Wally Judge to sit out while he deals with personal issues

Kansas State was a preseason favorite to win the Big XII and one of the few teams on everyone's list of potential Final Four teams.

The season, however, hasn't exactly gone to plan. It started with the suspension of Curtis Kelly. The Wildcats senior forward sat for the first three games of the year in what most believed to be a punishment for a lack of dedication to the team.

Even with Kelly back in the lineup, the Wildcats have been fairly unimpressive, having more trouble with teams like Presbyterian and Loyola IL than the No. 6 team in the country is supposed to have.

It came to a head over the weekend, as Jacob Pullen called out the fans that have been trashing the Wildcats on twitter:

To all the fake fans that just jump on and off the bandwagon who think we suck go cheer for somebody down the road then (sic)

And all the idiots that right on messages boards that say this team suck please just stop watching us FYI we have Internet to we read also (sic)

And now?


Its Wally Judge's turn to take a leave of absence from the team. Judge has started six games this season, but he's only averaged 14.7 mpg and 4.3 ppg. He hasn't played in three of the last four games. Frank Martin has said he is healthy and practicing with the team still, but wouldn't go any further.

"It is important that these issues are resolved before he returns to the basketball court," Martin said. "We are all fully supportive of him during this time."

There is something missing with this Kansas State team. They are supremely talented. Jacob Pullen is as good as anyone in the country, their front line is loaded size and athleticism, and guys like Rodney McGruder, Will Spradling, and Martavious Irving have been better than expected, but it hasn't yet "clicked".

Pullen has looked more like the player he was as a sophomore than as a junior. They aren't rebounding on the defensive end of the floor. They cannot hit free throws (343rd in the country at 54.9%). They aren't forcing turnovers or defending in transition.

It still isn't time to panic. The only loss this team has is to Duke, and there is no shame in losing to the No. 1 team in the country. Conference play doesn't start for another three weeks, so there is s=still a lot of time to work out these kinks.

But the longer these issues persist, the more concerned the folks of Manhattan, KS, will be.