The 2008–09 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball

Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball

The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....

 team represented Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

 in the 2008–09 college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 season. The team was led by second-year head coach Frank Martin

Frank Martin (basketball coach)

Frank Martin is the head men's basketball coach at Kansas State University. Martin was announced as Kansas State's 22nd head men's basketball coach on April 6, 2007, following the resignation of Bob Huggins, who departed for West Virginia University...

. The team played their home games at Bramlage Coliseum

Bramlage Coliseum

Fred Bramlage Coliseum is a 12,528-seat multi-purpose arena in Manhattan, Kansas. The arena's primary function is as home to the men's and women's basketball teams for Kansas State University. The building also holds offices for Kansas State Wildcats baseball, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Sports...

, which the team has done since 1988.

Pre-season

The 2007–08

2007-08 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2007–08 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Kansas State University in the 2007–08 college basketball season. The team was led by first-year head coach Frank Martin...

 season was a successful one for the Wildcats. They returned to the NCAA Tournament

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

 for the first time since 1996

1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...

. 2007–08 was also the first season for head coach Frank Martin. Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley

Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...

 and Bill Walker

Bill Walker (basketball)

William "Bill" Henry Walker is an American professional basketball player with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...

 led the team in scoring and nearly every other offensive category. They were also both drafted

2008 NBA Draft

The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...

, marking the first time since 1990

1990 NBA Draft

The 1990 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1990, in New York City, New York. This draft produced only one perennial All-Star,Gary Payton. Among the 54 picks, Payton is considered by far the best pick of the draft. Payton went on to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time...

 that a Wildcat was drafted (Steve Henson

Steve Henson

Steven Michael Henson is a retired American professional basketball player, who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round of the 1990 NBA Draft...

 was the last). It was also the first time since 1982

1982 NBA Draft

The 1982 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1982 at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.-Key:-Draft:-Other picks:-External links:**...

 that more than one Wildcat was drafted (Tyrone Adams, Randy Reed and Ed Nealy

Ed Nealy

Eddie Carl Nealy is a retired American basketball player. At 6'7" and 238 pounds, he played as a forward....

.

Regular season

Kansas State became just the second school in Big 12 history (after Iowa State in 2004–05) to rally from an 0–4 start to get back to at least .500 in conference play. The previous best finish after such a start came in 1983–84 when K-State finished Big Eight play with a 5–9 mark.

The Wildcats finished the conference season in a tie for fourth place with a 9–7 record in the Big 12 and a 21–10 record overall. They earned the number four seed in the 2009 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament

2009 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament

The 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 13th edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City from March 11 until March 14, 2009...

. 2008–09 marks the third consecutive year that the team earned one of the top 4 spots in the tournament, and thus received a first round bye.

Incoming signees

Schedule

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!colspan=9| Exhibition

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!colspan=9| Regular Season

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!colspan=9| Phillips 66

Phillips 66

Phillips 66 is a brand of gasoline and service station in the U.S. It is owned by the ConocoPhillips Company.Phillips 66 will also be the name of the future downstream company created when ConocoPhillips repositions its integrated assets and businesses into two independent, publicly-traded...

 Big 12 Tournament

2009 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament

The 2009 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 13th edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City from March 11 until March 14, 2009...

|-
!colspan=9| 2009 NIT Tournament

2009 National Invitation Tournament

-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...

