Kansas State Basketball

Frank Martin and his squad are headed to Lawrence tonight, where wearing purple on Mass St. is ill-advised, especially for skinny, weak long distance runners like myself.

Fortunately for my health, I’ll be staying in Manhattan to watch the show, and it promises to be a good one.

The Wildcats just finished a seven-game beat down tour of most of the Big 12 teams who wish they had top 25 talent, and of course the Jayhawks might be a little upset after James Anderson and co. took them down in Stillwater on Saturday. Add to the mix that K-State still has a chance to tie the Jayhawks for the regular season conference title and a great shot at a No. 1 seed, and you’ve got a recipe for the best game not on national television all year*.

*Fortunately, ESPN is showing the Oklahoma State-Texas A&M game that everyone wants to see, not to mention the Notre Dame-UConn matchup that would be better if it was a women’s game.

One other thing: It’s senior night at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks haven’t lost in 58 games and haven’t lost on senior night since 1983. Thanks to a painfully annoying tradition at the Phog, Sherron Collins will actually be giving a speech after this game.

Now that we’re done with all that, let’s get down to why Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente will be the difference in this game. Obviously, they’ve been Kansas State’s two most consistent players, especially in Big 12 play. As the two guards go, so do the Wildcats (with the exception of last Saturday when Missouri defended them very well, but the Tigers forgot they also had to score).

Last year at Allen, things got out of hand in a hurry. The ‘Cats were down 18-0 before they even knew what hit them. Four turnovers, two by Clemente, and five missed shots into the game, and it was essentially over, even though K-State made a valiant effort to rally. Pullen and Clemente ended the game 8-28 with 22 points.

That cannot happen again.

Anyone who’s been paying attention to the basketball, rather than the hype knows that Pullen and Clemente have been better than Collins and Henry this season, and now they get their chance to prove it. The good news is they have another year of experience, and one would hope that Frank will have his team prepared for this one.

Sure, any help off the bench from McGruder or Irving would be great, and it would be helpful if Samuels and Kelly could score while Colon stays as far away from the basketball as possible. Another nice thought that some K-State fans might have is, "Wouldn’t it be great if we could get Cole Aldrich in foul trouble?"

Unfortunately, that’s a pipe dream, especially in Lawrence. Aldrich has fouled out of exactly ONE game in his entire career, and that was at Texas earlier this year. If you think that’s because Aldrich is a clean player or just not very physical, then you should check out Going Rogue for an honest account of a terribly mismanaged presidential campaign. It even has a quote from John Wooden!

At the end of the day, Jacob Pullen is going to need to prove that he and his teammates can play better on the road, and Denis Clemente is going to use his incredible speed for good, controlled runners and layups rather than those evil, off-balance jumpers.

One more word of advice for the guards: If it’s close late in the game, PLEASE make someone besides Sherron Collins beat you. The only time Sherron plays with the skills (he always has the intangibles, or so I’m told) of a first-team All-American is when his team desperately needs it, and the Jayhawks turn to him like you should turn to NBC for comedy on Thursday nights. K-State fans might even remember a certain crucial shot he made in Manhattan a little over a month ago.

Mostly, though, it all comes down to what those two guards in black (I’m guessing/hoping here. It could be purple.). If those two guys can take care of the basketball, score at least 33 points combined (their season average), and shoot at least 35%, Kansas State will have a great chance.

Surely that’s not asking to much.

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This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley.

Follow Ahearn Alley on Twitter: @AhearnAlley

The Kansas State Wildcats inserted themselves into the Top 25 in December following wins over then-No. 18 Dayton and then-No. 17 UNLV.

Since then, the Wildcats have been climbing the polls, resulting in the highest ranking in school history. They are now the No. 5 team in the nation.

They have done it all season with impressive balance on offense and defense.

One night, you will see Jacob Pullen or Denis Clemente dominate the backcourt. Another night, you will see Curtis Kelly or Jamar Samuels get it done in the post—or perhaps you will witness them all click on the same night.

