Are The Kansas State Wildcats For Real?

Under Frank Martin the Kansas State Wildcats are off to their best start (10-1) since the 2004-'05 season, in which they also started off with 10 wins in their first 11 games.

The Wildcats have logged some very impressive wins this season. The Wildcats defeated Dayton, 83-75, on a neutral court during the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff;  Nevada-Las Vegas (No. 20 in Coaches' Poll), 95-80, on the road; and Xavier, 71-56, at home.

The Wildcats are currently 5-0 at home, 5-1 at neutral locations, and are riding a seven-game winning streak.

With the Wildcats' impressive resume, they're ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll, and 15th in the Coaches' Poll. They're generally seen as the third best squad in the Big 12, behind Kansas and Texas, the numbers one and two teams in all of college basketball.

Earlier this year, the Wildcats didn't always play up to their full potential. Now, though, the Wildcats are playing more fluent basketball.

The Wildcats have superior size, talent, and definitely athleticism. Their front court is has size, skill and good depth, which takes some pressure off the guards.

Kansas State has a young team. The Wildcats have five freshman, three sophomores, three juniors, and three seniors. The starting five is a good blend of experience (one senior and the three juniors) and seven-footer Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, the freshman from The Winchendon School in Massachusetts.

The Wildcat frontcourt is huge. Along with 7-0 freshman Henriquez-Roberts, there is the prized four-star 6-9 freshman Wally Judge, 6-10 senior Luis Colon, and 6-8 junior Curtis Kelly, a transfer from UConn.

The team's best player is junior guard Jacob Pullen. Pullen is a hard worker; he spends tons of hours in the gym. Jacob’s play has grown from last year’s experiences. Jacob worked very hard during the offseason to become the better player that he is today, having improved in every major statistic, but especially in scoring.

Pullen is averaging 20.2 points per game, and is first in the Big 12 in three-point field goals made with 31, free throws made with 65, and points scored with 222.

Remember this conference is arguably the best in college basketball. It has some of the best players in college basketball, such as: Cole Aldrich, James Anderson, Xavier Henry, Damion James, Willie Warren, etc…

This Kansas State team is a special one. The Wildcats haven’t been ranked this high in 36 years. The Wildcats next action is at the winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff.