Quote:Bob Huggins, entering his third full month as men?s basketball coach at Kansas State, took care of business from his office in Bramlage Coliseum. His wife, June, had Realtors seeking her business.

?My wife?s looking for a house as we speak,? said Huggins, adding they are selling their home in Cincinnati. ?We?re working on finding a place here.?

Huggins also took time to address a variety of topics about K-State basketball, which has created quite a buzz since Huggins was officially introduced March 23, including a near-full page spread in this week?s Sports Illustrated.

Q: What?s the status of Cartier Martin (who was suspended indefinitely last week for violating the athletic department?s code of conduct)? Can you go into detail, and do you expect him back for 2006-07, and what does he need to do to be reinstated?

A: The whole thing is totally up to Cartier. It?s all up to him.

Q: As of last week, your contract still had not been signed. What?s the status of it?

A: My understanding is it is. (K-State senior associate athletic director Jim Epps said later Huggins only has signed his annual appointment, which allows him to get paid. As for the actual contract, Epps said, ?We?re inching ever closer.?)

Q: You mentioned at a Catbackers function this week you?d like to bring ?Midnight Madness? to K-State to begin practice in October. Is that official?

A: We?re going to take a look at it. I want to try something. At Cincinnati, we did it. We also tried a ?Breakfast with Bob,? but there wasn?t much enthusiasm for that.

Q: You play Jan. 3 in Cincinnati against Xavier. What will that be like for you, coaching again in that city?

A: We?re going to recruit Ohio. We?ve got to get back to Cincinnati, Cleveland and play.

Q: Actually, you?ll be back in Cincinnati to help coach a benefit game Aug. 19. Talk about that.

A: One of my ex-players, Alex Meacham, runs the foundation for it. It helps a lot of kids.

Q: This spring, you went to the NCAA offices in Indianapolis with athletic director Tim Weiser. Why, and was it fruitful?

A: Things change a little bit when you get good players. We were interested in interpretations. It was a refresher course. It went well.

Q: Your assistant, Frank Martin, had been hospitalized in Manhattan, and went to Florida to seek more treatment. Can you talk about it, and update his status?

A: He?s doing better. He?s out of the hospital. He?s going to be great for us. There?s no coincidence we signed kids out of Florida. Frank?s got great connections there.

Q: Since you?ve been at K-State, what has become your favorite hangout?

A: Old Chicago. It?s right by the hotel. We?ve been there a bunch. They?ve got great salads. They?re terrific.

Q: Also at that Catbackers gathering, you said you?ve spoken with people at the Jimmy V Classic about the Wildcats playing in it in 2007-08. Why is that event important to you?

A: We played in the Jimmy V Classic when we were at Cincinnati. You get to play at Madison Square Garden. They?re great fans, knowledgeable fans. It?s a great place to play.

Q: On June 27, you?re coming to Kansas City to play in a skins game with Bill Self, Tom Watson, George Brett, Jim Colbert and Dana Quigley for the Champions Tour event at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. How do you feel about that?

A: Embarrassed. I haven?t played in a year. I could play a little before I had my heart attack (in September 2002). I was about a 12 (handicap). I don?t know if I can hit a ball out of my own shadow.

Q: Ever had a hole in one?

A: Once. I was playing in North Carolina. Hit it in on the fly. I dunked it.

Q: There seem to be high hopes, a renewed spirit, about K-State basketball. What are your hopes for this program?

A: You want to become the best. You want to make it that when you play your last game, you don?t lose it.