The Big 12 Tournament title game is here and will feature a battle between the two best teams in the conference when Kansas meets Texas.

Kansas put up just over a point per possession on the best defense in the conference in Iowa State and Jalen Wilson was dominant as the Jayhawks got a second straight double-digit win.

Texas defeated TCU last night, and although the game was significantly closer than Kansas against Iowa State, the Longhorns rarely felt too threatened. Texas has now won three straight games, two of which were by double-digits, including the win over Kansas to end the season.

What's the best bet for this one? Find out in our college basketball picks and predictions for Kansas vs. Texas.

Texas vs Kansas best odds

Texas vs Kansas picks and predictions

The best bet today relies on, for my money, the best player in college basketball: Jalen Wilson.

Let's look at the two meetings between these schools and where Wilson was effective for Kansas.

In the most recent matchup, Wilson dropped 23 points. It was a product of a few things. Volume was undoubtedly one, as no other Jayhawk could do a ton. Beyond that, though, Wilson was able to get points from a variety of spots on the floor. He had three 3-pointers, but his eight points at the rim really got him his scoring.

In the prior matchup, Wilson had just two points. It was his worst game of the season, and he missed many open looks, going 1-for-6 on jumpers, most of which were deep ones. In addition to that, Wilson was kept off the offensive backboard completely, which eliminated his elite put-backs.

Right now, Jalen Wilson is playing like the best scorer in the country. He's eclipsed 20 points in every game of the Big 12 Tournament. A switch has indeed flipped for him to elevate his game, something that shouldn't surprise such a veteran player.

If you look at the places Wilson scored in his previous matchup, they are all still issues for Texas. The Longhorns are still poor against spot-up shooters. Tyrese Hunter is the only good perimeter defender, while teams regularly target Marcus Carr in switches as he allows an eFG of over 51% to spot-up shooters.

Another issue for Texas is the absence of Timmy Allen. Texas has allowed 1.1 points per possession on offensive rebounds, which is slightly above average. That problem is made worse without the big man in the lineup.

Wilson's rebounds have been a pure goldmine. He's averaging over 10 in the Big 12 Tournament and has parlayed those into put-back scores. A same-game parlay of Wilson rebounds with points is a good bet.

We're putting our money on Wilson tonight. It's as simple as the best player on the best team in a championship game sometime. That's the case here. Don't overcomplicate it.

My best bet: Jalen Wilson Over 18.5 points (-120 at DraftKings)

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Texas vs Kansas spread analysis

You get the feeling that Kansas does this, whether it be a cultural win or talent-based. It's hard to go against the Jayhawks now.

My projections make this a coin-flip game, so it's not an actionable line, but let's assess the matchup.

You can't overstate what the Jayhawks can do on the offensive backboard here. They've attacked it over the past month or so and now get a Texas team without its best rebounder. When a subpar defensive team is giving up second-chance points, it's difficult for that team to come back from that.

Of course, there are paths for Texas to win this game. I've talked glowingly about Kansas, but the Horns are an incredibly talented team. Something to monitor early on for those looking to live bet: How effective is Tyrese Hunter in pick-and-roll situations?

Hunter's scoring is a legitimate X-Factor for this Texas team. He's an inconsistent scorer, but that inconsistency makes you ponder what the Horns' ceiling could be if he wasn't. He's easily the best scorer in screen situations, averaging around 40% as a shooter.

If you want to get at Kansas on the offensive end, one of the paths is getting KJ Adams in high-ball switches and using uber athletes to get to the rim. Hunter can do that, when he's on. I'd watch early to see if he's getting the rim and becoming a factor in this game. If he is, I'd consider a live bet on Texas, mainly if I can get it better than the pregame number.

In all likelihood, though, I'll sit back and enjoy what should be a great game.

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Texas vs Kansas Over/Under analysis

Here are the trends for these two teams:

The Under is the logical choice, but I cannot get past it being in both teams' interest to increase the pace and show off their athleticism.

