In case you missed it, there was a bit of controversy surrounding the Wildcat men's basketball team over break. No, it wasn't the 100-plus fouls called in the team's first two league games.

Instead, it was head coach Frank Martin's temper getting the best of him, as it often does verbally. However, Martin did something he's never (publicly) done before: he struck a player during a timeout.

Martin immediately realized his error and high-fived the player, reserve guard Chris Merriewether, but the damage had already been done. Unfortunately, this incident occurred on ESPN2 on a Saturday afternoon, amplifying Martin's mistake.

In the post-game press conference, Martin admitted what he did has no place in the game of basketball and showed genuine remorse. Merriewether said what happened was no big deal. When the team returned to Manhattan that evening, Merriewether and Martin both met with Athletic Director John Currie to discuss the incident. Currie later issued a statement saying he talked with both parties and that nothing like this would happen again.

Looking forward, what does this mean for K-State basketball? For future recruiting? For the future of Martin?

The answer is a tough one. Martin said himself that we now live in more sensitive times, noting the recent firings of several football coaches for mistreatment of players. He's right. If Currie was looking for an excuse to fire Coach Martin, he now has one.

In the end, I feel like the whole situation is overblown. First of all, Martin is an admittedly old-school guy. He's demanding, he's got a temper and he's not afraid to get in a player's face and make him better. The players in his program love him for it and came here to play because of it. And make no mistake, Martin loves them back.

Merriewether said after the incident that Coach Martin has had his back from day one and that he'll always have Martin's back. That shows the relationship between player and coach. Instead of amplifying things, he did everything he could to calm the waters.

Another reason this situation is overblown is because Merriewether deserved it. He had just muffed a rebound that cost the Wildcats a chance at a game-tying possession. The Wildcats had to foul, and Missouri ended the game at the free-throw line.

In the timeout immediately after this critical mistake, the guard is seen looking away instead of giving Martin his attention. Martin's reaction? Hit him in the arm and get his attention so he can continue to coach. Merriewether's absence in Tuesday's game against Texas A&M makes the situation worse. If he could have had a good game in front of the home crowd, it would have helped to end the drama surrounding this situation.

It's unfortunate the confrontation occurred during a game that was nationally televised. Martin has talked about how being ranked helps recruiting because of all the national exposure you get each night on ESPN. Martin has found his exposure, but the incident probably won't help him on the recruiting trail.