Kansas State University Athletics
Tang Recaps 2022-23 Season, Looks Ahead to 2023-24
Apr 05, 2023 | Men's Basketball
The Naismith National Coach of the Year led the Wildcats to 26 wins and Elite Eight
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Head coach Jerome Tang addressed the area media on Tuesday (April 4) to review the 2022-23 season, while looking ahead to the 2023-24 campaign.Â
K-State finished its first season under Tang with a 26-10 overall record, including a tie for third place in the Big 12 with an 11-7 mark, and the school's 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 18th time after wins over Montana State and Kentucky in the first two rounds then made it to the Elite Eight for the 13th time after their victory over Michigan State on March 23. The The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win season and the first since 2018-19.
Tang was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, while he was selected as the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year on April 2. Senior Markquis Nowell capped his K-State career by becoming the first Wildcat to ever win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, while he was named the NCAA East Regional's Most Outstanding Player after his memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament. Nowell was joined on several All-America teams by teammate Keyontae Johnson. The duo, who finished fourth among power conference players at 35 points per game, became the first Wildcat tandem to each earn All-America honors from the AP in the same season when they were selected to organization's Third Team. Johnson, who was also selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament, was the unanimous Big 12's Newcomer of the Year, while both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and the AP.
Below is a transcript of Tang's comments.
On what the past couple of days have been like…
"It's been a lot of ups and downs, frustrations over being one possession away from continuing to play (in the NCAA Tournament). There also has been a lot of excitement about how far we've come. And then, you're still so far away from what you really want. And so you understand how we're gonna put that together. There's a lot of thoughts, a lot of ideas, a lot of rehashing stuff. I know how good of a year it has been.. It's still not what we want to be."
On the momentum of the program after the Elite Eight run…Â
"There's a lot of really good momentum right now. People are excited. You can get involved with pretty much anybody you want to get involved with. But, with that you have to make sure that you pay attention to what's important to make it continue to go in the right direction. Hopefully, we will be able to recruit and have the same type of kids, just with a little more talent."
On his success with transfers in his first season and how that has opened doors…Â
"We have seen some of that (as far as more interest from transfers). We had success with transfers more so because of our environment, the culture we have and how our guys respond to each other and our staff. And people want to be a part of that."
On a timetable of putting the next team together…Â
"I'm not sure. I'm not in a hurry. Getting it done fast might not be the best way to get it done, or allow you to get the best because I believe that there's a group of guys right now in the portal, that some of them are pretty good players, but also believe there's gonna be a second run of guys in the portal. And, you know, some of them might be better. They might be a better fit for us, so you don't want to rush into it and get it done."
On staying patient in this era of the transfer portal…Â
"I felt that way before I got here. I'm sure you all remember last year, you'd ask, 'Are you worried?' And I'd say 'No, I'm not worried.' Because you kind of saw it over the last few years the trend of when guys go into (transfer) portal. Some people go in early because their coaches want them gone. And then some guys go in a little bit later because they're strategic in how they do it. And then you've got the guys who declare for the draft, and they're gonna pull the name out and go back to school. And so you have to just weigh on that."
On there not being a window for guys to transfer…Â
"Well, there's a deadline to enter and there are going to be a few kids who wait for the deadline to go in."
On the process for Nae'Qwan Tomlin to test the NBA waters…Â
"We have already had discussions with Nae'Qwan (about the NBA). I have encouraged him to do the paperwork just to see what NBA teams say. They have this panel that surveys all the NBA teams about a particular player and they provide feedback and what his projection is. And if the projections are good, then maybe we go to the next step, if the projections are not what he wants, then we say, okay, let's focus on moving forward. The whole time he'll be working out with the team and doing all that. But, you know, it's always good to get as much feedback as possible."
On where Nae'Qwan Tomlin can make the biggest leap next season…Â
"Consistency and his consistency of effort. The production will come from increased strength and conditioning and preparation. And then just like really locking in on a couple of things, shooting, strength, and shooting will probably be the two things that I would think you'd see the most, the most tangible things that you can put your eye on, there's some fundamental things that I think, having not played organized basketball from as a young kid, that he kind of skipped over. And I think we can go back and add some of that in and give him a better base to his game that will then help to eliminate some of the things that hindered his ability to be on the court this season."
