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« on: July 03, 2012, 10:57:12 AM »
The No. 0 jersey that became iconic among rabid Kansas State basketball fans during their four-year love affair with Jacob Pullen, transformed into a No. 8 jersey during a season of growth and introspection thousands of miles away in Italy.
The bottom of Pullen's player biography for Angelico Biella read, "Non scelto nel draft 2011 dai club NBA, nel luglio 2011 ha firmato un contratto di un anno con l'Angelico Biella."
Translation: "No choice in the NBA draft in 2011 by the clubs, in July 2011 signed a one-year contract with Angelico Biella."
That chapter has paused momentarily.
Jacob Pullen has finished his first season of professional basketball in Italy.
Coming off a productive season in which Pullen was one of only three players in the league to average 16 points, three assists and at least 1.75 steals, the all-time leading scorer in K-State history has returned to his hometown of Maywood, Ill., and he continues to workout daily with fellow former stars from Proviso East High School, players like Dee Brown, who continue to hone their craft while playing overseas.
It's not that bad of a gig, really. While Pullen maintains that he was overlooked in last season's NBA Draft, he earned a paycheck this past season while playing the game he loves.
His next opportunity to prove himself arrives shortly with NBA league camps in Orlando and Las Vegas.
But Pullen, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound point guard who was a fixture during one of the winningest runs in K-State basketball history, has been virtually silent, aside from his Twitter account, during the past year.
That all changed earlier this week.
Pullen granted a rare interview following one of his nighttime workouts because he wanted to talk about the school he loves, the head coach he loved to play for, the former K-State teammates who remain close, and the memories that will last forever. He looks ahead as oscar Weber begins his stint as the new K-State men's basketball coach and reflects on his infamous tweet shortly after Weber's hiring that gained national attention on ESPN, and on his current relationship the program he once helped lead to its first Elite Eight appearance in 22 years.
And, of course, Pullen looks to clear the air on "Fear the Beard" and offers his message to K-State basketball fans: "Just continue to be loyal."
It's Pullen, in his own words, for the first time in more than a year.
D. Scott Fritchen: Let's start with Maywood and being back home. Does it feel like so much has changed over the last year, or when you return home does it feel like time stood still while you were away?
Jacob Pullen: "I was right down the street from my mom's house across from the high school just now playing from 6:30 p.m. to about 8:45 p.m. It was me, Dee Brown, Alando Tucker, Grant Watkins, Andre Brown. There were a couple pros in there. We got a good sweat. Sometimes, it feels like a lot of stuff has changed. When I first got home I felt like stuff changed, but when I was here for a while, I felt like I hadn't ever left. These younger guys now, they play with us in the gym, and they played with us when they were younger, and now they're older and playing a lot different. That's when I feel kind of old."
DSF: A year ago this time you got passed over in the NBA Draft. You said you wouldn't forgive. You went to Italy and started a new adventure. Do bad feelings still remain from a year ago and what did you most learn about yourself during this past year?
JP: "I've just been blessed, man. I never forgive and I never forget anything, either. I got passed on, but at the same time, I played like that when I was in college. I played with a chip on my shoulder and always felt like I had something to prove. If I would've tweeted that when I went to college, I would've tweeted the same thing. I always feel like I have something to prove because I always feel like someone's doubting me."
DSF: At the time, you had to know this wasn't the end of professional basketball for Jacob Pullen, but you endured a moment there where you were uncertain where you were going to go and that had to have been the hardest part. How trying was that month on you mentally and what got you through that period?
JP: "You know, it was just making sure I had an understanding that regardless of what happened, I was going to play basketball, and the opportunity was going to come. I know there's a lot of politics involved with basketball, and a lot of other stuff, because there are a lot of guys that got their name called that, if you locked them in a gym with some people I know, including myself, they wouldn't last 30 minutes. It is what it is. You can't do anything but work harder and try to prove a point when you meet up with those people again. A lot of people that went in the first round I played against in college, because we happened to match-up against their teams, and we matched-up together, so for me to see their name called, it just made me work harder. I've never had a problem with that. I like having a reason to work harder."
DSF: Statistics show while with Angelico Biella you finished seventh in the league in scoring and were one of only three players in the league to average at least 16 points, three assists and 1.75 steals. You also shot 42.1 percent, including 34.1 percent on 3-pointers. What was this past season like for you, how is it different from college basketball, and in what areas did you feel your game improve the most?
JP: "It's different from college ball because, first of all, you're not in your same environment. The referees aren't the same. It's just different basketball, overall. They play a different style. It's a lot more physical overseas, I'd say. They let you play over there, especially Americans, they're really hesitant to blow their whistle. At the same time, just going through that whole adventure, just going through that whole season over there, having my ups and downs, having my good moments and my bad moments, it makes you understand that this is really a job. Even when I was in college, I always tried to make it feel like a job. But now, getting up every day and practicing twice a day, stuff like that, makes you really understand that you have to love this game to do this, because it's really a job. The same way people get up for work and go to work every day, you've got to get up and go to work every day."
