"Our guys, ever since that game, have just been working out with a chip on their shoulder," Martin said by phone Thursday. "They were upset the way our season ended last year, they were upset because of all our hard work -- we still couldn't achieve some of our goals.
"But they haven't sat around and complained and whined. They've come in here and worked and when I see them work that hard it gets me excited to start practice because that means games are right around the corner."
K-State returns eight lettermen and four starters off last season's squad, which eclipsed the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season, the first group to do so in the last 27 years.
The Wildcats also finished in the top four of the Big 12 Conference for the third year in a row last season, joining Kansas as the only teams to accomplish the feat during that time.
Senior point guard Denis Clemente returns to lead the backcourt following a 2008-09 season that saw him lead the team in scoring with 15 points per game en route to earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors. Joining Clemente is junior guard Jacob Pullen, who finished just behind Clemente with 13.9 points per game.
The Big 12 coaches have taken notice, as the Wildcats were picked fourth in the league's preseason poll Wednesday, tying the 2007-08 team for the highest mark a K-State team has been picked since the league formed in 1996.
Overall, four of the top six scorers off last season's team return, which has made Martin's job just a little easier this offseason.
"It's the first time since we've been here where we've got a core of guys that have game experience that have played in meaningful games, meaningful minutes, and have experience within each other and with the coaches," he said. "We all understand each other better and that's one of the reasons that we as a staff are excited about our team."
The Wildcats also add Curtis Kelly into the mix, who practiced with the team last season but could not participate in games due to NCAA transfer rules following his transfer from Connecticut.
"Curtis is a heck of a talent, now it's up to him to be able to put that together and perform in practice and then carry that over to perform in games," Martin said. "I'm extremely happy with how he's done everything up to this point."
Kelly gives the Wildcats a frontcourt featuring four players that stand 6-foot-9 or taller, giving Martin more size and athleticism in the paint than he's had in his previous two seasons as the K-State head coach.
"There's more guys there that are all long and athletic and bring some different talents to the table to what we've had here in the last couple of years," said the K-State coach.
The experience the Wildcats return has helped with the guidance of the five incoming freshmen, which has been ranked by most scouting services as a top 25 recruiting class.
"Having guys that care back, guys that are good players back -- that's what's important," Martin said. "You got guys that don't care and don't work, you don't want them back.
"The guys that we have in place have been here from day one and they've embraced coaching, they've embraced work, and having those guys around and working as hard as they have -- it's a treat for a coach.
"You don't have to spend as much time trying to teach the first-year guys the kind of work ethic that they need to have to have a chance to succeed in the Big 12."
Martin said this is the hardest working team he's had since he arrived in Manhattan with former coach Bob Huggins in 2006, and because of that, the sky is the limit for this year's squad.
"I've been around guys that worked. I've been around teams that worked," he said. "I've never been around a team that collectively -everyone on the basketball team has worked as hard to make themselves a better player and a better athlete and a better person than these group of guys have."
Despite all of that, Martin understands he can't predict the future.
"It's a special group of guys. Like I tell them -- they've worked their hearts out," he said. "I can't guarantee that we're gonna have unbelievable success, we have no control of the future, but if they had not worked that way, I guarantee that we'd have no chance to succeed.
"Because they have, we've got hope and now we've gotta continue to work and stick together to find a way to find success."
Beasley in a great frame of mind
Martin said former K-State star and current Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is doing great after he checked himself into a rehab center for undisclosed reasons in Houston in late August.
"Mike's in the best frame of mind and the best spirits that he's been in a long, long time," said the K-State coach. "I think he's gonna have a great, great year. He's excited and the Heat is excited for him right now."
Martin said he still communicates to his former player, primarily through text messaging.
"He loves K-State, he follows what we do, it's a great thing to just have him as an ambassador for our program."
Colon's rehab nearing end
Luis Colon's left arm remains in a splint, Martin said Thursday, but added he expects the 6-foot-10 senior back soon.
"If everything goes well they're gonna allow him to start catching and shooting right around that Tuesday or Wednesday timeframe (of next week)," he said. "After he does that two, three, four days and starts feeling more comfortable -- it's my understanding he should be cleared soon after that."
POINTS FROM BEYOND THE ARC
-Sophomore forward Jamar Samuels has added 20 pounds to his frame during the offseason.
-Freshman center Jordan Henriquez-Roberts has measured out with a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
-Martin said freshman forward Wally Judge can "run like the wind" and that he and Henriquez-Roberts "bring some serious size and athleticism to the table."
Martin also said freshman guard Martavious Irving has the potential to become a great defender in the Big 12.
"He's got the makings of a guy that can be a lockdown defender in the Big 12, just somebody that can get out and guard anybody," Martin said.