On winning the Naismith Coach of the Year honor…Â
"I found out about it a week before. And so it was really cool, because I got to celebrate with our staff, like we all got together. And, it was just a neat moment because it's a staff award. It's a team award because of Markquis (Nowell) and Keyontae (Johnson). And if those guys don't play as well as they played, and we don't have the kind of performance that we have, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change who I am as a coach and what we did. It's just those guys performed at a really high level and our staff did a great job of putting it together. It was really cool to celebrate with them. At the banquet, when they made the award public, it was a little surreal to see coaching legends like Bob Cremins, Roy Williams and Tubby Smith on the stage and shake their hands. I have such cool stories that I've experienced with those guys. In fact, one of the first coaching clinics I ever went to Tubby Smith spoke at, and I was on crutches because I fell off of a horse I was hunting and I fell off and nearly got trampled. I have a hilarious story. I was a high school coach in Cleveland, Texas. I was trying to connect with the guys that I was coaching and the kids in the school they invited me to go hog hunting. So I go and we're riding horses and the dogs start barking and they take off running well then the horses take off running too and and I'm like holding on for dear life and you know it's just like the cartoon the saddle turned sideways and I fall off and get trampled. And the doctor said they missed the bone in my leg by a couple inches. I'm at a coaches clinic on crutches and (Tubby Smith) saw me and asked me what happened then he spent another 30 minutes just talking basketball with me. He didn't have to do this. He was just kind. When we would stop by North Carolina and Georgia Tech when we drove kids to the 5-star camps and if Coach Williams or Coach Cremins were there they would come out to meet the guys and shake their hands and spend time with them. They're just really cool people, really good people but incredible coaches and I'm on the stage with them so that was a little surreal (for me)."
On if winning the award was a dream come true…
"I've never dreamed of winning coach of the year. It was never anything that ever even crossed my mind at all. Like I dream of winning the national championship. But I've never thought about that."
On replacing Markquis Nowell…Â
"Well, you hope the year he had helps recruit others. It's hard to recruit someone with those types of leadership skills. Take away what he did on the floor, it's all the stuff he did off the floor that allowed the team to come together. You hope that some of the guys like Quan (Tomlin) and Cam (Carter) can step up and do those things. Now, the gathering team to go to the movies or go bowling, just all those extra team gatherings that the coaching staff had nothing to do with. Or that you can recruit somebody who will come in and be a connector like that, because Quis didn't know these guys, but for a few months, and he was able to connect with them and earn their respect. So you hope you can find someone who can lead like that. Whether they play like that or not is different. But hopefully, you know, you can find a group of guys who can lead like that."
On if his coaching style changes after year one…Â
"No, you have to fight for your culture every day. I was talking with (Arizona head coach) Tommy Lloyd the other day and I asked what he did differently in year two then in year one and what he wishes he had done. He said the first year you're locked in and you focus on exactly what you want. He said when he looks back on the second year, they were good, but he felt like he let some stuff slip a little bit. In hindsight, he would fight harder for his culture. And yeah, it's gonna be a stronger fight, more hands on, more demanding. That we do things right, that we don't take anything for granted."
On getting advice from other coaches…Â
"Absolutely. You can't replace experience. And so you try to get more knowledge. I remember after we won the national championship (at Baylor), Scott (Drew) called every coach that had won a national championship to find out what they experienced the next year, and how they could do something differently or better. So I reached out to guys who are in their second year of coaching after having success in their first year, and we just did a deep dive into coaches who had success in their first year of coaching, and what happened? And then three or four years later who got fired. Well, what was the difference between the roster the first year and the second year to coach the staff between the first year in the second year? What changed? So that we can look at it and see if we can pick up anything that we can avoid or implement."
On conversations with Ismael Massoud and his decision to transfer…
"I asked him what success looks like for him in this upcoming year, and he told me what he was looking for. And I told him what my plans were for the team and they weren't in alignment. And what I felt honestly, that we could provide for him wasn't close or the same to what he wanted. The worst thing you can do is tell a kid, you're going to do something for him, especially that last year, and then not be able to provide that. He's been so good to us that I want him to have every opportunity to have the success in his last year that he wants to have. He wants to play 25 to 30 minutes a game. We want to win the last game and I don't know how we can have those two fit together. And so I just was very honest with them. And he was honest with me about what he wanted. I told him 'Look, if you go out there and you don't feel like people are telling you the truth and you can't find that at another school. Let's revisit this conversation again.' I told him that I wouldn't hold it against him. But I told him that I may have to call you and tell you that we have taken someone else and we may not be able to revisit this conversation and he understood that."
On if it's strange to not have Markquis Nowell or Ismael Massoud in his second year…Â
"It's weird. But yeah, I'm gonna miss those guys. But I'm also gonna stay in contact with them because I want them to be real honest with me and tell me what they liked and what they didn't like so we make sure we are doing the right things. Those are questions I always ask exiting seniors. I have always done that since I was an assistant coach, so they'll tell me the truth."
