with another sweep on Tuesday, as the girls' team decimated Lyons, while the boys snuck past the Lions in overtime.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: SE of Saline 74, Lyons 22The opener of this two-game set was never close, as the Lady Trojans took a commanding 27-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.This was a total team effort, as six different Southeast scorers contributed two or more points in the first quarter alone, and eleven different Lady Trojans finished the night in the score column.A staggering 28 turnovers helped SES turn defense into offense, building their lead to 35 at halftime, and 52 at the end of the third quarter, before putting the finishing touches on a 74-22 victory.By virtue of sharing the ball, no one performance truly stood out despite the high watermark in points, as Southeast’s leading scorers on the night were Taryn Goetz (12), Kyiah Samuelson (10), and Suttyn Douglas (10).On the other side, no one Lady Lion scored more than six points in this game, and only five players were able to notch any scoring at all.With this dominant result, the Lady Trojans improve to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in league play, while Lyons falls to 1-9 and 0-5 respectively.Boys: SE of Saline 60, Lyons 58 (OT)The boys' game saw large back-and-forth swings early, and a tightrope act down the stretch, leading to a fun overtime battle between league foes.Southeast seemed to have things in hand after the first quarter, holding a 17-8 lead, but one that was quickly dashed by Lyons, who outscored the Trojans by three in the second quarter, and five in the third, cutting the deficit to one after three.The fourth quarter went back and forth and it soon became clear that 32 minutes would not be enough to decide the game as the score sat at 51-51 ahead of overtime.A fierce battle between Tiernan Ptacek and Paco Espinoza continued in the bonus frame, but with help from Hendrix Lund the Trojans were able to create separation and secure a 60-58 victory in OT.In addition to overtime heroics, Ptacek posted a new career high, scoring 27 points as the only Trojan in double digits on the night.That pace was matched by Espinoza, who dropped 27 alongside Detrell Stanley (12) for Lyons in the loss.Southeast of Saline is picking up steam, having won back-to-back games, and now sits at 3-7 overall and 2-3 in league play.Lyons falls to 4-6 overall and 1-4 in the NCAA.You can watch both games on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vlNHWTqZx0w"></iframe>
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🏀 Southeast takes down Lyons for back-to-back league sweeps

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post Contributor

The Lady Knights started things off with a 60-25 win, and the boys would do their part in the 8th&nbsp;sweep of the season for Sacred Heart winning 64-38.

Girls: Sacred Heart 60 Republic County 25

The Lady Knights would start the night off with a huge first quarter backed by 6 made free throws and only allowing 3 Lady Buffs to score, the Lady Knights would lead it 18-8 going into the second.

The Lady Knights would keep the press going and force 9 turnovers alone just in the second. Edyn Sharpton would perform well in the second quarter scoring 8 in the paint for Sacred Heart and would lead 34-16 at intermission.

When the ball wasn’t moving well inside, they looked to the outside and Emmy Lee would come in big hitting 3-3 from deep range in the third and finish the quarter strong with 11. Defense would lock in and only allow 6 points in the third and led going into the third 51-22.

Defense would stay in dominating fashion pressing and only letting one field goal go in the Lady Knights would pick up the win 60-25.

The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Emmy Lee she finished with 16, Edyn Sharpton had a fantastic game with 13.

Tallyn Melton would be the only double-digit scorer for Republic County she finished with 13.

The Lady Knights move to 9-2 overall 4-0 in league play, they will hit the road on Friday to take on Ellsworth.

Boys: Sacred Heart 64 Republic County 38

A slow start would lead into a blistering 1st&nbsp;quarter thanks to the senior Will Tuttle. The Knights would find themselves tied up at 2-2 and would not look back, leading 23-6 at the end of the first.

From there Noah Hines and Will Tuttle would get things rolling and the Knights would tighten things up on defense and only allow just 3 second quarter field goals and would outscore the Buffs 23-11, leading at intermission 46-17.