This happens to be the continuing trend with the Wildcats.

The No. 1 team in the Big 12 is Kansas. Kansas has a 13-1 record in conference play and is coming off a tough road loss against Oklahoma State.

I remember the last time the Jayhawks were the No. 2 team in the nation and lost to Oklahoma State. That year, they fell to Kansas State as well.

In fact, only one time this decade has Oklahoma State defeated Kansas in the regular season without Kansas State beating them at all.

That's good news for the Wildcats, but every game is not conceived on superstitions.

To beat No. 2 Kansas, the Wildcats are going to need to cut down on their turnovers. On average, the Wildcats have a 21 percent chance of turning over the ball on every possession—not a good habit to possess if you are a top-five team.

However, securing the ball was not a problem in the last game against Kansas until late.

Last time around, the Jayhawks yielded 79 points to the Wildcats. The Wildcats must attack their defense—not only will it score points, but it will keep the Jayhawks in foul trouble and put the Wildcats in a better position to win the game.

The Wildcats frontcourt has to be physical with Cole Aldrich. In the last game, he grabbed too many offensive rebounds—along with one offensive rebound that virtually secured the victory for Kansas. If I am writing the game plan for Aldrich, I would place Wally Judge in the starting lineup rather than Luis Colon.

This is a smart move because Judge possesses the size of Colon but is much quicker. Judge can move his feet against Aldrich without fouling and put a hand in his face or block the shot.

In addition, Judge can put a body on Aldrich and push him elsewhere from the hoop. Not just Judge, but all the frontier players from Kansas State have to take it to the big man Aldrich.

Lastly, comparing the last meeting with the two rivals, Pullen needs to be on Sherron Collins during the whole game. Despite the last play by Collins that put Kansas up by three with less than a minute to go, Pullen played exceptionally well on the All-American.

This should result in an even-handed, reasonable edge over the Jayhawks if the offense performs correctly.

The Wildcats have demonstrated that they are a successful road team with a 8-1 road record. The Wildcats are scoring 81.5 points, 33.7 rebounds, and 7.5 three-pointers on the road each game.

To beat the Jayhawks, Kansas State needs to win the points in the paint battle, capitalize off turnovers, shoot a better percentage, and take their frontier players out of the game.

Tennessee and Oklahoma State did it; now, it’s the Wildcats turn.

The Wildcats certainly have what it takes to overcome that 58-game winning streak and steal one on the road against the Jayhawks.

The game is set to air at 7 p.m. on the Big 12 Network.

With March just around the corner Bracketologist are paying attention to their NCAA Tournament brackets.

As of this week’s ranking, the teams with No. 1 bids are: Villanova, Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse.

After surrendering a win and 100 points to a Georgetown team that has only done that one time in school history against the Wildcats you’d think Nova would start to become more defensive minded. That was not the case, just two games later they welcomed the struggling UConn into Wachovia Center, Nova surrendered another double-digit Big East loss.

Meaning, their chance at the No. 1 seed has diminished right before their eyes. The Nova Wildcats have dropped two of their last four games over a span of two weeks. Not necessarily how the Villanova wanted things to unfold. Villanova odds for a No. 1 seed now have reached 40 percent.

So what does this mean for the other Wildcat team?

Unlike all the other teams, the Kansas State Wildcats have worked their way into the Top 10. When the Pre-Season Poll was released the Kansas State Wildcats wasn’t mentioned in the top 25 or the top 30 but somehow worked their way all the way up to the No. 7 team in the nation.

But like every good team, the Wildcats handled the adversity and played basketball. Every time the Wildcats step on the floor the opposition knows they have a handful with this pesky Wildcats defense that forces17.5 turnovers per outing. Their backcourt is among the elite in the Big 12, and they’re frontcourt is in the same talk pulling down 43.5 rebounds per game.

