Allgemeines » that Gay has proven more active defensively (six blocks) than

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The longest week for a college football coach is the one following a last-second loss.Its going to be two long weeks for Bill Snyder.Kansas State controlled most of its game against Oklahoma State last Saturday, and led 37-28 with the ball in Cowboys territory in the fourth quarter. But after getting stuffed on third-and-inches and deciding to punt, coach Mike Gundys team ripped off two quick touchdowns to steal the win.The loss followed a trend for the Wildcats: Theyve beaten the teams they are supposed to beat, and come up short -- painfully short, on two occasions -- against teams that could have turned their season.The nature of Kansas State football, it has always been to meet the challenge and having the persistence to work through things like this, Snyder said. It is a major test of our character, players and coaches alike. I like to believe our guys will respond.The Wildcats (5-4, 3-3 Big 12) wont get that chance until visiting Baylor on Nov. 19.Still, the season has so far shaped up to be one of missed opportunities.They traveled to Stanford for their opener and took a 26-13 defeat, though in retrospect its a game that the Wildcats could easily have won. And considering the Cardinal have been a similarly middling team in the weeks since then, the loss stands out even more.Oh, and they got a week off to rue that loss, too.Then, in the Wildcats conference opener at West Virginia, they blew a 13-0 halftime and gave up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 17-16 defeat that was every bit as crippling as this past weeks loss.Oh, but that loss to the Cowboys.Kansas State dominated the third quarter to turn a 23-21 deficit into a two-possession lead, and was marching for a score that could have put it away. But after quarterback Jesse Ertz was stacked up on third down at the Cowboys 48, Snyder elected to send the punt unit on the field rather than try again.When asked why, he replied: I didnt want to put our defense in a bad position.Still, the curious decision came two weeks after Snyder made a similar gamble in a 24-21 victory over Texas. He explained it at the time by saying if his ground-based offense and rapidly improving offensive line couldnt gain a couple inches, we might as well go into the locker room.Running back Charles Jones said he wished the Wildcats would have gone for it, but he and offensive lineman Dalton Risner also said they understood the decision to punt.We can argue as much as we want, Risner said, but if we didnt get it on third-and-inches, how is coach supposed to expect us to get it on fourth-and-inches? Its on us.The loss kept the Wildcats from becoming bowl-eligible for the seventh straight season, though in reality is likely delayed the inevitable. Even if they lose to Baylor -- which got waxed by TCU last weekend -- there is still a home game against lowly Kansas waiting the following week.Kansas State also visits the Horned Frogs the first weekend of December.There were plenty of positives to take away from the game against the Cowboys, of course. Ertz ran for 153 yards and three touchdowns as he continues to become comfortable running the read-option offense, and the Wildcats piled up 345 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as a team.But the defense also gave up 457 yards and five touchdowns through the air, and couldnt get a stop when the Cowboys were marching for the decisive scores in the fourth quarter.Its disappointing. Theres so much that could have come with this, defensive end Jordan Willis said. I couldnt care less with my senior season, but right now for the team it could have done so much for us. We have a bye week, so we can go back to the drawing board and see where we can go from here. Custom Marlins T-shirts . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Authentic Custom Marlins Jersey . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. http://www.custommarlinsjersey.com/custom-andre-dawson-jersey-large-70o.html . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. Cheap Custom Marlins Jersey . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Custom Marlins Jersey China . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. The Denver Nuggets?Nikola Jokic earned tons of hype this offseason as a potential breakout candidate. In a near-upset against the United States in the Olympics this past August, Jokic dazzled and dominated en route to 25 points on 11-for-15 shooting. That marquee performance helped push his stock to new heights.A lofty ranking and Jokics inclusion on sleeper lists throughout the industry propelled an average draft position of 49th overall in ESPN drafts this fall. The results so far this season, however, have been disappointing. Jokic is averaging just 23 minutes per game -- only a slight bump from his rookie rate of 21.7 minutes, and well shy of the exposure we expected and projected this season.Its still early, so we should hold firm to shares of Jokic. The talent is still very real, even if the opportunity to capitalize has yet to materialize. There is a breakout brewing in Denver, though.It just happens to be with another member of the Nuggets frontcourt. Center Jusuf Nurkic?ranks eighth in the NBA in rebounding chances per game with 18.4 (chances are defined as being within 3.5 feet of ?an available board). This rich rate is higher than the likes of Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin