Security Problem Takes Down Computer Systems for Almost All Kansas Courts
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Multiple computer systems for almost all of Kansas’ courts have been offline for five days because of what officials call a “security incident." The problem has prevented courts in 104 of the state's 105 counties from accepting electronic filings and has blocked public access to many of their records. A judicial branch spokesperson said Tuesday that officials still don’t know the extent of the problem or how long the computer systems will remain offline. The problem doesn't affect Johnson County in the Kansas City area, but the courts in all other counties must take paper filings or filings by mail or fax.
(–Related–)
Some Child Support Payments Delayed Due to Kansas Court Security Breach
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Some child support payments will be delayed because of a security breach in the Kansas court system. The Kansas News Service reports that the breach happened last week. Court staff are calling it a security issue, and say that it knocked out many online systems. Kansas courts have been taking filings on paper and by fax. That’s now slowing down child support cases. Court hearings and new child support payment orders are delayed. Cases that were filed before October 9 will proceed normally. The problems are not affecting Johnson County, which uses a separate online system.
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Explosion in Southwest Kansas Kills Mom, Dad and Toddler
BUCKLIN, Kan. (Wichita Eagle) - We're learning more about a fatal weekend explosion in southwest Kansas. The Wichita Eagle reports that an explosion inside a business in Bucklin killed three people - a mom, dad and toddler. State and local officials are still investigating Saturday's explosion inside a hair salon. The victims have been identified as 26-year-old Jerry Isakson, 29-year-old Robyn Hamilton and 19-month-old Stormy Isakson, all from Dodge City. Isakson and Hamilton were the parents of the 19-month-old child. Another person, 26-year-old Christian Stimpert, of Bucklin, was taken to a hospital in Dodge City for treatment of burns. It's still not known what caused the explosion. The commercial building was in the process of being remodeled when the explosion occurred. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating, but authorities believe the explosion was accidental.
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2 Corrections Employees Fired, 6 Disciplined, in Inmate Injury Case
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas prison system has fired two employees and disciplined six for mocking an injured inmate and refusing to help. The Kansas News Service reports that Topeka Correctional Facility inmate Elizabeth Wince fell and hurt herself, but was denied treatment by staff. Days went by without help, and when she tried again to get medical help, Wince was denied again. According to other inmates, Wince was so badly injured she had to crawl back to her cell. Prison officers reportedly laughed at her, saying she was too fat or lazy to walk. Wince eventually spent several weeks at the hospital. Officials with the Kansas Department of Corrections called the officers’ behavior unacceptable. They said prison staff will also receive training to report unethical behavior by fellow employees.
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Topeka Police Investigate City's 31st Homicide of 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Topeka Police Department says that an investigation into a suspicious death over the weekend has now been dubbed the Capital City’s 31st homicide, officially breaking the city’s homicide record set in 2017. According to WIBW TV, first responders were called to a residential neighborhood in southwest Topeka (in the 1600 block of SW 21st Street) Sunday morning. When they arrived, they found an adult with gunshot wounds lying in the front yard of a nearby home. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Ribbon Cutting Held for New Pet Food Plant in Leavenworth County
TONGANOXIE, Kan. (Midwest Newsroom) - Kansas leaders cut the ribbon on a new pet food plant in Tonganoxie this week. About 100 employees will be working at the Hills Pet Nutrition facility, making wet pet food for dogs and cats. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said Hills Pet Nutrition is a welcome addition to the regional economy. The $450 million “smart plant” features automation and advanced technology to handle the entire pet food production process – from ingredient mixing to cooking and container-filling. Hills Pet Nutrition specializes in what it calls science-led-nutrition.
The Midwest Newsroom is a collaboration between NPR member stations in our region.