The Knights would not let off and play near perfect defense, only allowing 5 points in the third quarter and lead 60-22 going into the final quarter.

Coach Brian Gormley would work the rotation and players Ben Marrs, Mason Brown, Kolton Sprague would come in and move the ball well and all put points on the board as the Knights win it 64-38.

The Knights were led in the victory by Will Tuttle(18), Maddox Wells(15), Noah Hines(11).

Republic County was led in scoring by Grady Siemsen he ended his night with 13.

Sacred Heart moves to 11-0 overall and 4-0 in league play and look to stay perfect on the season as they take on Ellsworth Friday on the road.

BY NOAH HELGET Salina Post ContributorThe Lady Knights started things off with a 60-25 win, and the boys would do their part in the 8th&nbsp;sweep of the season for Sacred Heart winning 64-38.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1765031258309.jpeg" alt="Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here." />
 <figcaption>Salina Regional Orthopedic &amp; Sports Medicine- Your home-field advantage starts here.</figcaption>
 </figure>Girls: Sacred Heart 60 Republic County 25The Lady Knights would start the night off with a huge first quarter backed by 6 made free throws and only allowing 3 Lady Buffs to score, the Lady Knights would lead it 18-8 going into the second.The Lady Knights would keep the press going and force 9 turnovers alone just in the second. Edyn Sharpton would perform well in the second quarter scoring 8 in the paint for Sacred Heart and would lead 34-16 at intermission.When the ball wasn’t moving well inside, they looked to the outside and Emmy Lee would come in big hitting 3-3 from deep range in the third and finish the quarter strong with 11. Defense would lock in and only allow 6 points in the third and led going into the third 51-22.Defense would stay in dominating fashion pressing and only letting one field goal go in the Lady Knights would pick up the win 60-25.The Lady Knights were led in scoring by Emmy Lee she finished with 16, Edyn Sharpton had a fantastic game with 13.Tallyn Melton would be the only double-digit scorer for Republic County she finished with 13.The Lady Knights move to 9-2 overall 4-0 in league play, they will hit the road on Friday to take on Ellsworth.Boys: Sacred Heart 64 Republic County 38A slow start would lead into a blistering 1st&nbsp;quarter thanks to the senior Will Tuttle. The Knights would find themselves tied up at 2-2 and would not look back, leading 23-6 at the end of the first.From there Noah Hines and Will Tuttle would get things rolling and the Knights would tighten things up on defense and only allow just 3 second quarter field goals and would outscore the Buffs 23-11, leading at intermission 46-17.The Knights would not let off and play near perfect defense, only allowing 5 points in the third quarter and lead 60-22 going into the final quarter.Coach Brian Gormley would work the rotation and players Ben Marrs, Mason Brown, Kolton Sprague would come in and move the ball well and all put points on the board as the Knights win it 64-38.The Knights were led in the victory by Will Tuttle(18), Maddox Wells(15), Noah Hines(11).Republic County was led in scoring by Grady Siemsen he ended his night with 13.Sacred Heart moves to 11-0 overall and 4-0 in league play and look to stay perfect on the season as they take on Ellsworth Friday on the road.You can watch both games on demand below.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9UZheDWDOrQ"></iframe>
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🏀 Sacred Heart flies by the Buffs in a Tuesday night sweep

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas finally showed what it could do with a healthy Darryn Peterson and a regular rotation Tuesday night.

The timing couldn't have been worse for second-ranked Iowa State.

After falling from the AP Top 25 following a second loss in their first three Big 12 games, the Jayhawks roared away from the stunned Cyclones the moment the ball was thrown up. Tre White hit four early 3-pointers and went on to score 19 points, Peterson contributed 16 before more cramping issues, and Kansas coasted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-cyclones-kansas-jayhawks-96bf5daca216794e231c8435598e5dc0">an 84-63 victory</a>&nbsp;over previously unbeaten Iowa State.

