Jug Of News (06.26.12)

Welcome to our humble abode. Pull up a seat and grab a glass for a sip from today’s Jug of News. Hit the jump for Kynard becoming an Olympian, an update on K-State alumni in the pros, how one former K-Stater who was run off by Frank Martin is doing, and more.

Last night, Erik Kynard fulfilled a dream–he became an Olympian. Finishing second to fellow Cliff Rovelto pupil Jamie Nieto, Kynard will be the first Kansas State undergraduate to represent the United States in the Olympics since Nathan Leeper in 2000. All three Olympians are coached by Rovelto, and Zack Riley, who also made the finals in high jump, is a K-State signee. Kansas State has truly become High Jump U.

In the same vein, former K-Staters are also pursuing their dreams on the baseball diamond. Yesterday, I profiled the current status of two alums who currently find themselves closest to the majors, Carlos Torres and Jared Goedert. Both men are currently plying their trade at the Triple A level, with Torres having received a 4-game “cup of coffee” with the Colorado Rockies earlier this season.

Frank Martin burnt a lot of bridges on his way out the door at K-State. From scorching the MoKan recruiting corridor, to alienating players with his vitriol, Martin made certain that many he left in his wake held a bitter taste from his tenure.

Another legacy of Martin’s time on campus is the number of players he managed to run off campus. One of those players was former 5-star recruit and McDonalds All-American, Wally Judge, who is now a Rutgers Scarlet Knight.  While Judge says all the “right” things about the time he spent under Martin’s coaching, one quote, for me, is quite telling.

"No knock on Frank’s personality, like I said he’s a great guy. But when it’s on the court time, it’s business time. It’s straight business. It’s no games. With Rice, he’s intense, but it’s like a fun intense. It’s like a big brother who wanna push you to get better, and I appreciate that…"

From everything I’ve heard, Martin’s “intensity” wears players down to such a degree that they sometimes begin to not even enjoy the game. The quote above, at least to me, makes it seem that this is what happened for Judge.

Finally, the “estimable” (scare quotes very much intended) ESPN Big 12 blogger David Ubben has analyzed K-State’s football schedule. Color me shocked that he’s a skeptic on how good the Cats will be in 2012. What will it take to change his mind? Oh, only going into Norman and beating the Sooners. Shocking, I say, that Ubben is a skeptic.