Q&A with Coach Frank Martin
PURPLE POWER IS BACK AS COACH MARTIN ATTRACTS NEW TALENT by Wayne Hodges
MANHATTAN, Kan – Picture this scenario. A solid 4th place finish backed by 9 victories within the almighty Big 12 conference. An overall record of 22-12; which included an impressive 13 non-conference triumphs. A roster that featured an all-conference point guard who engineered a Kobe Bryant-like 44 point performance on the road against rival Texas; tying a Big 12 record. This resume certainly has the look and credentials of an NCAA tournament team, right? Wrong. At least not in the eyes of last year’s NCAA tournament committee as the Kansas State Wildcats, despite the aforementioned accomplishments, were given the shaft on Selection Sunday.
Fast forward to the present, and it appears the #12 ranked Wildcats of Manhattan have positioned themselves to receive a much more favorable committee vote the next time around. In addition to what is arguably the Big 12’s best backcourt, the K-State lineup features a couple of athletic wing players, a solid veteran center, and a group of “diaper-dandies” considered by a major scouting service to be the nation’s 16th-best recruiting class. Yes, the bluebirds of Lawrence aren’t the only team in Kansas with an abundance of athletic talent. ‘Purple Power’ is back in Manhattan as the team is already off to sizzling start this season. Recently, Kansas State Men’s basketball coach Frank Martin took time to discuss his expectations.
K-State guard Denis Clemente
HODGES: Coach, you have plenty of veteran talent this year. The backcourt tandem of All-Big 12 performer Denis Clemente (pictured above) and Jacob Pullen is, in my opinion, as good as it gets in the Big 12. Dominique Sutton and Jamar Samuels can both be counted on to bring an intense defensive effort every night. And 6′10 center Luis Colon appears poised to have a break-out senior campaign. Can you describe your expectations for the upcoming Big 12 season?
COACH MARTIN: My expectations, to be frank, are the same each and every year. And that includes winning the Big 12 Championship. We don’t talk about finishing in 3rd or 4th place. At Kansas State, our sights are set on winning the league. I love our chances this year because we are a more experienced team. As you’ve already mentioned, our perimeter players are intact with Clemente and Pullen. We’ve added an experienced, athletic player in Curtis Kelly, a 6′8″ transfer from the University of Connecticut. And Colon will provide some veteran muscle and rebounding along the low post.
HODGES: Your freshman class is considered by several national recruiting services to be top-20 quality. ESPN’s Scouts, Inc. has your freshman class ranked 16th in the country. And Rivals.com lists this unit not too far behind at 18th respectively. With such a veteran core of talent, what type of role do you anticipate the younger players having to fill?
COACH MARTIN: We’re obviously very excited about our freshman class. And, yes, we expect them to contribute right away. Wally Judge, a McDonald’s All-American, will certainly compete for major minutes. Martavious Irving gives us an excellent combination of strength and athleticism in the backcourt. Then, of course, we have Jordan Henriquez, Rodney McGruder and Nick Russell who are all expected to make an immediate impact. Once again, we’re very excited about these players. The Big 12 conference, in my opinion, is the best in the nation. And we recruit kids that want to compete against the best.
HODGES: Coach, last year, despite a 4th place finish in the powerful Big 12 conference, your team was not offered an invitation to compete in the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament. Many sports writers and television analysts pointed to your non-conference schedule and RPI strength as determining factors for not getting in. Can you talk a little bit about this year’s schedule? And how you plan to beef-up your RPI?
COACH MARTIN: First of all, the RPI doesn’t make much sense to me. And secondly, I thought our non-conference schedule was pretty good last year. We beat a very solid Cleveland State team that went on to beat Syracuse on the road before making the NCAA tournament. But nobody talked about that. We also competed against a few opponents that suffered key injuries after we played them. Take Iowa for instance. They lost a bunch of starters down the stretch. The same thing happened to Oregon. All that being said, this year we have put together a very strong non-conference schedule. We play eight teams that won 20 games a year ago. And seven of them participated in the postseason. We play Xavier, Washington State, UNLV and Alabama to name a few. So, we’ll definitely be tested. But, we welcome the challenge.
HODGES: The Kansas Jayhawks have won a ridiculous 5 straight Big 12 Championships; in addition to a national title a couple seasons ago. The Texas Longhorns appear to have a nice mix of veteran leadership and young talent on campus. Oklahoma has an outstanding freshman class as well. Can you provide a prognosis of which teams will finish at or near the top of the Big 12?
COACH MARTIN: Kansas is clearly the best team in this league and will continue to be until somebody beats them. Heck, they’ve won our league something like 100 years in a row. Here’s what I find interesting. We have been here for 4 years. And the only team to finish in the top 4 of the league with us all four years is Kansas. Texas is obviously very good with the caliber of players they bring in every year. Rick Barnes has done an outstanding job there. I like what Mike Anderson is doing at Missouri with that program. And it just goes to show it takes time to rebuild a program. People may think it’s easy but it’s not. Jeff Capel gets his kids at Oklahoma to play hard night in and night out. The same is true with Pat Knight at Texas Tech and Doc Sadler at Nebraska. What can I say? This is a very difficult league.