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Kansas Families Pile Up School Meal Debt
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - More Kansas families are piling up school meal debt following the end of federal COVID subsidies that made all meals free. A new report from the advocacy group Kansas Appleseed shows that student lunch debt in Kansas reached $23.5 million this year. The report looked at district policies regarding lunch debt. About two-thirds of Kansas districts have policies that allow students an alternate meal or snack if they don’t have money in their account. Martha Terhaar, with Kansas Appleseed, says punitive policies cause additional stress for students and families. “It’s still limiting kids’ access to meals and putting a lot of fear around access to food, which should just be a basic necessity," she said. Less than a quarter of school meal debt is ultimately paid off by parents. Districts typically end up covering the shortfall with general funds or donations.
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Goodland School Placed on Temporary Lockdown Monday
GOODLAND, Kan. (KWCH) - The Goodland Junior and Senior High School was placed on temporary lock down Monday morning. The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office said all schools were put on high alert and locked down for a threat made against district staff and the high school. KWCH TV reports a suspect was later located and taken into custody.
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KCK Man Reportedly Driving 94 MPH in Crash that Killed Girlfriend and Daughter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Investigators say a Kansas City, Kansas, man facing charges in a deadly weekend crash was driving as fast as 94 miles per hour when he crashed his vehicle, killing his girlfriend and 2-year-old daughter. Police say the driver's SUV ran a red light, clipped another vehicle and flipped over several times Saturday afternoon at the intersection of I-435 and Bannister Road. On Monday, prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri, charged 25-year-old Derrius L. Tolson with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. WDAF TV reports the man's girlfriend and daughter died at the scene. Prosecutors believe Tolson was either racing or chasing the driver of another vehicle at the time of the crash. He’s being held on a $100,000 bond.
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Olathe Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction in January 6 Attack on Capitol
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Proud Boys member who joined others from the far-right group in attacking the U.S. Capitol pleaded guilty on Monday to obstructing the joint session of Congress for certifying Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.
Prosecutors say 49-year=old William Chrestman, of Olathe, also pleaded guilty to threatening to assault a federal officer during the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2023. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly is scheduled to sentence Chrestman for his two felony convictions on January 12.
Chrestman brought an axe handle, gas mask, helmet and other tactical gear when he traveled to Washington, D.C., with other Proud Boys members from the Kansas City, Kansas, area, On January 6, he marched to the Capitol grounds with dozens of other Proud Boys leaders, members and associates.
Chrestman and other Proud Boys moved past a toppled metal barricade and joined other rioters in front of another police barrier. He shouted a threat at officers and yelled at others in the crowd to stop police from arresting another rioter, according to prosecutors.
Chrestman also pointed his finger at a line of Capitol police officers, gestured at them with his axe handle and threatened to assault them if they fired “pepper ball” rounds at the crowd of rioters, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea.
Chrestman “assumed a de facto leadership role” for the Proud Boys from Kansas City, leading them around the Capitol building and grounds and serving as “the primary coordinator" of their efforts to disrupt police, prosecutors said in a February 2021 court filing. "Encouraging others to do the same, the defendant impeded law enforcement's efforts to protect the Capitol, and aided the armed, hours-long occupation of the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists,” they wrote.
Chrestman was captured on video communicating with Proud Boys chapter leader Ethan Nordean outside the Capitol. A jury convicted Nordean and three other Proud Boys, including former national chairman Enrique Tarrio, of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors said was a plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.
Chrestman, a U.S. Army veteran, has been jailed since his arrest in February 2021. “It's been a long process, your honor,” his attorney, Edward Martin, told the judge. A grand jury indicted Chrestman on six counts, including a conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors said Chrestman may have tried to conceal his participation in the riot by disposing of clothes and gear he wore on January 6 and giving his firearms to somebody else to hold.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered Chrestman to be detained while awaiting trial. Kelly upheld her ruling in July 2021. Chrestman was charged with five other Proud Boys members and associates.
A co-defendant, Ryan Ashlock, was sentenced last November to 70 days of incarceration after pleading guilty to a trespassing charge. Two others, Christopher Kuehne and Louis Enrique Colon, pleaded guilty to civil disorder charges and await separate sentencing hearings. Two co-defendants from Arizona — siblings Felicia Konold and Cory Konold — have change-of-plea hearings set for November 1.