“This is more what I envisioned,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “We've got an elite player — we got an elite scorer — and even tonight, when (Peterson) went to get his own, he can do some things other guys can't do. But the thing is the other guys are good players. We don't need to defer to him. I don't know that we've found that balance yet. But tonight was the closest thing to it.”

Melvin Council Jr. added 15 points and Flory Bidunga had 10 for the Jayhawks (12-5, 2-2 Big 12), who led by 26 in the first half, had that advantage trimmed to 11 midway through the second, then answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away.

It was the kind of performance that college basketball fans have become accustomed to seeing from the Jayhawks over the years.

Much more familiar than recent losses to unranked UCF and West Virginia.

“They were extremely well-prepared, well-coached, like we knew they would be,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “Extremely urgent (for Kansas) to come out and play with a tremendous spirit, which they did, so credit to them.

“That was an absolute beat-down,” Otzelberger added, “in their favor, unfortunately.”

There are a multitude of reasons for a stumbling start to the season, which had the Jayhawks in danger of their first 1-3 start to league play since the 1987-88 season. But the biggest may have been the cramping problems that had kept Peterson off the court for long stretches and kept the Jayhawks from getting into a rhythm even when he was available.

He was still massaging his calf on the bench Tuesday night, and at one point, Peterson grabbed it after going high for a dunk. But Self said the issue wasn't as serious as earlier in the year: “It was more of, ‘I’m not quite whole right now.'”

“Feeling better. It's coming back slowly to me,” Peterson said. “I was out for a while but every game is getting better. This was a great win, especially coming off the loss to West Virginia. We knew we had to come out and get a win.”

The Jayhawks clearly felt a sense of urgency. They even had a players-only meeting — Self insisted he knew nothing about it — during which they talked about their goals for the season and what it would take to get back on track.

“Just kind of reiterating the key things that we want to identify ourselves as this year,” White said, “and just internal conversations that made us more focused on what we want to do. It definitely made us more connected.”

It was evident from the opening minutes, when Kansas opened with an 11-3 run to get the crowd into the game.

By the 7-minute mark, the lead had grown to 31-14, and Otzelberger had wasted two timeouts trying to get things under control.

Kansas pushed the lead to 26 points before Iowa State mounted its only real comeback, stringing together some stops and getting some buckets to go on each side of halftime. But eventually, the Jayhawks found their stride again, and they quickly pushed the lead back over 20 points before emptying the bench in the final minutes.

What made the performance particularly impressive was the opposition: Iowa State was off to a 16-0 start, including a 23-point road win over then-No. 1 Purdue, and the Cyclones were one of two teams receiving No. 1 votes in the AP Top 25 this week.