Last night's Over in Kansas vs. Iowa State was a horrific beat, as it was a missed free throw away from cashing. Fool me once? I will be looking for a live number of 137.5 to grab the Over. That's a few possessions off the pregame number.

There's a reasonable chance that both of these teams could start slow, however, early game jitters should present a decent opportunity to get good in-game numbers.

Texas vs Kansas betting trend to know

The favorite is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these schools. Find more college basketball betting trends for Texas vs. Kansas.

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The Midland County Commissioner's Court hired Calina Mishay to restore the Downtown Library's west wall.

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - If you’ve driven through Downtown Midland recently, you might’ve noticed one of the city’s most famous murals is getting a facelift, courtesy of Calina Mishay.

“Yeah, I did the other side of the library three years ago,” Mishay said.

She is not the official Midland County Library muralist, but perhaps she should be.

“I travel around the state and do this,” she said.

Lately, she’s been working on the ‘Longhorn Mural’ on the library’s west side. The east and south walls already wear her street art.

It’s a solitary work environment.

“You know, when you’re up here by yourself, you get into a little bit of a zone,” she said from the top of a work platform.

She comes to Midland via a small town north of Abilene, which she controversially calls “West Texas.”

“I do,” she exclaimed, defending herself. “It’s on the cusp, ok? We’re on the cutoff!”

West Texan or pretender, Mishay has been tasked by the Midland County Commissioner’s Court with restoring the Longhorn Mural, painted in 1998, to something resembling its original state based in no small part based on her previous work on the library.

“She’s so talented,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Scott Ramsey. “We wanted to make sure the same on this side.”

But there are also other reasons. The original designer, Tom Ryan, died in 2011. (The painting was done by Peter Himmelburg).

Mishay grew up with Ryan’s daughter and received the family’s blessing to restore the mural.

“It’s just an incredible honor to be the artist working on something that has so much history and for an artist that was so successful in his own career,” she said.

That brings quite a bit of pressure.

“Of course! Of course! I always feel pressure,” she laughed.

But to the untrained reporter’s eye, the work looks immaculate and nearly complete.

“At this point, filling in what’s left at the top there and then coming through here cleaning up things,” Mishay said.

Leaving more time to ponder where the West begins.

“Midland is definitely West Texas,” she exclaimed. “Definitely.”

Copyright 2023 KOSA. All rights reserved.

MESA, Ariz. -- The Rangers are in an unusually stable situation at this point in the spring, with all four infield spots from the end of last season set for Opening Day and two of the three outfield spots more or less locked in.

Looking at the roster's construction, Bubba Thompson’s case to make the Opening Day roster may be the most intriguing. Leody Taveras being out with a left oblique injury for at least the next two weeks makes it even more interesting.

Manager Bruce Bochy hopes Thompson can seize control of the position if Taveras isn’t ready for Opening Day, but Thompson’s role on the club isn’t certain, as he’s fighting a number of outfield options in camp, including non-roster invitees Clint Frazier and Travis Jankowski.

The easiest solution is simply to plug the second-year outfielder into Taveras’ spot in the lineup. Before Taveras’ injury, Thompson was expected to either serve as the fourth outfielder on the big league squad due to his stellar defensive capabilities or get every day at-bats with Triple-A Round Rock.

Now, he’s right in the thick of the competition.

“Bubba’s a really, really talented player whose defense is probably slightly ahead of his offense,” general manager Chris Young said. “But we feel very confident in his ability to be a contributing member of our team. And while recognizing that he's young and does not have much time in the big leagues and is still developing, we think he's ready for the challenge, whether it's the beginning of the season or at some point during the season.”

But when evaluating whether Thompson should start the season on the big league club, the coaching staff needs to weigh whether it’s more valuable for him to get everyday at-bats in Triple-A or start just a few times a week with Texas. Taveras’ injury may change that, but it’s still a question to ponder.

Thompson's situation isn't unique. It's an ongoing consideration for any first- or second-year player.

“It’s different from player to player, but first of all, you have to look at the needs of the Major League club, that’s where it starts,” Bochy said last week. “If you have somebody that’s close or comparable to the player you’re talking about, you may want [them] to get those reps down in Triple-A, it’s a little easier decision. But if you have a need for a spot, that can force your hand a little bit … especially if you look at a team that wants to contend.”

And it’s well-known that Thompson’s speed can help the Rangers contend. While he slashed just .265/.302/.312 in 55 games in the Majors in 2022, his production went far beyond the numbers. His slash line won't blow Texas out of the water, but Thompson is a player who piles up infield hits and forces errors with his speed.

More importantly, when he does get on base, he makes it count. In 2022, Thompson stole 49 bases in 80 games with Triple-A Round Rock and 18 more after making his MLB debut on Aug. 4.

Thompson had the second-highest sprint speed in the Majors last year at 30.4 feet per second. The Major League average on a "competitive" play is 27 ft/sec, with 30 ft/sec qualifying as elite. He logged 44 bolts, which is any sprint above 30 ft/sec.

“I think you have to look at that weapon,” Bochy said. “... We have Jankowski, a similar-type guy, but they’re different. You have left/right [splits]. That’s always nice to have, especially when you have a tendency to play a lot of one-run games. But these are things that are being talked about and discussed. A bat, or speed, or defense. All these things are variables that come into play when you’re picking your team.”

Thompson said he was simply working on getting better in all aspects of his game this offseason, but it’s not hard to imagine that he’s focused on controlling the strike zone and squaring more balls for power this year. Through eight Cactus League games this spring, he has a .673 OPS and one home run.

“I think he's made a lot of progress,” Bochy said after Thompson hit his first homer of the spring on Tuesday. “This past winter, it’s evident he worked hard, because his at-bats have been quality at-bats. He's laid off pitches that I've heard that he went after last year. So he just seems quieter up there, more confident, and he’s grinding out some quality ABs. I know we talked about his defense all the time. But I think on the offensive side, it's been a good spring for him.”

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It took about a song and a half for Danielle Ponder to win me over at Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion during South by Southwest back in March. Those who showed up to Zilker Park at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 9 for her Austin City Limits Music Festival debut seemed to be having a similar revelation.

A former public defender from Rochester, N.Y, who released her debut album, "Some of Us Are Brave," last month, Ponder used her eight-song, 45-minute set to introduce herself to a crowd that included a mix of festgoers who were already fans and others who were drawn in by what they heard coming from the T-Mobile stage.

More:The Chicks gave ACL Fest a family reunion. Austinites felt magic in their blood.

After opening with the her album's statement-making title track — it's named for a renowned 1982 Black women's studies book — Ponder turned heads when her second song, "Someone Like You," burst into a dramatic chorus. "Why won't the stars align?" Ponder sang out with firepower and emotion, bringing to mind a similar goosebumps-inducing moment when Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Yola made her ACL Fest debut in 2019.

Ponder is among a handful of Black women who have made their presence known in Americana music in recent years, including Yola, Allison Russell and Amythyst Kiah. Her courtroom experiences inform some of her songs, most notably "Poor Man's Pain," which she dedicated to Willie Simmons, whom she said is incarcerated in Alabama for stealing $9.

More:5 things you missed from Omar Apollo's energetic evening at ACL Fest

Backed by a three-piece band of drums, guitar and keyboards that provided solid support while making sure the lead vocals remained front-and-center, Ponder developed an easy rapport with the audience. She's very good at wise and informative between-song banter, an underrated quality.

Among those in the crowd was Chris Douridas, a well-known DJ at Los Angeles NPR affiliate KCRW who's now managing Ponder. "I wasn't planning on being a manager," he confessed, but once he heard her music, "I had no choice." The rest of us can simply take heart in watching her star rise. She'll be back at ACL Fest for Weekend 2 at the same stage, day and time. (And if you're catching Marcus Mumford's 7 p.m. set at the fest on Sunday night, don't be surprised if she sits in; she sang on a track from his new solo album.)

A win 364 days in the making.

Nearly one year to the date of its March 1, 2022, loss to Dallas Madison in last year's regional quarterfinals, No. 8-ranked Ponder upset No. 1 Madison 68-53 on Tuesday at Ryan High, in the same round.

The moment is one the Lions had dreamed of ever since last year's disappointing 62-43 defeat at the hands of the eventual state champion Trojans.

"We've been thinking about this since the very start of basketball season, even in the offseason — getting here and getting to this moment," junior guard Case Peacock said. "All the days at practice, all the 7 p.m. practices and everything, it really helped us."

It was an accomplishment the Ponder community cherished, too, as the packed home bleachers erupted when the final buzzer sounded.

After Madison's players and coaching staff left the court, the fans stormed the floor and said a prayer with the team at midcourt.

"I think it meant more to our community than it meant to any of us individually," Ponder coach JD Sullivan said. "Our fans knew that, just to get to the regional tournament, we'd have to go through the No. 1 team in the state who's also the defending state champs.

"The people poured out of the stands to pray with us. That's just public profession of faith and our way of saying thank you to the Lord, for taking care of us and giving us all the blessings. So, glory to God, first and foremost."

With the win, Ponder (32-5) advances to face Hooks (30-5) in Friday's Class 3A Region II semifinal at Prosper High with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m.

Early in the fourth quarter of the contest, though, it was not quite so clear that Ponder would be the team to move on.

The Lions' 10-point lead after three periods was quickly trimmed to five just over 1:45 into the final frame as Madison's relentless full-court pressure turned several Ponder turnovers into baskets. Although Ponder answered with an 8-2 run, the Trojans rallied once more to trail 55-48 with 2:47 to play.

The Lions found one more response, though, as Peacock made a layup, then Tyler Long came through with one of his multiple blocks on the night to spark a 13-5 run the rest of the way.

It's a run that epitomized Ponder's performance on the night in overcoming several Madison pushes to maintain control of the contest, which it never again trailed in after surmounting an early 5-3 deficit.

Kade Irons led the way with 18 points on the night, including 10 in the first quarter alone as he knocked down two of his four 3-pointers during the period. Case Peacock came in just behind him with 16 points, 14 of those coming in the second half alone, including several tough layups down the stretch.

Timber Crider and Tyler Long added 12 points apiece to round out the double-figure scorers, while Javien Gonzalez chipped in nine.

"It just felt good," Irons said of his performance. "We don't have to have one person be the leading scorer every night. Our offense is good enough where one person can step up every night and lead."

The contest's frenetic energy was evident from the jump, on both sides, as both fanbases made their presences felt early and often, matching and elevating the players' intensity.

Ponder pulled ahead 15-6 midway through the first period to raucous approval before Madison rallied to make it 19-12 after a quarter. The Trojans battled back into the contest to tie it at 23 with 2:51 left in the second frame, but the Lions struck back to make it 32-25 at halftime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Long.

From there, Ponder found a way to finish off an emotional victory and extend its season by at least one more round. The Lions held Madison's high-powered offense to just 53 points after it entered the contest averaging nearly 72 points per game.

"If we play our defense, we're tough to beat," Irons said.

Bigger goals remain ahead for the storied program with five state championships to its name. All five of the Lions' titles came in Class 2A, the first in 2001, three straight from 2008 thru 2010 and the latest in 2014.

To return to those lofty heights for the first time at the 3A level, Sullivan knows his team will need to quickly put this victory behind it and focus on its Round 4 foe.

"We're doing our best to enjoy it, but tomorrow morning it's time to get ready for somebody else," Sullivan said. "A big part of it is going to be not being satisfied with beating the No. 1 team in the state. You can't just feel like you've accomplished what you want.

"As huge of a step as it was, it's just one step."