More than 1,100 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 60 of them have been identified as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates.
(–Related–)
Prosecutors to Appeal Length of Prison Sentences for Proud Boys Leaders Convicted of January 6 Plot
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is appealing the length of prison sentences for four Proud Boys leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy in the U.S. Capitol attack, challenging punishments that were significantly shorter than what prosecutors had recommended, according to court filings.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and three lieutenants to prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years after a jury convicted them in May of plotting to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.
Tarrio's 22-year sentence is the longest so far among hundreds of criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, but prosecutors had sought 33 years behind bars for the Miami man.
Attorney Nayib Hassan said in an email that the defense team will review prosecutors' reasoning for appealing the sentencing but is preparing its own appeal and believes it will “prevail on multiple grounds.”
Prosecutors, who made their court filings on Monday, also had recommended sentences of 33 years for former Proud Boys organizer Joseph Biggs, of Ormond Beach, Florida; 30 years for Proud Boys chapter leader Zachary Rehl, of Philadelphia; and 27 years in prison for chapter leader Ethan Nordean, of Auburn, Washington.
Kelly sentenced Nordean to 18 years, Biggs to 17 years and Rehl to 15 years.
Defense attorney Norm Pattis, who represents Biggs and Rehl, said in a text message that the government's appeals are “ridiculous.”
“Merrick Garland needs a new hobby horse," Pattis said of the attorney general, whose Justice Department secured the convictions.
Nicholas Smith, Nordean's attorney, said in an email that his client "is encouraged by the government’s agreement that errors led to the judgment and sentence in his case.”
Prosecutors also are appealing the 10-year sentence for Dominic Pezzola, a Proud Boys member from Rochester, New York. Prosecutors sought 20 years in prison for Pezzola, who was tried alongside the four group leaders. Jurors acquitted Pezzola of seditious conspiracy but convicted him of other serious charges.
The Justice Department already is appealing the 18-year prison sentence for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in a separate Jan. 6 case, as well as the sentences of other members of his anti-government militia group.
Prosecutors had requested 25 years in prison for Rhodes. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him to 18 years.
Also on Monday, a Proud Boys member who joined others from the far-right group in attacking the Capitol pleaded guilty to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying the victory by Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, a Republican. William Chrestman, 49, of Olathe, Kansas, also pleaded guilty to threatening to assault a federal officer during the riot at the Capitol.
Kelly is scheduled to sentence Chrestman for his two felony convictions on Jan. 12. Estimated sentencing guidelines for his case recommended a prison term ranging from four years and three months to five years and three months.
Chrestman had an axe handle, a gas mask, a helmet and other tactical gear when he traveled to Washington, D.C., with other Proud Boys members from the Kansas City, Kansas, area. On Jan. 6, he marched to the Capitol grounds with dozens of other Proud Boys leaders, members and associates.
Chrestman and other Proud Boys moved past a toppled metal barricade and joined other rioters in front of another police barrier. He shouted a threat at officers and yelled at others in the crowd to stop police from arresting another rioter, according to prosecutors.
Facing the crowd, Chrestman shouted, “Whose house is this?”
“Our house!” the crowd replied.
“Do you want your house back?” Chrestman asked.
“Yes!” the crowd responded.
"Take it!" Chrestman yelled.
Chrestman also pointed his finger at a line of Capitol police officers, gestured at them with his axe handle and threatened to assault them if they fired “pepper ball” rounds at the crowd of rioters, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea.
Chrestman, a U.S. Army veteran, has been jailed since his arrest in February 2021.
More than 1,100 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Approximately 60 of them have been identified as Proud Boys leaders, members or associates.
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Child Rights Advocates Ask Why State Left Slain 5-Year-Old Kansas Girl in a Clearly Unstable Home
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Zoey Felix's short life was filled with turbulence. Before the 5-year-old Topeka girl was raped and killed, worried neighbors say they saw her wandering, dirty and hungry. Police were called to her home dozens of times. Teachers raised alarms when she missed preschool. Both parents alleged abuse. Zoey's mom was jailed for a drunken car crash with Zoey in the front seat. State welfare officials were notified.
