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Most college basketball fans know that Kansas (9-0) is a strong No. 1 in both polls, just five votes shy of being unanimously on top.
Not near as many realize that 75 miles down the road, Kansas State (9-1) is off to a fast start, too.
The Wildcats jumped into the polls at Nos. 17 and 22 this week after Saturday's 95-80 road thrashing of then-No. 17 UNLV.
Add that to an 83-75 win over then-No. 18 Dayton and K-State has two wins over ranked nonconference opponents in one season for the first time in 51 years.
“We're still not where we need to be,'' coach Frank Martin said Monday. “We've got a lot of room to grow.
“With that said, I'm also real proud of what we've done. There have been a lot of good teams and good players at this school the past 50 years, and no one did that. So these kids have accomplished something.''
K-State guard Jacob Pullen is the current Big 12 player of the week. The 6-foot senior from Chicago hit 7 of 10 3-pointers in scoring 28 points against UNLV. He also had a game-high 16 points in a 71-56 win over Xavier.
But Pullen is far from the lone offensive option.
Four other Wildcats have produced 20-point games already, too — senior guard Denis Clemente, junior Connecticut transfer forward Curtis Kelly, sophomore forward Jamar Samuels and freshman guard Rodney McGruder.
Kansas State has only three seniors, and one of them — center Luis Colon — has been suspended until this week. So Martin wasn't sure what the early returns would be.
“The youth on our team, and connecting that youth with our experience,'' Martin said, “still allows us to have a lot of room for growth.''
Hot Henry
Don't overlook the significance of Kansas freshman wing Xavier Henry scoring 31 points Saturday against La Salle.
He became the first KU freshman to have a 30-point game since Paul Pierce, now an NBA All-Star with Boston, 12 years ago. That's fast company.
KU coach Bill Self says Henry, touted as one of the nation's top recruits, is even better than advertised.
“He's been a model of consistency, which you don't see very often with freshmen,'' Self said. “He's had some games where he hasn't played as well, but he's also been a guy who has still produced.
“I'm really excited about him. He's got a chance to be, without question, far better than what I thought he would be this early.''
Bits and pieces
Nebraska forward Quincy Hankins-Cole, who missed the past two games with a knee strain, should be 100 percent this week, coach Doc Sadler said Monday. Husker guard Brandon Richardson, slowed by low back trouble, now has suffered a strain on the other side of his back. ... Baylor center Ekpe Udoh, a transfer from Michigan, leads the Big 12 with five double-doubles. Udoh averages 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. ... Oklahoma State wing James Anderson leads the league in scoring at 20.4 points.
Contact the writer:
444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com
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