On what you will remember from your first season…Â
"I'm gonna remember at the end of March and early April how cold it was here. And at some point in time, going 'What the heck am I doing in Kansas?' (laughter). I'm going to remember how the staff kept each other going forward when it wasn't going as fast as maybe we wanted to. I'm gonna remember that first team meeting in June for summer school when there were only seven guys in the locker room, which is more than two but only seven and you're thinking at the time and I don't know how many wins we have sitting here. I'll remember the first practice when everybody was there. Desi (Sills) wasn't there yet, but everybody else and how much different it felt like 'Okay, I think we got enough to get to the tournament.' There are a few games that you're gonna remember, but those are the things that really stand out."
On the lessons that you learned from Markquis Nowell…Â
"To not try and force the way I see the game on the team or on individuals. I have to find out more about how a player sees the game and why they see the game that way, especially a guy like Quis who has played so much basketball. I hold a point guard to a certain standard because of Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, Pierre Jackson, Tweety Carter and other guys that I have coached. And I only remember how great they were. And so now the next one that comes along is going to be held to the standard of Markquis Nowell. Hopefully, I can be smart enough to not only remember how great he was, but remember that it took time to get to that point."
On finding a middle ground with Markquis Nowell…Â
"You'd have to ask him that question. There was a point where I said I'm gonna stop comparing you to everybody. You're my arrow and you're the guy we're gonna win with. And yeah, just got checked on that. The comparison is the stealer of joy. I got rid of the comparison. I started operating on the joy aspect of it and we got better together."
On where Cam Carter can find the most improvement in the offseason…Â
"He needs to be more consistent. Whether that's shooting work or decision making, he just needs to become more of a student of the game, and not just play by feel. Just having played a whole year with all those minutes and being in the environments he's been in, he's going to have a lot to draw from that's going to help him. Moving forward, he's got to become more vocal on both ends of the floor, and everyday is practice if he wants to make that next step."
On the hiring of Grant McCasland at Texas Tech…Â
"I don't know that I've talked about Grant much. But I always say Grant saved my life. You know, there was a period there where I had gotten out of shape. And like, terrible, right? Like, I was probably pushing 200 pounds and I just was locked in on work. And I was like, 'Man, I gotta get back in shape.' And Grant was willing to work out with me. And I really wasn't a morning person at all. And the guy who was going to do the workouts for me said, If coach, if I'm going to work you out, we got to work out at five o'clock in the morning. And if you know me, that's not me, but I wanted to get back in shape. And Grant was willing to do so every morning at five o'clock, we went and did these workouts. And I probably got some of the best shape of my life. But I rolled out of bed every morning because I knew Grant was going to be there. And I didn't want to let him down. And so we were there. And I mean, it was for over a year, we worked out together and got in great shape and just spent all that time together. He's just a terrific human being. And when he's all in, he is all in and everything with him is about winning. Like, he'd always say Tang, what are we doing? How are we going to win? He's all about winning, and his team is going to know what he wants them to look like. When the year starts, he knows what he wants to see at the end. And he's always working towards that. And that's just a special trait. (Former Baylor and current LSU head coach) Coach (Kim) Mulkey is like that as well. She starts the year with an open mind but she knows what she wants it to look like at the end and she works towards that. Grant is a home run hire for Texas Tech and an even better person."
On learning from this year's senior class…Â
"I haven't really taken the time to sit back on that one yet or draw that information from the seniors. Right now, we're just trying to get organized moving forward on recruiting, but we will take some time and do that. But I know what I'm gonna continue to do and that is we're going to enjoy being here, enjoy all the small successes and we're going to celebrate it. I know some of the things that I did this year may have put some people off like jumping in the stands and dancing with the students. I can see how an opposing coach may not like that. But we are going to enjoy winning and never take it for granted. We know how hard it is and we don't know how long this thing lasts."
On if any other players might enter the transfer portal…Â
"I feel pretty good about most of them. I mean we're gonna have conversations with all the guys. We will have conversations with them and tell them what we see for them in the plan going forward. We all have plans. But playing time is always determined by players, not coaches. Our staff's job is to bring in guys who are going to put the returners on the bench. And their job is to make sure that doesn't happen because they have a head start. And so if they're okay with that, and the competition of it then we're gonna be fine. And for some guys, they may not be okay with it, and we'll be fine. We want competitive dudes that don't mind scrapping and clawing every moment to get what they want because the only way you can win the last game."
On Dorian Finister and the possibility of a redshirt…Â
"Yeah, we think we have a case. There's a lot of other things that I can't talk about but we're gonna see what the NCAA says about that."