In September, Zoey and her father moved out, and neighbors believe they began camping in a nearby vacant lot. Weeks later, Zoey was killed — efforts to save her in a gas station parking lot were unsuccessful — and Mickel Cherry, a 25-year-old homeless man, was charged in her death. Public anger over Zoey's October 2 death has focused on her parents. But child advocates are asking why police and the state's embattled Department for Children and Families left the bubbly and curious girl in a dangerous environment. "Our society's collective failure to support and protect Zoey is heartbreaking and unconscionable," said Shakti Belway, executive director at the National Center for Youth Law, which sued the state over problems with its child welfare system.
Cherry is charged with first-degree murder, rape and capital murder, and could face the death penalty. Cherry's attorney, Mark Manna, of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit, has declined to comment. Cherry's family didn't respond to messages. Authorities confirmed that Cherry once lived at the same address as Zoey, but he was homeless when he was arrested. The Associated Press examined dozens of court records and police reports that paint an image of Zoey's chaotic home environment.
Court records show her father had a protection-from-abuse order to keep Zoey's mother away. The mother told the AP in a Facebook message that she was married to Zoey's father but that he had temporary custody. She declined to respond to other questions. "I can't talk to you," she wrote. "I'm sorry."
Neither parent responded to phone messages, and a person who identified herself as a grandmother declined comment. Zoey's father worked at the gas station where rescuers tried to save her life, but its manager and corporate owner also declined comment. Police say their investigation is ongoing, but it's not yet clear that anyone else will be charged. Laura Howard, the top administrator for the Department for Children and Families, described Zoey's case as "tragic" during an October 4 legislative committee hearing, but didn't elaborate. The agency has yet to release any information. "How was that child not removed? It doesn't make any sense," said Mike Fonkert, deputy director of Kansas Appleseed, whose group also sued the state over its child welfare system.
On the block where Zoey had lived, neighbor Shaniqua Bradley said the girl took to calling her mom. Bradley and other neighbors said Zoey sometimes wore the same outfit for a week. They bathed her and gave her clean clothes. When water and electricity were cut off at Zoey's house, she asked them for water or a place to cool off. Bradley washed the girl's matted hair, fed her, and said she called child welfare. Bradley, who has four kids of her own, said she asked Zoey's mother if she could help in her care. "I want to blame myself so much for it, because I continuously told everybody, like: 'I don't want to send her back home. Like, I want her mom to sign her over to me.' But her mom would not," Bradley said.
Court records show Zoey's mother was convicted in Nevada of disorderly conduct and violated a protection-from-abuse order there before moving to Topeka, and police reports show Topeka officers were frequently at the family's home. The turbulence came to a head in July 2022, when Zoey's mom called police to report a disturbance. Police returned later that day after Zoey's teenage sister said her mother had overdosed and that Zoey was home. The report says the mother appeared healthy. Still, Zoey's mother was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery against her husband. Released on bond, she was directed to have no contact with him.
At this point, both parents sought protection orders against each other, but a judge rejected the requests. In August 2022, Zoey's mother was arrested for domestic battery, with her teenage daughter listed as the victim. Amid the turmoil, Zoey sometimes showed up to preschool dirty, without socks, underwear or a coat, said Sasha Camacho, a paraprofessional in Zoey's class who notified the school social worker. Then in November came news that Zoey would miss school because she had been in a crash. A criminal complaint accused Zoey's mother of driving drunk with an open container — and Zoey — in her car. Prosecutors later subpoenaed hospital records for Zoey. Zoey's father obtained a protection-from-abuse order against his wife ordering her to stay away from him through the end of December 2023. The judge gave him custody of Zoey.