“We looked a little spooked and panicked, and the moment got to us,” Otzelberger said. “We know how well prepared they were going to be. We know how competitive they're going to be. We know how much confidence they have, especially in this building. You can tell they've been on the practice court working, and getting ready, and they did a tremendous job.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768388197811.png" alt="Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas finally showed what it could do with a healthy Darryn Peterson and a regular rotation Tuesday night.The timing couldn't have been worse for second-ranked Iowa State.After falling from the AP Top 25 following a second loss in their first three Big 12 games, the Jayhawks roared away from the stunned Cyclones the moment the ball was thrown up. Tre White hit four early 3-pointers and went on to score 19 points, Peterson contributed 16 before more cramping issues, and Kansas coasted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-state-cyclones-kansas-jayhawks-96bf5daca216794e231c8435598e5dc0">an 84-63 victory</a>&nbsp;over previously unbeaten Iowa State.“This is more what I envisioned,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “We've got an elite player — we got an elite scorer — and even tonight, when (Peterson) went to get his own, he can do some things other guys can't do. But the thing is the other guys are good players. We don't need to defer to him. I don't know that we've found that balance yet. But tonight was the closest thing to it.”Melvin Council Jr. added 15 points and Flory Bidunga had 10 for the Jayhawks (12-5, 2-2 Big 12), who led by 26 in the first half, had that advantage trimmed to 11 midway through the second, then answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away.It was the kind of performance that college basketball fans have become accustomed to seeing from the Jayhawks over the years.Much more familiar than recent losses to unranked UCF and West Virginia.“They were extremely well-prepared, well-coached, like we knew they would be,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “Extremely urgent (for Kansas) to come out and play with a tremendous spirit, which they did, so credit to them.“That was an absolute beat-down,” Otzelberger added, “in their favor, unfortunately.”There are a multitude of reasons for a stumbling start to the season, which had the Jayhawks in danger of their first 1-3 start to league play since the 1987-88 season. But the biggest may have been the cramping problems that had kept Peterson off the court for long stretches and kept the Jayhawks from getting into a rhythm even when he was available.He was still massaging his calf on the bench Tuesday night, and at one point, Peterson grabbed it after going high for a dunk. But Self said the issue wasn't as serious as earlier in the year: “It was more of, ‘I’m not quite whole right now.'”“Feeling better. It's coming back slowly to me,” Peterson said. “I was out for a while but every game is getting better. This was a great win, especially coming off the loss to West Virginia. We knew we had to come out and get a win.”The Jayhawks clearly felt a sense of urgency. They even had a players-only meeting — Self insisted he knew nothing about it — during which they talked about their goals for the season and what it would take to get back on track.“Just kind of reiterating the key things that we want to identify ourselves as this year,” White said, “and just internal conversations that made us more focused on what we want to do. It definitely made us more connected.”It was evident from the opening minutes, when Kansas opened with an 11-3 run to get the crowd into the game.By the 7-minute mark, the lead had grown to 31-14, and Otzelberger had wasted two timeouts trying to get things under control.Kansas pushed the lead to 26 points before Iowa State mounted its only real comeback, stringing together some stops and getting some buckets to go on each side of halftime. But eventually, the Jayhawks found their stride again, and they quickly pushed the lead back over 20 points before emptying the bench in the final minutes.What made the performance particularly impressive was the opposition: Iowa State was off to a 16-0 start, including a 23-point road win over then-No. 1 Purdue, and the Cyclones were one of two teams receiving No. 1 votes in the AP Top 25 this week.“We looked a little spooked and panicked, and the moment got to us,” Otzelberger said. “We know how well prepared they were going to be. We know how competitive they're going to be. We know how much confidence they have, especially in this building. You can tell they've been on the practice court working, and getting ready, and they did a tremendous job.”___

🏀 Peterson and KU crush previously unbeaten Iowa State

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today Kauffman Stadium’s outfield wall is being moved in for the 2026 season.

This change will likely create more home runs (and robbed home runs), more extra-base hits, and more exciting action on the field – while bringing fans closer to seeing it. The decision was made by Baseball Operations for competitive reasons, including to bring The K more in line with other Major League ballparks.

Work on the project has begun, and will be complete ahead of the Royals home opener vs the Twins on Monday, March 30.

“We’ve discussed this possibility for years, and after much work by our Research &amp; Development department, believe this will be a positive change for our baseball team,” Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager J.J. Picollo said. “We wanted more consistency throughout the season, while making sure the specifics put us in the best position to succeed.”

The wall will come in 8 to 10 feet starting near each foul pole – the gaps will go from 387 feet to 379 – and taper back toward centerfield, which will remain 410 feet. The height of the wall will also change, from 10 feet tall in most places to 8 ½ feet. About 150 seats will be added in left field and about 80 new drinkrail seats in right.

The club’s research estimates the changes will take the run value of fly balls at The K from the bottom third of MLB ballparks to the middle, primarily through more extra-base hits.

Over the last three seasons, these specific changes would have benefitted the Royals overall, even accounting for more extra-base hits by opponents.

“Making this a fairer ballpark will help with roster construction, but more importantly will allow our players to keep the same approach regardless of where we play,” Royals Vice President – Research &amp; Development/Assistant GM Dr. Daniel Mack said. “Our approach was carefully considered to account for as many factors as possible. We believe this will ultimately reduce the constraints within Kauffman Stadium.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768320255230.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today Kauffman Stadium’s outfield wall is being moved in for the 2026 season.This change will likely create more home runs (and robbed home runs), more extra-base hits, and more exciting action on the field – while bringing fans closer to seeing it. The decision was made by Baseball Operations for competitive reasons, including to bring The K more in line with other Major League ballparks.Work on the project has begun, and will be complete ahead of the Royals home opener vs the Twins on Monday, March 30.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1768320463164.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals</figcaption>
 </figure>“We’ve discussed this possibility for years, and after much work by our Research &amp; Development department, believe this will be a positive change for our baseball team,” Royals Executive Vice President and General Manager J.J. Picollo said. “We wanted more consistency throughout the season, while making sure the specifics put us in the best position to succeed.”The wall will come in 8 to 10 feet starting near each foul pole – the gaps will go from 387 feet to 379 – and taper back toward centerfield, which will remain 410 feet. The height of the wall will also change, from 10 feet tall in most places to 8 ½ feet. About 150 seats will be added in left field and about 80 new drinkrail seats in right.The club’s research estimates the changes will take the run value of fly balls at The K from the bottom third of MLB ballparks to the middle, primarily through more extra-base hits.Over the last three seasons, these specific changes would have benefitted the Royals overall, even accounting for more extra-base hits by opponents.“Making this a fairer ballpark will help with roster construction, but more importantly will allow our players to keep the same approach regardless of where we play,” Royals Vice President – Research &amp; Development/Assistant GM Dr. Daniel Mack said. “Our approach was carefully considered to account for as many factors as possible. We believe this will ultimately reduce the constraints within Kauffman Stadium.”

⚾ Royals announce new dimensions for Kauffman Stadium

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the second consecutive week, Kansas forward Jaliya Davis has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week. The conference office announced its weekly awards Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Davis has now scored 20 or more points in all four games since she returned to the lineup after missing 10 games due to injury. In last week’s action, Davis had 20 points and four rebounds Wednesday against Utah before going for 21 points, four rebounds and two steals Sunday at Baylor. She averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7 percent (15-26) from the field.&nbsp;

A five-star prospect and McDonald’s All-American from Overland Park, Kansas, Davis has scored at least 10 points in all seven games she’s played in, with five games of 20 or more points. She has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, becoming the fifth Jayhawk since 1999 with a stretch of four or more 20-point games, and first since S’Mya Nichols had two streaks of five straight 20-point games last season. Davis is averaging 20.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the season, and she’s the No. 3 leading scorer in the Big 12 with 22.0 points per game during conference play.&nbsp;

This is the second Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor for Davis, who becomes the first player in the conference to win a weekly award in consecutive weeks. Davis, who also earned a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five on Nov. 10, is one of three freshmen in the league to earn multiple Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards this season.

As the Big 12 Freshman of the Week, Davis is included as a member of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Starting Five, which is voted on by a media panel to recognize strong performances from across the conference. Kansas players have now earned five Starting Five honors this season, with three for Davis and two for Nichols (Dec. 1; Dec. 8).

Kansas (11-6, 1-4 Big 12) returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 14, hosting Oklahoma State in a game that will tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT from Allen Fieldhouse. Single-game tickets are available for each of KU's remaining home games and can be purchased by to visiting KUAthletics.com or calling 800-34-HAWKS.

