GETTING INSIDE

There is often a point during a basketball season when coaches question the commitment and intensity of their teams.

It usually comes after a lackluster performance against an inferior team. Sure enough, that was the case for Kansas State after it struggled to beat an in-state rival from the Division II ranks, Fort Hays State.

Third-year coach Frank Martin issued a public challenge and even threatened to boot players who didn’t buy in. The Wildcats responded with a brilliant stretch within the meat of their nonconference schedule, defeating Washington State, Xavier, UNLV and Alabama.

The swing drew national attention and also enabled Kansas State to move to No. 1 in the Ratings Percentage Index. At 11-1, Kansas State was ranked No. 12 on Dec. 21, the Wildcats’ highest rating since 1972-73.

“After Fort Hays State, I guess I questioned whether some guys wanted to be here,” Martin said. “They’ve proven to me that they do. We’ve got a locker room full of guys that are committed to growing and getting better.”

Although junior guard Jacob Pullen ranked second in the Big 12 with a 20-point average, balance exists within the Kansas State attack. Three other players also averaged in double figures through the first 12 games.

The challenge now is not to get too excited about rankings, ratings or anyone pointing at Kansas State as a dark horse to win the Big 12.

“I don’t know how many people on the team check that stuff,” Pullen said. “For us now, it’s just a matter of preparing for each day. No letdowns.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Capitalizing on turnovers is becoming a constant for Kansas State. The Wildcats scored at least 20 points off turnovers during a three-game stretch ending with a 90-76 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They scored 29 points off miscues in that game. Kansas State forced 17.3 turnovers through its 11-1 start to rank third in the Big 12 behind Missouri and Texas.

• The win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the eighth straight for the Wildcats, their longest streak under third-year coach Frank Martin.

January At A Glance:   Kansas State begins Big 12 play at one of the toughest gyms to win at in the conference, Mizzou Arena. The Wildcats must exert their inside strength and count on Connecticut transfer Curtis Kelly against an inexperienced and unproductive Missouri frontcourt. Home games against Texas and Kansas make January an intriguing month, especially since the Wildcats possess the firepower to upset either of those top-ranked teams.

Quote To Note:   “I ain’t bright enough to look at our schedule and say, ‘Middle of December, let’s be the 12th-ranked team, let’s be 11-1.’ I think people who think that way are setting themselves up for failure. I could be wrong, but that’s what I think.”—Kansas State coach Frank Martin.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Season Recap:   The best opponents on the nonconference portion of Kansas State’s schedule came in succession, and the Wildcats responded with double-digit wins against Washington State, Xavier, UNLV and Alabama. This after they won by just seven points against Division II Fort Hays State. The wins against UNLV and Alabama were played at off-campus sites, but they count as road victories. Those experiences were invaluable heading into the Big 12. Execution on offense improved dramatically, though the Wildcats constantly attacked the boards for put-backs when shots didn’t fall.

Player Rotation:   Usual Starters—F Dominique Sutton, F Curtis Kelly, F Wally Judge, G Jacob Pullen, G Denis Clemente. Key Subs—F Jamar Samuels, G Martavious Irving, C Luis Colon, G Rodney McGruder, C Jordan Henriquez-Roberts.

Game Review:  

Kansas State 95, UNLV 80

Kansas State 87, Alabama 74

Kansas State 90, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 76

Game Preview:  

vs. Cleveland State, Tuesday, Dec. 29

vs. South Dakota, Sunday, Jan. 3

at Missouri, Saturday, Jan. 9

vs. Texas A&M, Tuesday, Jan. 12

at Colorado, Saturday, Jan. 16

In Focus:   The chance exists for a 13-1 nonconference swing, though Kansas State must be ready to execute soundly when it visits Missouri, a team that leads the Big 12 in steals and can match the opportunistic Wildcats in points off turnovers. The visit to Texas A&M pits two Big 12 upstarts that cracked the rankings during nonconference play.

Roster Report:  

• G Jacob Pullen carried a 20-point average through Kansas State’s 11-1 start and led the Wildcats in scoring seven times during an eight-game stretch capped by the win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Pullen netted 18 points in that victory, just the second time in eight games he failed to score 20.

• F Dominique Sutton added 14 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, connecting on at least 50 percent of his shots for the fourth time in five games.

• G Denis Clemente had 44 assists against 16 turnovers through the first 12 games, while also averaging 14.3 points.