When the coaches voted for the Big 12 conference winner, the Kansas State Wildcats received 10 first place votes and were tabbed as the No. 1 team in the Big 12. The Wildcats were also voted inside the top-five of both the AP and USA Today/ESPN poll(s).

The Wildcats will open up the 2010-11 season with the highest preseason ranking in school history, officially starting as the number three team in the country. The accolades come mostly from the Elite Eight run the Wildcats orchestrated last season with tough defense and great guard play.

From the Elite Eight squad, the Wildcats returned two senior starters in Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly. Pullen was voted as the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and received recognition as a possible Naismith Trophy recipient.

Pullen will embrace another achievement as well. The 6-foot guard from Maywood, Illinois was tabbed as an AP pre-season All-American, receiving 53-votes. Pullen is the 37th All-American in Kansas State history—the first since Michael Beasley acquired All-American honors as a true freshman in 2007.

“Jacob has been unbelievable in the commitment he has made to grow as a human being, as a player, to lead our program,” said Coach Frank Martin.

Pullen paced the Wildcats last season with 19.3 points per game while leading the Wildcats to their first Elite Eight in nearly three decades. He also orchestrated one of the best performances in tournament history for the Wildcats when he scored a career-high 34-points to help defeat BYU and lead the Wildcats into the round of sixteen to face off against Xavier.

Pullen enters his senior season with many major accomplishments in sight. Without a question, the Wildcats are national champion contenders with Pullen leading the way. Kansas State will only go as far as Pullen can take them.

The Wildcats will start the season with an exhibition game against Newman November 2, 2010.