As good as Will Spradling, Nick Russell and Martavious Irving looked while handling increased minutes during an 80-70 victory over Missouri on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum, it was Curtis Kelly who contributed the most behind leading scorer Jacob Pullen.
The senior forward, who has been notoriously up-and-down this season, came through with 15 big points and six rebounds. He made seven of nine shots from the field and also notched himself two assists and two blocks in 29 minutes.
What he did best, though, was play through double teams. Tigers defenders swarmed him every time he touched the ball in the post, and he continually spun around them and made shots.
His good play came when the Wildcats needed him most. The question now is: Can he sustain that high level of production?
Kelly was stellar during last year’s NCAA Tournament, but he has been everything but consistent as a senior.
“He played with unbelievable energy,” K-State coach Frank Martin said. “He played with energy. That’s his whole thing. He played with energy and focus. Those are Curt’s two biggest challenges. He loses focus because of a mistake. I thought he was real good with that today.
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When Kansas State debuted its gray uniforms during a “Big Monday” victory over Baylor last month, the new home look was given mixed reviews.
But now that the Wildcats have thumped Kansas and gotten off to a 4-0 start while wearing the color, superstitious fans are beginning to suggest they start wearing gray as often as possible. Even on the road.
I asked K-State director of men’s basketball operations Andy Assaley if that was a possibility for future games, and he chuckled.
“We’ll stick with purple,” he said.
Still, the new uniforms that K-State began wearing in mid January have created a definite buzz among fans and players. Nothing will create debate in a fan base like uniform talk, and nothing energizes players like new threads.
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With Kansas State leading Nebraska by three in the closing moments of Wednesday’s game at the Devaney Center, Wildcats coach Frank Martin instructed Jacob Pullen to foul Lance Jeter before he could square up his shoulders for a game-tying shot.
The foul came with 4.9 seconds remaining. Jeter responded by making one free throw and intentionally missing the second off the backboard. Pullen immediately drew a foul on the ensuing inbound play, sank two free throws on the other end and K-State won 61-57.
Afterward, Martin was asked about his philosophy on fouling late in games with a three-point lead. As long as the clock doesn’t show more than 5 seconds, he is all for it.
“Every time,” he said. “Every time. The only time since 1993 that I haven’t done that was the first overtime against Xavier (in last year’s Sweet 16). Guess what happened? Ol’ (Jordan) Crawford jumped up and made a three.
“I just said the story earlier today to two people that were doing our TV for ESPNU. I told them that since 93 I have fouled every single time. Now, we didn’t handle it real good. We allowed the ball to get across the half-court line too fast. We should have matched up higher up on the floor and made them dribble the ball the length of the backcourt. Then that shortens the game a little bit. Still, we do it every time.”
As the season goes on, Jacob Pullen keeps getting stronger.
During a 61-57 win at Nebraska on Wednesday, the senior guard scored a game-high 27 points, and led Kansas State to an important road victory.
It was the third-straight game in which he has put up impressive numbers. Against Oklahoma, he also scored 27. Against Kansas, he wowed a national TV audience by scoring 38.
He is now at 1,993 points for his career, which gives him a shot at passing Mike Evans (2,115) for the K-State record if he continues to stay hot.
He has also played his way into the conversation for Big 12 Player of the Year. Winning the award won’t be easy, considering the Wildcats aren’t competing for a Big 12 regular season championship, but Pullen is beginning to make a case all the same.
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Kansas State basketball coaches have said that the Big 12′s new 18-game, round-robin format will prevent the Wildcats from playing the type of difficult nonconference schedule they played this season in future years.
To go up against Virginia Tech, Gonzaga, Duke, Washington State, Florida and UNLV on top of a harder-than-usual conference slate is viewed as too much.
But with K-State working on a series of neutral-court games with West Virginia (one of which will be played in Wichita next season, according to Bob Huggins), it appears as though the Wildcats will continue challenging themselves with early-season tests.
Here is a rundown of known games K-State has set or is working on:
Games already set: Vs. Alabama in Kansas City next season, vs. Florida in Kansas City in 2012, at Virginia Tech in TBD, vs. Loyola-Chicago at Bramlage Coliseum in TBD.
Games being discussed: Vs. Syracuse in Kansas City with a return game at Madison Square Garden, vs. West Virginia in Wichita with a return game TBD, vs. UNLV at home or neutral sites, vs. Nebraska at home or neutral sites.