On seeing all the fans in the airport when you got back from the Elite Eight…Â
"It was very emotional and, and moving. I've come back from two other Elite Eights at Baylor, and no knock on anyone else, but I've never seen that kind of reception for not winning. And so, for the fans, some of them drove hours to come show their appreciation for what the guys did this year. It just makes you want to work even harder to get them that parade. Like we're gonna have a parade through Manhattan that is going to happen. And the passion of our fan base fuels our staff, and I know what fuels our players to want to just do a little bit more."
On taking photos and signing autographs for 48 minutes after the team landed…Â
"Our fans, they make a huge sacrifice, to buy season tickets or drive to the airport, just all of those things. And I mean, I get paid a lot of money to do something that I love. It's not that I like basketball, I am passionate about it. But I love people. And I know that my ministry is to touch the lives of people. And if I can take a few minutes, take some pictures and sign some autographs, it makes somebody's day better. I mean, it's just I don't know why somebody wouldn't do it."
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On what makes Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell potential NBA players…Â
"Let's start with Keyontae. He can play multiple positions and also defend. And that makes him valuable because in the NBA you have 15 on a roster. I think they're moving into 17. Now, with the new collective bargaining agreement, they'll be able to have two more two-way players. But so when NBA GMs are drafting, or putting people on the team, they want guys who can play multiple positions, because then you go from having 15 on the roster, a guy can play three positions. Now you have 17 on the roster, position wise, and because of his strength, his length, his athletic ability, he could be a three position guy in the NBA. Offensively, he can make shots like the ball goes in the hole easy for him. And that doesn't happen for a lot of people. And so he's got things that will translate to the NBA game. I could see him, not just making the team but playing meaningful minutes. Because of his physical ability, his feeling (for the game), his gifts, offensively and defensively. And just his competitiveness. Like, I know, he smiles a lot, and he's quiet, but he's got this drive inside of him that he just wants to destroy that dude in front of him. There's so much more space on the NBA court that it's gonna him."Â
As for Quis, it starts with his ability to shoot with range. It's something that separates him but it's also his ability to play the pick-and-roll. And he did a much better job, like he really grew this year, in making ball screen reads in the pick-and-roll. He can pick you up full court and really make life miserable for you, very much like (New Orleans Pelicans) Jose Alvarado. He's smaller but the same kind of tenacity on the ball. And when you don't need a hedge in a ball screen action, if a guard or Patrick Beverley guards like that, that doesn't need a hedge, it really helps an NBA defense because I mean, defenses in the NBA are really at the will of the offense because those guys are so skilled. But when you don't have to hit your ball screen, put two on the ball. That really helps your defense and so those are some things that are gonna give him an opportunity."
On the difficulties of replacing Markquis Nowell…Â
"I mean, as much as we did on the court, I was trying to tell me what he did off the court to bring the team together that was as important all the different text messages that he would send, you know, after wins or losses or any distance just constantly keeping the guys locked in and moving forward. So no, you can't replace that. And then the tangible stuff on the floor, we had two guys on the team this year that could give you 30 points on any night. They couldn't do it every night. But on any night, they can do that. Hopefully next year, we'll have four to five that on any night could give you 20. Just more weapons out there so that we become harder to guard and they can't load up with one guy. Like when Key is on the bench with foul trouble against FAU. It just got harder for us when he's not on the floor. If you had four guys that you could put up 20, or three at any one time, it just makes you harder to guard."
On the lob dunk against Michigan State and why that play was so successful throughout the season…Â
"Well, you can't do it, like every game, or against every team. It's usually how certain teams guard when the ball is in a certain part of the floor. And so it's just something that you make a note of but that was just Key and Quis making a play. They locked eyes with each other. We knew we could pick on certain things on Michigan State because of how they guard. And every defense has holes in it. It's because it's impossible to take everything away with good teams and so we knew there were certain things we could pick on. And at that point in time. It was one of those things we could pick up."
On starting the game with the lob dunk…Â
"Yeah, that was a call. But we had done that before. At least three other times. I don't know if we got dunks or not. We opened the game against Baylor with it.. Like different coaches have different ways they guard certain actions. And, you know, just you just try to figure out how you can pick on the way they switch or don't switch those types of things. So that's why it doesn't always work."
On if the argument with Markquis Nowell planned at all…
"I'm going to go with Markquis' answer (laughter). We can't tell you if we want to run it again."
On being in One Shining Moment…Â
"It was cool to be in One Shining Moment, but I prefer to be in it at the end when you're the one holding the trophy."
On the biggest improvement you want to see from David N'Guessan…Â
"We're gonna have him hopefully for the whole summer. He actually missed a large portion of it when he went home and had his visa issues. That's going to help with his strength and his weight gain. And then just by him working the way we want him to work hopefully builds his confidence, so that it doesn't matter whether his shot is falling or things are going well. His confidence will come from the work he's put in, not under results and it's more of a mindset than anything."
On when you will get the three freshmen to campus…
"They will be here in June."
K-State finished its first season under Tang with a 26-10 overall record, including a tie for third place in the Big 12 with an 11-7 mark, and the school's 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 18th time after wins over Montana State and Kentucky in the first two rounds then made it to the Elite Eight for the 13th time after their victory over Michigan State on March 23. The The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win season and the first since 2018-19.
Tang was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, while he was selected as the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year on April 2. Senior Markquis Nowell capped his K-State career by becoming the first Wildcat to ever win the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard, while he was named the NCAA East Regional's Most Outstanding Player after his memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament. Nowell was joined on several All-America teams by teammate Keyontae Johnson. The duo, who finished fourth among power conference players at 35 points per game, became the first Wildcat tandem to each earn All-America honors from the AP in the same season when they were selected to organization's Third Team. Johnson, who was also selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament, was the unanimous Big 12's Newcomer of the Year, while both were named to the All-Big 12 First Team by the league coaches and the AP.
Below is a transcript of Tang's comments.
On what the past couple of days have been like…
"It's been a lot of ups and downs, frustrations over being one possession away from continuing to play (in the NCAA Tournament). There also has been a lot of excitement about how far we've come. And then, you're still so far away from what you really want. And so you understand how we're gonna put that together. There's a lot of thoughts, a lot of ideas, a lot of rehashing stuff. I know how good of a year it has been.. It's still not what we want to be."
On the momentum of the program after the Elite Eight run…Â
"There's a lot of really good momentum right now. People are excited. You can get involved with pretty much anybody you want to get involved with. But, with that you have to make sure that you pay attention to what's important to make it continue to go in the right direction. Hopefully, we will be able to recruit and have the same type of kids, just with a little more talent."
On his success with transfers in his first season and how that has opened doors…Â
"We have seen some of that (as far as more interest from transfers). We had success with transfers more so because of our environment, the culture we have and how our guys respond to each other and our staff. And people want to be a part of that."
On a timetable of putting the next team together…Â
"I'm not sure. I'm not in a hurry. Getting it done fast might not be the best way to get it done, or allow you to get the best because I believe that there's a group of guys right now in the portal, that some of them are pretty good players, but also believe there's gonna be a second run of guys in the portal. And, you know, some of them might be better. They might be a better fit for us, so you don't want to rush into it and get it done."
On staying patient in this era of the transfer portal…Â
"I felt that way before I got here. I'm sure you all remember last year, you'd ask, 'Are you worried?' And I'd say 'No, I'm not worried.' Because you kind of saw it over the last few years the trend of when guys go into (transfer) portal. Some people go in early because their coaches want them gone. And then some guys go in a little bit later because they're strategic in how they do it. And then you've got the guys who declare for the draft, and they're gonna pull the name out and go back to school. And so you have to just weigh on that."
On there not being a window for guys to transfer…Â
"Well, there's a deadline to enter and there are going to be a few kids who wait for the deadline to go in."
On the process for Nae'Qwan Tomlin to test the NBA waters…Â
"We have already had discussions with Nae'Qwan (about the NBA). I have encouraged him to do the paperwork just to see what NBA teams say. They have this panel that surveys all the NBA teams about a particular player and they provide feedback and what his projection is. And if the projections are good, then maybe we go to the next step, if the projections are not what he wants, then we say, okay, let's focus on moving forward. The whole time he'll be working out with the team and doing all that. But, you know, it's always good to get as much feedback as possible."
On where Nae'Qwan Tomlin can make the biggest leap next season…Â
"Consistency and his consistency of effort. The production will come from increased strength and conditioning and preparation. And then just like really locking in on a couple of things, shooting, strength, and shooting will probably be the two things that I would think you'd see the most, the most tangible things that you can put your eye on, there's some fundamental things that I think, having not played organized basketball from as a young kid, that he kind of skipped over. And I think we can go back and add some of that in and give him a better base to his game that will then help to eliminate some of the things that hindered his ability to be on the court this season."
