Enjoy This Run, No Matter How Long It Lasts
by TB on Mar 24, 2010 8:30 PM CDT
in Men's Basketball
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PrintWith his usual insight and humor, Curtis Kitchen today reminds K-State fans to forget everything but right now. He's exactly right, don't worry about the last 22 years, or the 40 before that. Enjoy what this team is doing, because even if they lose to Xavier on Thursday night, they've already done something special.
Frank Martin and this year's squad have won the hearts of their fanbase and also captured the minds of journalists and analysts who four years ago probably weren't entirely sure K-State fielded a basketball team. In a perverse twist, the national media actually has more love for a basketball program than the program's local media does.
But for us as fans, even if this team were to lose to Xavier tomorrow, or to Syracuse or Butler on Saturday, don't lose sight of what they have accomplished, both this season and in general. Don't forget about the four big wins early in the season that propelled K-State into the national consciousness. Don't forget about the win over then-No. 1 Texas. Remember the atmosphere the night we came oh-so-close to knocking off the regular season's clear-cut champion, KU. Most importantly, remember the team that showed up last weekend in Oklahoma City and handled North Texas and BYU with surprising ease.
In a more general sense, don't lose sight of what this program has become. Think back to the late 1990s, or early 2000s, and how stale and boring we thought Bramlage Coliseum was. Remember those KU games, when thousands of opposing fans would get into the building and we had to endure that chant haunting us at the end of yet another blowout. Think back to non-conference games in December, when only a smattering of people would show up. Compare that to now, when even the national media latched on to a nickname for our arena that described the atmosphere inside, if not always the actual results. Think about how ear-splittingly loud it gets in that place. Remember the night the streak ended in 2008, and we showed for the first time that we were moving toward a point where we could compete with the better programs in the country. Consider how astonishing it is that our team has finished in the top four in this conference for four consecutive years, or that we are a two seed in the NCAA Championship this year.
Enjoy this team for everything it is, both its considerable strengths and its occasionally maddening flaws. Love Denis Clemente for his game-changing speed and wonderful ability to enter a zone where he can throw the ball into the hoop from anywhere, but also for the fact that you're likely to scream "No, Denis, NOOOOO!" about half the time he puts up a shot. Enjoy Dominique Sutton's stifling defense and live with his inconsistent offensive game and frustration over bad calls. Marvel at Curtis Kelly's incredible athleticism and smooth jumper and just deal with his incredulous reactions to calls. Get over the fact that Luis Colon and Chris Merriewether are not the most gifted basketball players and love the fact that they love to put on that K-State uniform and give it everything they have when they're in the game. Learn to love the growing pains Wally Judge has endured and salivate over his potential in the next few years. Don't worry about the fact that Jamar Samuels has only tapped about 1/100th of his talent and enjoy the fact that he's still the best first player off the bench in the Big 12.
Finally, for anyone who still worries about this, learn to love Frank Martin for what he is. Yes, he yells (OK, screams). Yes, he swears. Yes, sometimes he looks like a maniac on the sideline. You know what? It works. He's doing something right. No good player would play for him if it didn't work. None of his players would bust their ass for him if he didn't know what he was doing, and nobody can doubt that these players absolutely bust their tails every night they are on the court. He's proven he knows what he's doing, and that if they listen to him, they will win. He's proven that as long as they give him full effort all the time, he has their backs no matter what. He proved that loyalty to his players, and to K-State in general, by signing an extension when he could have held out to see which jobs came open and how much money other schools would offer him.
This coaching staff and these players represent the very best of what we see as the ideals of K-State. We have less money than most. Outsiders don't always like our location. Our calling card is outworking the competition for everything we get. Frank Martin and this team exemplify that, and they're showing that hard work pays off. It already has paid off, even if the run ends on Thursday. It stands to pay even bigger dividends than that, however.
No matter what, as Kitchen said, enjoy it. Go Cats!
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I have truly enjoyed watching this team play this year.