Zoey's mother remained in jail through March of this year, and a judge referred the case to the state Department for Children and Families, court records show. Camacho said Zoey met with child welfare officers at least twice that fall. Dad took over caring for Zoey, but she missed a lot of preschool and in March stopped attending entirely, Camacho said. That same month, Zoey's mom pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and driving under the influence, and was sentenced to probation. Aggravated child endangerment and two misdemeanor battery cases were dismissed. The plea agreement said she could have no contact with Zoey and restricted her contact with her teenage daughter.
Court records show Zoey's situation grew increasingly unstable when her father and his girlfriend were evicted from their apartment after falling behind on the rent. The couple broke up and neighbors said Zoey and her father moved back in with her mother, along with Cherry, a friend of Zoey's teenage sister. Zoey's mom called the police on July 22 to report that her husband had moved back in, despite his protection-from-abuse order.
The school district said Zoey didn't attend kindergarten this fall. Cherry's presence heightened neighbors' anxiety.
On September 5, neighbor Desiree Myles called police, saying Zoey had been "home alone since yesterday with a strange man — there is no water or electricity at the home." She said that when she asked Zoey who the man was, Zoey couldn't tell her and didn't know where her mother was.
City spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said officers confirmed there was no electricity and were told by Zoey's father that she wasn't living there. Spiker said officers met with Zoey, saw she was in "good spirits" and made a report to child welfare. The home was temporarily condemned. Fonkert, of Kansas Appleseed, said it would be a "huge failure" if no one from child welfare followed up to establish where Zoey was living.
Police returned September 19, and Bradley said she heard Zoey's mom saying everyone had to leave. A police report said Zoey's mother had shoved her teenage daughter, and an officer later stood outside as belongings were retrieved from the house.
Police reports do not explain where Zoey, her sister, her father and Cherry went, but neighbors said they were living in a makeshift camp among trees in the vacant lot. Just before 6 pm on October 2, the first call — "5 yo unresponsive" — summoned emergency crews to the gas station.
A fire department incident report says Zoey's father said her body was taken to him at the gas station, although it does not say by whom. A police report said a man and woman the same ages as Cherry and Zoey's sister were present. Emergency responders performed life-saving measures at the scene but Zoey was pronounced dead at a hospital. The police report doesn't say how she died. Crime scene tape surrounded a tent and tarp in the vacant lot, and a memorial for Zoey appeared nearby with flowers, balloons and toys. "This is devastating," said Sharon Williams, another neighbor who had called child welfare and has been answering her granddaughter's haunting questions since her playmate died: "She asked, 'Did Zoey go to heaven?' And I said, 'Yes, she did.'"
(-Related-)
Report: Ten Children Killed in Topeka So Far this Year; Six Were 10 Years Old or Younger
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - Ten children, including four this month, have been killed this year in Topeka. Six of the 10 were 10 years old or younger. By contrast, only one of the city's 17 homicide victims last year was younger than 18. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Sunday that there have been 30 homicides in Topeka so far this year.
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Cruelty Charge Sought Against Kansas Police Officer After K-9 Dies in Extreme Heat
PARSONS, Kan. (KAKE) - A police officer in southeast Kansas could face an animal cruelty charge after the K-9 in his care died in the August heat. A joint release from the Parsons Police Department and Labette County Sheriff's Office said the charge is being requested against Parsons police officer Devin Wisdom. KAKE TV reports that the investigation into the K-9's death began on August 21. Parsons police say the officer and the dog worked a 12-hour night shift and then the animal was placed in his outdoor kennel. The officer later found the 4-year-old K-9 dead. Police say an examination determined that the extreme temperature on the day in question stands as the sole factor contributing to the dog's death.
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2 Men Arrested in Kansas Suspected of Trafficking People from Arizona
SYRACUSE, Kan. (AZCentral.com) - Two men have been arrested in southwest Kansas on charges of human trafficking. The arrests took place late last week in Wallace and Hamilton counties. Authorities suspect the men trafficked a dozen people from Arizona to an unknown destination. The website AZCentral.com reports that 51-year-old Antonio Castro Tienda, of Mesa, Arizona, was taken into custody in Syracuse, Kansas. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says Castro Tienda is suspected of being part of a human trafficking organization in the Phoenix area. Another man was arrested in nearby Wallace County but his name has not been released.