On winning the Naismith Coach of the Year honor…Â
"I found out about it a week before. And so it was really cool, because I got to celebrate with our staff, like we all got together. And, it was just a neat moment because it's a staff award. It's a team award because of Markquis (Nowell) and Keyontae (Johnson). And if those guys don't play as well as they played, and we don't have the kind of performance that we have, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change who I am as a coach and what we did. It's just those guys performed at a really high level and our staff did a great job of putting it together. It was really cool to celebrate with them. At the banquet, when they made the award public, it was a little surreal to see coaching legends like Bob Cremins, Roy Williams and Tubby Smith on the stage and shake their hands. I have such cool stories that I've experienced with those guys. In fact, one of the first coaching clinics I ever went to Tubby Smith spoke at, and I was on crutches because I fell off of a horse I was hunting and I fell off and nearly got trampled. I have a hilarious story. I was a high school coach in Cleveland, Texas. I was trying to connect with the guys that I was coaching and the kids in the school they invited me to go hog hunting. So I go and we're riding horses and the dogs start barking and they take off running well then the horses take off running too and and I'm like holding on for dear life and you know it's just like the cartoon the saddle turned sideways and I fall off and get trampled. And the doctor said they missed the bone in my leg by a couple inches. I'm at a coaches clinic on crutches and (Tubby Smith) saw me and asked me what happened then he spent another 30 minutes just talking basketball with me. He didn't have to do this. He was just kind. When we would stop by North Carolina and Georgia Tech when we drove kids to the 5-star camps and if Coach Williams or Coach Cremins were there they would come out to meet the guys and shake their hands and spend time with them. They're just really cool people, really good people but incredible coaches and I'm on the stage with them so that was a little surreal (for me)."
On if winning the award was a dream come true…
"I've never dreamed of winning coach of the year. It was never anything that ever even crossed my mind at all. Like I dream of winning the national championship. But I've never thought about that."
On replacing Markquis Nowell…Â
"Well, you hope the year he had helps recruit others. It's hard to recruit someone with those types of leadership skills. Take away what he did on the floor, it's all the stuff he did off the floor that allowed the team to come together. You hope that some of the guys like Quan (Tomlin) and Cam (Carter) can step up and do those things. Now, the gathering team to go to the movies or go bowling, just all those extra team gatherings that the coaching staff had nothing to do with. Or that you can recruit somebody who will come in and be a connector like that, because Quis didn't know these guys, but for a few months, and he was able to connect with them and earn their respect. So you hope you can find someone who can lead like that. Whether they play like that or not is different. But hopefully, you know, you can find a group of guys who can lead like that."
On if his coaching style changes after year one…Â
"No, you have to fight for your culture every day. I was talking with (Arizona head coach) Tommy Lloyd the other day and I asked what he did differently in year two then in year one and what he wishes he had done. He said the first year you're locked in and you focus on exactly what you want. He said when he looks back on the second year, they were good, but he felt like he let some stuff slip a little bit. In hindsight, he would fight harder for his culture. And yeah, it's gonna be a stronger fight, more hands on, more demanding. That we do things right, that we don't take anything for granted."
On getting advice from other coaches…Â
"Absolutely. You can't replace experience. And so you try to get more knowledge. I remember after we won the national championship (at Baylor), Scott (Drew) called every coach that had won a national championship to find out what they experienced the next year, and how they could do something differently or better. So I reached out to guys who are in their second year of coaching after having success in their first year, and we just did a deep dive into coaches who had success in their first year of coaching, and what happened? And then three or four years later who got fired. Well, what was the difference between the roster the first year and the second year to coach the staff between the first year in the second year? What changed? So that we can look at it and see if we can pick up anything that we can avoid or implement."
On conversations with Ismael Massoud and his decision to transfer…
"I asked him what success looks like for him in this upcoming year, and he told me what he was looking for. And I told him what my plans were for the team and they weren't in alignment. And what I felt honestly, that we could provide for him wasn't close or the same to what he wanted. The worst thing you can do is tell a kid, you're going to do something for him, especially that last year, and then not be able to provide that. He's been so good to us that I want him to have every opportunity to have the success in his last year that he wants to have. He wants to play 25 to 30 minutes a game. We want to win the last game and I don't know how we can have those two fit together. And so I just was very honest with them. And he was honest with me about what he wanted. I told him 'Look, if you go out there and you don't feel like people are telling you the truth and you can't find that at another school. Let's revisit this conversation again.' I told him that I wouldn't hold it against him. But I told him that I may have to call you and tell you that we have taken someone else and we may not be able to revisit this conversation and he understood that."
On if it's strange to not have Markquis Nowell or Ismael Massoud in his second year…Â
"It's weird. But yeah, I'm gonna miss those guys. But I'm also gonna stay in contact with them because I want them to be real honest with me and tell me what they liked and what they didn't like so we make sure we are doing the right things. Those are questions I always ask exiting seniors. I have always done that since I was an assistant coach, so they'll tell me the truth."