This is my last year as a student at K-State and have loved every minute of it. Can’t wait for tomorrow night! And….students are getting a potentially stupid deal on final four tickets if we make it ($25!) SGA ‘Pullen’ some strings
Well said...
K-State basketball appears to be back on the map and next year I see them in position to be just as good. Still opportunities in front of them this year as well, but it’s been a huge success already.
Also not sure you guys noticed but Bill Self was asked in his post season wrap if he watches basketball after his team is out to which he responded “No”…he followed that up with a “but” saying he’d be rooting for Frank. Said he had great respect for Martin and that he was a great guy.
I Thought that was interesting and probably further proof that while these teams go toe to toe on the court, they seem to have developed a bit of a bond extending beyond what we’ve seen from Pullen and Collins.
53 Conference Championships!! and now 6 IN A ROW!!! Holy Hell...Good Luck with That!!
God, this sounds eerily familiar.
Bill came to similar “SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS WHILE IT LASTS” blows early in the 2008 football season:
I think I’ve mentioned this already, but a couple weeks ago on Football Outsiders, a Tennessee fan told me that the one thing he regrets most is that he didn’t enjoy the Vols’ 1996-99 run enough, didn’t soak it in as much as he wished he had. Well, we’re smack in the middle of something we may never duplicate.
(snip)
I’m going to soak it in with every chance I get, and I whole-heartedly encourage you to do the same.
One week later, Missouri flat out ANNIHILATED Nebraska in Lincoln and that post never seemed more relevant. One week after that, Mizzou got stunned at home by Oklahoma State with a potential claim to the No. 1 ranking in the country on the line, and Bill’s post, while no longer as relevant, may never have been more important.
Enjoy the run, BOTC. Enjoy the hell out of it.
*Enjoying enjoying enjoying*
the hell out of it!
I have watched more games, read more blog/op-eds, and browsed more box scores this year regarding KSU basketball than all the previous years in my life for any of my teams in any sport, maybe even combined. I have always been a sports fan, and a fan of pretty much any sport, so this year being the most intense for me as a fan is saying something. Having been a Packers fan during the Favre era and a Braves fan during the 14 straight division titles, both of which were followed/are being followed by a series of seasons of terrible performance or under achieving, I plan to continue savoring this season until it has nothing left. And after that I’ll hold onto the memories.
Thanks ’Cats for the hard work and fun season – keep it going!
--VegasCat07
You're absolutely right TB
What a ride this has been. I couldn’t be happier for the team and for us, the fans.
This is fun ...
Glad K-State basketball is back where it was in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Even better is that we have an excellent coaching staff that is a reflection of what is K-State; hard work, honesty and integrity. It is enjoyable reading about the growth all the players have gone through under ‘Frank.’
Win or lose, I’m loving what the Cats are doing and will support ’em.
If anyone finds out when the Cats return to MHK, please post. We need to welcome ’em home.
by Anon_the_younger on Mar 25, 2010 8:51 AM CDT reply actions
Amen
This season has been great so far, and I’m going to enjoy every last second of it. Even if the Cats go out tonight and lay an egg, it will be the most successful season since I knew what a basketball was.
Great to be back!
Been waiting a long time for Kstate to return to a legitimate basketball school. I was spoiled as a student from ‘77 to ’84 getting to watch a lot of great bball in Ahearn. Rolando Blackman, Mitch Richmond, Ed Nealy, and many other great players. This year’s team is even better, but shares a lot of the same drive and determination. Blackman is listed as coming from NY, but I remember that he barely spoke a word of English when he arrived in Manhattan because he really grew up in Panama. The team used a smattering of Spanish to communicate with each other.
Leaving for Salt Lake City soon, so ready to cheer on our guys. Anything could happen, just looking forward to enjoying the games. I believe the guys are focused and are going to give 110% to keep on dancing. Been a great ride regardless and then can look forward to next year. Thanks to DirecTV and the internet, I look forward to following the CATS for many more years to come.
Off to finish packing, so I can hit the road. Want to be to Salt Lake before the pep rally!
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