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Tuesday - Deadline to Register to Vote in City Elections
LAWRENCE, Kan. (The Lawrence Times) - Today (TUE) is the last day to register to vote in local city elections coming up November 7. In Lawrence, three out of five City Commission seats and five out of seven school board seats will be on the ballot. Voter can register to vote or double-check their voter registration at KSVotes.org.
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Kansas Tops Preseason Men's AP Top 25 Rankings
UNDATED (AP) – Bill Self likes to remind his team that the faces may change at Kansas but the expectations within his program never do. Expectations outside the program? Turns out they are as high as possible this year.
The Jayhawks were the clear No. 1 pick in the AP Top 25 preseason men's basketball poll released Monday, earning 46 of 63 first-place votes to easily outdistance No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Purdue. It's the fourth time since Self's arrival in Lawrence that his team will start the season on top but the first time since the 2018-19 season.
“You know you'll have a target on your back playing at Kansas,” said Kevin McCullar Jr., who decided to return for a second season with the Jayhawks and fifth in college hoops. "We'll have that chip on our shoulder, you know, prove everybody wrong, and state why you should be the No. 1 team in the nation. You go out there and use that. You use that as fuel every day.”
The Jayhawks had a disappointing follow-up to their 2022 national title last season, losing to Texas in the Big 12 championship and falling to Arkansas in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Self missed both of those events after having a valve in his heart replaced, but the 60-year-old coach is back on the sideline and chasing a third national title in the 75th anniversary season of the AP poll.
He has three returning starters in McCullar, DaJuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams, along with top-50 recruit Elmarko Jackson and Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, perhaps the biggest prize of this past summer's portal moves.
"With our returning starters and the players we’ve added, I can see the writers putting us high in the rankings,” Self said. “We welcome being preseason No. 1, but the goal is to be playing to that rank when it counts the most, at the end of the season.”
Duke picked up 11 first-place votes to land at No. 2 in Jon Scheyer's second season, and Purdue got three first-place nods as they try to avenge a stunning end to last season. AP player of the year Zach Edey and the Boilermakers became the second men’s No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed when they lost to Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament.
Edey's deadline-day decision to return to the Boilermakers, rather than turn pro, kept them a national title contender.
“We had a tough finish to the season losing in the first round. Hopefully that sits with us as a coaching staff and really as a program to make us better, so we can have more success in March,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “But as you guys all know, it doesn’t start there. The process starts all over, and you can’t miss any steps.”
Michigan State was fourth with one first-place vote, its highest ranking since December 2020, and Marquette rounded out the top five with AP coach of the year Shaka Smart returning a loaded squad led by third-team All-American Tyler Kolek.
That's the highest ranking for the Golden Eagles since they were No. 3 in March 1978, when they were known as the Warriors.
Defending national champion UConn was sixth with two first-place votes after losing standouts Adam Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins. The Huskies were followed by Big 12 newcomer Houston, Creighton, Tennessee and Florida Atlantic, which returns just about everyone from the team that went 35-4 and made a surprising Final Four run last season.
“We have some guys that are ready to play, have been ready to play but under circumstances have had to take a back seat," said Owls coach Dusty May, whose team has jumped from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference.
“We'll be a little different," May said, "but we'll still be versatile and we'll play a lot of guys.”
Gonzaga was No. 11 followed by Arizona, Miami, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Kentucky came in at No. 16 with national runner-up San Diego State next, while Texas, North Carolina and Baylor rounded out the top 20.
The final five were Southern California, Villanova, Saint Mary's, Alabama and Illinois.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The SEC led the way with five teams in the preseason poll, with Tennessee in the top 10. The Big 12 and Big East had four apiece with the latter landing three among the top eight in Marquette, UConn and Creighton. The ACC and Big Ten had three apiece.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Wisconsin, Colorado and UCLA are the first three outside the Top 25; the Bruins were No. 7 in the final poll last season. Also on the outside were Xavier and Kansas State, both of whom were in the top 15 entering last year's NCAA Tournament. MARK YOUR CALENDAR The season begins for most teams Nov. 6 with some big-time matchups in the first couple of weeks. That includes the annual Champions Classic doubleheader, this time in Chicago, where No. 2 Duke will play fourth-ranked Michigan State and top-ranked Kansas will face No. 16 Kentucky.
