MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State knew there would be some growing pains last season, especially after coach Bruce Weber essentially cleaned house and brought in eight newcomers.There is no such excuse this season.The Wildcats bring back the bulk of their scoring and rebounding from a team that still managed to go 17-16 and beat then-No. 1 Oklahoma, including all those freshmen and transfers who had no choice but to learn on the job. They also added a talented recruiting class to fill some critical holes.The result is a team that, at least on paper, could be the best that Weber has had since going 27-8 and earning a share of the Big 12 championship in his debut five years ago.We were probably three or four possessions away from being in the NCAA tournament (last year), Weber said, but we didnt get there. Now after a year of experience, a trip to Europe, adding a couple guys, you hope all that adds up to having success.There have been a couple of departures, of course. Big man Stephen Hurt and veteran scorer Justin Edwards graduated, Brandon Bolden retired due to an injury and Ron Freeman transferred.Meanwhile, the recruiting class that Weber lured to Manhattan may be one of his best, headlined by four-star prospect Xavier Sneed from St. Louis. The 6-foot-5 scoring machine should carve a place in the regular rotation by the season opener against Western Illinois. Fellow freshmen Cartier Diarra and James Love could also earn early playing time.D.J. (Johnson) and I need to lead the young guys and be that big help for them, said senior forward Wesley Iwundu, the top returning scorer. Were just ready to go out there and show everybody what we can do, and just kind of get to it this year.As the Wildcats get ready for the season, here are the major story lines to watch:DEANS PROGRESSDean Wade was the top prep player in Kansas before arriving at Kansas State, but it was a big jump from his tiny high school to the Big 12. The 6-10 Wade, listed at 225 pounds, spent the offseason putting on muscle, but his biggest leap may come in his confidence. Ive been working on getting my mindset right, Wade said. This year I feel like its all coming a lot easier for me.STOKES IS BACKKamau Stokes had his promising freshman season shortchanged by a knee injury that required surgery. He was averaging more than nine points through the first 21 games. We have to be careful with him, Weber said. Mentally he has to go through the fear factor. We obviously need him and we just got to be patient with him but he also has to work at it to get that knee back.EXPERIENCEStokes and Wade arent the only ones who got their first taste of Division I hoops last year. Barry Brown played nearly 26 minutes a game, while Carlbe Ervin II provided some valuable minutes in the backcourt after transferring from an Oklahoma junior college. There has been so much roster turnover at Kansas State that Iwundu could best be described as a survivor. The versatile forward has played important minutes since his freshman season, and has already appeared in 97 games for the Wildcats.POST PRESENCEWade and Johnson area somewhat undersized post players, so finding big bodies to take the place of Hurt will be important. The 6-10 Love and 6-11 redshirt freshman Isiah Maurice could need to step up despite their inexperience.SCHEDULE SITUATIONMost of the Wildcats non-conference games are winnable, including games against Washington State, Colorado State and Boston College. Their toughest test could be if they meet Maryland at the Barclays Center Classic in late November.Im very confident, Ervin said. We have more depth and right now an eight-player rotation. We got a lot of people that know what they are doing now. And experience, D.J. is really, really healthy and Wes is shooting the ball well. Everything is going well right now. Hydro Flask Coffee 16 Oz .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Hydro Flask Coffee Mug . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. http://www.hydroflaskcoffeesale.com/hydro-flask-wide-mouth.html . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Hydro Flask 18 Oz Wide Mouth . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Wide Mouth . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Seton Hall no longer has star Isaiah Whitehead to lean on.The Pirates have depth and balance though -- and that was enough for them to pass their first road test of 2016-17.Myles Powell scored 26 points off the bench, Desi Rodriguez had 25 and Seton Hall beat Iowa 91-83 on Thursday night.Khadeen Carrington added 20 points for the Pirates (3-0), who shot 51 percent from the floor with eight 3s and outscored the Hawkeyes 50-24 in the paint.Our team will be much more balanced this year, said Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard after Whitehead left for the NBA.Powell buried a 3 and followed by a layup to put Seton Hall up 82-74 with 3:15 to go -- and then drilled another long 3 to make it a 10-point game a minute later. Rodriguez followed with a 3 that sent the fans to the exits.Iowa made a few late 3s to make it close before falling for the first time in 2016-17.Senior Peter Jok had 30 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and freshman Tyler Cook scored a career-high 24 points for the Hawkeyes (2-1).I would have liked to have seen us play better defense over the duration, especially in the second half. We tried defenses, we changed defenses; press, we went to zone. We just didnt perform to the level thats necessary, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said.BIG PICTURESeton Hall: The Pirates should be a factor in the Big East. They started five upperclassmen who were unfazed by their first road game -- although a 9 p.m. ET tip-off time on a week night kept the crowd down a bit. Seton Hall forced Iowa to commit 17 turnovers.Iowa: Win or lose, a matchup against a tough, veteran team halfway through November was exactly what the Hawkeyes needed.ddddddddddddMcCaffery is still trying to find a rotation that can win in the Big Ten, using 11 players in the first half alone. But it looks like Jok has found a more than capable sidekick in Cook, who can seemingly do everything but knock down free throws.NOT-SO FREE THROWSCook was a mess at the free-throw line, going just 5 of 12. But neither team could covert its freebies, as Seton Hall was 17 of 31 and Iowa was 19 of 32.SMOKE SHOWIowa brought out two sets of pyrotechnics during its player introductions. The smoke lingered in the air for roughly half of the first half. But Iowas other new wrinkles, including a new court, lighting and a massive new scoreboard over center court, has vastly improved the game-day experience at Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- which had begun to show its age until recent renovations.HE SAID ITTheres not a time where he shoots the ball where I think its not going in. He plays with a lot of confidence. He plays like I think all kids should play, just having fun, Willard said of Powell.UP NEXTSeton Halls schedule doesnt let up much. The Pirates play Florida next Thursday and, if they win, likely Gonzaga on Thanksgiving.Iowa gets another cupcake in Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Sunday. But the Hawkeyes will face No. 8 Virginia next Friday in Florida.---More college basketball at www.collegebasketball.ap.org Camo China NFL Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap NFL Gear Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '