Manhattan, Kansas, dubbed the “Little Apple,” is the home of the Kansas State Wildcats. Unfortunately the apple has been pretty sour these days with the misfortunes of the Wildcat basketball team.
Kansas State was a darling of preseason polls. Many polls picked the Wildcats in the top five in the country. But then they played the games.
Kansas State has lost three of four games in the Big 12 Conference and are just 13-6 overall. The Wildcats are tied for next-to-the-bottom in the league with Oklahoma.
Guard Jacob Pullen is an all-star player but one man doesn’t define a team. He and Curtis Kelly were the only returning starters back from a 29-8 club.
This team misses point guard Denise Clemente who was a senior last year. But the Wildcats better starting consistently winning or they are in danger of missing the NCAA tournament.
Kansas State has developed a solid tradition under coach Frank Martin. Could it be the opposing teams are fired up to play the Wildcats? Could Kansas State be thinking about its former press clips? Do the players need a kinder, gentler Martin?
The Wildcats are definitely a surprise in college basketball this season. The kind of surprise the Little Apple doesn’t appreciation.
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