Tang, Players Preview FAU Matchup in Elite Eight
Mar 24, 2023 | Men's Basketball
It will be the first meeting between the schools
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- Head coach Jerome Tang and member of the Kansas State men's basketball team met with the media on Friday afternoon (March 24) in anticipation of the Wildcats' Elite Eight matchup with Florida Atlantic at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (26-9) will meet the Owls (34-3) in the East Regional Finals at 5:09 p.m., CT on Saturday on TBS with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (sideline reporter) on the call.
This will be the first meeting between the schools on the hardwood.
Below are some selected comments from today's media session.
Head coach Jerome Tang
On how you would describe an Elite Eight game…
"I've always heard that it's probably the hardest game to win. Both teams know that they're right there. Yeah, I've experienced both -- like the guys said, we have the same old boring habits, and we're going to work on going 1-0. And I'm just grateful to be here because you think of how many coaches never get a chance to play in an Elite 8, and you just said I have been in three of them already. I'm so blessed."
On the emotions of winning and losing an Elite Eight game…
"Come on, man. When you lose, the season is over. There's no way to describe it. It's such an abrupt end. You've got guys that you're never going to be with again. Yeah, it's not a great feeling. And when you win, it's exhilaration and it's something that you worked so hard for. It took us, I think, like 18 years to do it. That was just one of the best feelings that I got from a basketball experience in my life."
On becoming a head coach after years an assistant coach…
"I'm just being me. This is who I am. I've always been like this. I mean, I'm not doing anything different that I hadn't done for the last 19 years. I just did it behind the scenes. Now, for some reason, social media -- I guess it might be Jareem Dowling that got me out there. But yeah, I've been the same guy this whole time, and I was never going to change."
On getting the process of getting Keyontae Johnson…
"Yeah, I can take you back to when he didn't commit because we were getting ready to go on vacation as a staff together. And he had told us that he would tell us on like August 11th, but he didn't clear it with his mom first. So, Ms. Nika (Keyontae's mom) was a little upset, so she wouldn't let him do it on the 11th. So we're on vacation and we're waiting for him to call and let us know and he doesn't let us know. So you really can't celebrate. Like, is something going to go wrong. Then he visits Nebraska after we get back, and then after he goes to Nebraska, he comes back, and school is about to start the next day. And he says, all right, I'm coming. We felt like we were going to get him, but then once he does that, you don't really have to time to celebrate. You've got to get him in school and get him there. It wasn't the big party we had wanted it to be, but very thankful that it did happen."
On how you would rate Keyontae Johnson's dunk from last night…
"How do I rate the dunks? Well, top 3 top 3. I'm not going to tell you what order. And what has he meant to the team? Man, just -- I think it's very evident to see what he does on the floor. But I'm just telling you all, what he does off the floor, in the locker room, and how he's just one of the guys and treats everybody the same and all his teammates love him, it's just -- you can't quantify it, how it impacts the chemistry of the team. And guys just root for each other because they see this guy, who he's clearly gifted, but he just acts like one of the guys. I appreciate that."
On convincing Markquis Nowell to stay after you took the job…
"I got the chance to watch him play for a whole year and help scout and develop a defensive plan for him. And watching film when I was at Baylor, I told our staff he's a Baylor guard. He could play for us at Baylor. Then I also thought pound for pound he was the toughest kid in the conference. When I was interviewing for the job, he was one of the people that I was like, man, I've got to make sure I keep him. And then after I got the job, our first team meeting, he had incredible eye contact when I spoke to the team, and he was nodding very positively, and I just felt like there was a connection there. I found out a few weeks later that he had actually texted our athletic director Gene Taylor my name as somebody he should look at and that he had told Gene he was planning to stay and help the program win. I mean, knowing that, just that kind of buy-in and that kind of belief, it was just incredible. It really wasn't anything that I did. It was just this kid, this young man. He's just incredible."
