The Kansas State Men’s Basketball team is coming off of two 20 plus win seasons and back to back NCAA Tournament appearances under third year head coach Bruce Weber as they open practice Friday.

The Wildcats open practice Friday under a rule established prior to last season that allows Division I schools to start team practice six weeks from it’s opening game instead of the usual Oct. 15 date in previous years.

“We have 30 days of practice now starting tomorrow (Friday), until we can play a game. People always talk about habits are created in a month, we’ll have a month of practice habits before we play that first game, and hopefully we make some progress,” says Weber.

Kansas State turned some heads last season and are going into this season with some high expectations. Senior forward Thomas Gipson explained that the Wildcats are a marked team this year.

“We’re a marked team but we’re still under the radar. Since I’ve been here we don’t get the respect that we deserve and we’ve got to play with that chip on our shoulders, just like the other three years that I’ve been here,” explained Gipson.

One player in particular will have other teams trying to find a way to contain him, sophomore guard Marcus Foster.

“I felt it a little half way through the Big 12 last season, people were keying on me more. I have to stick through the same thing half way through the season, just relax and play, don’t try to force it, just play my game. The whole time through the Big 12 I was just playing my game and just relax and not think about, okay they’re keying on me I’ve got to make plays, just play my game,” said Foster.

Foster has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team released by the conference office Thursday morning.

“It’s something that I want to achieve but I’m more worried about getting a Big 12 championship more than anything. It’s a good honor to have in the preseason, but most people tell me that the people that are on that list at the beginning of the season aren’t usually on there in the end. So I guess the motivation for me is to make sure I stay on that list when the Big 12 is over.”

Kansas State will play their lone exhibition game on November 9th against Washburn University before officially tipping off the season against Southern Utah at Bramlage Coliseum on November 14th.