This is the final of an eight-part series previewing the Detroit Lions’ interests heading into the 2023 NFL combine, which kicks off next week. Today: Linebackers | Previously: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line | Defensive backs

Need

Yup. The need for another body for the interior defensive line is up there with cornerback as one of this team’s most pressing. And that’s nothing against Alim McNeill. It’s just about getting him and the rest of the team’s promising pass rush and trench play another boost. McNeill was selected in the third round back in 2021, and was the next pick after the team took fellow defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike in Round 2. McNeill has flashed as one of this team’s vital pieces moving forward, while Onwuzurike had an ugly rookie season, then missed all of 2022 with persisting back issues.

Isaiah Buggs was an important addition, eventually turning into a veteran leader. But he’s a free agent and isn’t the type of player that should stop you from adding more, whether he’s back for another run or not. McNeill has been much better as a pass rusher than advertised, and this team desires more girth on the defensive line. His ability to play from either side, while showing enough for the occasional snap outside would pair nicely with a mean, beefy option holding it down in the middle. It wouldn’t hurt to get Buggs back in town. But a higher-ceiling option for the long term could help bring this youthful defense to another level. The Lions allowed 5.2 yards per carry, ranking 30th in the NFL. And it wasn’t much prettier from the analytics, with Football Outsiders ranking the run defense 26th in terms of DVOA. McNeill has some juice to his game, and throwing another blue chipper next to him in the trenches with Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Josh Paschal and Co. on the outside isn’t a bad idea.

Top prospects

Jalen Carter, Georgia: A rush on quarterbacks at the top of the order sure would help make the Jalen Carter to Detroit dream a reality. Carter posted 18.5 tackles for loss and six sacks, with two forced fumbles across three seasons at Georgia. But, much like most interior options, Carter does things that don’t pop off the page from the box score. Pro Football Focus ranks Carter as the second-best prospect on the board, not to mention calling him the best DT prospect since they started grading college in 2014. He’s a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle who brings an unmatched level of versatility and power from the defensive line. And at this stage, there aren’t any big gripes with his game. His footwork and athleticism get love, while his work against the run and pass is elite. Carter won 16.3% of his pass rushers and notched a 15.3% run-stop rate. That’s top-of-the-line stuff that fits anywhere.

Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh: Don’t be surprised to see Calijah Kancey’s name climb boards coming out of the combine. Kancey will get knocked for his size -- 6-foot, 280 pounds. But, wow, his stats and tape in the pass rush are drool-inducing. Simply put, if you’re taking Kancey in Round 1, you’re expecting to get a twitchy defensive tackle that’s will get to the quarterback from the interior. It’s difficult to imagine him doing much against the run, at least in Year 1. But he brings a flavor that this team doesn’t have at that spot. Kancey posted 34.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks through three seasons at Pittsburgh. It’ll be interesting to see how much size and strength pushes Kancey down the order because there is a unique havoc-creator here.

Bryan Bresee, Clemson: Bryan Bresee was one of the nation’s most sought-after recruits just a few years ago. The former five-star didn’t post otherworldly production. But he flashed some of the elite pass-rushing ability from the interior while recovering from injury and fighting through personal off-field tragedy. Bresee had his best season getting after the quarterback, posting 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder doesn’t bring any size or strength concerns and looks to have so much more room to grow. Bresee needs some work, no doubt, but he’d be entering a position with so many young heavy-hitters already around this part.

Other potential Lions fits

Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina: For those who have been with MLive every step of the way, then you already know how this beat writer feels about Jerrod Clark. The 6-foot-4, 340-pound defensive tackle had a strong week at the Senior Bowl. And Clark showed more to his game, posting 22 hurries while winning 12.9% pass rushers. Clark is an interior option, so don’t think of him bouncing around much. But his ability to eat gaps and blockers against the run, not to mention his building-sized frame sure would fit on this defense. Clark had 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2022 for the Chanticleers. He moved from tight end to the defensive line as a redshirt freshman in 2019, not seeing action until 2020. Clark was a quick learner and is one of the top mid-round fits for the Lions.

