He’s been named Preseason Player of the Year by the Big 12, and his team is a popular pick to win a conference championship. The expectations are higher than ever for Jacob Pullen entering his senior season, but that hasn’t changed life for the Wildcats’ go-to guard.
Well, his beloved beard is a little shorter than it was last year. But he’s working on that.
During Kansas State’s recent Madness in Manhattan event, he embraced those expectations and told fans to expect a memorable year of basketball. Afterward, he shared a few more thoughts:
High expectations have been given to this team. But what are your own expectations?
Just to win ball games. When we prepare like we prepare every season, we’re going to win ball games. We don’t want to say we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that. We just want to get the job done. Right now, first, it’s winning the Big 12. Really, it’s winning our preseason games, then it’s going to the NCAA Tournament. We never overlook people. We never say we’re going to win this game or that game. We just want to get to a certain place and then we’ll achieve our goal.
What does it mean that you are able to tell a big crowd that a follow up trip to the Elite Eight isn’t going to be good enough this year?
It’s really not. You look at the tradition of Kansas State, they’ve made it to the Final Four. There’s great tradition. For us, getting to the Elite Eight is just bringing us back to where we were. Now we’ve got to do better.
Was Madness in Manhattan everything you hoped it would be?
It was a fun night. It’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to have fun and show the crowd we’re not the same team as last year. We have different pieces, but we want to have the same charisma, the same goals, the same responsibility. We really want to approach this season as a business and that’s what we’re doing.
It seems like you guys have a lot of fun together.
We do. We’re K-State basketball, and we’re going to have fun wherever we go. But when it’s time to get on the court it’s all business. That’s the approach we take.
Your first exhibition game isn’t far away. How will you spend your time leading up to it?
Just preparing. We’ve got a lot of young kids who haven’t played in the college game before. We have a lot of people growing into responsibility. Practices just show they need to produce every game for us to be good.
How important is it that some of K-State’s younger players — Rodney McGruder, Nick Russell, Wally Judge and Martavious Irving — step up this year?
Those are the guys that are going to get us to the Final Four. Me, Curtis, Jamar, those are the people you expect certain things from. You expect them to do well. Nick, Rodney, Martavious, Wally, those are guys that are growing into their own shoes and becoming better players. Their play this season is going to be very important. Those are the guys that are going to get us over the top.
Are you confident in this team’s defensive abilities without Dominique Sutton?
I’m still confident. I think we’re doing a great job, and thought we did a great job last year defending when Dom was out of the game. It’s a challenge for Rodney, Martavious and all those guys to step up and fill shoes.
Aside from you, who is the best defender on the team?
Probably Martavious. He took on a lot of responsibility last year and guarded the other team’s best player. I think he can help me out there this year, rotating in and out so neither of us ever get tired.
Your beard was so popular last year, but you trimmed it for a while this summer and it’s short now. Were you surprised the way Manhattan melt down when you were seen around town without facial hair?
It’s growing back, so the town is going to be OK. It’s amazing. That’s why when people ask me if I ever get tired of signing autographs or taking pictures with fans I always say, ‘No.’ The morning you take it for granted is the morning you could wake up and it could all be gone. God forbid something happen to me and I could never be back in Manhattan or never have the chance to see these people again knowing that I worked so hard to get where I am with their support. So I will always say yes to any autograph requests.
Did you shave the beard all the way off?
No, I just trimmed it a little bit. I got tired of it and needed a change. But it will be back. This is the beginnings of it. As the season goes deeper, it grows longer. As the games get tougher, it gets tougher. I feel like if I didn’t have it, people would be wasting signs and people would be mad at me. So I just feel like I can do it one more year for the fans.