Tang, Players Meet to Discuss Michigan State Matchup
Mar 22, 2023 | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats and Spartans will meet in the NCAA Sweet 16 Thursday
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Head coach Jerome Tang and members of the No. 15/13 Kansas State men's basketball team met with the media on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Thursday's matchup with Michigan State in the NCAA East Regional Semifinals at Madison Square Garden.
The Wildcats (25-9) will play the Spartans (21-12) to tip off the Sweet 16 round at 5:30 p.m., CT on Thursday at the World's Most Family Arena. The game will air on TBS with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (sideline reporter) on the call.
The team will be meeting for the eighth time overall, including the first time in the NCAA Tournament, with MSU leading 5-2 in the first matchup since 1996.
Below are some selected comments from today's press conference.
Head coach Jerome Tang
Opening statement
"First, I just want to thank the good Lord for this opportunity to be the head coach of Kansas State and with this group of young men and be playing in Madison Square Garden. I mean, it's a dream come true for kids, adults. It doesn't matter if it's your first time as a head coach or like Coach Izzo, his 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament. It's just a blessing to be here and it's hard to do, so extremely thankful."
On New York players and if there is something that stands out with them…
"Well, their accents. (Laughter). You know, no, it just worked out. Keys and Ish, they were our chief recruiters, and we were flipping over every rock, watching film, talking to as many people as we could to try to assemble a team. And they did a great job of hosting guys, and I think the other guys felt comfortable knowing that we had some New York guys. But I think Kansas State has a history of having good players from New York, Curtis Kelly, JO. We've had multiple guys in the past. I'm thankful for it, I know that."
On teaching life lessons to his players…
"You know, I heard -- there's a famous pastor, and he said, "every day preach the gospel and sometimes use words." It's not what we say to them, it's what they see us live. Our guys have gotten to come into our homes and have dinner, and they don't just know where the bathrooms are, they know where the knives and the forks are. They've seen us love our wives and raise our children and discipline our children, and they've seen the whole gamut of what it looks like to be a man of character and someone who loves his wife and how they raise their families. I think more than anything else, my coaching staff is an example of it to them, and hopefully some of it sinks in as they move forward, and I believe it will."
On Keyontae Johnson's journey and how the experience you had with Jared Butler at Baylor helped you…
"Well, first of all, having the experience with Jared and a couple other guys at Baylor gave me the comfort level that I knew that I could help him get into basketball shape. Having dealt with those doctors before, I was very confident when they told me what the situation was and that he was good to play, and if it was their son, they would be on the court, also. Watching Keyontae just continue to grow as a player and do the spectacular things on the court has been extremely rewarding, but not near as rewarding as watching him be thankful every day for the opportunity. I mean, if you watch him, this dude is an All-American, and he always wears the team shoes. He doesn't have -- like most guys want to have their own thing. He always wears the team shoes, and he doesn't complain. He plays video games with the walk-ons. Everybody in the locker room loves him. He's just a great teammate. That's the thing to me that's been the most rewarding, to see someone as talented as him be really thankful for this opportunity and then display it with his actions."
On Markquis Nowell…
"Like I say, big-time players make big-time plays in big time moments. This is the biggest stage for college basketball. And I'm really thankful that -- we tell our guys all the time that hard work pays off, and I'm really thankful that God is allowing his hard work to pay off right now."
On how your experience with Scott Drew has helped you and the similar journey you have with Tom Izzo who was a longtime assistant before getting his opportunity…
"Thank you for sharing that story. I didn't know. Coach Izzo told me out in front of the building that he just told a whole bunch of lies about me. But Tom Izzo, man, is just a class act, and I've followed him for a long time. Add the fact as an assistant he knew my name, it blew me away. Just to watch what he's done, how he's handled his program, loved his players, had tremendous success on and off the court, how he handled the tragedy at Michigan State this year, everybody can learn from that. I was blessed to work with Scott, and he did a great job of helping prepare me for this. Never treated me as an assistant, always told me to act like a head coach, treat the program like it was mine. I believe that when you're with guys like Jud Heathcote and Scott Drew, that those Hall of Fame help prepare you. You learn so much from them so that you are ready for this. I'm just thankful. I told Coach Izzo, I wish it was me and him playing to see who goes to the Elite 8, but it's going to be our teams. This is about those guys out there on the floor. I wouldn't want to shoot free throws against him, though, because I know he's really good at that."