DSF: It looks like Biella is a town of about 46,000 in the foothills of the Alps and northwest of Milan. Just off the court, how big of an adjustment was it for you going overseas, learning the language, and how long did it take before you felt comfortable?
JP: "It took me about four to five months. The first couple months were kind of tough just because, you know, being away from my family and people I'm used to talking to, and having to adjust to being with myself, and just adjusting to the life, the food, the language, the culture, everything. But after a while, you get used to it, and to me, I was just waking up every day, saying, 'It's time to go to work,' and I'd just go out there and do my job. The adjustment became easier toward the end, especially when my mom came up for my birthday. I was able to feel a lot more comfortable in Italy."
DSF: What's the strangest story or encounter you experienced over there?
JP: "Crazy story. We played Rome on Tuesday and were supposed to have Sunday off and play that next Sunday, then there ended up being a snowstorm and we didn't play because we had to bus to that team and couldn't get out, then we ended up missing the next game, so we ended up not playing a game for 23 or 24 days. It was just straight practicing. That was crazy. It was tough. The coach tried to scrimmage us with referees, but a game is a game, and you can tell a difference. That was the tough part of the season, just having to grind, for real."
DSF: You've played ball all of your life. How did you feel when you received that first paycheck?
JP: "It felt great, man. It felt great. You work hard when you're younger just because you love the game, then the older you get you start to focus on what you can get from the game because you've put so much into it. Receiving that first check, you reap what you sew. I kind of just stared at the check for a while, looking at my account."
DSF: You're an unrestricted free agent now correct? Where does the process go from here and have you heard from any NBA teams and where are you headed next to work out?
JP: "Yeah, I'm unrestricted. Right now, I leave Chicago and go to Orlando on July 5th for summer league, then I go to Las Vegas for summer league. I'm just taking that for what it is and hopefully I'll have a contract in July."
Jacob Pullen still has a goal of playing in the NBA.
DSF: Money is money. How big of a factor is money in whether you play in the NBA or go back overseas, and how big is the appeal of just being able to wear the logo of a NBA team versus going back overseas?
JP: "That's a big appeal, but at the same time, you've got to be a businessman about this, too, because if I get an offer from a team in the NBA for the league minimum, and they tell me that I might not play and might be the fourth or third guard, and my chances of playing are slim to none, and I've got a team overseas that's offering me $800,000 or $900,000, I'm going to play and do what I can do. For me, the option is just playing basketball and getting better, but if it's a solid deal in the NBA, I'd never pass up on that, even if I have a better deal overseas, just because it'd be good to stay home. But I'm a businessman, so I'm going to for sure weigh my options first."
DSF: Even while overseas you made headlines with a tweet you sent shortly after the hiring of oscar Weber as K-State basketball coach. Did you think your tweet would gain so much attention?
JP: "No, I didn't think it was going to be that big. I was just stating my opinion at the time, and I know since I did go to Kansas State, and I was one of the last people that graduated that people would look at it. But I didn't think people would look at it that much. I didn't think oscar Weber was a bad coach, or anything. At that time, I just didn't think Frank leaving and him taking the job after what Frank had built was good for Kansas State. But things happen, and Frank left, and oscar stepped in and he hired Chris Lowery, and some good guys, and everybody decided to stay. At the end of the day, I went to Kansas State. I'm loyal to Frank because he was my head coach, but at the same time I'm loyal to Kansas State, so I'm going to cheer for whoever is coaching there, whether it's Ernie Barrett, oscar Weber, or if Lon Kruger came back, or Doug Gottlieb, or whoever everybody thought the coach was going to be, I was going to cheer for them, regardless."
Some time has passed. In talking to Rodney McGruder and Jordan Henriquez, what have they told you about oscar Weber? And what are your thoughts on the Weber hire today?
JP: "You know, he brings a different atmosphere for those guys. They like him. All of these guys are really excited to play for him. They think he'll be a good coach and that he'll let them play a style of basketball that'll help them win. That's the main thing, understanding that relationship and establishing that with the coach. We had that established with Frank. We understood what we needed to do to play and we understood what we needed to do to win. Once they establish that with oscar, they can really be a good team with everybody coming back."
DSF: Have you spoken to Weber since he's taken over at K-State?
JP: "Actually, I'd spoken to him through text when J.O. was here in Chicago hanging out with me, and I talked to Chris (Lowery) on the phone, and they extended their arms out and told me I can come back anytime I want. I was trying to come out with Curtis (Kelly), but we had a schedule conflict, so it looks like I won't be able to get out there until -- hopefully when school starts I can get out there in August for a weekend or two."
"I'm behind K-State 100 percent and I'm behind oscar Weber and everything they're doing there. I think they can be a preseason top-15 team."
-- Jacob Pullen
DSF: So, just to clarify, everything is OK now, correct?
JP: "Yeah, everything is great. I'm behind K-State 100 percent and I'm behind oscar Weber and everything they're doing there. I think they can be a preseason top-15 team. Again, I feel like they have a shot to win the Big 12. I don't think the Big 12 is particularly great this year. I don't really know who came back and who didn't but I think they have a chance with all of those guys coming back -- Martavious (Irving), Shane (Southwell), Omari (Lawrence), Thomas (Gipson). They've got a lot of guys that have experience now with a mix of seniors, sophomores and juniors."
