Sweet 16: Kansas State's Pullen keeps chip on his shoulder

SALT LAKE CITY — Even though he outplayed media darling Jimmer Fredette last Saturday, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen didn't ditch the chip on his shoulder he talked about having before the Wildcats' second-round game against BYU.

"No," he said before Wednesday's practice at EnergySolutions Arena. "I think we brought it on the plane with us."

Pullen didn't specify if the chip was stowed with the luggage or in his carry-on, but K-State definitely brought that us-against-the-world mentality from Manhattan.

"A lot of people still undermine us," Pullen said. "They think we're not that good, we shouldn't be here, we got lucky. Whatever it is, we still feel like we have a lot to prove."

The junior guard has, however, gotten plenty of publicity since he torched BYU with 34 points and seven 3-pointers in KSU's 84-72 win.

Forward Curtis Kelly believes Pullen is handling his notoriety well and described the All-Big 12 first-teamer as being a charming but down-to-earth teammate.

"When he gets around us, he's never mean or he never violate us or anything like that," Kelly said. "He's humble, he's cool, he shows the love that we deserve as his brothers."

His stardom and the team's success, Pullen claims, hasn't changed anything.

"We still play video games. We still talk about each other," Pullen said. "We still do the same things we done before we were ranked and after we were ranked."

Laughing, Kelly added: "T-shirts on sale, by the way."

EYE OF THE TIRED: A reporter told KSU coach Frank Martin he's looking "a little bit worn." Just so happens earlier Wednesday the coach's wife told him, "Man, you look like a mess."

He feels it, too.

"I'm tired," Martin admitted. "But you know what, this is a good tired. The excitement of this weekend helps you overcome the lack of sleep or the exhaustion."

Coaching into the Sweet 16 doesn't wear him out like previous jobs — landscaping and mowing lawns, cutting trees after Hurricane Andrew, and working as a bouncer until 2:30 a.m. and then getting to a 7 a.m. math class he taught.

"This is easy," he said. "I ain't sleeping, but I'm saying these kids are having an unbelievable amount of success. This is what it's all about."

WARDROBE CHANGE?: Don't be surprised if Kansas State dons new uniforms against Xavier tonight.

Kelly has heard rumors but pleaded ignorance. Pullen joked that he knows "all the secrets" but believes the Wildcats will keep the same uniforms they wore en route to the West Regional. After all, he said, "If we lose, everybody blame it on the new jerseys."

Their coach didn't help clear up the mystery.

"Jake said, 'new jersey,'" Martin said. "I told him that's a state."

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