On what you will remember from your first season…Â
"I'm gonna remember at the end of March and early April how cold it was here. And at some point in time, going 'What the heck am I doing in Kansas?' (laughter). I'm going to remember how the staff kept each other going forward when it wasn't going as fast as maybe we wanted to. I'm gonna remember that first team meeting in June for summer school when there were only seven guys in the locker room, which is more than two but only seven and you're thinking at the time and I don't know how many wins we have sitting here. I'll remember the first practice when everybody was there. Desi (Sills) wasn't there yet, but everybody else and how much different it felt like 'Okay, I think we got enough to get to the tournament.' There are a few games that you're gonna remember, but those are the things that really stand out."
On the lessons that you learned from Markquis Nowell…Â
"To not try and force the way I see the game on the team or on individuals. I have to find out more about how a player sees the game and why they see the game that way, especially a guy like Quis who has played so much basketball. I hold a point guard to a certain standard because of Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell, Pierre Jackson, Tweety Carter and other guys that I have coached. And I only remember how great they were. And so now the next one that comes along is going to be held to the standard of Markquis Nowell. Hopefully, I can be smart enough to not only remember how great he was, but remember that it took time to get to that point."
On finding a middle ground with Markquis Nowell…Â
"You'd have to ask him that question. There was a point where I said I'm gonna stop comparing you to everybody. You're my arrow and you're the guy we're gonna win with. And yeah, just got checked on that. The comparison is the stealer of joy. I got rid of the comparison. I started operating on the joy aspect of it and we got better together."
On where Cam Carter can find the most improvement in the offseason…Â
"He needs to be more consistent. Whether that's shooting work or decision making, he just needs to become more of a student of the game, and not just play by feel. Just having played a whole year with all those minutes and being in the environments he's been in, he's going to have a lot to draw from that's going to help him. Moving forward, he's got to become more vocal on both ends of the floor, and everyday is practice if he wants to make that next step."
On the hiring of Grant McCasland at Texas Tech…Â
"I don't know that I've talked about Grant much. But I always say Grant saved my life. You know, there was a period there where I had gotten out of shape. And like, terrible, right? Like, I was probably pushing 200 pounds and I just was locked in on work. And I was like, 'Man, I gotta get back in shape.' And Grant was willing to work out with me. And I really wasn't a morning person at all. And the guy who was going to do the workouts for me said, If coach, if I'm going to work you out, we got to work out at five o'clock in the morning. And if you know me, that's not me, but I wanted to get back in shape. And Grant was willing to do so every morning at five o'clock, we went and did these workouts. And I probably got some of the best shape of my life. But I rolled out of bed every morning because I knew Grant was going to be there. And I didn't want to let him down. And so we were there. And I mean, it was for over a year, we worked out together and got in great shape and just spent all that time together. He's just a terrific human being. And when he's all in, he is all in and everything with him is about winning. Like, he'd always say Tang, what are we doing? How are we going to win? He's all about winning, and his team is going to know what he wants them to look like. When the year starts, he knows what he wants to see at the end. And he's always working towards that. And that's just a special trait. (Former Baylor and current LSU head coach) Coach (Kim) Mulkey is like that as well. She starts the year with an open mind but she knows what she wants it to look like at the end and she works towards that. Grant is a home run hire for Texas Tech and an even better person."
On learning from this year's senior class…Â
"I haven't really taken the time to sit back on that one yet or draw that information from the seniors. Right now, we're just trying to get organized moving forward on recruiting, but we will take some time and do that. But I know what I'm gonna continue to do and that is we're going to enjoy being here, enjoy all the small successes and we're going to celebrate it. I know some of the things that I did this year may have put some people off like jumping in the stands and dancing with the students. I can see how an opposing coach may not like that. But we are going to enjoy winning and never take it for granted. We know how hard it is and we don't know how long this thing lasts."
On if any other players might enter the transfer portal…Â
"I feel pretty good about most of them. I mean we're gonna have conversations with all the guys. We will have conversations with them and tell them what we see for them in the plan going forward. We all have plans. But playing time is always determined by players, not coaches. Our staff's job is to bring in guys who are going to put the returners on the bench. And their job is to make sure that doesn't happen because they have a head start. And so if they're okay with that, and the competition of it then we're gonna be fine. And for some guys, they may not be okay with it, and we'll be fine. We want competitive dudes that don't mind scrapping and clawing every moment to get what they want because the only way you can win the last game."
On Dorian Finister and the possibility of a redshirt…Â
"Yeah, we think we have a case. There's a lot of other things that I can't talk about but we're gonna see what the NCAA says about that."
On seeing all the fans in the airport when you got back from the Elite Eight…Â
"It was very emotional and, and moving. I've come back from two other Elite Eights at Baylor, and no knock on anyone else, but I've never seen that kind of reception for not winning. And so, for the fans, some of them drove hours to come show their appreciation for what the guys did this year. It just makes you want to work even harder to get them that parade. Like we're gonna have a parade through Manhattan that is going to happen. And the passion of our fan base fuels our staff, and I know what fuels our players to want to just do a little bit more."