On it being exactly a year ago since his introductory press conference…
"I don't know like you can fully process all of that. But like I always say, this wonderful book that I read, it says that the power of life and death are in the tongue, and we have the ability to speak life to people or to speak death to people. Everyone talks about positive thinking and all that kind of stuff. I mean, it's right there in the scripture. I can't tell you that I thought about what I was saying at that time, but I do believe that it was the spirit of God speaking through me, and therefore it inspired me to live to those words that were spoken."
On his motto "Crazy Faith" and how faith being important to him and how that translates to his team…
"Well, I want every individual in our team to experience their own faith and what that means, whether it's faith in their teammates, whether it's faith in the coaching staff, whether it's my faith in them. Obviously for me personally, it's my faith in my beliefs and my faith in what family means and my faith in how to love people. That's what that means to me. I want everyone to be able to put their own definition and their own -- add their own story to what that word "faith" means. I just know that -- I don't know if y'all ever saw the video when Scott got the job at Baylor. He looked like he was 14 and he says, I didn't come to Baylor to win a game, I came to win a National Championship, and everyone thought he was crazy, this little kid saying that. He got a lot of backlash for it because of what had happened. And 18 years later, we win a National Championship and all they can do is play that video over and over and say what great faith he had. They called him crazy early and then they called it faith late. So that's what we call crazy faith, and that's what I try to tell the guys, we're going to go to the NCAA Tournament. At the Big 12 media day, people thought I was crazy. And now that we are here, they're like, man, what great faith. So we've just lived by this crazy faith of believing in each other that we can accomplish anything together if we love each other and we play with joy."
On what makes Markquis Nowell such a great passer…
"What allows him to be such a great passer, it's his confidence. He has great vision, but he also has this confidence. Kind of like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, they think they can like thread that ball through anywhere. And he really feels like he can get it there, so he has this great precision, this great confidence and vision that he was blessed with. The smile on my face, we talk about winning in interviews all the time. And to talk about your why, whether it's your family, your faith, whatever it is, talk about your why, then it's about your teammates. And then finally, then talk about yourself or how you were able to contribute to what happened in that game. He went in order. He talked about his why, and then he talked about his teammates, and it's just really cool to see guys grow and develop in that aspect."
On a unifying such as diverse roster…
"Well, I'll talk about their DNA; they're all winners. One of the things we talked about them coming was about winning. It wasn't about their individual accomplishments and stuff, but that winning helps everybody get what they want. And good business is when both people win. The team wins and individuals get awards. That's what happens. Because they're all winners, they were willing to buy into that. Then they're just really good people. We made sure that everybody learned each other's story. And when you know somebody's story and you know the things that they've gone through in life, you can empathize with them, and it allows your hearts to connect quicker. But they're just a great group of young men. They love each other. They appreciate each other, and because they want to win, they're willing to do whatever it takes."
On Florida Atlantic…
"Well, I'm not going to talk to you about the scouting, but I will tell you that I've watched several of their games. They play in a league against North Texas, and one of my best friends is Grant McCasland is a coach there. They play against Louisiana Tech, and Talvin Hester is a coach there. And I've known Dusty for a really long time. When he was at Indiana they recruited a kid that played for me at Heritage Christian. I'm a big fan of Coach May and I knew him at Florida, him and Mike great guys. He has a terrific team. And I'm telling you, if you just took the names off the front of the jerseys and you lined them up against anybody in America, you'd say they're a high major team. They are, they're a high major team. But they're high major competitors, too, just tough and together, as connected of a team as there is in the country. I've been super impressed with them from what I've seen."
On Florida Atlantic's guard play…
"Man, 'Nelly Davis is a goon. What a player. He's got NBA feet. He's got NBA balance. He's a special athlete and with a great feel for the game. I read the story about him getting Ochai Agbaji's workout and diving into it. You can tell he's passionate about the game, and you can tell his why. Last night that interview when he told his family, hey, we're going to be all right, you could tell, my man has a why. All the guards are terrific. They can all shoot. They can all dribble and pass. They're quick. They're athletic. They defend. I mean, they're just super impressive to watch."