The Wildcats have great rotation; their frontcourt is very deep with Samuels, Kelly, Colon and Judge. Out of Kansas State and Duke the Wildcats has the most legitimate chance due to their favorable schedule and their tournament resume.

Kansas State Resume: (20-4) overall (7-3) in the conference

Record against top 25 opponents: (4-1)

RPI ranking: 7

SOS: 6

Biggest wins: Texas, Baylor, UNLV, Xavier

Worst loss: Ole Miss

Kansas State remaining schedule

Nebraska

At Oklahoma

At Texas Tech

Missouri

At Kansas

Iowa State

If in fact the Wildcats can come out at the least (5-1) I believe they’ll be the No. 1 seed. However as of now the Duke Blue Devils have the No. 1 spot in the East Region. Looking at the rest of their schedule they could run the table just like the Wildcats could. This No. 1 bid is up for grabs in the East Region. The Villanova Wildcats, Duke Blue Devils, and Kansas State Wildcats all have a chance to play their way into the No. 1 bid.

This would be an amazing feat for the Wildcats because when the seeding started in 1979 the Wildcats hasn’t achieved a tournament ranking higher than No. 4.

Although the game is still several days away, eager fans are looking ahead to Saturday and wondering what their beloved Jayhawks may produce when they head to Bramlage Coliseum.

Following a rather easy and convincing win over the Missouri Tigers on Monday, the Jayhawks seem to be back to their sparkling form, as Cole Aldrich helped gift the Jayhawks with an easy victory. 

Kansas' leading man Sherron Collins is still red hot, and if there is one sole reason that the Jayhawks make the Final Four this year, he'd be it. 

With Kansas' only loss on the season having occurred nearly a month ago now, the Jayhawks' confidence is back, and they will need it come Saturday night when they are set to go one on one with the Kansas State Wildcats.

Players to Watch

Kansas Jayhawks: Xavier Henry

With 14.3 points per game this season, the young first-year freshman has made a name for himself at Allen Fieldhouse. Arguably not as dominant as Bill Self would like him to be during big games, Henry will certainly steal a few headlines this weekend.

Combined with Aldrich's newly found, rejuvenated rhythm, Xavier may be presented with the odd alley-oop opportunity in this game. For Xavier, the opportunity needs to be taken, and needs to be taken well. Turnovers aren't what Xavier is used to, but with a strong Wildcats defense, he may have trouble playing with his usual bouncing step.

Kansas State Wildcats: Denis Clemente

Another prolific guard in this game, Denis Clemente isn't the Wildcats' leading scorer, but he gets the job done nicely for Kansas State. Similar to Henry, 14.6 points per game is Denis' current average. As impressive as this might seem to the casual college basketball fan, Denis has only really turned it on in the latter half of this season. 

Having a decent game against Oklahoma State during the weekend, Clemente offered opportunities for the Wildcats, but they failed to capitalize at times. If the unpredictable Wildcats want a win at home, both Clemente and Jacob Pullen will have to be at their best.

Crowd Noise

Not the loudest arena, the Bramlage Coliseum can get pretty ugly at times. In case you missed the Texas-Kansas State game last week, I'll refresh your memory with one word: energized. The Wildcats fans resemble something of a soccer or wrestling fanbase: chanting is a must, and it is constantly loud. 

For the Jayhawks, they are fairly accustomed to loud noises. They play at Allen Fieldhouse, for god's sake. With this said, their in-state rivals will be pumped and ready for an upset. Expect nothing but distortion in your speakers this Saturday night.

Outcome

Personally I feel that the Jayhawks are better off playing this game in the paint. Field goals are great, but the Wildcats feed off any missed opportunity.

Giving the ball to Cole Aldrich won't be the worst option for the Jayhawks, as Cole is averaging 11.2 points per game. Sherron Collins' assists continue to add up over the course of the season, sitting at 4.3 per game. Maybe a Collins and Cole combo isn't the worst plan for Kansas.