On taking photos and signing autographs for 48 minutes after the team landed…Â
"Our fans, they make a huge sacrifice, to buy season tickets or drive to the airport, just all of those things. And I mean, I get paid a lot of money to do something that I love. It's not that I like basketball, I am passionate about it. But I love people. And I know that my ministry is to touch the lives of people. And if I can take a few minutes, take some pictures and sign some autographs, it makes somebody's day better. I mean, it's just I don't know why somebody wouldn't do it."
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On what makes Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell potential NBA players…Â
"Let's start with Keyontae. He can play multiple positions and also defend. And that makes him valuable because in the NBA you have 15 on a roster. I think they're moving into 17. Now, with the new collective bargaining agreement, they'll be able to have two more two-way players. But so when NBA GMs are drafting, or putting people on the team, they want guys who can play multiple positions, because then you go from having 15 on the roster, a guy can play three positions. Now you have 17 on the roster, position wise, and because of his strength, his length, his athletic ability, he could be a three position guy in the NBA. Offensively, he can make shots like the ball goes in the hole easy for him. And that doesn't happen for a lot of people. And so he's got things that will translate to the NBA game. I could see him, not just making the team but playing meaningful minutes. Because of his physical ability, his feeling (for the game), his gifts, offensively and defensively. And just his competitiveness. Like, I know, he smiles a lot, and he's quiet, but he's got this drive inside of him that he just wants to destroy that dude in front of him. There's so much more space on the NBA court that it's gonna him."Â
As for Quis, it starts with his ability to shoot with range. It's something that separates him but it's also his ability to play the pick-and-roll. And he did a much better job, like he really grew this year, in making ball screen reads in the pick-and-roll. He can pick you up full court and really make life miserable for you, very much like (New Orleans Pelicans) Jose Alvarado. He's smaller but the same kind of tenacity on the ball. And when you don't need a hedge in a ball screen action, if a guard or Patrick Beverley guards like that, that doesn't need a hedge, it really helps an NBA defense because I mean, defenses in the NBA are really at the will of the offense because those guys are so skilled. But when you don't have to hit your ball screen, put two on the ball. That really helps your defense and so those are some things that are gonna give him an opportunity."
On the difficulties of replacing Markquis Nowell…Â
"I mean, as much as we did on the court, I was trying to tell me what he did off the court to bring the team together that was as important all the different text messages that he would send, you know, after wins or losses or any distance just constantly keeping the guys locked in and moving forward. So no, you can't replace that. And then the tangible stuff on the floor, we had two guys on the team this year that could give you 30 points on any night. They couldn't do it every night. But on any night, they can do that. Hopefully next year, we'll have four to five that on any night could give you 20. Just more weapons out there so that we become harder to guard and they can't load up with one guy. Like when Key is on the bench with foul trouble against FAU. It just got harder for us when he's not on the floor. If you had four guys that you could put up 20, or three at any one time, it just makes you harder to guard."
On the lob dunk against Michigan State and why that play was so successful throughout the season…Â
"Well, you can't do it, like every game, or against every team. It's usually how certain teams guard when the ball is in a certain part of the floor. And so it's just something that you make a note of but that was just Key and Quis making a play. They locked eyes with each other. We knew we could pick on certain things on Michigan State because of how they guard. And every defense has holes in it. It's because it's impossible to take everything away with good teams and so we knew there were certain things we could pick on. And at that point in time. It was one of those things we could pick up."
On starting the game with the lob dunk…Â
"Yeah, that was a call. But we had done that before. At least three other times. I don't know if we got dunks or not. We opened the game against Baylor with it.. Like different coaches have different ways they guard certain actions. And, you know, just you just try to figure out how you can pick on the way they switch or don't switch those types of things. So that's why it doesn't always work."
On if the argument with Markquis Nowell planned at all…
"I'm going to go with Markquis' answer (laughter). We can't tell you if we want to run it again."
On being in One Shining Moment…Â
"It was cool to be in One Shining Moment, but I prefer to be in it at the end when you're the one holding the trophy."
On the biggest improvement you want to see from David N'Guessan…Â
"We're gonna have him hopefully for the whole summer. He actually missed a large portion of it when he went home and had his visa issues. That's going to help with his strength and his weight gain. And then just by him working the way we want him to work hopefully builds his confidence, so that it doesn't matter whether his shot is falling or things are going well. His confidence will come from the work he's put in, not under results and it's more of a mindset than anything."
On when you will get the three freshmen to campus…
"They will be here in June."
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