On Florida Atlantic's big man…
"I mean, he's a Big 12 center. He was at Texas Tech, and he's every bit of 7'1" and he's strong and he's physical and he can catch and he can finish, and he protects the rim, does a great job in ball screen coverage, and he's as good as anybody we've faced this year."
Senior Keyontae Johnson
On his relationship with FAU head coach Dusty May…
"Me and Coach May, he was a part of the recruiting process for Florida. His son was the walk-on for our team, so one of his sons is one of my close friends. He was at the game last night. Coach May has always been there. He gave me advice throughout the season when he came to our practice and a few of our games. So, me and Coach May is real close. That's my guy. Proud of everything he's doing for FAU this year."
On how key Markquis Nowell was to his decision to transfer to K-State…
"Yeah, when Coach Tang started recruiting me, Markquis was one of the main guys that reached out. His brother also was dealing with me the whole time, just giving me his pros and cons. Saying if I go to a different conference, I'd be Keyontae. But if I come to the Big 12, like I'd showcase and show everybody who really Keyontae is. So, I feel like Quis and his brother did a great job of making me feel welcome, feel like a family. They never forced the conversation, always told me to go with my heart. I felt like that was just real for me."
On how unique it was to have Markquis Nowell recruiting you…
"I mean, it was major. I knew Markquis, I knew who he was. I seen his game before. I wanted to play with a guard like him. I watched film on him. Just seeing his IQ and just trying to relate it to my game, where I cut and stuff and seeing where I can get open. And he's doing a great job of that right now, so just props to him.
On the alley-oop from Markquis Nowell…
"Well, I didn't know him, and Coach Tang was arguing about a call. I kept seeing A.J. kind of scooting up farther and farther. And as soon as Quis stopped looking at Coach Tang, he just looked at me, and I just told him to throw it. And I did just a full sprint and went up and tried to dunk it. I mean, the reverse was the momentum of the game. Wasn't planning on doing it. It just happened."
"It was an eye contact, I raise my eyebrows sometimes or something like that. So, he just threw it. I knew I was going to get there, just had to finish it."
Junior Ismael Massoud
On the skills and qualities that Coach Tang possesses to be able to pull this team…
"I mean, it's just a faith that can't be understated enough. The amount of faith he had in me and Markquis and the belief that he had, him and the coaching staff to be able to put a team around us and be able to build that foundation, to be able to do what we're doing today. Also that and just the hard work, just instilling that hard work, and he wanted to bring guys that valued hard work because he's a hardworking man himself. And just having that around, I would say those two things, faith and hard work."
On the process it took to adjust to Coach Tang and his coaching…
"For myself, I understood it was a different situation, different role. People are able to grow and understand and understand things at different times. So, for me it just took a little longer to understand what the coaching staff wanted from me. And at times it was frustrating, but just having the conversation, Coach Tang always tells us his door is always open. And at first, I didn't really want to have those conversations because it was hard conversations to have. But I realized this team was winning and just I wanted to be a part of it. And I knew I could help, and I knew I could play a big part for this team. So it was taking that first step to having those conversations and just understanding at the end of the day, you could control what you can and try your best and that's all you could ask for. So, Coach Tang was really open and honest, and he helped me a lot, and I feel like the conversations we had helped get us to where we are now."
On seeing Markquis Nowell on the back page of the New York Post…
"It's his city. He missed New York City for a reason. I wouldn't expect anything less. He's well deserving of all that praise because he's worked hard for it and no one deserves it more than him."
On why he chose to attend K-State…
"Just it has a great history. Kansas State plays in the best league in the country. And just the history of the school, it's a great university, first and foremost. And then Manhattan, Kansas, is one of the happiest places on earth. Just being around that environment, seeing the Octagon of Doom and just the opportunity it presented for me to come out and just have a new home, and it was something I couldn't pass on."