As for the Wildcats, well, it's simple: Capitalize. After beating Texas and then losing to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the boat has been rocked a little lately in the land of Kansas State. Not to worry though—a win over No. 2-ranked Kansas will get them going and possibly give them a shot at March basketball. One game at a time though, and Jacob Pullen is the man to get it done for the Wildcats.

Expect noise, and expect mistakes. Neither of these teams have had a perfect season, so it may be a clash of two sloppy teams this Saturday rather than a clash of two elites. Either way, it is shaping up to be a rivalry game not to be missed.

By now, you have probably seen the excitement in Manhattan, KS as the college basketball season gets into conference play.

After shutting down Damion James and limiting the nation’s top team to only one double-digit scorer (Avery Bradley, 11), the Wildcats of Kansas State celebrated their biggest win of the season, but in doing so, sent out a message to the rest of the nation:

Kansas State can play.

The Wildcats' ranking has been earned, and anyone who wants to play them should “Fear the Beard.”

Jacob Pullen finished with 12 points in Monday’s upset win over Texas, but shot just 2-of-15 from the field. Although he did not have a great night on the court, the excitement within Bramlage Coliseum fed off of his most distinct facial feature, his beard.

It has become a campaign for the Kansas State men’s basketball team, and the drive behind head coach Frank Martin and the rest of the Wildcat fan base has become evident.

Pullen, a 6’0” junior guard, is averaging 19.3 points per game for Kansas State, and to be quite honest, shows no signs of shaving anytime soon.

The beard has inspired the Kansas State fan base, and with the convincing win over Texas, has helped the fans prove they are not to be taken lightly.

For a team quickly on the rise, the beard—and Pullen’s success this season—has been a great motivational tool for its fans. In Monday’s game, which was broadcasted on ESPN, fake beards were passed out amongst the students and many were shown supporting the new “Fear the Beard” look.

It has gotten to a point at which even Kansas State head coach Frank Martin, whose fiery attitude helped will the Wildcats to the victory over Texas, is getting in on the excitement. Martin was seen in a postgame interview wearing a headset, but also a fake beard, while talking about the game.

I’m sure Texas fans are not too thrilled over the beard campaign, but why should they be, for Kansas State, they now send the message...“Fear the Beard.”

The Wildcats and Frank Martin know there is still a long way to go in the season and tough tests loom each game. For Kansas State I am sure the beards will be out again when Kansas pays a visit next Saturday.

Hopefully the Jayhawks learned a lot, not only about what to do on the court, but also about how to prepare for the environment. Right now, the “Fear the Beard” campaign is all the rage in Manhattan.

*Photo Credit: Intentionalfoul.com

After all the talk about the Big 12 powerhouses Kansas and Texas, Kansas State has to be in the conversation after their performance against No. 1 Texas.  The first time two Top 10 opponents faced in the Bramlage Coliseum would be one for the record books.

The last time the Wildcats defeated a No. 1 opponent was when they took down Kansas in 1994. The Wildcats upped their overall record against the Longhorns to 11-9 and 6-3 at home. Now they ride a 14-game win streak at Bramlage Coliseum, longest in building history.

Coming into the game, the Wildcats knew that in their only losses on the season the frontcourt players were a no-show. Not this time, as Jamar Samuels led the way with 20 points off the bench.

After the game Samuels said, “My mom just had surgery and I told myself that I would dedicate this game for her. Before the game Luis (Colon) told me that one of his friends was just shot so I just played my butt off and it showed in the outcome.”

Samuels was definitely a key component to a Wildcat upset. He scored 15 of his 20 in a dominating first half, with six coming in an end-of-the-half run to put Kansas State up by 10 entering the second half.

The key player in the second half was Rodney McGruder. His numbers may not have been spectacular, but when they needed some offense he was the one to contribute. Rodney sparked a key run late in the game that put the Wildcats firmly in the driver's seat.

