For the first time in six-plus years since moving to Kansas, the KU-KSU men’s basketball rivalry meant more something this season than lame agriculture and sexual orientation jokes funny to those with fewer than 50 brain cells being shot back and forth.Why should that have to change now that Bob Huggins is gone?(**Two disclaimers for those reading this**. **_K-State fans_**: He’s gone, quit whining, take it like grown-ups and move on, it’s not going to change. **_KU fans_**: Leave the K-State folks alone. It wasn’t too long ago when you all had your insecurities exposed at the root when Roy Williams up and left.)I want to keep this whole ‘both sides caring about the KU vs. K-State game’ thing going. If you say the opposite, you don’t like college basketball. The man who can do that already coached at Kansas State once. He played there, too. Shoot, his name’s hanging in the rafters.It’s [Lon Kruger][1].Is it likely that he’s going to return to K-State, where he coached from 1986-1990 after playing there from 1971-74? No. The chances of a coach who’s built as high of a profile as Kruger has returning somewhere he’s already been a head coach is unlikely.But if K-State school president Jon Wefald is truly as heartbroken as he said he was Thursday over Huggins’ swift departure, he’d be just as hungry to bring in the best name possible. He couldn’t find a better one than Kruger. He’d have to break the bank with Huggins-esque money to bring Kruger back, but man, after what Huggy did for that program in one year, the Wildcats would be selling themselves sorely short to bring in anything less than a grand last name. Even though Huggins was there for just a year, the hiring of him raised the bar for all future K-State coaches to clear upon hiring.With that bar set, Wefald and athletic director Tim Weiser need to pull out the stops, dress up like extras from [The Godfather][2] and make the man an offer that he can’t refuse. Anything in this world can be bought, everything has a price tag. That’s a reality. For the right price, it’s hard to believe Kruger wouldn’t come.The man has been a success everywhere he’s been. He was 81-46 in four years at K-State already, bringing the ‘Cats to a school-record four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. After taking over an average-at-best Florida program (right before Billy Donovan got his hands on it), Kruger had the Gators in the Final Four in his fourth season. His lone coaching mistake was taking the NBA’s monetary bait after carrying the torch at Illinois. UNLV welcomed him back into the collegiate ranks, and he returned the Runnin’ Rebels to NCAA Tournament legitimacy, taking the school past the first round this season for the first time since UNLV was in the Final Four in 1991.One reason he’d accept this job for the right price is because, let’s face it, K-State is much more attractive now than it was a year ago. Now, you have Bill Walker. As angered as he might be (no one really knows), he’s stuck there for a year before he can punch his NBA Draft ticket. When healthy, he’s automatically one of the five best players in the Big 12, and maybe even the best it has to offer. Plus, if Kruger is in there quick enough, he may be able to sway Michael Beasley into keeping his plans of moving to Manhattan, with the promise of all the playing time in the world and a potentially deep run in the NCAA Tournament. He’ll have a chance, too, if hired, as K-State already said none of the incoming players will be allowed out of scholarships until a new coach is hired. There’s also a decent talent pool there as it is. David Hoskins is a legitimate third wheel to two superstars, and Clent Stewart improves every year in the backcourt.Kruger’s roster that awaits him next year in UNLV is not nearly as Tournament-ready as the one which took him to the Sweet Sixteen last month. Wink Adams returns as a tough, scoring-minded guard anyone would love to have running their team. But he loses Michael Umeh and Wendell White, who helped key a speedy starting lineup. Plus, his son, Kevin Kruger, has now seen his eligibility expire. There’s nothing holding Kruger back, unless he’s simply a big fan of Sin City. That could be the case, as most adult males are.But from a KU standpoint, Kruger is a hire which could keep this rivalry from ending meeting after meeting with “Let’s play football” chants. He’s succeeded everywhere he’s been, and with what Huggins is leaving on the table, it wouldn’t be too tall of a task for him to repeat what he’s already done at several stops along the way.The last thing Kansas State needs to do is lower its standards, hiring an up-and-coming assistant to take Head Coaching 101 on the Bramlage sidelines, or take in someone else’s castaway (If I hear Tommy Amaker’s name even muttered, I’ll lose my mind).Basically, they need someone who can compete with KU from day one, not someone who will let the rivalry dip back into being nothing more than a punch line.**_KUSports.com editor Ryan Greene can be reached at rgreene@ljworld.com, or by phone at (785) 832-6357._** [1]: http://unlvrebels.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kruger_lon00.html [2]: http://imdb.com/title/tt0068646/