The Wildcats (26-9) will meet the Owls (34-3) in the East Regional Finals at 5:09 p.m., CT on Saturday on TBS with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (sideline reporter) on the call.
This will be the first meeting between the schools on the hardwood.
Below are some selected comments from today's media session.
Head coach Jerome Tang
On how you would describe an Elite Eight game…
"I've always heard that it's probably the hardest game to win. Both teams know that they're right there. Yeah, I've experienced both -- like the guys said, we have the same old boring habits, and we're going to work on going 1-0. And I'm just grateful to be here because you think of how many coaches never get a chance to play in an Elite 8, and you just said I have been in three of them already. I'm so blessed."
On the emotions of winning and losing an Elite Eight game…
"Come on, man. When you lose, the season is over. There's no way to describe it. It's such an abrupt end. You've got guys that you're never going to be with again. Yeah, it's not a great feeling. And when you win, it's exhilaration and it's something that you worked so hard for. It took us, I think, like 18 years to do it. That was just one of the best feelings that I got from a basketball experience in my life."
On becoming a head coach after years an assistant coach…
"I'm just being me. This is who I am. I've always been like this. I mean, I'm not doing anything different that I hadn't done for the last 19 years. I just did it behind the scenes. Now, for some reason, social media -- I guess it might be Jareem Dowling that got me out there. But yeah, I've been the same guy this whole time, and I was never going to change."
On getting the process of getting Keyontae Johnson…
"Yeah, I can take you back to when he didn't commit because we were getting ready to go on vacation as a staff together. And he had told us that he would tell us on like August 11th, but he didn't clear it with his mom first. So, Ms. Nika (Keyontae's mom) was a little upset, so she wouldn't let him do it on the 11th. So we're on vacation and we're waiting for him to call and let us know and he doesn't let us know. So you really can't celebrate. Like, is something going to go wrong. Then he visits Nebraska after we get back, and then after he goes to Nebraska, he comes back, and school is about to start the next day. And he says, all right, I'm coming. We felt like we were going to get him, but then once he does that, you don't really have to time to celebrate. You've got to get him in school and get him there. It wasn't the big party we had wanted it to be, but very thankful that it did happen."
On how you would rate Keyontae Johnson's dunk from last night…
"How do I rate the dunks? Well, top 3 top 3. I'm not going to tell you what order. And what has he meant to the team? Man, just -- I think it's very evident to see what he does on the floor. But I'm just telling you all, what he does off the floor, in the locker room, and how he's just one of the guys and treats everybody the same and all his teammates love him, it's just -- you can't quantify it, how it impacts the chemistry of the team. And guys just root for each other because they see this guy, who he's clearly gifted, but he just acts like one of the guys. I appreciate that."
On convincing Markquis Nowell to stay after you took the job…
"I got the chance to watch him play for a whole year and help scout and develop a defensive plan for him. And watching film when I was at Baylor, I told our staff he's a Baylor guard. He could play for us at Baylor. Then I also thought pound for pound he was the toughest kid in the conference. When I was interviewing for the job, he was one of the people that I was like, man, I've got to make sure I keep him. And then after I got the job, our first team meeting, he had incredible eye contact when I spoke to the team, and he was nodding very positively, and I just felt like there was a connection there. I found out a few weeks later that he had actually texted our athletic director Gene Taylor my name as somebody he should look at and that he had told Gene he was planning to stay and help the program win. I mean, knowing that, just that kind of buy-in and that kind of belief, it was just incredible. It really wasn't anything that I did. It was just this kid, this young man. He's just incredible."