Jaliya Davis, Kansas (freshman)

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the second consecutive week, Kansas forward Jaliya Davis has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week. The conference office announced its weekly awards Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Davis has now scored 20 or more points in all four games since she returned to the lineup after missing 10 games due to injury. In last week’s action, Davis had 20 points and four rebounds Wednesday against Utah before going for 21 points, four rebounds and two steals Sunday at Baylor. She averaged 20.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7 percent (15-26) from the field.&nbsp;A five-star prospect and McDonald’s All-American from Overland Park, Kansas, Davis has scored at least 10 points in all seven games she’s played in, with five games of 20 or more points. She has scored at least 20 points in four straight games, becoming the fifth Jayhawk since 1999 with a stretch of four or more 20-point games, and first since S’Mya Nichols had two streaks of five straight 20-point games last season. Davis is averaging 20.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the season, and she’s the No. 3 leading scorer in the Big 12 with 22.0 points per game during conference play.&nbsp;This is the second Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor for Davis, who becomes the first player in the conference to win a weekly award in consecutive weeks. Davis, who also earned a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five on Nov. 10, is one of three freshmen in the league to earn multiple Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards this season.As the Big 12 Freshman of the Week, Davis is included as a member of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Starting Five, which is voted on by a media panel to recognize strong performances from across the conference. Kansas players have now earned five Starting Five honors this season, with three for Davis and two for Nichols (Dec. 1; Dec. 8).Kansas (11-6, 1-4 Big 12) returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 14, hosting Oklahoma State in a game that will tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT from Allen Fieldhouse. Single-game tickets are available for each of KU's remaining home games and can be purchased by to visiting KUAthletics.com or calling 800-34-HAWKS.Big 12 Weekly Honors (Jan. 12)Player of the WeekBailey Maupin, Texas TechFreshman of the WeekJaliya Davis, KansasStarting FiveBailey Maupin, Texas Tech (player)Jaliya Davis, Kansas (freshman)Jordan Harrison, West VirginiaTess Heal, Kansas State

🏀 Jaliya Davis Repeats as Big 12 Freshman of the Week

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;A 19-year coaching veteran who has presided over explosive offenses during his eight seasons as a coordinator, Sean Gleeson has been hired as Kansas State’s offensive coordinator, head coach&nbsp;Collin Klein&nbsp;announced Monday.

Gleeson comes to Manhattan from Missouri where he spent the last two seasons working with the Tiger quarterbacks.

“My family and I are beyond grateful to join Coach Klein in this new era of K-State football,” Gleeson said. “I’ve always admired this program from afar, and I am especially aware of the toughness and discipline required to wear purple. I cannot wait to foster those same ideals in our players and help continue winning ways in Manhattan.”

This will be Gleeson’s second tour of duty in the Big 12 as he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State in 2019 before taking the same position at Rutgers.

“Sean is one of the smartest football coaches I have been around,” said Klein. “Hard working, competitive, and very high character are all traits he possesses. He will be a tremendous teammate and bring new perspective to our offensive staff room.”

Last season, Gleeson helped Missouri produce an 8-5 record while working with two different quarterbacks throughout the season due to injury. Those players, Beau Pribula and true freshman Matt Zollers, combined to throw for 2,444 yards and 15 touchdowns. The year prior, Missouri went 10-3, which included a win over Iowa in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers finished the 2024 season ranked fifth nationally in fewest passes intercepted (5), 10th in red zone offense (92.0%) and 16th in third down conversions (46.4%).

Gleeson went to Missouri after spending one year as a senior offensive analyst at Northwestern. It was his fourth year in the Big Ten as he spent the three previous seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers. A 2020 candidate for the Broyles Award – which is given annually to the top assistant coach in the nation – Gleeson mentored two NFL draft picks in wide receiver Bo Melton (Seattle) and running back Isaiah Pacheco (Kansas City), the latter of which was on Super Bowl winning teams in 2022 and 2023.

Under Gleeson control, Rutgers finished as the fourth-most improved team in the nation by scoring 13.4 more points per game in 2020 than the year prior to his arrival. Despite the fact that the Scarlet Knights played in three fewer games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rutgers scored 81 more points than in 2019, which was the sixth-best improvement in the nation. Additionally, RU was the most improved in the Big Ten in total offensive touchdowns (plus-9) in only 10 games. During his time guiding the offense, four players earned All-Big Ten honors.

