Sports > Kansas State Wildcats

Posted on Sat, Nov. 07, 2009

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What the critics are saying about Frank Martin's winter collection

In his first two seasons at Kansas State, Jacob Pullen played in both the NIT and NCAA Tournament.

The guard enjoyed both experiences, but he only has one goal in mind for his junior year.

"You want to go back to the NCAA," Pullen said. "There's nothing wrong with the NIT, but after being in the NCAA it's like having a fine wine. You don't want to go drink a nasty, cheap wine after that. You want fine wine.

"You don't get used to going back to the NIT. We don't walk off the court after practice and say, 'Work hard, guys, the NIT is on the way.' That's just something you don't do."

If Kansas State lives up to its preseason projections, Pullen and his teammates will be headed back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence.

The Wildcats were picked to finish fourth in the preseason Big 12 coaches poll and most media prognosticators have pegged them as a team that will make the field of 65.

With coach Frank Martin sporting a roster that is filled with both talent and experience for the first time in his three seasons, it's not hard to see why the Wildcats are gaining regional and national respect.

Pullen, who averaged 13.9 points last season, returns to the backcourt with senior Denis Clemente, whose 15 points a game led the Wildcats in scoring.

Together, they're expected to be one of the best guard tandems in the Big 12. Not only can they push the ball as quickly as any backcourt in the league, they can score.

Pullen, along with Dominique Sutton, spent the summer in France honing his game as part of a special traveling team, and Clemente long ago proved himself to be a big-time scorer.

A year ago, he scored 44 in a win against Texas and posted five 20-point nights.

Does he see himself doing the same this season?

"It depends on how the game comes to me," Clemente said. "If I have to score 30 points I will score 30 points, if I have to score 10 points I will score 10 points. It just depends on the game."

His attitude has also changed slightly because of the experience surrounding him. Center Luis Colon and guard Chris Merriewether are also seniors, and Sutton and Pullen are juniors.

Martin has always possessed similar talent, but he's never been blessed with so many veterans.

"Those guys have been with us for at least three years, and are starting to see who we are as a coaching staff," Martin said. "They understand it, they live it, they breathe it and now they are starting to go out and be consistent with what they do. That is what you look for in players."

Combined with junior forward Curtis Kelly, who transferred from Connecticut, and promising freshmen Nick Russell, Wally Judge, Rodney McGruder, Martavious Irving and Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, hopes are high that this will be Martin's best team at Kansas State.

Kelly has already shown his strength down low and Judge came to K-State as a highly touted recruit.

If they can play up to their potential and, with Colon and Jamar Samuels, turn K-State's frontcourt into a strength, the Wildcats will be in the thick of the Big 12 race.

Martin's job will be to bring the whole group together.

A year ago, the Wildcats missed out on the NCAA Tournament despite a 22-12 record and a fourth-place Big 12 finish. A weak nonconference schedule and poor start in the conference were the main reasons.

This season, K-State will see much tougher competition early. The Wildcats will start with two home games against Loyola-Chicago and Western Illinois, but then head to Puerto Rico to play in a notable tournament that includes Indiana, Mississippi, Georgia Tech, Mississippi and Villanova.

After that, K-State will take on Washington State and Xavier at home, play at UNLV, and see Alabama on a semi-neutral court in Mobile, Ala.

If the Cats can get win against that competition, reaching the NCAA Tournament will certainly be a more attainable goal.

"The confidence level has really gone up," Samuels said. "This year the confidence is out of the roof. We are looking forward to doing a lot of good things."

—Kellis Robinett