On it being exactly a year ago since his introductory press conference…
"I don't know like you can fully process all of that. But like I always say, this wonderful book that I read, it says that the power of life and death are in the tongue, and we have the ability to speak life to people or to speak death to people. Everyone talks about positive thinking and all that kind of stuff. I mean, it's right there in the scripture. I can't tell you that I thought about what I was saying at that time, but I do believe that it was the spirit of God speaking through me, and therefore it inspired me to live to those words that were spoken."
On his motto "Crazy Faith" and how faith being important to him and how that translates to his team…
"Well, I want every individual in our team to experience their own faith and what that means, whether it's faith in their teammates, whether it's faith in the coaching staff, whether it's my faith in them. Obviously for me personally, it's my faith in my beliefs and my faith in what family means and my faith in how to love people. That's what that means to me. I want everyone to be able to put their own definition and their own -- add their own story to what that word "faith" means. I just know that -- I don't know if y'all ever saw the video when Scott got the job at Baylor. He looked like he was 14 and he says, I didn't come to Baylor to win a game, I came to win a National Championship, and everyone thought he was crazy, this little kid saying that. He got a lot of backlash for it because of what had happened. And 18 years later, we win a National Championship and all they can do is play that video over and over and say what great faith he had. They called him crazy early and then they called it faith late. So that's what we call crazy faith, and that's what I try to tell the guys, we're going to go to the NCAA Tournament. At the Big 12 media day, people thought I was crazy. And now that we are here, they're like, man, what great faith. So we've just lived by this crazy faith of believing in each other that we can accomplish anything together if we love each other and we play with joy."
On what makes Markquis Nowell such a great passer…
"What allows him to be such a great passer, it's his confidence. He has great vision, but he also has this confidence. Kind of like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, they think they can like thread that ball through anywhere. And he really feels like he can get it there, so he has this great precision, this great confidence and vision that he was blessed with. The smile on my face, we talk about winning in interviews all the time. And to talk about your why, whether it's your family, your faith, whatever it is, talk about your why, then it's about your teammates. And then finally, then talk about yourself or how you were able to contribute to what happened in that game. He went in order. He talked about his why, and then he talked about his teammates, and it's just really cool to see guys grow and develop in that aspect."
On a unifying such as diverse roster…
"Well, I'll talk about their DNA; they're all winners. One of the things we talked about them coming was about winning. It wasn't about their individual accomplishments and stuff, but that winning helps everybody get what they want. And good business is when both people win. The team wins and individuals get awards. That's what happens. Because they're all winners, they were willing to buy into that. Then they're just really good people. We made sure that everybody learned each other's story. And when you know somebody's story and you know the things that they've gone through in life, you can empathize with them, and it allows your hearts to connect quicker. But they're just a great group of young men. They love each other. They appreciate each other, and because they want to win, they're willing to do whatever it takes."
On Florida Atlantic…
"Well, I'm not going to talk to you about the scouting, but I will tell you that I've watched several of their games. They play in a league against North Texas, and one of my best friends is Grant McCasland is a coach there. They play against Louisiana Tech, and Talvin Hester is a coach there. And I've known Dusty for a really long time. When he was at Indiana they recruited a kid that played for me at Heritage Christian. I'm a big fan of Coach May and I knew him at Florida, him and Mike great guys. He has a terrific team. And I'm telling you, if you just took the names off the front of the jerseys and you lined them up against anybody in America, you'd say they're a high major team. They are, they're a high major team. But they're high major competitors, too, just tough and together, as connected of a team as there is in the country. I've been super impressed with them from what I've seen."
On Florida Atlantic's guard play…
"Man, 'Nelly Davis is a goon. What a player. He's got NBA feet. He's got NBA balance. He's a special athlete and with a great feel for the game. I read the story about him getting Ochai Agbaji's workout and diving into it. You can tell he's passionate about the game, and you can tell his why. Last night that interview when he told his family, hey, we're going to be all right, you could tell, my man has a why. All the guards are terrific. They can all shoot. They can all dribble and pass. They're quick. They're athletic. They defend. I mean, they're just super impressive to watch."