Frank Martin may not admire Doc Sadler the same way he does life-long coaching friends Bob Huggins, Andy Kennedy and Anthony Grant, but you’d never know it based on the way he talks about the Nebraska coach.
Ask Martin about the Cornhuskers or their fiery leader on the sideline, and he will throw out compliments like he’s describing a brother.
Ask Sadler about Martin, and he says the feeling is mutual.
Both coaches will meet at 8 p.m. today at the Devaney Center in an intriguing game that will involve friendly handshakes before it starts and after it ends.
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Earlier this season, Kansas State was a methodical basketball team. When it built leads, it did so slowly. Points were hard to come by and big runs were scarce.
But during Saturday’s 77-62 victory over Oklahoma at Bramlage Coliseum, the Wildcats proved they have progressed from their early-season form. Sure, the Sooners aren’t anything special, but K-State lit them up for big, fast scoring spurts that turned the final score into a blowout.
In the first half, the Wildcats went on runs of 13-0 and 9-0 to take a 39-24 lead. In the second half, after allowing the Sooners to make things interesting with less than 6 minutes remaining, they responded with a 14-0 run.
What’s different between then and now?
“We pass the ball,” K-State coach Frank Martin said. “The ball doesn’t stop.”
Added senior guard Jacob Pullen: “We’re executing our offense. Frank is designing up some good plays. Our assistant coaches are drawing up some good plays. They’re reading the defense and calling out some sets. We’re executing. Read More »
Shortly after writing this feature about Victor Ojeleye last week, my inbox was flooded with e-mails from people who have met the Kansas State junior walk-on. They all wanted to let me know he was deserving of recognition, and reiterate just how caring both he and his family have been over the years.
Here’s one from a reader named Wendy: “I thoroughly enjoyed your article on Victor Ojeleye! I remember watching him play high school basketball and seeing what a great athlete he was. Not only that, he was an awesome student and had great character. It’s nice to see him recognized for those qualities at his current college level. He deserves it!
Here’s another from a reader named Clint: “I don’t know what triggered your article on Victor Ojeleye, but I want to say, ‘Thank you.’ I’ve known him since he got to the U.S. I knew his dad for the four years he worked to get the family here from Nigeria (an incredible story if you’ve never heard it). I can tell you firsthand that their family is the real deal. You will not find more genuine people anywhere.”
The second e-mailer was right. The Ojeleye family does have a pretty neat story. Victor’s father, Ernest, currently runs a medical practice in Ottawa. Victor’s mother, Joy, regularly volunteers in the community. And Victor’s brother, Semi, is one of the top high school basketball players in the area. K-State is already showing interest in him.
But before they built their lives in America, they had to move here from Nigeria. Not an easy process. Victor Ojeleye filled me in on that back story earlier this week.
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On the Kansas State basketball team, Jacob Pullen is the closest thing the Wildcats have to a bracket expert.
The senior guard surfs the Internet on a daily basis to find the freshest NCAA Tournament news out there, and dissects bracket projections when they come out each week.
Last year, he was the first person to mention K-State as a potential No. 1 seed when it was riding a long winning streak in February. The Wildcats ended up as a No. 2 seed.
This year, despite most classifying K-State as a bubble team, he has his eyes set on a No. 6 seed.
“It’s just about who finishes up strong,” Pullen said. “We can end up anywhere from a six to a 10.”
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Mother nature couldn’t have picked a better time to deliver a heat wave to Manhattan. With the college baseball season starting Friday for Kansas State, the Wildcats were able to get outside this week and practice for a three-game series at Pacific the way only teams on the West coast normally can in mid February.
On Wednesday afternoon, the entire team worked out under the sun at Tointon Family Stadium. Energy was high, and K-State coach Brad Hill had nothing but nice things to say about his team’s final preseason tuneups.
“It’s been good,” Hill said. “It’s been real good.”
He also could have been referring to the expectations the Wildcats carry into 2011. K-State earned its highest ever placing (fifth) in the Big 12 preseason Coaches’ Poll, and is projected by many to qualify for a third-straight NCAA Tournament.
With Nick Martini, last season’s Big 12 Player of the Year, and his gaudy .416 batting average returning as a junior and nearly every pitcher from last year’s roster coming back, K-State appears worthy of the preseason praise.
“It makes me feel pretty good, because the program has turned around so much in the last two years,” Martini said. “There are high expectations. We’ve got a lot of older guys now, more leadership and the pitching staff is growing. I expect nothing less than the last two years.”
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