Moro Ojomo, Texas: Moro Ojomo might be flying under the radar too much. He was a consistent producer across four seasons for the Longhorns. And Ojomo took his game to new heights in 2022. The redshirt senior was stellar against the run and pass, with a 90-plus grade on the ground while adding 20 hurries and winning 17.8% of his pass rushes. The 6-foot-3, 281-pound defensive lineman had 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks to end his collegiate career.

Gervon Dexter Sr., Florida: And while we’ve included some twitchy, undersized options to this list. Gervon Dexter Sr. tips the scales at 6-foot-6, 312 pounds. The third-year sophomore has seen his stock fall in recent months. He notched 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions through three seasons.

Dante Stills, West Virginia: Dante Stills is a rangy interior defender who has created double-digit hurries in three straight seasons. He’s another elite run-stuffing college defensive tackle who found ways to flash when it came to getting after the quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder posted 53 tackles for loss and 24.5 sacks across five seasons for the Mountaineers.

Dark three years, the tiny cafe that inspired the late Larry McMurtry and hosted Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway is making a comeback.

Ranchman’s Ponder Steakhouse, a 75-year landmark and one of America’s most famous small-town cafes, will reopen in March, owner Dave Ross said last week.

“People are clamoring for us to reopen — calling, emailing, driving up here five or six times every day to ask,” said Ross, owner and now rescuer of the chicken-fried steak haven known to foodies from “FoodNation with Bobby Flay.”

Ranchman’s, 110 W. Bailey St., closed in 2020 with the onset of the COVID pandemic. Then repairs, remodeling and yet more repairs prolonged the break.

Ranchman’s will reopen with the same wood-paneled front dining room — a throwback to 1951 — and almost exactly the same menu, cobblers and pies.

“People don’t want to see too much change out here,” said Ross, the second owner after founders Grace “Pete” Jackson and her husband, R.L., opened the restaurant in what was then a dying Denton County farm town 30 miles north of Fort Worth.

Steaks range from about $20 to about $50.

But ever since the Food Network came to town, Ranchman’s has been better known for chicken-fried steaks ($14.50-$29.50) and burgers ($11.50).

This is old-time Texas country cooking. Steaks and chicken-fried steaks are cut in-house. Pies and cobblers are still made from 30-year cook Evelyn “Granny” Stack’s recipes.

Ranchman’s was never more small-town than on one busy Friday night in the 1970s, when an overwhelmed Stack strode into the middle of the dining room and waved her spatula until she commanded attention.

“Y’all!” she shouted. “Can’t y’all see I’m gonna have to have some help?”

Customers started pouring tea, clearing tables or baking rolls, and another Ranchman’s legend was born.

McMurtry, the quintessential Texas novelist, has told how he had just left the cafe in the early 1980s when he saw an old church bus marked “Lonesome Dove Baptist Church.”

“If ever I had an epiphany it was at that moment: I had, at last, found a title for the trail driving book” he was writing.

“Lonesome Dove” went on to be a TV classic.

That was 20 years after Beatty, Dunaway and other actors visited during the Denton-area filming of the movie “Bonnie and Clyde.”

Their photos still hang on the dining room wall, along with those of sports stars, race drivers and other celebrities who found their way to Ponder.

Ross said it took so long to reopen the cafe because remodeling was “one calamity after another.”

He wound up with a new kitchen and restrooms.

(Until the 1980s, Ranchman’s didn’t even have indoor restrooms — only an outhouse.)

Regulars have become more restless waiting for reopening, Ross said: “One guy today said, ‘I’m in town two weeks before I go back to Chicago, and I want to eat here before I go back.”

It wont be long now.

Gene Ponder has a thing for cars, which is kind of stating the obvious. “I grew up not having a car. And I don’t care how good a football player or track star y

MARSHALL, Texas (KLTV) - If you have about 25 million you can buy them all, although it’s doubtful that will happen. A Marshall man is about to auction off his car collection with the help of Sotheby’s.

Gene Ponder has a thing for cars, which is kind of stating the obvious.

