K-Stated

One of the coolest images I witnessed from last night’s victory was Dalonte Hill squeezing/hugging Frank Martin as they attempted to escape the fans rushing onto the court. Dalonte was giddy, and Frank was, too, but he was doing his best to hide his emotions – at least in public, in front of so many people.

Forget all of the talk about this being a win in “Game No. 5.” This legitimizes everything about the Wildcats, first and foremost Martin. How many coaches passed through K-State and were unable to accomplish what he did last night? Enough said.

I want to echo what Bob Lutz so eloquently (and surprisingly, I’m sure, for most of you) wrote this morning. This wasn’t a fluke. Allow that to marinate and repeat it for good measure. I don’t recall ever seeing a team disrupt what Kansas was trying to do on offense with the consistency nor the effect as K-State did last night.

No, I didn’t predict the Wildcats would win. I was certain they were good enough to win, but I needed to see more – I was having silly flashbacks to Xavier. Not anymore. This team is a contender, and that’s up to you to discern whether that pertains to the Big 12, the NCAA or both. And don’t bother yourself with the notion of handling success. Sure, it’s a possibility, but when the guys leading the way, Mike Beasley and Bill Walker, are as loose yet as confident as anyone I’ve ever seen, I don’t think it’s a legitimate concern.

Three players deserve distinct praise. Obviously, Jacob Pullen was huge. Not to toot my own horn, but I figured he might be the X factor in Wednesday’s game, which is why I wrote this preview that I think got lost in the shuffle on our Web site.

Can’t state enough how impressive Dominique Sutton was with his activity. OK, he’s not giving you much on offense right now, but he was so disruptive on defense. As Levi pointed out, it’s not just his athleticism – he’s long, too. He made it rough for Brandon Rush and he was even matched up Mario Chalmers a few times.

And how about Blake Young? His transformation from an unknown commodity most of his first year to a mistake-free caretaker now is startling. He has accepted his role and thrived. Five assists and no turnovers against KU’s ball-hawking guards? Well done, Blake.

That’s probably enough for now. I have to give distinct and well-deserved props to my guy Zac, who nailed the final score and, obviously, winner. Zac, send me your address at jmartin@wichitaeagle.com and I’ll hook you up with some prime goods from my desk at the Eagle.

Mrs. Smith, who was doling out hugs and conducting interviews – she’s LOVING this, y’all – after the game, sent me her latest “Mama Sayz.” Warning – it’s pre-Wednesday night. She said next week’s would be all about KU. Anyway, I’ll be posting that this afternoon, complete with pictures.

Also might have some football stuff, too, this afternoon. We’ll see.