The Wildcats (25-9) will play the Spartans (21-12) to tip off the Sweet 16 round at 5:30 p.m., CT on Thursday at the World's Most Family Arena. The game will air on TBS with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (sideline reporter) on the call.
The team will be meeting for the eighth time overall, including the first time in the NCAA Tournament, with MSU leading 5-2 in the first matchup since 1996.
Below are some selected comments from today's press conference.
Head coach Jerome Tang
Opening statement
"First, I just want to thank the good Lord for this opportunity to be the head coach of Kansas State and with this group of young men and be playing in Madison Square Garden. I mean, it's a dream come true for kids, adults. It doesn't matter if it's your first time as a head coach or like Coach Izzo, his 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament. It's just a blessing to be here and it's hard to do, so extremely thankful."
On New York players and if there is something that stands out with them…
"Well, their accents. (Laughter). You know, no, it just worked out. Keys and Ish, they were our chief recruiters, and we were flipping over every rock, watching film, talking to as many people as we could to try to assemble a team. And they did a great job of hosting guys, and I think the other guys felt comfortable knowing that we had some New York guys. But I think Kansas State has a history of having good players from New York, Curtis Kelly, JO. We've had multiple guys in the past. I'm thankful for it, I know that."
On teaching life lessons to his players…
"You know, I heard -- there's a famous pastor, and he said, "every day preach the gospel and sometimes use words." It's not what we say to them, it's what they see us live. Our guys have gotten to come into our homes and have dinner, and they don't just know where the bathrooms are, they know where the knives and the forks are. They've seen us love our wives and raise our children and discipline our children, and they've seen the whole gamut of what it looks like to be a man of character and someone who loves his wife and how they raise their families. I think more than anything else, my coaching staff is an example of it to them, and hopefully some of it sinks in as they move forward, and I believe it will."
On Keyontae Johnson's journey and how the experience you had with Jared Butler at Baylor helped you…
"Well, first of all, having the experience with Jared and a couple other guys at Baylor gave me the comfort level that I knew that I could help him get into basketball shape. Having dealt with those doctors before, I was very confident when they told me what the situation was and that he was good to play, and if it was their son, they would be on the court, also. Watching Keyontae just continue to grow as a player and do the spectacular things on the court has been extremely rewarding, but not near as rewarding as watching him be thankful every day for the opportunity. I mean, if you watch him, this dude is an All-American, and he always wears the team shoes. He doesn't have -- like most guys want to have their own thing. He always wears the team shoes, and he doesn't complain. He plays video games with the walk-ons. Everybody in the locker room loves him. He's just a great teammate. That's the thing to me that's been the most rewarding, to see someone as talented as him be really thankful for this opportunity and then display it with his actions."
On Markquis Nowell…
"Like I say, big-time players make big-time plays in big time moments. This is the biggest stage for college basketball. And I'm really thankful that -- we tell our guys all the time that hard work pays off, and I'm really thankful that God is allowing his hard work to pay off right now."
On how your experience with Scott Drew has helped you and the similar journey you have with Tom Izzo who was a longtime assistant before getting his opportunity…
"Thank you for sharing that story. I didn't know. Coach Izzo told me out in front of the building that he just told a whole bunch of lies about me. But Tom Izzo, man, is just a class act, and I've followed him for a long time. Add the fact as an assistant he knew my name, it blew me away. Just to watch what he's done, how he's handled his program, loved his players, had tremendous success on and off the court, how he handled the tragedy at Michigan State this year, everybody can learn from that. I was blessed to work with Scott, and he did a great job of helping prepare me for this. Never treated me as an assistant, always told me to act like a head coach, treat the program like it was mine. I believe that when you're with guys like Jud Heathcote and Scott Drew, that those Hall of Fame help prepare you. You learn so much from them so that you are ready for this. I'm just thankful. I told Coach Izzo, I wish it was me and him playing to see who goes to the Elite 8, but it's going to be our teams. This is about those guys out there on the floor. I wouldn't want to shoot free throws against him, though, because I know he's really good at that."
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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