“It has been coming with him," Head Coach Frank Martin said. "He was overwhelmed in early December, like most freshmen are, by the intensity of practice. He was overwhelmed by going against Dominique Sutton and Jacob Pullen every day and getting embarrassed. He took great strides over Christmas break, like a lot of our freshmen did. That is two games in a row where Rodney has done a heck-of-a job for us defensively.”

Kansas State played with high intensity on both ends of the floor and battled with the Texas frontcourt all night. The Wildcats out-rebounded the number one rebounding team in the nation by eight on the night.

The win can be atttributed to Kansas State’s ability to get to the rim and put the ball inside for the easy basket. The Wildcats also forced 19 turnovers, two of which were key turnovers that kept the Wildcats in complete control for the win.

The Wildcats aren’t known for passing the ball down low and letting their frontcourt operate but it worked tonight.

“They were great," Martin said after the game. "Jamar (Samuels) is a sophomore, Curtis (Kelly) has not played basketball for three years, and they both played with a lot of passion tonight. I have been on Jamar’s rear-end for about three weeks now, because he is averaging less than two defensive rebounds a game. That was a big-boy game today, and he grabbed eight defensive rebounds.

"It needs to be every day, not every once in a while. We sat down two years ago and said, ‘If we want to beat the big boys in this league, we have got to have great front-line play.’ Luis Colon played his heart out today. He gave us 18 minutes of great basketball. Wally (Judge) did not have great numbers, but he played at a high level when he was in the game.”

Kansas State didn’t just beat the No. 1 team in the nation; they made believers out of many doubters. Under Frank Martin the Wildcats are definitely a team to beat and have a legitimate chance at getting a Big 12 championship.

Look for the Wildcats to shake up the Big 12 standings as March gets closer. There is no doubt that Martin is marching the Cats right into the big dance with as good of a chance as any team in the country.

The Wildcats have now accumulated a 3-1 conference record and 16-2 record overall. The Wildcats still have tough conference games before they can be crowned conference champions. Beating KU would result in most likely winning the Big 12 championship. The Wildcats definitely have a chance to compete with the top teams in the league.

The Wildcats see their next action at home against a struggling Oklahoma State team.

Texas is not overrated. The Longhorns are a great basketball team that will surely earn a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and be a heavy favorite to advance to the Final Four.

The Horns are talented, deep, and dangerous both on the perimeter and on the interior and they're very well-coached.

But of course Kansas State fans couldn't resist the urge to chant "overrated" as the final minute ticked down on the Wildcats' 71-62 upset win over No. 1 Texas at Bramlage Coliseum last night.

This is the dumbest chant I think in all of sports. When the home fans sing it about a highly-ranked visiting team, for example, they're just cheapening the efforts and accomplishments of their beloved home team.

By Texas being overrated, Kansas State achieved merely another league win in the rugged Big 12.

But Monday's triumph was hardly just another win. It was impressive in that Kansas State actually did it despite playing sloppily at times. The Wildcats pounded the ball inside and beat the Longhorns at their own game. Kansas State's first 29 points consisted of three free throws and 13 baskets inside the paint. Nothing from outside.

If there's one statement those in the Kansas State camp might consider, it might have something to do with the two-team race everyone in the preseason said would define the Big 12 this year. With the fiery Frank Martin at the helm and a balanced offense leading the way in Manhattan, the Wildcats are obviously a serious player in the conference.

If you can beat a great team at its own game, build a 14-point lead and not rattle when your No. 1 opponent overcomes the deficit, and run away with the win in spite of sloppy play, maybe you're just underrated.

Now at 16-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, the No. 10 Wildcats could win at least six of their next seven games. No. 3 Kansas comes calling on Jan. 30 in a game that will surely have league title implications.

Tuesday's top games:

On the docket are a couple of good games tonight:

+ No. 16 Clemson at No. 18 Georgia Tech (7 p.m., ESPN): Two teams that have beaten defending champion North Carolina in the past week gather in Atlanta in a key ACC battle. Clemson has won nine of 10 games, and GaTech boasts talent and toughness. This should be a very good game.