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Big 12 Women's Hoops Tourney Poised to Join Men's Event at Glitzy T-Mobile Center
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The home of the Big 12 women's basketball tournament for most of its existence has been Municipal Auditorium, a Streamline Moderne and Art Deco archetype built during the Depression in downtown Kansas City.
It had history. Some charm. An entirely unique feel.
That feel also was a bit second-rate compared with the men's Big 12 tourney, which has been played down the street at T-Mobile Center. It has all the trappings of a modern arena: luxury suites, spacious locker rooms, video boards and almost three times as many seats at Municipal Auditorium, which could fit just over 7,000 fans for each game.
That all changes beginning this season.
Both tournaments, which had run concurrently so traveling fans could see both of their teams on the same trip, will be played at T-Mobile Center. The women's event will run March 7-12 and the men March 12-16.
“They deserve to be in a world-class venue,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, who has made it a point to help promote women's basketball. “I'm excited that this year we'll have both the men's and women's tournaments at T-Mobile Center.”
It won't be the first time the Big 12 women's tourney will be played in an NBA- or NHL-level building. The tournament was held twice at Reunion Arena and twice at American Airlines Center, the past two homes of the Dallas Mavericks, and for six years in Oklahoma City with four editions at Paycom Center, the home of the Thunder.
Just like T-Mobile Center, those buildings seat more than 18,000 for basketball, and that meant larger crowds those years, due in part to home crowds that cheered on Oklahoma and Baylor when they were national title contenders. But the tradeoff of selling more tickets is the risk of vast sections of empty seats for some of the games, which would create some poor optics and was rarely a problem in the more intimate Municipal Auditorium.
“I think it's great that women's basketball is coming to the forefront,” said Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich, who helped lead the Lady Raiders to a national title as a player, and who is entering her fourth season leading the program. “I think our commissioner has done a fantastic job of showcasing that.”
Last year, the Big 12 approved a two-year extension to keep Kansas City, Missouri, the host of the men's and women's tourneys through the 2027 editions. The way the city rallies around the event each March, coupled with the arena setup next door to the Power and Light District of bars and restaurants, made it the clear choice going forward.
“Kansas City has been a great home for the Big 12 basketball championships,” Yormark said at the start of Big 12 media days Tuesday. “Because of that, we are currently in discussions on an early extension to keep the Big 12 championships right here in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center through 2031.”
WELCOME WAGON
None of the four programs joining the Big 12 this season had a winning record a year ago, so there could be some significant growing pains for BYU from the West Coast and Cincinnati, UCF and Houston from the American Athletic conferences...especially given that three of them have relatively new coaches.
Merriweather is returning to Cincinnati, her alma mater, after two successful seasons at Memphis, while BYU's Amber Whiting and UCF's Sytia Messer are entering their second seasons. Ronald Hughey is beginning his 10th at Houston.
“We have a whole other level of enthusiasm," Bearcats guard Mya Jackson said. "We're extremely grateful where we came from, and to have this opportunity to be here, and we're going to show up and compete and work hard every day.”
BUILDING BLOCKS
Kansas hopes to build off a WNIT title last season behind a trio of super-seniors who could have transferred or turned pro but chose instead to return to Lawrence for a shot at getting the Jayhawks back to the NCAA Tournament.Taiyanna Jackson leads the bunch after averaging 15.2 points and 12.7 rebounds last season, becoming the first Kansas player since 1981-82 to average a double-double. Zakiyah Franklin had a team-leading 15.7 points per game last season, and has already started 115 games in her career. Holly Kersgieter is poised to break into the top 10 on the school's career scoring list.
