The Best Time of The Year...

...sports-wise, began last night in earnest, with many NCAA men's basketball programs tying their kicks tight to play their first regular season games.

K-State, welcoming in an awesome recruiting class this year, got things started off on the right foot, posting a 92-54 win over Loyola-Chicago.  Unlike football, where teams (i.e. K-State) get ridiculed for playing creampuffs at the beginning of the year, this is common practice in basketball, because there are plenty of opportunities for teams during the non-conference schedule to line up some decent competition.

Now it sounds like a 38-point victory would be something to be happy about.  Unable to watch the game on TV (Fox Sports KC wasn't available on Dish Network), I had to revert to reading about the game this morning.  Either head coach Frank Martin is being absolutely brutal, or that was as bad of a 38-point victory as a team can have.  Here are some quotes (courtesy of Kstatesports.com):

On Curtis Kelly's performance [22/7/3 in 26 minutes]...
"He grabbed one defensive rebound. That is not a very good performance in my opinion. He made layups; I can make layups."

On why the rebounding was a problem [K-State was out-rebounded 51-41]...
"We stunk. No disrespect to Loyola because their kids played their hearts out. They grabbed 25 offensive rebounds. We were the worst team in the country yesterday in practice and we deserved to play as bad as we did. I hope we got embarrassed by it. It was the worst practice I have been associated with since I have been coaching basketball."

On how the team will prepare with the quick turnaround [for the next game on Sunday]...
"We better be better tomorrow in practice because if not it will be a long Saturday."

Huh.  Well, let's hope he gets them whipped into shape, I guess.

Next game versus Western Illinois at Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Sunday at 3:00pm local.  GO STATE!