All-American forward Michael Beasley
HODGES: There has been so much discussion among coaches on whether or not the “one year rule” is working in college basketball. A couple seasons ago, you coached perhaps the greatest “one and done” player of all time in Michael Beasley (pictured above). Do you agree or disagree with the rule that mandates high school basketball players attend at least one year of college, or be one year removed from their senior year to become eligible for the NBA Draft?
COACH MARTIN: My answer is the same today as it was two years ago when we recruited Beasley: it’s a bad rule for college basketball. I don’t see the benefit of forcing kids to attend college; especially those that don’t want to go. I believe a player should be allowed to enter the NBA Draft right after high school. But if the player signs on with a college, he should be required to stay at least 3 years. If this method works for baseball, why can’t it work for us?
HODGES: Following the early departure of former coach Bob Huggins, many fans were understandably upset and uncertain about the future of Kansas State basketball. However, the program has rebounded rather nicely as you continue to attract stellar athletic talent to the “Little Apple.” And Bramlage Coliseum, like the days of old, is once again sold-out on game days. Can you paint a picture illustrating your relationship with the fans and general community of Manhattan?
COACH MARTIN: K-State fans have been great since we first stepped foot on campus. They really have. The community, the good people of Manhattan, is second to none. We have a great University, a wonderful faculty, excellent facilities and everyone has been very supportive of me and the program from day one.
Wayne Hodges, an MBA from St. Mary University, is the Editor-in-Chief of “Mass Appeal News.” He is also a candidate for Kansas Senate District #7, an adjunct professor, and MPA at the University of Kansas. Wayne welcomes your comments at whodges@massappealnews.com
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June 25th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Everybody knows the KANSAS JAYHAWKS own the state of Kansas and the Big 12. K-State got a nice little squad with Clemente, Pullen, and so on…but KU has Collins, Aldrich, Xavier Henry and an NBA lineup. I bet Kansas can beat the LA Clippers. Hey wildcats, ain’t nothin wrong with 2nd place
June 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Hey, don’t be knockin my K-State Wildcatz…For the first time in decades we finally have enough soldiers with skillz to KNOCK OFF that evil empire to the east known as Kansas University. Coach Frank M iz an extension of Bob Huggins…he keeps gettin the top-notch recruits to come to Manhattan. Clemente’s the man no doubt…but don’t sleep on Wally Judge. I saw him in the Jordan Classic in New york and the boy can play ball. LOVE IT OR HATE IT, K-STATE’S ON THE RISE!!!
June 25th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
K…..S…..U….. Go Wildcats all the way to the FINAL FOUR in Indy
June 25th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I think all you guys are nuts. The Mizzou Tigers are the new leaders of the Big 12 conference. We have a bunch of young talent returning too. We got J.T. Tiller and Kim English in the backcourt. And don’t forget about our “Forty Minutes of Hell.” KU and K-State won’t even be able to get the ball across half-court against that defense. Last year was no fluke…THE MIZZOU TIGERS ARE HERE TO STAY!!! GET USED TO IT!!!
June 25th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Sorry Mizzou Mike…it’s Jayhawks all the way homie
June 26th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
College hoops is way better than the NBA………………BRING IT ON!!!
June 26th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I like K-State and all but i gotta go with Million Man and say the Kansas Jayhawks are the team to beat. And i am not talkin about just the Big 12, i am talkin about nationally too. If the “X” kid is as good as people say he is, the Jayhawks will have a dependable 3rd scoring option to go along with Big “C” Cole Aldrich and the human fireball Sherron Collins. Like North Carolina did this year, Kansas will dominate college basketball this upcomin season.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Clemente + Pullen + Judge = BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
June 28th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
KSU is back on the map…Coach Martin has quieted his critics…great job coach
June 29th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Rude Rebel, I agree with you. Coach Martin has done an outstanding job of taking over that program and recruiting top notch talent. KSU is definitely back on the map.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I agree Hodges, KSU is back on the map. Why is everybody hating on my CATS? We have a top 20 recruiting class and a group of guards that will smoke anybody. You guys may not respect us now, but I betcha will in March.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
KSU will dominate the BIG 12 this season baby. We got Clemente, Judge, Pullen…who can top that? Not even Kansas has a backcourt like that. I’m proud to be a K-Stater. Keep ‘em coming Coach Martin. Go ‘BIG PURPLE!!!’
July 11th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Great article! Let’s roast some Jayhawk this year. What do ya say? Barbecue blue bird for everybody.
July 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am
You K-State fans are off your rocker…it’s MU TIGERS all the way to Indy…
July 28th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Manhattan is on the map. For the best basketball in Kansas, come to the “Little Apple” this fall and get ya fix. PURPLE POWER! PURPLE POWER! PURPLE POWER!
December 10th, 2009 at 12:06 am
KSU ROCKS! We got the coach. We got the talent. Now lets make some noise.