NOTE: We’ll get back into the swing of things more with the bye this weekend. I figured I wanted to take advantage of the down time with the weekend getaway. We’ll be adding some video and audio interviews from Stephen Cook soon.
The big weekend approaches
Just an FYI, we do have further confirmation of Baylor jumping back into it with Houston Westside defensive tackle and former commit Jordan Elliott. Elliot told our Michigan Rivals colleagues that he’s looking at taking a visit to Baylor for the Nov. 14 game against Oklahoma.
Obviously, Elliott’s recruitment has been all over the place with him committing and then de-committing from Houston, making overtures about favoring USC and then visiting Texas for a game. So this recruitment could go anywhere. But it may be volatile enough to where Elliott returns to the Bears.
Sachse Rivals 100 prospect Devin Duvernay said earlier in the week that he may also take a visit to Baylor for the Oklahoma game. But don’t look for any commitment decision to come from him until possibly January. Again, Baylor appears to have the lead for him, even though he had a good official visit to Oklahoma last week.
As you can tell and as we have mentioned, the Nov. 14 weekend is setting up to be a huge weekend for visitors – both official and unofficial.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Miller’s title
Frisco Lone Star, home of Baylor safety commit Chris Miller, clinched at least a share of the 9-5A championship when it knocked off Frisco Independence, 55-14. It’s the first football championship in Lone Star (9-1, 7-1) history. Lone Star had a school-best 8-0 start before it lost to Frisco last week. The Rangers have their bye next week before they begin the playoffs Nov. 12-14.
“It’s a great feeling,’’ Miller said. “We put a lot of hard work into it. We are the No. 1 team going to the playoffs.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Odds and ends
>As expected, Daingerfield athlete Denzel Mims (concussion) was held out of Friday’s 8-0 loss a Redwater. He is expected to return for the finale next week against New Boston.
>Spring NT Bravvion Roy returns from a three-game suspension on Saturday afternoon at Klein Collins. Roy was involved in a fight at the end of the Oct. 3 forfeit to Spring Westfield. “Most definitely it will feel great to get back out there,’’ Roy said. “I’m not doing something stupid like that again.’’
>At 2,775 yards, Grandview QB Zach Smith should break the signature 3,000-yard mark next when the Zebras close the regular season Nov. 6 at Whitney. Grandview had a bye this week and has clinched a postseason berth and at least a share of the Class 9-3A D1 championship.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball notables
>Baylor is looking at finalizing an official visit for one-time commit Kobie Eubanks for Nov. 13. Eubanks has been successful getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Eubanks committed to Baylor for the 2014 class before it was learned he had not qualified. He went to Elev8 in Florida to meet the final criteria. If this visit occurs and goes well, there is the hope that the two parties will re-unite. Eubanks would be eligible immediately and join any team at mid-semester. In Baylor’s case, that would be Dec. 16.
>The basketball team flew to Salt Lake City Friday and is scheduled to play Gonzaga in one of those hush-hush scrimmages on Saturday. It is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am local time and will be played at the Utah Jazz practice facility. Obviously, that helps that former Baylor basketball standout Dennis Lindsey, whose son Jake is with the program, is the Jazz GM. The format calls for two halves followed by a 10-minute period. Last year, Baylor played SMU at the Ferrell Center.
>No official visits are expected this weekend and potentially not next weekend. The signing period begins on Nov. 11. At this point, it appears that Baylor could sign only two in Mark Vital and Nuni Omot.
>There’s been a lot of optimism over junior guard/small forward Ish Wainwright’s camp. He’s dropped about 15 pounds and is at 228. The coaching staff is counting on him to be the one who does the dirty work by going for loose balls, collecting rebounds, setting screens and setting up outlet passes. His play will not be reflected in his scoring.
>Hearing good things about senior forward Taurean Prince’s camp. Sounds like his repertoire to score may find another level this year.
>Don’t look for guards Lester Medford, Al Freeman and King McClure to be on the floor at the time this year unless there was something drastically needed. For the freshman McClure (heart condition) he has full clearance. Center Jo Acuil (heart condition) won't be re-evaluated until after Thanksgiving.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the games for Saturday, Oct. 31. All times are central. Television listings are included. Baylor and Kansas State have byes.
No. 3/5 TCU 40 (8-0, 5-0) 40, West Virginia (3-4, 0-4) 10: On Thursday at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TCU quarterback and Heisman Hopeful Trevone Boykin threw for 388 yards and three TDs and rushed for another 84 yards and a score as the Horned Frogs never trailed. TCU’s defensive front seems to be healthy as it held the Mountaineers 327 yards. West Virginia has lost four consecutive games. Both teams were penalized for 100 yards or more.
No. 12/14 Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1) at Kansas (0-7, 0-4), 2:30 p.m. Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS. (FOX Sports 1) – Series – Oklahoma leads, 72-27-6: The Sooners unleashed their running attack against Texas Tech and put up 63 points. The Sooners have scored 55 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since 2011. Kansas has to find little victories in a season that appears to be destined to be winless. The Jayhawks are one of the least penalized teams in the conference.