“Two seasons ago we made it to the (NCAA) Tournament and so people saw last year as a step backwards,” Kersgieter said, "but the way we addressed the NIT was almost a blessing in disguise. The main takeaway was honestly we learned to have fun again. We had the biggest crowds of the season and I don't think that was a coincidence in those (WNIT) games....We had a taste of the good, a taste of the bad, and we know that it takes to take a step forward after that run.”
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Big 12 Expects to Play 20-Game Schedule in Men's Hoops, 18 Games for Women Next Season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 is preparing to play a 20-game conference schedule in men's basketball, and an 18-game women's schedule, when the league loses Texas and Oklahoma but welcomes four additions from the Pac-12 beginning next season.
The arrival of Arizona, Arizona State and Utah along with former Big 12 member Colorado from the latest round of conference realignment has created new challenges in scheduling. The league will stretch across all four time zones, which was one of Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark's goals, but that also means some long and time-consuming road trips.
“Scheduling and travel are a major priority for the conference,” Yormark said Tuesday at the start of two days of basketball media days at T-Mobile Center, which for the first time will host both the men's and women's conference tournaments this season.
“For basketball, it's looking like a 20-game schedule and 18 for women is in our future, and on the football front we're working diligently as well," said Yormark, whose league is losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC. "Our schedule is being guided by a few key parameters, including geography, competitive balance, historic matchups and rivalries.”
That could mean the continuation of the Territorial Cup between Arizona and Arizona State.
“We haven't come up with any definitive decisions,” Yormark said, “but rivalries and historic matchups are critically important to us. They're part of our guiding principles. It's most likely that will occur but nothing has been cemented yet.”
The men are expected to play two conference basketball games more than the women because of the preferences of Big 12 coaches and the fact that the women's conference tournament will take place a week before the men's championship.
Yormark reiterated the Big 12 is doubling down on basketball, particularly with the arrival of hoops heavyweight Arizona next season. The league intends to begin playing games internationally beginning with the 2023-24 season, and the league is looking into alternative broadcasts and streaming options that could better bring the game to younger demographics.
When it comes to streaming, Yormark said “volume is key. Big 12 basketball and its depth provide that better than anyone.”
The Big 12 has finished atop KenPom's conference ranking eight of the past 10 seasons, and Baylor and Kansas — the preseason No. 1 team this season — have given the league two of the past three national championships.
“I said before, I think basketball is undervalued, but it goes beyond monetizing it," said Yormark, who has previously worked for the Pistons and Nets. "No sport connects better with culture than basketball. It is also a great catalyst for international growth, and it will continue to grow and play a huge role in the future of our industry.”
In fact, Yormark so values college basketball as a product that he considered its future in the latest of TV negotiations, which resulted in a deal with ESPN and Fox Sports worth about $2.3 billion that goes through at least the 2030-31 season.
“We gave ourselves some optionality when you think about our back-end rights, not only to renew our traditional format but to potentially break apart football from basketball,” he said. “Our job is to explore all options and further monetize what we do, and create value for our member institutions.”
Given its focus on college basketball, it is only natural to ask whether the Big 12 would renew conversations with West Coast Conference power Gonzaga and reigning national champion UConn, which is a member of the Big East. Yormark said earlier this year that those talks had ended in part due to the latest round of realignment involving the Pac 12.
Yormark declined to take questions about future expansion, but did say that “no different from last year, if an opportunity presents itself to strengthen this conference, I'm going to explore it.”
“There's nothing imminent," he said, "but I do explore all options that come to me, and if it creates value for membership both short- and long-term, we're going to explore it even more.”
Yormark also was quick to defend the Big 12 as the nation's premier basketball conference after UConn coach Dan Hurley said on a recent podcast that the Big East was “the best conference in the country and it's not particularly close.”
“I mean, listen, history speaks for itself. The data speaks for itself," Yormark said. “Our ratings, the tournament, where we have been the last five years — I don't think there's a deeper conference in America right now. Danny is a great coach, UConn is a great program, but I would certainly debate him on that.”
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