Gleeson spent the 2019 campaign at Oklahoma State, helping the Cowboys to an 8-5 record – including a pair of ranked wins – and an appearance in the Texas Bowl. Under his tutelage, the Cowboy offense ranked 17th nationally in rushing offense (229.6 yards per game), 21st in total offense (453.9 yards per game) and 35th in scoring offense (32.5 points per game).

He helped guide running back Chuba Hubbard, a Consensus All-American who led the nation in rushing yards (2,094) and all-purpose yards (179.54 yards per game), while he was third in rushing touchdowns (21) and eighth in scoring (9.8). Hubbard, the 2019 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, eventually went on to be selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Carolina.

Prior to his time at the Power 4 level, Gleeson spent six seasons at Princeton as the running backs coach (2013-15), special teams coordinator (2016) and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2017-18). Engineering one of the most explosive offenses in the FCS, he helped the Tigers to an unblemished 10-0 campaign in 2018. Under Gleeson, Princeton finished that season first in the FCS in scoring offense (47.0 points per game) and second in total offense (536.8 yards per game).

Gleeson’s unit wasn’t only one of the best in the FCS during his time as offensive coordinator. In fact, over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Princeton ranked fourth in the country among all FBS and FCS teams by averaging 42.6 points per game, while the Tigers ranked sixth with 509.9 yards per game.

In Gleeson’s six years on staff, Princeton won three Ivy League championships and averaged 36.9 points per game, which marked the program’s highest output over a six-year stretch in program history.

Gleeson began his coaching career at Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, where he coached football, baseball and bowling from 2007 through 2010. His first job at the collegiate ranks came in 2011 and 2012 when he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairleigh Dickinson.

A native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Gleeson played quarterback at Williams College, a Division III program in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was the highest-rated passer in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in 2005 with a rating of 163.6, and a year later he led the Ephs to an 8-0 mark. Gleeson received the Farley Award in 2006, which is presented to the member of the football team who demonstrates superior qualities of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice for the betterment of the team. He also played first base for the baseball team at Williams.

Gleeson obtained his undergraduate degree in English from Williams College in 2007. He and his wife, Lauren, have three children, Eamon, Patrick and William.

College:&nbsp;Williams College – Bachelor’s degrees in English (2007)

Family:&nbsp;Wife: Lauren; Children: Eamon, Patrick, William

Playing Career:&nbsp;Williams (quarterback)

2007-10, Delbarton School (Assistant Coach)