No. 10/2 Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0) at Texas Tech (5-3, 2-3), 2:30 p.m. AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (ESPN) – Series – Texas Tech leads, 21-18-3: While the Red Raiders hold the series lead, the Cowboys have won the last six meetings. This has a chance to be an upset. However, that’s going to depend on how well the Red Raider offensive line can hold up against Oklahoma State’s defensive front, which is building a nice resume. The Cowboys remain No. 2 in the Big 12 in total defense. Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes must rebound after throwing three interceptions last week at Oklahoma.
Texas (3-4, 2-2) at Iowa State (2-5, 1-3), 6:00 p.m. Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FOX Sports 1) – Series – Texas leads, 11-1: This is Homecoming for Iowa State. This game really depends on how effective Texas’ passing game can be with Jerrod Heard working with Daje Johnson. Jonson returned last week. Texas senior running back Johnathan Gray is coming off his first 100-yard performance last week against Kansas State. Iowa State’s defensive front is coming off a decent performance last week at Baylor. With a new starting QB in sophomore Joel Lanning, the Cyclones will want to establish redshirt freshman RB Mike Warren.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports releases its power rankings. The ratings are determined from what happened in the previous week. Agree or disagree, this is what makes this fun.
1. Baylor – In Jarrett Stidham we trust
2. TCU – It’s not everyday the opposing coach high-fives you during the game
3. Oklahoma State – A heartbroken community must rally once again
4. Oklahoma – The running game no longer MIA?
5. Texas Tech – This is where the conference separation begins
6. Texas – Inching along and trying to get better
7. West Virginia – The brutal part of the schedule is over
8. Kansas State – Wildcats can rebound but Baylor awaits
9. Iowa State – A change in OC and a change in QB
10. Kansas – Recruiting has to help change this program
Emptying the Notebook
>Baylor QB Seth Russell did have successful surgery on his neck on Friday. He is expected to miss six months. His status for spring football 2016 appears doubtful. An examination earlier in the week revealed damage to cervical vertebra. Those are vertebra directly below the skull
>Nothing new as far as Baylor’s non-conference scheduling is concerned. At this point, there doesn’t appear that there will be any changes from 2016-2019. The 2020 potential opener – that could shift into another weekend of September – against a SEC remains in play. Arkansas still may be the leader but there are other options.
-SicEmSports
The big weekend approaches
Just an FYI, we do have further confirmation of Baylor jumping back into it with Houston Westside defensive tackle and former commit Jordan Elliott. Elliot told our Michigan Rivals colleagues that he’s looking at taking a visit to Baylor for the Nov. 14 game against Oklahoma.
Obviously, Elliott’s recruitment has been all over the place with him committing and then de-committing from Houston, making overtures about favoring USC and then visiting Texas for a game. So this recruitment could go anywhere. But it may be volatile enough to where Elliott returns to the Bears.
Sachse Rivals 100 prospect Devin Duvernay said earlier in the week that he may also take a visit to Baylor for the Oklahoma game. But don’t look for any commitment decision to come from him until possibly January. Again, Baylor appears to have the lead for him, even though he had a good official visit to Oklahoma last week.
As you can tell and as we have mentioned, the Nov. 14 weekend is setting up to be a huge weekend for visitors – both official and unofficial.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Miller’s title
Frisco Lone Star, home of Baylor safety commit Chris Miller, clinched at least a share of the 9-5A championship when it knocked off Frisco Independence, 55-14. It’s the first football championship in Lone Star (9-1, 7-1) history. Lone Star had a school-best 8-0 start before it lost to Frisco last week. The Rangers have their bye next week before they begin the playoffs Nov. 12-14.
“It’s a great feeling,’’ Miller said. “We put a lot of hard work into it. We are the No. 1 team going to the playoffs.’’
-Kevin Lonnquist
Odds and ends
>As expected, Daingerfield athlete Denzel Mims (concussion) was held out of Friday’s 8-0 loss a Redwater. He is expected to return for the finale next week against New Boston.
>Spring NT Bravvion Roy returns from a three-game suspension on Saturday afternoon at Klein Collins. Roy was involved in a fight at the end of the Oct. 3 forfeit to Spring Westfield. “Most definitely it will feel great to get back out there,’’ Roy said. “I’m not doing something stupid like that again.’’
>At 2,775 yards, Grandview QB Zach Smith should break the signature 3,000-yard mark next when the Zebras close the regular season Nov. 6 at Whitney. Grandview had a bye this week and has clinched a postseason berth and at least a share of the Class 9-3A D1 championship.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Basketball notables
>Baylor is looking at finalizing an official visit for one-time commit Kobie Eubanks for Nov. 13. Eubanks has been successful getting through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Eubanks committed to Baylor for the 2014 class before it was learned he had not qualified. He went to Elev8 in Florida to meet the final criteria. If this visit occurs and goes well, there is the hope that the two parties will re-unite. Eubanks would be eligible immediately and join any team at mid-semester. In Baylor’s case, that would be Dec. 16.
