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Kansas St. Wildcats
Location: Manhattan, Kan. | Founded: 1863 | Enrollment: 23,182 | Colors: Purple and White
Coach: Frank Martin | Home Court: Bramlage Coliseum | Capacity: 12,500 Record: (21-12, 10-6 Big 12)
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Wildcats report: Getting inside
Kansas State coach Frank Martin didn't hesitate to call the season "a wild ride." In his first season directing a college program, Martin also shaped seven freshmen who played enormous roles in a 21-12 run that ended with a second-round loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA berth was the first for the Wildcats since 1996 and a first-round upset of Southern California was their first tournament win since 1988, snapping a five-game NCAA losing streak. The season was influenced most by the incredible production of Michael Beasley, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward tabbed by most as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and by many as the national player of the year. With Beasley contributing 28 double-doubles, the Wildcats always had the means to beat any team on its schedule and proved it by snapping an unfathomable 24-game home-court losing streak against archrival Kansas. Forward Bill Walker spent the season as Beasley's wheel man, contributing a 16-point average with a great first step to the basket and explosiveness around the rim. The bad news for Kansas State fans was this was the only season they'll see the pair play together. Beasley, along with Derrick Rose a Memphis is considered one of the top two picks in the draft, had no choice but to leave for the NBA. Walker could benefit from another year of college basketball, but if he is projected far enough into the first round, it would also behoove him to turn pro after undergoing ACL surgery on both knees. Martin admirably handled all the pressure and scrutiny he was under after some charged his hiring was just a means to keep Kansas State's high-profile recruits from going elsewhere. In reality, his promotion made sense after Bob Huggins injected new life into the moribund program before leaving after one season to return to his alma mater, West Virginia. Whether Martin can sustain the program at the level to which Kansas State again becomes a regular participant in the NCAA Tournament is the next challenge. Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved. | ||||||||||||||||