On Florida Atlantic's big man…
"I mean, he's a Big 12 center. He was at Texas Tech, and he's every bit of 7'1" and he's strong and he's physical and he can catch and he can finish, and he protects the rim, does a great job in ball screen coverage, and he's as good as anybody we've faced this year."
Senior Keyontae Johnson
On his relationship with FAU head coach Dusty May…
"Me and Coach May, he was a part of the recruiting process for Florida. His son was the walk-on for our team, so one of his sons is one of my close friends. He was at the game last night. Coach May has always been there. He gave me advice throughout the season when he came to our practice and a few of our games. So, me and Coach May is real close. That's my guy. Proud of everything he's doing for FAU this year."
On how key Markquis Nowell was to his decision to transfer to K-State…
"Yeah, when Coach Tang started recruiting me, Markquis was one of the main guys that reached out. His brother also was dealing with me the whole time, just giving me his pros and cons. Saying if I go to a different conference, I'd be Keyontae. But if I come to the Big 12, like I'd showcase and show everybody who really Keyontae is. So, I feel like Quis and his brother did a great job of making me feel welcome, feel like a family. They never forced the conversation, always told me to go with my heart. I felt like that was just real for me."
On how unique it was to have Markquis Nowell recruiting you…
"I mean, it was major. I knew Markquis, I knew who he was. I seen his game before. I wanted to play with a guard like him. I watched film on him. Just seeing his IQ and just trying to relate it to my game, where I cut and stuff and seeing where I can get open. And he's doing a great job of that right now, so just props to him.
On the alley-oop from Markquis Nowell…
"Well, I didn't know him, and Coach Tang was arguing about a call. I kept seeing A.J. kind of scooting up farther and farther. And as soon as Quis stopped looking at Coach Tang, he just looked at me, and I just told him to throw it. And I did just a full sprint and went up and tried to dunk it. I mean, the reverse was the momentum of the game. Wasn't planning on doing it. It just happened."
"It was an eye contact, I raise my eyebrows sometimes or something like that. So, he just threw it. I knew I was going to get there, just had to finish it."
Junior Ismael Massoud
On the skills and qualities that Coach Tang possesses to be able to pull this team…
"I mean, it's just a faith that can't be understated enough. The amount of faith he had in me and Markquis and the belief that he had, him and the coaching staff to be able to put a team around us and be able to build that foundation, to be able to do what we're doing today. Also that and just the hard work, just instilling that hard work, and he wanted to bring guys that valued hard work because he's a hardworking man himself. And just having that around, I would say those two things, faith and hard work."
On the process it took to adjust to Coach Tang and his coaching…
"For myself, I understood it was a different situation, different role. People are able to grow and understand and understand things at different times. So, for me it just took a little longer to understand what the coaching staff wanted from me. And at times it was frustrating, but just having the conversation, Coach Tang always tells us his door is always open. And at first, I didn't really want to have those conversations because it was hard conversations to have. But I realized this team was winning and just I wanted to be a part of it. And I knew I could help, and I knew I could play a big part for this team. So it was taking that first step to having those conversations and just understanding at the end of the day, you could control what you can and try your best and that's all you could ask for. So, Coach Tang was really open and honest, and he helped me a lot, and I feel like the conversations we had helped get us to where we are now."
On seeing Markquis Nowell on the back page of the New York Post…
"It's his city. He missed New York City for a reason. I wouldn't expect anything less. He's well deserving of all that praise because he's worked hard for it and no one deserves it more than him."
On why he chose to attend K-State…
"Just it has a great history. Kansas State plays in the best league in the country. And just the history of the school, it's a great university, first and foremost. And then Manhattan, Kansas, is one of the happiest places on earth. Just being around that environment, seeing the Octagon of Doom and just the opportunity it presented for me to come out and just have a new home, and it was something I couldn't pass on."
Players Mentioned
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