KU more wary of K-State guard Pullen
By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star
K-State?s Jacob Pullen proved to be a pest for Russell Robinson and KU last month with his 20-point performance. LAWRENCE | You can?t exactly blame Kansas? guards for not watching a lot of Jacob Pullen film leading up to the first KU-Kansas State game on Jan. 30.
The Jayhawks put their emphasis on trapping and harassing freshmen Michael Beasley and Bill Walker in the post, and Pullen made them pay with 20 points and four assists.
?He did catch us off guard,? KU guard Russell Robinson acknowledged. ?Now, we know.?
It was pretty clear to Pullen during K-State?s 84-75 win that the Jayhawks didn?t know much about him.
?I think they overplayed me a lot, thinking I wasn?t that good of a shooter or couldn?t get to the lane,? Pullen said. ?I guess they really just didn?t think I was that good of a player. They really gave me anything I wanted, so I just took it.
?I would think that I have their attention now.?
He does. The Jayhawks now know that Pullen, a freshman guard from Chicago, can be a lethal No. 3 option for the Wildcats ?particularly if KU puts him on the free-throw line as it did the first time when Pullen made 10 of 10.
?We just gotta make him earn his points,? said KU guard Sherron Collins, who played in the same AAU program with Pullen in Chicago. ?He can be a big difference-maker, but point blank, we gotta do a good job on Beasley and Walker.?
The Jayhawks? priorities will still be Beasley and Walker, but Self is wary of going too far with it. Last time, KU held Beasley to 25 points, just below his season average of 26.2, and Walker had 22. Pullen?s 20 points were the unexpected dagger.
?You can win the battle and lose the war,? Self said. ?If the battle is limiting (Beasley?s and Walker?s) touches, but opening it up for everybody else, that?s not exactly playing to your strengths either.?
Pullen?s only concern is doing whatever it takes to end K-State?s four-game losing streak on the road.
?I just want to win Saturday,? Pullen said, ?because we need this win.?
?LONG DAY: With the 8 p.m. start Saturday night and all of the fanfare that comes with ESPN?s ?College Gameday? coming to town, Self wants to make sure his team doesn?t get too excited before the game.
?It?s great exposure for your school,? Self said, ?but it?s also a very long day. The more our players can keep a normal routine would probably bode well for performance that night. You can get too hyped up. It?s kind of like the NCAA Tournament. All you want to do is watch games all day. I?m not sure that?s the best thing.?
?A DEFINITE MAYBE: When K-State plays its last home game Tuesday against Colorado, will it be senior night for Beasley?
?No, I?ve got three more years after this one,? Beasley said Thursday. ?So my senior night is not for a long time.?
But when asked whether he?d guarantee he?d be back next season, Beasley hedged: ?I ain?t guaranteeing anything.?
By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star
K-State?s Jacob Pullen proved to be a pest for Russell Robinson and KU last month with his 20-point performance. LAWRENCE | You can?t exactly blame Kansas? guards for not watching a lot of Jacob Pullen film leading up to the first KU-Kansas State game on Jan. 30.
The Jayhawks put their emphasis on trapping and harassing freshmen Michael Beasley and Bill Walker in the post, and Pullen made them pay with 20 points and four assists.
?He did catch us off guard,? KU guard Russell Robinson acknowledged. ?Now, we know.?
It was pretty clear to Pullen during K-State?s 84-75 win that the Jayhawks didn?t know much about him.
?I think they overplayed me a lot, thinking I wasn?t that good of a shooter or couldn?t get to the lane,? Pullen said. ?I guess they really just didn?t think I was that good of a player. They really gave me anything I wanted, so I just took it.
?I would think that I have their attention now.?
He does. The Jayhawks now know that Pullen, a freshman guard from Chicago, can be a lethal No. 3 option for the Wildcats ?particularly if KU puts him on the free-throw line as it did the first time when Pullen made 10 of 10.
?We just gotta make him earn his points,? said KU guard Sherron Collins, who played in the same AAU program with Pullen in Chicago. ?He can be a big difference-maker, but point blank, we gotta do a good job on Beasley and Walker.?
The Jayhawks? priorities will still be Beasley and Walker, but Self is wary of going too far with it. Last time, KU held Beasley to 25 points, just below his season average of 26.2, and Walker had 22. Pullen?s 20 points were the unexpected dagger.
?You can win the battle and lose the war,? Self said. ?If the battle is limiting (Beasley?s and Walker?s) touches, but opening it up for everybody else, that?s not exactly playing to your strengths either.?
Pullen?s only concern is doing whatever it takes to end K-State?s four-game losing streak on the road.
?I just want to win Saturday,? Pullen said, ?because we need this win.?
?LONG DAY: With the 8 p.m. start Saturday night and all of the fanfare that comes with ESPN?s ?College Gameday? coming to town, Self wants to make sure his team doesn?t get too excited before the game.
?It?s great exposure for your school,? Self said, ?but it?s also a very long day. The more our players can keep a normal routine would probably bode well for performance that night. You can get too hyped up. It?s kind of like the NCAA Tournament. All you want to do is watch games all day. I?m not sure that?s the best thing.?
?A DEFINITE MAYBE: When K-State plays its last home game Tuesday against Colorado, will it be senior night for Beasley?
?No, I?ve got three more years after this one,? Beasley said Thursday. ?So my senior night is not for a long time.?
But when asked whether he?d guarantee he?d be back next season, Beasley hedged: ?I ain?t guaranteeing anything.?