DSF: Going back to Frank really quick. How did you find out Frank Martin was leaving for South Carolina and how stunned were you by that announcement?
JP: "I was pretty stunned. With all of the stuff that was going on near the end of the year, I was hearing a lot of things, but I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. When I found out, I think it was via Twitter, but when I found out, we talked, and I guess things happened, and he made the best decision for his family. Sometimes when it's a business, you have to do that. No matter how loyal you are, at the end of the day you have to protect your family and yourself."
DSF: Jordan last month visited you in Maywood and said that you taught him a lot about life and some things to think about as he prepares for his senior season. First of all, how exciting was it to see an old teammate again, and second, what was your primary message to J.O. during the trip?
JP: "It was great to see J.O. He was supposed to come to Kansas State my sophomore year and he ended up having to wait another year, but he'd been up already, so I already had a relationship with J.O. I'd basically been around J.O. my last three years of college. He's like a little brother to me. When he came up here, we hung out, worked out in the gym, and then before I left I just made sure he understood that this year in college is a pivotal year for him, and he can do a lot with the opportunities that he has. He's going to be playing on the main stage, and playing against good teams, and he has to take advantage of it."
DSF: In your mind, do you think J.O. could be drafted next year?
JP: "I think so. You can't teach height. J.O. has height, he can shoot the ball, and at the same time he's willing to learn. He's not a stubborn kid. He's willing to be coached. He's willing to learn and that's a valuable tool in the NBA."
DSF: Then you have Rodney, and he's been to the Kevin Durant camp.
JP: "I just picked him up last night from there. He left this morning, though. I took him back to the hotel and they took him to the airport."
DSF: Well, when you left K-State, you handed the keys to Rodney, who now enters his senior season. From what you've seen, how has Rodney's game changed since you were on the team and do you believe he can become one of the elites in the Big 12 in his final season?
JP: "I think so. I think Rodney has waited for his turn. He's matured and gotten better every year. My message to him, again, before he left, is that, 'You have a new coach and you've waited for this and it's your time. You have to step up and tell people, 'I want that last shot. I want to take that last shot. I want everything to go through me, and I want to make everybody better.' It's not always about offense. Defensively, you've got to get better, you've got to continue to rebound. If you can control the paint, you can control the game from any position. If you have a really good center, you can control the game from any position. If you have a really good wing, or a really good point guard, you can control the game. I told Rodney, 'You've got to do that.'"
DSF: You still have a lot of fans in Wildcat Nation, of course, and a lot of them still talk about the Elite Eight and the run you had in your career. When you think about your time at K-State, what are some things that come to your mind?
JP: "Man, the first thing that comes to mind is that Elite Eight, man, 2 minutes and 47 seconds away from going to the Final Four and cutting down the nets, man. You never forget something like that, man, how close you are to that. It's just something that'll linger on for a long time. I kind of feel like Chris Webber calling the timeout. It's just something you're always going to remember. We were right there and had a chance. But, you know, there were a lot of great memories, from the first time we rushed the court after beating Kansas, to the last time. Things continually got better. It was a great place, man. I tell people all the time when we play in these gyms, and things like that, that there's nothing better than Manhattan, man. If I could do four more years of college, I'd do it all over again. I wouldn't leave early, I wouldn't transfer, I wouldn't do anything different. I'd come back and do another four years again and enjoy it."
DSF: During the NBA playoffs, James Harden gained a wealth of national attention over his beard. Do you wish to set the record straight on who is the originator of "Fear the Beard?"
JP: "It's funny to me, man. Everybody knows that I originated it, but when you can't do anything because the NCAA wants all the money in the world and you can't make a dollar, and you can't even say that you started something. If I was to say right now that we started 'Fear the Beard' -- me, Curt, Jamar and them, they're probably still try to fine us or take away some games from us for saying something like that. But, it's cool to see James Harden and all of the OKC fans get behind that. I support it, too, because I was an OKC fan and I wanted to see them win instead of the Heat."
DSF: Why was that?
JP: "I'm just not a big fan of LeBron, but you know, I think that Thunder team was really good, and I thought they had a chance. I thought they'd win it in four or five, but things didn't go their way. But that's the type of thing they can need and they can come back and win two or three (titles)."
DSF: People are probably going to wonder how many times you've shaved the beard since your senior season?
JP: "Oh man, a lot, man, especially since I've been home. It's too hot to have a beard, man. I just try to cut it down. When it's get-back-to-work time, I usually leave it on. When I was in Italy, I never cut it, and when I start working again, I'm not going to cut it. It makes me feel like I'm working harder when I let it grow out."
DSF: This will be the first time your K-State fans will be able to read a lot of your words in over a year. What's your message to K-State fans now, Jake?
JP: "Just continue to be loyal, man. It's all coming. We had a change, but sometimes change is for the best, and with the team we have this year, I'm behind them 100 percent. I'm ready for basketball season. Not to mention that LHC Bill Snyder kicks (butt). I just feel like we're running Kansas for a while. Once we get this Big 12 Championship, we'll really be running Kansas for a while."
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