>The basketball team flew to Salt Lake City Friday and is scheduled to play Gonzaga in one of those hush-hush scrimmages on Saturday. It is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am local time and will be played at the Utah Jazz practice facility. Obviously, that helps that former Baylor basketball standout Dennis Lindsey, whose son Jake is with the program, is the Jazz GM. The format calls for two halves followed by a 10-minute period. Last year, Baylor played SMU at the Ferrell Center.
>No official visits are expected this weekend and potentially not next weekend. The signing period begins on Nov. 11. At this point, it appears that Baylor could sign only two in Mark Vital and Nuni Omot.
>There’s been a lot of optimism over junior guard/small forward Ish Wainwright’s camp. He’s dropped about 15 pounds and is at 228. The coaching staff is counting on him to be the one who does the dirty work by going for loose balls, collecting rebounds, setting screens and setting up outlet passes. His play will not be reflected in his scoring.
>Hearing good things about senior forward Taurean Prince’s camp. Sounds like his repertoire to score may find another level this year.
>Don’t look for guards Lester Medford, Al Freeman and King McClure to be on the floor at the time this year unless there was something drastically needed. For the freshman McClure (heart condition) he has full clearance. Center Jo Acuil (heart condition) won't be re-evaluated until after Thanksgiving.
-Kevin Lonnquist
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the games for Saturday, Oct. 31. All times are central. Television listings are included. Baylor and Kansas State have byes.
No. 3/5 TCU 40 (8-0, 5-0) 40, West Virginia (3-4, 0-4) 10: On Thursday at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TCU quarterback and Heisman Hopeful Trevone Boykin threw for 388 yards and three TDs and rushed for another 84 yards and a score as the Horned Frogs never trailed. TCU’s defensive front seems to be healthy as it held the Mountaineers 327 yards. West Virginia has lost four consecutive games. Both teams were penalized for 100 yards or more.
No. 12/14 Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1) at Kansas (0-7, 0-4), 2:30 p.m. Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS. (FOX Sports 1) – Series – Oklahoma leads, 72-27-6: The Sooners unleashed their running attack against Texas Tech and put up 63 points. The Sooners have scored 55 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since 2011. Kansas has to find little victories in a season that appears to be destined to be winless. The Jayhawks are one of the least penalized teams in the conference.
No. 10/2 Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0) at Texas Tech (5-3, 2-3), 2:30 p.m. AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (ESPN) – Series – Texas Tech leads, 21-18-3: While the Red Raiders hold the series lead, the Cowboys have won the last six meetings. This has a chance to be an upset. However, that’s going to depend on how well the Red Raider offensive line can hold up against Oklahoma State’s defensive front, which is building a nice resume. The Cowboys remain No. 2 in the Big 12 in total defense. Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes must rebound after throwing three interceptions last week at Oklahoma.
Texas (3-4, 2-2) at Iowa State (2-5, 1-3), 6:00 p.m. Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA (FOX Sports 1) – Series – Texas leads, 11-1: This is Homecoming for Iowa State. This game really depends on how effective Texas’ passing game can be with Jerrod Heard working with Daje Johnson. Jonson returned last week. Texas senior running back Johnathan Gray is coming off his first 100-yard performance last week against Kansas State. Iowa State’s defensive front is coming off a decent performance last week at Baylor. With a new starting QB in sophomore Joel Lanning, the Cyclones will want to establish redshirt freshman RB Mike Warren.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports releases its power rankings. The ratings are determined from what happened in the previous week. Agree or disagree, this is what makes this fun.
1. Baylor – In Jarrett Stidham we trust
2. TCU – It’s not everyday the opposing coach high-fives you during the game
3. Oklahoma State – A heartbroken community must rally once again
4. Oklahoma – The running game no longer MIA?
5. Texas Tech – This is where the conference separation begins
6. Texas – Inching along and trying to get better
7. West Virginia – The brutal part of the schedule is over
8. Kansas State – Wildcats can rebound but Baylor awaits
9. Iowa State – A change in OC and a change in QB
10. Kansas – Recruiting has to help change this program
Emptying the Notebook
>Baylor QB Seth Russell did have successful surgery on his neck on Friday. He is expected to miss six months. His status for spring football 2016 appears doubtful. An examination earlier in the week revealed damage to cervical vertebra. Those are vertebra directly below the skull
>Nothing new as far as Baylor’s non-conference scheduling is concerned. At this point, there doesn’t appear that there will be any changes from 2016-2019. The 2020 potential opener – that could shift into another weekend of September – against a SEC remains in play. Arkansas still may be the leader but there are other options.
-SicEmSports