+ No. 13 Purdue at Illinois (9 p.m., ESPN): After starting 14-0, the Boilermakers have lost three straight and are now being asked to beat an Illinois team that hasn't lost a home game all season.

So it's finally over.  Kansas State has toppled Texas and left the Longhorns with a look of embarrassment on their faces.

The former undefeated Longhorns headed to Manhattan to take on a surprise underdog Kansas State Wildcats team that had lost only two of their games this season to Mississippi and Missouri. 

The game started out close, and it remained that way until the second half.  Turnovers and missed opportunities flooded the Wildcats offense, and the fact that Texas was their opponent wasn't helping the situation.

With a capacity crown in attendance to watch the game, the chant of "Lets go Wildcats!" was heard all game long and in the end helped Kansas State get the victory that they needed on the season.

With a roster of underrated players, particularly Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, Kansas State utilised all of their talent and gave head coach Frank Martin something to smile and think about as the game unfolded.

The final two minutes seemed like an eternity.  Fouls, controversial calls, pushing and shoving and a barrage of missed buckets and rebounds.  The crowd then turned it up a gear with a minute to go chanting "Overrated" and "We Own Texas."

As pleasing as this is to those that wanted to see Texas get toppled, to help their respective teams out, it was a fairly unclassy act.  I am all for chanting in sports, it makes the games all the much better.  However when your insulting a team and using the word "Own," that's when it gets a bit to overboard.

One thing that Texas did take from this game is a need for revenge.  If the stars align and these two meet again in the NCAA Tourney, expect it to be fierce.  Longhorn fans don't take anything lightly, and tonight's display by Kansas State fans will surely get them fired up.

Team wise Texas played well but fouled way too often.  Dexter Pittman was constantly hearing the whistle in his ear, and that is part of what led to Texas' demise. 

Overall though, hats off to Kansas State.  They got the win and did it in convincing style.  Whether or not they can build from it, well we'll see.  As for Texas, they need not fear.  One loss isn't the end of their season, and with the talent and coaching they have, it is a mere obstacle in the quest for their Final Four hopes.

The team everyone has their eye on now is Kentucky.  Syracuse, Villanova, Duke, Kansas and Texas all are relying on a loss by the Wildcats, and it could come in the near future.  With narrow losses to Stanford and Miami (Ohio) recently, and upsert could be on the horizon for the Kentucky.  An upset style team like Tennessee could get the job done, and leave everyone open for a spot in the Final Four come March.

For now though, we'll just have to wait and see.

Kansas State closing out on a dominant first half of the season on a 10 game win streak, longest in 16 years. The Wildcats are currently ranked 11 in the AP Poll and 10 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. The Wildcats strength of schedule mixed with their impressive wins makes this seem well deserving.

The Wildcats are off to their best start since the 1958-59 season , matching their record of (13-1). Which that team went to the Final Four.

There is no one thing to the Wildcats success. Coach Martin said in an interview with ESPN that the Wildcats are “So eager to get better and compete.” After the loss to Ole Miss early in the season they’ve improved game-by-game.

In the loss, a few things stuck out to me. The bench was a non-factor, the Wildcats bench all-together produced 15 points, and 11 total rebounds. In addition, the bench players only took 16 out of 65 shots, overall the bench players score 26.2 points, and grab 17.7 rebounds per game.  So when they play team basketball Kansas State is a tough team to beat.

Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente both add different dimensions to the offense. Jacob Pullen can break down defenses with his shot or driving ability and Clemente being able to handle the basketball and push it up the floor as fast as any point guard in the country.  The Kansas State frontcourt plays with intensity on both sides of the court and you can tell by their rebounding total.  More able guys on the frontline takes so much pressure off the guards.