and DeMarcus Cousins.Tied for sixth in blocks and in the top 15 in rebounds per game, Nurkic is thriving thanks to 28.4 minutes per game, a sizable leap from the 17.1 minutes he averaged last season for the Nuggets. Nurkic is still available in nearly a quarter of ESPN leagues as a free agent and can likely still be acquired at a relatively inexpensive price in trade talks. With a high floor developing based on steady minutes and rewarding rebounding opportunities, and playing for a team that ranks fifth in the league in pace (104.1 possessions per 48 minutes), Nurkic appears to be the breakout asset we envisioned Jokic would become.Since Nurkic is likely rostered in most competitive fantasy leagues by this point, Ill also endorse the Suns Tyson Chandler as another potential elite rebounding resource. Owned in just shy of 25 percent of ESPN leagues as of Friday afternoon, Chandler ranks third in the NBA in rebounds per game. Hes also third in the league with 22.2 rebounding chances per game. The Suns are even faster than the Nuggets, as they rank third in the league in pace (104.6), so we can expect this rich opportunity rate on the glass to continue for the under-the-radar veteran.Access the downloadable forecaster chart PDF hereMatchup ratings are based on a scale from 1 (poor matchup) to 10 (excellent matchup). These are calculated using a formula that evaluates the teams year-to-date and past 10 games statistics, their opponents numbers in those categories and their performance in home/road games depending on where the game is to be played. The column to the left lists the teams total number of games scheduled, as well as home games, and lists the overall rating from 1-10 for that teams weekly schedule.Ratings roundupNot that they need much help to produce prolific box scores, but the Warriors are in a great position for the coming week with three of their four games at home and with all of their opponents proving friendly in regards to pace and defensive rating. We have to like the Trail Blazers schedule, as well, as they play a series of up-tempo Western foes. The Pacers have struggled a bit with their new-look roster and scheme, although its inviting to consiider two matchups with the 76ers on the week.ddddddddddddAs for tougher setups during the upcoming slate, shares of the Mavericks and Bucks are troubling in weekly formats given they play just two games apiece. If you have heavy shares of either team, it makes sense to supplement them with some of the teams with full weekend schedules, such as the Suns, Timberwolves and Nuggets.Driving SuccessI like to look at drives per game as an indicator of players with a rewarding and ball-dominant role. We see superstars like Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard ranked first and second in drives per game, for example. A quick look at the early-season drive rates has the name?Dion Waiters?jumping out at us. The Heat guard ranks tenth in the league in drives per game.With nearly 36 minutes per game and freedom to crash the lane in the wake of?Dwyane Wades departure, Waiters has become a helpful utility player for fantasy purposes so far this season. Even if efficiency escapes his game -- hes shooting only 36.5 percent from the field --13 field goals per game and 10.8 drives helps fuel his fantasy value.I ?also like the Mavericks J.J. Barea, ranked fifth in the league and just behind the Rockets James Harden, with 12 drives per game. As the leader of the Mavericks second unit and a key complementary scoring option, Barea is playing more than 30 minutes per game and can help in steals, assists and 3-pointers this season.Elite EfficiencyThe Warriors Kevin Durant has always proven to be productive on a per-touch basis. This season, Durant ranks fourth in the league with .533 points per touch. Its encouraging to see Minnesotas Andrew Wiggins become a per-touch peer of Durants, as hes leading the league with .568 points per touch. This efficiency has been achieved via the combination of his strong free throw rate -- Wiggins ranks 12th overall in total attempts from the stripe -- and some awesome post metrics. Wiggins is averaging a very big-man-like 1.57 points per touch in the post.Among other efficient starts to the season, the Sacramento Kings Rudy Gay ranks 11th with .431 points per touch. A recent roundtable of ESPN NBA Insiders praised Gays great start to the season. Tom Haberstroh noted that Gay has proven more active defensively (six blocks) than usual and getting to the line twice as often as he did last season.The Suns?TJ Warren?is also enjoying a proficient rate of .415 points per touch, good for 15th in the league. Warren is among the most surprising early breakout candidates and is still available in more than 30 percent of ESPN leagues. Averaging 36 minutes and given rare offensive freedom for the up-tempo Suns, Warren could actually sustain his current pace for around 20 points per game this season.Touch TrendsThe 76ers Sergio Rodriguez is third in the NBA in frontcourt touches per game, behind only the Celtics Isaiah Thomas and Thunders Westbrook. As long as Jerryd Bayless remains sidelined, Rodriguez is a fine resource for dimes and 3-pointers.George Hill has been stellar for the Jazz so far since coming over in a trade this past summer. This success is in part buoyed by Hill averaging 70.2 frontcourt touches per game, 14th in the league and ahead of the likes of ball-dominant assets like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. ' ' '