Pullen too good for the NIT

[Mr. Laz]

Kansas State's Jacob Pullen: 'I won't play basketball in the NIT'

11:07 AM

By Tim Gardner, USA TODAY

With Kansas State off to a rough start in Big 12 play, senior guard Jacob Pullen wants to right the ship -- and quickly.

His reason? He doesn't want to miss the NCAA tournament in his final college season.

And, after the Wildcats lost to Colorado on Wednesday night, Pullen said if Kansas State were to miss the Big Dance and be relegated to the NIT, he simply won't play.

"This is my last go-around," Pullen said, according to The Kansas City Star. "I'm not going to the NIT. I won't play basketball in the NIT. I'm saying that now. If we lose, and we have to go to the NIT, I will not play."

While Kansas State isn't necessarily in danger of missing the tournament as of yet -- they are 12-5 overall and ranked No. 20 in the USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 poll, by the way -- things can change quickly if their current two-game losing streak stretches any further.

Luckily for the Wildcats, Pullen knows things can turn around.

"We've just got to grow up," Pullen said. "That's the biggest thing. The Big 12 is 16 games. We lost our first two. Nothing says we can't win the rest."

The Wildcats won't need to win the rest of their game to reach the NCAA tournament, but it's good to see Pullen thinking big.

-- Tim Gardner

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...n-nit-big-12/1