Roster

#	Name	Height	Weight (lbs.)	Position	Class	Hometown	Previous Team(s)
0	Jacob Pullen Jacob Pullen Jacob Everse Pullen is an American basketball player at the point guard position. The former Kansas State Wildcat is currently playing for Angelico Biella in Italy.-College:...	6'0"	200	G	So.	Maywood, IL Maywood, Illinois Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Proviso East HS Proviso East High School Proviso East High School is a public secondary school in Maywood, Illinois which serves the educational needs of Maywood and three other villages within Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois: Broadview, Forest Park and Melrose Park. It is the original campus of Proviso Township High Schools...
1	Fred Brown	6'2"	190	G	So.	West Palm Beach, FL West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Dwyer HS William T. Dwyer High School William T. Dwyer High School is a public high school for grades 9–12 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States. The school was named for William T. Dwyer, former vice president of Pratt & Whitney's Government Products Division and a community leader in Palm Beach County. It is best known for...
13	Justin Werner	6'3"	190	G	Fr.	Topeka, KS Topeka, Kansas Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Washburn Rural HS Washburn Rural High School Washburn Rural High School is a fully accredited public high school located in southwest Topeka, Kansas, serving students in grades 9–12. The school is located right next to Washburn Rural Middle School. Edward Raines became the principal in 2007, replacing former principal Bill Edwards. The school...
15	Luis Colon	6'10"	265	C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Jr.	Bayamón Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo... , Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...	Krop HS Dr. Michael M. Krop High School Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1410 County Line Road in the Ives Estates area of Unincorporated north Miami-Dade County , Florida, USA...  (Miami, FL Ives Estates, Florida Ives Estates is a census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 17,586 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ives Estates is located at .... )
21	Denis Clemente Denis Clemente Denis Clemente is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player with BK Bemaco SPU Nitra of the Slovak Basketball Association. He played collegiately in the United States with the Kansas State University Wildcats, which he graduated from in 2010...	6'1"	175	G	Jr.	Bayamón Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo... , Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...	Calusa Prep HS (Miami, FL Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... ) University of Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
23	Dominique Sutton	6'5"	210	G	So.	Durham, NC Durham, North Carolina Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Patterson HS (Lenoir, NC Lenoir, North Carolina Lenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains... )
24	Curtis Kelly	6'8"	250	F	Jr.	New York, NY New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Rice HS Rice High School (New York) Rice High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, United States. It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York... University of Connecticut University of Connecticut The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
25	Buchi Awaji	6'3"	185	G	Jr.	Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Loyola HS Loyola High School (Los Angeles) Loyola High School of Los Angeles is a Jesuit preparatory school for young men. It is the oldest high school in Southern California, and one of the oldest in California... Florida International University Florida International University Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park... Citrus College Citrus College Citrus College is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora, California; the Citrus Community College District which supports the school includes the communities of Glendora, Azusa, Charter Oak, Claremont, Monrovia, and Duarte. The school is the oldest public community...
31	Chris Merriewether	6'3"	210	G	Jr.	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Arlington Country Day HS Arlington Country Day School Arlington Country Day School is a private school in Jacksonville, Florida. A non-sectarian coeducational school, it offers a K-12 education and enrolls over 400 students a year...
32	Jamar Samuels	6'7"	215	F	Fr.	Washington, DC Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Patterson HS (Lenoir, NC Lenoir, North Carolina Lenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains... )
33	Victor Ojeleye	6'6"	225	F	Fr.	Ottawa, KS Ottawa, Kansas Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Patterson HS (Lenoir, NC Lenoir, North Carolina Lenoir is a city in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,228 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County. Lenoir is located in the Blue Ridge foothills. The city also contains the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains... )
40	Ron Anderson	6'8"	255	F	So.	Upper Marlboro, MD Upper Marlboro, Maryland Upper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger.... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	McCallie HS The McCallie School The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. The school was founded in 1905 and now educates a student body comprising 230 boarding students in grades 9-12 and 660 day students in grades 6-12.- History :Brothers Spencer...  (Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County... )
42	Darren Kent	6'11"	230	F	Sr.	Apple Valley, MN Apple Valley, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 45,527 people, 16,344 households, and 12,405 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,625.5 people per square mile . There were 16,536 housing units at an average density of 953.6 per square mile... , U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	Eastview HS Eastview High School Eastview High School is a comprehensive and college preparatory public high school located in Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA. Established in 1997, Eastview is the newest of the four high schools serving Independent School District 196. Newsweek ranked the school in their "List of the Top High Schools...