“I grew up not having a car. And I don’t care how good a football player or track star you were, girls didn’t want to walk on a date. So, I vowed sooner or later I’d own a lot of cars and clothes,” Ponder said.

Gene never got around to showing me his clothes collection, but I was pretty overwhelmed by the cars.

“So how many cars do you have all together?” I asked Gene.

“I believe it’s 130 give or take three or four. Sometimes I’m not exactly sure,” Ponder said.

Gene says he was raised by his grandparents and worked for a cabinet maker. He began making them himself and it became a business which was very lucrative. Eventually he sold it but decided to start another business in 2007. He financed it with a previous car collection.

“I sold about 40 of the cars back then. I didn’t want a bunch of bank debt. And I wanted to start a large cabinet company with the most sophisticated equipment that you could find now days,” Ponder said.

That was pretty lucrative too and he started up another collection adding to the six cars he kept. He says about four years back his son, who was helping to run the company, died.

“When I lost him, I sold the company and just kind of lost myself in the cars,” Ponder said.

He lost his wife recently, and he says at eighty he’s closer to the end than the beginning so:

“I don’t want to leave all of this to one of my grandchildren to have to sell off and take care of. It’s better that I do it with somebody that really knows what they’re doing and that’s R.M. Sotheby’s,” Ponder said.

He says the one-million-dollar 1959 Mercedes 300 SL, the Ferraris, the Bugattis, the MGs, and the Maseratis all:

“Run as good as they look,” Ponder said.

He says he’ll miss all his prize possessions, but they need to be driven, he can’t get to them all, and it’s time to move on.

“But to me they’re works of art. Some people want a Rembrandt on their wall. These are my Rembrandts,” Ponder said.

All for sale, no reserve, although he is keeping a few off property.

The Sotheby’s auction is in person and online September 22-24 from Ponder’s home in Marshall.

You can also find more information here.

A Marshall man’s private collection of vintage cars, boats, and motorcycles is set to be auctioned off.

Copyright 2022 KLTV. All rights reserved.

Mike Modano was 28 when the Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999.

Sergei Zubov was 28, too. Joe Nieuwendyk was 30. Derian Hatcher was 26 and same with Darryl Sydor. Richard Matvichuk was 25 and so was Jere Lehtinen.

That team also had some pretty solid younger players in Jamie Langenbrunner, 23, Blake Sloan, 23, and Brad Lukowich, 22.

Of course, the veteran presence was significant, with Ed Belfour, 33, Brett Hull, 34, Pat Verbeek, 34, Craig Ludwig, 38, and Guy Charbonneau, 38, who each provided calm and experienced leadership.

The point of this history lesson is that Bob Gainey had a plan and he worked to get the right pieces in place. The former GM was groomed in Montreal and wasn't that far from his playing days, so he knew what he wanted. It took him a couple of years, a couple of big drafts, and some smart trades, but he finally landed on a team who truly could be considered among the best in the NHL.

Jim Nill has tried to follow a similar path. Now in his 10th year in Dallas, Nill has had some hits and misses along the way. Whether it was draft picks that didn't work out, or some coaching philosophies that didn't stick, there have been errors in this trial-and-error process.

But as the Stars head down the home stretch on the 2022-23 season, there seems to be something familiar about this group.

There are players in their prime like Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell and Tyler Seguin. There are young players who are taking bigger bites of the team like Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger and Wyatt Johnston. There are veterans who have experience, like Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter. It's a mix that, on paper, looks like it could work.

Now is a good time to write this story, coming off a 10-4 win in Buffalo that tied the record for most goals in a game since the team moved to Texas in 1993. It was a game that showed the potential of this team after acquiring Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov in recent weeks. Seguin got hurt, and while he's listed as day-to-day with a leg laceration, he could miss a few games. This makes the value of the newcomers even more important.

