I have some advice for Kansas State basketball Bruce Weber. Get Dean Wade the ball. Make sure Dean Wade gets his shots. Tell the other players on the team Dean Wade is the best player on the floor. Did I mention he should tell the other players on the team that Dean Wade is the best player on the floor.
You see, while I may not be the smartest dog in the pound, I do know that the best player on the team should have the ball often during the most important stretches of the game.
In Kansas State’s most recent loss to TCU, Dean Wade took his last shot from the field with 7:35 left in the game. On that play he made a nice spin move and hit a reverse layup. He added two free throws with 5:05 left after being fouled on a shot attempt to give K-State a 54-53 lead. That gave the St. John native 24 points.
During the final five minutes, K-State had 11 possessions. Dean Wade touched the ball inside of 25 feet a total of two times. On six of those 11 possessions, the Wildcats guard trio of Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes, and Cartier Diarra dribbled around and never even passed the ball once. Four of those ended in a turnover and the other two were missed shots.
Kansas State scored five points in those final five minutes. Perhaps Coach Weber has told the guards to make sure Wade touches it. I don’t know. But I would start benching players until they figured it out.
Those three need to know none of them is the best K-State player when Wade is on the floor. Period.
So as a Kansas Jayhawk fan, I offer this advice to Coach Weber - tell all players not named Dean Wade they are not the best player on the team.
Prep Thoughts
Good luck to Mike Perry and the Great Bend bowling teams. The Panthers boys have a legit shot at a 5A state title Friday in Wichita. The boys won the title in 2013. Behind the bowling of the twice named top bowler in the WAC, junior Jordan Black and senior Kameron Keener, the Panthers have the experience. Throw in freshmen sensations Bryce Moore and Corbin Stanley as well as underclassmen Dalton Dicks and AJ Roberts and the Panthers have the depth.
Bring home a state title boys.
The girls are the defending state champions, but graduation took some key pieces. The team did not qualify but senior Jordan Vsetecka and sophomore Lexy Fox did make it as individuals. Hopefully they can bring back a couple medals. I would also like to give out a big congratulations to Isaac Panzer and Steve Beaumont. Panzer was tabbed Swimmer of the Year and Beaumont Coach of the Year in the WAC. Nice work fellas.
Former Barton Athlete/Coach update
We’ve been following the season of former Barton men’s basketball coach Steve Forbes and his East Tennessee State Bucs. The Bucs have stumbled some of late, losing three straight to finish runner-up in the Southern Conference. Forbes and his ETSU team will need to win the SoCon tournament this weekend to make the Big Dance. East Tennessee will play Saturday at 5 pm on ESPN3. Sunday’s semifinal will also be on ESPN3 at 5:30 pm while the title game will be on ESPN2 at 8 pm, Monday.
But Coach Forbes isn’t the only ex-Cougar heading up a D-I team this season. Former Barton assistant Jack Owens took over the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks this season. He guided them to a 15-15 record and a third place finish in the Eastern half of the Mid-American Conference.
Buffalo and Toledo are the favorites in the MAC post season tournament, but don’t count out the RedHawks. Miami beat Buffalo in the last couple weeks of the season. The tournament will get started Monday with the championship set for Saturday, March 10.
And Finally
There are a lot of happy squirrels up in Glen Elder. At least on North Hobart Street in God’s Country. My father is making sure of this.
You see my dad, Jack, likes to keep busy. He is retired now. So keeping busy means doing things around the house. He has always been this way. For years he had a dirt construction business, which meant winter months weren’t too busy. So, he did things around the house.
One winter I remember he made my St. Bernard, Smokey, a dog feeder. You could dump a 30-pound bag of dog food in it and not have to worry about feeding the dog for days. Only problem was Smokey just kept eating the food. He didn’t care know how to conserve very well. He just ate and ate and ate. So, that didn’t work out so well.
But right now there are several happy squirrels. You see my father has been making squirrel feeders. Little houses and ledges filled with corn for the squirrels to snack on.
They are quite eye-catching. Kansas Jayhawk themed. Last time I was in Glen Elder there were about six of them in the back yard. I’ve been told there are more now and bird houses are being added as well.
At one point the last time I was back I counted double digit squirrels dining. You know word has spread quickly throughout the squirrel community in Glen Elder. Five star accommodations. Great scenery and quality food. Resort type stuff for the squirrels.
There hasn’t not been a sighting of such famous squirrels as Rocky or Scrat yet, but my mother is on the lookout for them. Perhaps that squirrel that water skis will make an appearance. After all, Waconda Lake is just over the hill. A little skiing in the afternoon and a stay-over at the Marzolf’s Squirrel Resort would be a wonderful get away.
I do know there certainly isn’t anything corny about that.

Mike Marzolf is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at MarzolfM@bartonccc.edu.