<a>MANHATTAN, Kan.</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;A 19-year coaching veteran who has presided over explosive offenses during his eight seasons as a coordinator, Sean Gleeson has been hired as Kansas State’s offensive coordinator, head coach&nbsp;Collin Klein&nbsp;announced Monday.Gleeson comes to Manhattan from Missouri where he spent the last two seasons working with the Tiger quarterbacks.“My family and I are beyond grateful to join Coach Klein in this new era of K-State football,” Gleeson said. “I’ve always admired this program from afar, and I am especially aware of the toughness and discipline required to wear purple. I cannot wait to foster those same ideals in our players and help continue winning ways in Manhattan.”This will be Gleeson’s second tour of duty in the Big 12 as he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State in 2019 before taking the same position at Rutgers.“Sean is one of the smartest football coaches I have been around,” said Klein. “Hard working, competitive, and very high character are all traits he possesses. He will be a tremendous teammate and bring new perspective to our offensive staff room.”Last season, Gleeson helped Missouri produce an 8-5 record while working with two different quarterbacks throughout the season due to injury. Those players, Beau Pribula and true freshman Matt Zollers, combined to throw for 2,444 yards and 15 touchdowns. The year prior, Missouri went 10-3, which included a win over Iowa in the Music City Bowl. The Tigers finished the 2024 season ranked fifth nationally in fewest passes intercepted (5), 10th in red zone offense (92.0%) and 16th in third down conversions (46.4%).Gleeson went to Missouri after spending one year as a senior offensive analyst at Northwestern. It was his fourth year in the Big Ten as he spent the three previous seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rutgers. A 2020 candidate for the Broyles Award – which is given annually to the top assistant coach in the nation – Gleeson mentored two NFL draft picks in wide receiver Bo Melton (Seattle) and running back Isaiah Pacheco (Kansas City), the latter of which was on Super Bowl winning teams in 2022 and 2023.Under Gleeson control, Rutgers finished as the fourth-most improved team in the nation by scoring 13.4 more points per game in 2020 than the year prior to his arrival. Despite the fact that the Scarlet Knights played in three fewer games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rutgers scored 81 more points than in 2019, which was the sixth-best improvement in the nation. Additionally, RU was the most improved in the Big Ten in total offensive touchdowns (plus-9) in only 10 games. During his time guiding the offense, four players earned All-Big Ten honors.Gleeson spent the 2019 campaign at Oklahoma State, helping the Cowboys to an 8-5 record – including a pair of ranked wins – and an appearance in the Texas Bowl. Under his tutelage, the Cowboy offense ranked 17th nationally in rushing offense (229.6 yards per game), 21st in total offense (453.9 yards per game) and 35th in scoring offense (32.5 points per game).He helped guide running back Chuba Hubbard, a Consensus All-American who led the nation in rushing yards (2,094) and all-purpose yards (179.54 yards per game), while he was third in rushing touchdowns (21) and eighth in scoring (9.8). Hubbard, the 2019 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, eventually went on to be selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Carolina.Prior to his time at the Power 4 level, Gleeson spent six seasons at Princeton as the running backs coach (2013-15), special teams coordinator (2016) and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2017-18). Engineering one of the most explosive offenses in the FCS, he helped the Tigers to an unblemished 10-0 campaign in 2018. Under Gleeson, Princeton finished that season first in the FCS in scoring offense (47.0 points per game) and second in total offense (536.8 yards per game).Gleeson’s unit wasn’t only one of the best in the FCS during his time as offensive coordinator. In fact, over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Princeton ranked fourth in the country among all FBS and FCS teams by averaging 42.6 points per game, while the Tigers ranked sixth with 509.9 yards per game.In Gleeson’s six years on staff, Princeton won three Ivy League championships and averaged 36.9 points per game, which marked the program’s highest output over a six-year stretch in program history.Gleeson began his coaching career at Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, where he coached football, baseball and bowling from 2007 through 2010. His first job at the collegiate ranks came in 2011 and 2012 when he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairleigh Dickinson.A native of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Gleeson played quarterback at Williams College, a Division III program in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He was the highest-rated passer in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in 2005 with a rating of 163.6, and a year later he led the Ephs to an 8-0 mark. Gleeson received the Farley Award in 2006, which is presented to the member of the football team who demonstrates superior qualities of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice for the betterment of the team. He also played first base for the baseball team at Williams.Gleeson obtained his undergraduate degree in English from Williams College in 2007. He and his wife, Lauren, have three children, Eamon, Patrick and William.THE SEAN GLEESON FILEHometown:&nbsp;Glen Ridge, N.J.College:&nbsp;Williams College – Bachelor’s degrees in English (2007)Family:&nbsp;Wife: Lauren; Children: Eamon, Patrick, WilliamPlaying Career:&nbsp;Williams (quarterback)SEAN GLEESON’S COACHING CAREER2007-10, Delbarton School (Assistant Coach)2011-12, Fairleigh Dickinson (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)2013-15, Princeton (Running Backs)2016, Princeton (Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator)2017-18, Princeton (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)2019, Oklahoma State (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)2020-22, Rutgers (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)2023, Northwestern (Senior Offensive Analyst)2024, Missouri (Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)