They lead the nation in free-throw attempts due to their physical style of play. They score a lot of points off turnovers; they force teams into their style of play and if they can’t keep up, the Wildcats just roll. Their offense shares the basketball, can shoot the three consistently with their streaky shooters, doesn’t force their offense, plays good transition defense, and great transition offense.

Headed into conference play, the Wildcats 13-1 record is the best ever in non-conference play. The Wildcats need to improve their inside-game. Their inside game has been sub-par and because of their dominance on the boards, they don’t have to throw it in and try to get an easy finish at the rim. Ball security is another thing that needs improvement, the Wildcats turn the ball over 15.2 times a game. But overall they’re a very good team with a lot of athleticism and good players that can make plays. Early on they’ve utilized their strengths and are growing as a team. Moving forward onto the big picture is looking bright if the Wildcats rack up a winning conference record.

2000-01 Season

During the 2000-01 season Kansas State ended the season 11-18 and only averaged 63.6 points of total offense and giving up 68 a game to opposing teams. This season Kansas State didn’t play to their strengths at all. They shot poorly from the free-throw line shooting 65 percent and shot 41 percent from the field. Kansas State also turned the ball over numerous amounts of times, turning it over an average of 15.7 times a game.

Phineas Atchison was the leading scorer this year, scoring 11.7 points per game. Travis Reynolds was the leading rebounder this year with 7.7 a game. Larry Reid was the assist leader with 3.7 assist per game.

This season’s MVP is Phineas Atchison

2001-02 Season

This year Kansas State hosted a 13-16 record but improved their scoring offense as they posted 68.4 points a game. Their free-throw percentage didn’t get much better as they shot 66 percent from the line. The Wildcats lacked the dominance inside as they only grabbed 32.8 rebounds per game a decade low. However they logged an impressive win over Oklahoma State who was ranked No. 9.

Larry Reid was their leading scorer and assist man with 14.4 points and 5.3 assist a game, Pervis Pasco was their leading rebounder with 8.4 a game.

This season’s MVP is Larry Reid.

2002-03 Season

With a 13-16 record Kansas State reached the Big 12 conference tournament for the first time in the decade. However, the Wildcats lost by a point to Colorado. The scoring offense didn’t improve that much as the Cat’s only averaged 69.6 a game. Free throw shooting is something they’ll want to forget about this season as they only shot 62 percent from the line. In addition, this year the Kansas State defense was tough. Only allowing its opponents 66.2 points, 40 percent from the field, and 34.2 rebounds a game.

Gilson DeJesus was the leading scorer with 11.2 points, Pervis Pasco was the leading rebounder with 7.5, and Frank Richards was the high assist man with 4.9 a game.

This season’s MVP is Pervis Pasco

2003-04 Season

This season Kansas State held a neutral record 14-14. Small offensive drop in scoring 69.4 a game, and the defense got better only allowing 65.5 points per game to opposing teams. Kansas State improved their free-throw shooting, field goal percentage, rebounding and assist. Once again in the Big 12 conference tournament the Wildcats take an early exit.

Jeremiah Massey led the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.7 points, and 7.8 rebounds and Frank Richards led the team in assist with 3.6.

This seasons MVP is Jeremiah Massey

2004-05 Season

No one and done this year, Kansas State had a 17-12 record and advanced through the Big 12 conference tournament for this first time in the decade, however, the 'Cats lost to Kansas in the second round. Kansas State had a more balanced attack with four players averaging over 10 points per game. The 'Cats weren’t as aggressive as they were in recent years as their fouls and blocks went down.

Jeremiah Massey led the team in scoring and rebounding scoring 17.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and Clent Stewart led the team in assists with four a game.

This season’s MVP is Jeremiah Massey

2005-06 Season

Statistically, a down year for the Wildcats even though they hosted a record of 15-13. The Wildcats got stingy on defense allowing opponents to only score 63.9 points a game and allowing teams to shoot 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from three, a decade best.

