Episode 47: AP's Adam Suderman

Adam Suderman, student correspondent for the Associated Press, joined KSUEMAW! and I this week to share what he's seen from Marcus Foster. Obviously, K-State is better off with its star shooting guard, but there are still many questions about how he'll do going forward. Adam says Nino Williams and Thomas Gipson remain the best options for veteran leadership, and he makes the case for Nigel Johnson over Jevon Thomas at point guard.

Finally, we took a quick look at Bill Snyder's most recent signing class, one that is surprisingly heavy on freshman and low on junior college transfers. Adam expects Joe Hubener to start under center next season, but Alex Delton could be in the mix.

You can find Adam's work on just about any national website covering college basketball, and follow him on Twitter at @adamsuderman.

Episode 46: 247sports Big 12 Editor Kevin Flaherty

Bruce Weber and the Wildcats can't afford to overlook Tuesday's home test against West Virginia, but we sure can and did on this week's podcast. 247sports Big 12 editor and contributor to Kansas blog TheShiver joins KSUEMAW! and I to explain why point guard Frank Mason III has been KU's best player and the leader of a strong backcourt often asked to cover up some weaknesses in the post. Kevin's also got some good news for Nino Williams about Perry Ellis' defense, or lack thereof.

The podcast runs a little long when we dive into a perplexing column by The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel claiming Kansas' dominance is a sign the Big 12 isn't very good, even this season. Finally, we try to figure out why the conference has struggled in postseason play and Kevin gives us the lone reasonable scenario in which Bill Self might actually leave Lawrence anytime soon.

Be sure to check out Kevin's work at 247sports and follow him on Twitter at @KFlaherty247.

Episode 45: Kyle Porter of Pistols Firing Blog

Oklahoma State travels to Manhattan Saturday, so Kyle Porter of the excellent Pistols Firing Blog joined Bracket and I to break down a critical game for both teams. Even though Phil Forte and Le'Bryan Nash are both among the league's top three scorers with more than 17 points per game, Kyle says additional offense has been a recurring problem for the Cowboys. They're also looking for some rebounding help, which could be good news for a Kansas State team that has had issues of its own on the glass.

Of course, we also spent some time talking about Travis Ford's persona, his coaching abilities, and even his future at Oklahoma State. Finally, Kyle addressed a big question no one seems to want to mention in the Big 12: Can it really be one of the best leagues ever without a single elite team?

Be sure to check out Kyle's blog and give him a follow on Twitter at @pistolsguy.

Episode 44: Matt Wilson of Bears Illustrated

Former Our Daily Bears writer Matt Wilson, now with Bears Illustrated helps bring the podcast back from hiatus, along with co-host Bracket Cat. The Bears look like a dangerous team after Wednesday night's big win over Iowa State, and you can hear Matt's live reaction to Kenny Chery's big game-winning shot. He's also quite enthusiastic about the emergence of Rico Gathers, Baylor's solid defense, and believe it or not, Scott Drew.

Stick around until the end and you can hear Matt's thoughts on our most pressing questions: Who is Baylor's most hateable player now that Brady Heslip is gone and what the hell happened at the Cotton Bowl? One of these questions did not make Matt especially happy.

But he was still a good sport, so make sure to go read his stuff and don't forget to follow his prolific and highly entertaining Twitter, @mattisbear.

Episode 43: SB Nation's Ryan Rosenblatt

The Alamo Bowl edition of the podcast features the insights of Ryan Rosenblatt, SB Nation's esteemed and entertaining soccer editor who also happens to live in Los Angeles and know quite a bit about UCLA football. He's impressed with the team's efforts in coach Jim Mora's first three seasons, but he also knows there's a lot more work to be done to meet the expectations of everyone from the coaching staff to the fanbase. This is certainly a program on the rise, and Ryan says beating Kansas State to give the Bruins their second 10-win season in three years would be an important step forward.

Neither Ryan nor anyone else could tell us exactly why UCLA's offense can be unstoppable (ask Arizona State) or erratic (see: games vs. Virginia, Stanford), why their pass protection can be strong or nearly useless or why sometimes running quarterbacks like Jake Waters can find success. But we still learned a lot about great players like record-setting quarterback Brett Hundley and Butkus Award winner Eric Kendricks, as well as several others who you'll probably see playing on Sundays soon.

You can follow Ryan on Twitter at @RyanRosenblatt for all of his takes on soccer, college football and sometimes other things.

Episode 42: Bring on the Podcast with Derek Smith

Junction City Daily Union sports editor Derek Smith makes his triumphant return to Bring on the Cats to join us in this week's podcast, but to be honest, you guys, he doesn't seem that sad to be covering K-State for real instead of just blogging about them from his mom's basement. Weird, right? Anyway, Derek and BracketCat offer some solid insights as to why you should appreciate this team — and especially Jake Waters — more than you probably do, and just what went wrong to prevent them from winning another Big 12 title.

We also take a look around the Big 12 and discuss the possible beginnings of a dynasty at Baylor, how TCU got so far ahead of schedule, how long it might take Charlie Strong to get Texas back to being Texas, what Tyreek Hill's huge punt return means in Norman and Stillwater, why Paul Rhoads still has a job, and LOLKU. There's also a bit of an Alamo Bowl Preview in there somewhere, but come back later for a much more in-depth look, ideally with someone who has UCLA expertise.

In case you're new here, don't forget to follow Derek Smith on Twitter at @dereksmith and you can also read his work (subscription required) at the Junction City Daily Union's website.

Note: This podcast was required Wednesday night, which is relevant to some of the discussions regarding All-Big 12 teams, some college basketball scores and probably a few other things.

Episode 41: Bring on the Podcast with Matt Wilson of Bears Illustrated

Even though he abandoned the good folks at Our Daily Bears, we still invited Matt Wilson (formerly MattisBear, now of Bears Illustrated on the Scout network) back on the podcast to join KSUEMAW! and I to preview this Saturday's Top 10 showdown between Kansas State and Baylor. Anyone who has ever heard our shows with Matt before won't be surprised we took some time to talk about McLane Stadium and Twitter (sorry, Mrs. Wilson) before finally getting to important things such as Bryce Petty's status and what the Bears' offense might look like without their star quarterback.

Matt confirms we should expect a high-scoring game unless Kansas State's safeties can step up in a big way or Baylor improves enough to stop Jake Waters running the football and throwing the ball to Tyler Lockett. Finally, we circle back to Baylor Twitter to air our grievances about the Baylor-TCU College Football Playoff ranking debate, one that should change drastically this weekend, no matter the result in this game or others across the country.

Be sure to follow Matt on Twitter at @mattisbear and check out his stuff on Bears Illustrated if you're looking for info on the latest high school kids headed to Waco. We're still hoping to one day put together a pickup basketball game between Bring on the Cats and Our Daily Bears, so please feel free to choose among the staffers and leave your lineup ideas in the comments. One rule: Matt and I must be starting point guards, which is obviously a battle I would dominate with my 5-inch height advantage.