If you look at how the Stars have rolled out of their two-month scoring slump, adding Dadonov and Domi really put the pieces in the right places. The Stars can now have four lines that share minutes and share the scoring load. The power play can now put out two units who create loads of chances, and hopefully, key goals at key times. Mix that with a team defense who has consistently produced in the top five of the league all season, and you have some things you can believe in.

It's a nice feeling for fans of the Victory Green because it hasn't been that way for a little while. The Stars are currently in first place in the Central Division. If they can hold on and hang another banner, it will be just their second division title in the past 18 seasons. That's alarming. Dallas once won seven division championships in a span of nine years. They were consistently dominant.

And while this era is about to have four trips to the post-season in five years, as well as a visit to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, there still is a lingering lack of belief in the fanbase at times. It's natural. They did, after all, miss the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons before this recent push. And, as we underscored earlier in this missive, battling for a division title is an all too rare experience for this team.

So, should you believe?

Well, there are some similarities to the old Stars. Gainey had been on the job for six seasons when he hired Ken Hitchcock and the run of five division championships began. He was constantly tinkering with the roster and found important pieces in consecutive off-seasons, adding players like Verbeek, Belfour and Hull in different years. Nill has been at this task a bit longer, but he also has accumulated success. His drafts have provided a core that includes Hintz, Robertson, Oettinger and Heiskanen (as well as Johnston, Ty Dellandrea and Lindell). And his trades have tweaked the team just enough to fill in some important holes. He gave the defense some support in the summer with the additions of Colin Miller and Nils Lundkvist. He was impressive at the trade deadline, giving up very little off the current roster, a second-round draft pick in 2025, and adding cap space in the process.

The entire organization deserves some high praise for that kind of maneuvering, and if the Stars hang on and win the Division title, then those additions will be key.

While the defense corps has fallen together nicely under the tutelage of assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, the forward group has the potential to be just as good. Dadonov is a gritty, skilled forward, who the coaches knew well in Vegas. He has proven to be the perfect complement to Benn and Johnston.

Meanwhile, Domi has shown flashes of brilliance in just three games with the Stars. An intriguing player who is on his sixth franchise at just age 28, Domi has considerable skill. He has burst through opposing defenses on several occasions and either created scoring chances or finished the job. That's a big help to a team who can go dry at times. In addition to his speed and skill, he'll also stir the pot, and that's something this team needs as it heads into the post-season.

It's easy to get a little giddy when you consider Dallas is 5-1-1 in its past seven games and has scored 38 goals in that span. It's easy to get excited when you look at the West and imagine that Dallas really could be one of the better teams in the Western Conference tournament. It's easy to think this team is special.

But we are here to keep perspective and keep the bar high.

In 1998-99, Dallas finished first in the league by seven points (114). The Stars were first in goals against average, and sixth in penalty kill success. They were eighth in scoring and sixth in power play success. They were plus-68 in goal differential, and that topped the NHL.

This year, they are seventh in points percentage and fourth in goal differential. So, not bad at all. They currently rank fifth in goals against, seventh in goals for, fourth on the penalty kill and eighth on the power play.

They have earned their place in the standings.

To be fair, the old Stars had more experience and had been tested harder. Eight players had won Stanley Cups and the Stars went to the Western Conference Final in 1997-98. Maybe Dallas is actually a few years away from being ready. But as we watch this lineup come together, and you ponder the performances and ages of key bodies, you do start to get a little more excited.

I've been around long enough to know how tough a task this is. The Stars have had good teams in the past that have been eliminated in the first round, so getting too excited in March is a recipe for disaster. But there are similarities out there to teams who found a way to win. The additions by the front office make sense. The tweaks from the coaching staff are yielding results. The attitude says "we ain't done nothing yet."

Suter was talking in the post-game dressing room after the 10-4 win on Thursday in Buffalo and said something pretty interesting.

"I think we have a really good team," the veteran blueliner said. "I think Jim [Nill] has done a great job of putting together pieces to complement each other. He said a couple of days ago all he can do is watch and it's up to us to perform."

This group takes that responsibility seriously. It's a sign there is belief in the room that something good could really happen.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.