Their free-throw percentages went up also as they shot 71 percent from the line, and the turnover went up as they gave the ball away 15 times a game. However, this season was the first time in the decade that K-State defeated both Kansas and Missouri in the same season, although they lost in the Big 12 conference tournament to Texas Tech.

Cartier Martin led the team in scoring and rebounding with 18.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and Clent Stewart led the team in assist with 3.1 a game.

This season’s MVP is Cartier Martin

2006-07 Season

One of Kansas State’s best season’s of the decade with a 23-12 record. This year was the first year the Wildcats were above .500 in conference play; they hosted a 10-6 record.

The Wildcats scored 70.5 points and allowed only 65.1 points a game. This year Kansas State was third in the Big 12 in assist with 15.5, and third in offensive rebounds with 12.9. In the Big 12 conference tournament K-State advanced to the second round after beating Texas Tech, then was defeated by Kansas. The Wildcats were accepted to the National Invitational Tournament where they advanced to the second round after a close win to Vermont, then got defeated by DePaul.

Cartier Martin led the team in scoring with 17.1 points, David Hoskins led the team in rebounds, and Clent Stewart led the team in assist with 2.9 a game.

This season’s MVP is David Hoskins

2007-08

The best year that Kansas State had this decade. Kansas State's offense improved tremendously averaging 78.0 points a game. The rebounding total topped the best of the decade averaging 41.3 rebounds per game which topped the best in the Big 12, 16.3 coming on the offensive end and 24.9 coming on the defensive end. K-State became more of a ball-hawk this year averaging 7.7 steals a game.

This year was the first year K-State had an NCAA tournament bid, and advanced before getting routed by Wisconsin. This year’s best players were Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, both making huge contributions to K-State success.

Michael Beasley led the team in rebounding and scoring with 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and Jacob Pullen led the team in assists.

This season’s MVP is Michael Beasley

2008-09 Season

After losing two of Kansas State’s best players, many thought this year would be a rebuilding year for the Wildcats. That’s why we play the game, the Wildcats were 22-12, barely missing the NCAA tournament. However, they did get to play in the NIT, where they lost after reaching the second round. The Wildcats offense averaged 75.2 points and 39.2 rebounds per game. First in rebounding and offensive rebounding, again in the Big 12 for the second year in a row.

Denis Clemente led the team in scoring and assists with 15.0 points, 3.5 assist, and Darren Kent led the team in rebounding with 5.8 per game.

This season's MVP is Denis Clemente

2009-10

This team is also one of the best Kansas State team of the decade. This year the Wildcats offense scores 82.9 points, and grabs 14.6 offensive rebounds a game. The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation, which wasn’t even achieved by the 2007 Kansas State team that had Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. Kansas State can key their success to their depth. They’re a balanced scoring team, which shares the ball and is very physical. Kansas State shoots 48 percent from the field, and 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Jacob Pullen leads the team in scoring with 19.8, Curtis Kelly leads the team in rebounding with 6.3, and Denis Clemente leads the team in assist with 3.9 a game.

This Season MVP so far is Jacob Pullen

Decade in review: Kansas State was a pretty good program, during the decade they’re 161-127 in counting. They scored 20,449 total points, and grabbed 10,712 rebounds with averages of 71.0 points, and 37.1 rebounds per game.

Kansas State had many stand-out players during the decade; Michael Beasley, Bill Walker, Jeremiah Massey, Larry Reid, Cartier Martin and more. Kansas State had one NCAA tournament bid, six Big 12 Tournament Bid’s and two National Invitational tournament bids, three coaching changes, two Big Eight/12 Newcomer’s of the Year, one Big Eight/12 Player of the Year, 14 All-Conference Big 12 Players, one First Team All-American, and more.

Player of the Decade: Michael Beasley

National Player of the Year

Nasmith Player of the Year

John R. Wooden Player of the Year

National Freshman of the Year

Pete Newell Big Man of the Year

All-American First Team

All-Conference Big 12 First Team

Big Eight/12 Player of the Year