Former Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen has signed with Angelico Biella, a professional basketball team in Biella, Italy.
Pullen, Kansas State’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Wildcats great Mike Evans, wasn’t selected in the 2011 NBA draft. With the NBA lockout in place, it made more sense for Pullen to head overseas to start his pro career than wait for the unknown in an NBA tryout.
Pullen and his teammates will be playing in Italian Serie A league, the highest level of competition in Italian professional basketball. Angelico Biella has spent seven years in Serie A and has made the playoffs three times.
The school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,132 points, Pullen led the Wildcats in 12 statistical categories this past season, including scoring (20.2 points per game), double-figure scoring games (29), field goals (191), free throws (170), assists (115), 3-pointers (74), steals (49) and minutes per game (32.6).
Pullen was a third-team All-American by The Associated Press, The Sporting News and Yahoo! Sports, along with being a fourth-team selection by FOXSports.com.
Pullen was also one of just two unanimous selections to the coaches’ All-Big 12 first team and the first KSU player since Norris Coleman (1986-87, Big Eight) to earn first-team all-conference twice in a career.
Pullen ranks in the top five of 17 career school records, including marks for scoring, games played (135), double-digit scoring games (105), 3-pointers (299), 3-pointers attempted (828) and steals (210). He also finished his career in the top 10 in six categories in Big 12 history, including fourth in scoring.
Pullen led K-State to a 23-11 overall record this past season, including a tie for third place in Big 12 play with a 10-6 mark.  He is just the third player in school history to lead the Wildcats to the postseason and to a 20-win season in each of his four years in the program.
The signature game for Pullen this past season was the Wildcats’ upset of top-ranked Kansas at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. Pullen scored a career-high 38 points, as he hit 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored 23 during a momentum-seizing first half of an 84-68 victory, the start of K-State’s last-season run to the NCAA tourney.

Pullen served an NCAA-imposed three-game suspension earlier in the season for receiving impermissible benefits. Teammate Curtis Kelly served a six-game suspension.

— Mack McClure­­