Tang Reviews Historic Trip to Israel, Abu Dhabi

Aug 22, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Exposure Photo Gallery Game 1 vs. Israeli Select Team Game 2 vs. Mexico Game 3 vs. Al-Sharjah Club

The second-year head coach met with the media on Monday afternoon

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang met with the media on Monday afternoon (August 21) to review the Wildcats' historic 10-day trip to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [U.A.E.] that ran from August 9-20. The team returned home to Manhattan on Sunday afternoon (August 20).

K-State, along with the University of Arizona, were the first college teams to ever take a foreign tour to Abu Dhabi.

The exhibition tour was generously sponsored by Athletes for Israel and its Founder and Chairman Daniel Posner as well as the Abu Dhabi Tourism Board. In their efforts to combat antisemitism and racism, Athletes For Israel brings athletes to Israel so they can experience the Holy Land and develop a connection with its history, culture, innovation and people.

For more information on the organization and its mission, visit athletesforisrael.org.

Also, many thanks to the team at Complete Sports Management led by CEO and Founder Lea Miller-Tooley for all their hard work coordinating this once-in-a-lifetime trip for the team and staff.

Below is a transcript of Monday's press conference:

Head Coach Jerome Tang
On how to summarize the trip…
"Oh, man, it'd be hard to condense this trip. First, I have to thank Athletes For Israel and its founder and CEO Daniel Posner for putting this thing together and helping us. I want to thank Lee Miller of Complete Sports Management. I mean, those two really stepped up to the table. And they had a mission of what they wanted to accomplish, which was to show unity through athletics. And I mean, we saw it in action in Israel. And then being one of the first two college teams to ever travel from Israel to an Arab country was special. I mean, we made history. And it was just a great time. Our host, Jason Fine, was incredible. He's with us the whole time and made sure that everything went smooth, and even up to the airport when there was some ticket issues. And I mean, Jason was unbelievable. Bailey (Bachamp), my Director of Operations, she was a champ. And putting this whole thing together, keeping everything running. And I don't know, I don't know what could have gone better. We had a little flight issues. But other than that, everything else was just wonderful. And on the trip with us was Dr. (Jamie) McAfee and his wife, Kim. We are just so thankful that they took time out of his schedule to come spend the time with us make sure athletes were taken care of. And then Marty Vanier came on the trip. And she was just terrific. I mean, we learned so much about her love and passion. And her family's passion for Kansas State. I mean, it meant so much to us. And Coach (Mike) Clark and (his wife) Julie came along to help chaperone that and I had a blast with Coach Clark. And I've got some video that I am going to save it for the right time to release, Coach Clark really getting in with a belly dancer. But my father in law's in it too. So, I got incriminating evidence on both. Now both of their wives were there. We had a wonderful time.

We had three goals on this trip number one was for all of our players to go and have a great time and want to come back to school. Okay, and with the day and age of the transfer portal, you know, I mean, it was very important that every young man saw that they had a role in our team, and they were going to be a major contributor to what we were doing not just for this year but moving forward. And so, goal number one was accomplished. Number two was that we represented K State, on and off the court in a way that displayed the highest level of character and integrity. We wanted them to invite us back. And I'll just you one example is on our trip over one of the flight attendants came over as a 12 hour flight from Atlanta, to we fly to Tel Aviv, and when the flight attendants came over a few hours into the trip and just said, 'Coach, your young men are so respectful and so engaged and so polite.' Those are the things that really mean so much to you as a coach when your guys' true character comes through. I'm not around them the whole time and their true character comes out. And the third goal was for our staff, because people ask how the summer has been and I don't know that we've had a summer. The recruiting all the way through and just everything. I wanted our staff and their wives to be able to have some fun, and to relax and have a good time together. And so, I thought all three goals were accomplished."

On if there was one anecdote that symbolized what your guys learned on the trip…
"I hope our guys learned that basketball can take them a lot of places in life and, and that they really appreciate what they experienced. I think it'll be a while for them to understand just how special what they were able to accomplish really was. Understand that sports can really bring people together and they were able to see. I mean, we went from Israel into Palestine to visit Bethlehem, and then came back and Israelis aren't allowed to cross that border. And Palestinians aren't allowed to cross back. And that was so special to do. We had a meal at the house of our host in Palestine. And he's a Palestinian, Arab Christian. And his mom shared her story about being in Germany, and then traveling back to Palestine to get married, and, you know, arranged marriages, which my daughter didn't like to hear. But I mean, just the whole time we were at their home, they fed all of us, it was just unbelievable. I think you guys asked me what I was most looking forward to. And I said, the food and the food blew everything away. It was the time we got to share around the table and an understanding when we talk about breaking bread here, they're breaking bread with your hands and dipping it into the bowl and pass things around. And to watch the guys have that kind of community and team building. You can't fabricate that or put something together to get them to have that kind of experience. And so, it was spectacular.

On what most impressed you on the court…
"I've always felt like we're pretty fast. And I feel like we can be the fastest team in the country, and combine our speed, our ability to get up and down to court, each individual person a little bit quicker, I think will be quicker at most positions than most of the teams we play against.

"I will start with our freshmen. Dai Dai (Ames) probably had the best offseason of the three freshmen. He's just really showed he's got some toughness to him. He was really competitive in the weight room. On the court, he probably didn't play as well as he wanted to play. And that's okay, R.J. (Jones) and Buddy (Macaleab Rich) both came in out of shape. And we had to get them into some kind of shape so that they could compete, but when the lights came on, they both had really special moments at times, but they also were freshmen. So, they had some ups and downs. We saw the reason why they're here and why they're going to help us be a really good program moving forward.

"The redshirt guys (Jerrell Colbert, Dorian Finister and Taj Manning) all got better every game. Jerrell finished with a double double. And you wanted to see his confidence grow. Dorian hadn't gotten into a groove yet. But, he just does some things that lets you know that he's got a chance. He's gonna be alright. And Taj when he plays with energy. He was really good and consistent. The older guys (Tylor Perry, Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Arthur Kaluma and Cam Carter) all were good. I think as a staff, we walked away and said, Alright, we got, you know, four dudes there that we can count on every night."

On what improvement Nae'Qwan Tomlin has made from last season…
"He's more confident. He knows he can do more things. We just really want him to embrace the fact that his energy level, his speed, his quickness, he can dominate a game on both ends of the floor. And there was a spurt there against Mexico where he took the game over and had a couple of dunks couple of nice drives, because he was in the passing lane. And that was good to see. We just want to see that more consistently."

On the play of Arthur Kaluma, Tylor Perry and Cam Carter…
"Arthur, in that first game, was really locked in. And the second game, he got in foul trouble, and it was crazy as I told him, he's a magician, because at the end of the third quarter against Mexico, he had four fouls, and he was sitting on the bench. And at the end of the game, he only had three fouls. Quan had three fouls. And in the fourth quarter, he got five fouls. And we like how did that happen? So, we had Arthur sitting on the bench with three (fouls) as we supposedly thought he had four fouls and Quan was on the floor with four fouls. So, that thing kind of messed some stuff up. So that's why Quan fouled out with five minutes to go. But Arthur is a good player, he's a good player and our goal, our responsibility and his responsibility is to get him where he's consistent every night. As for TP, it wasn't hyperbole when I said he's the best shooter in the country. He's just not used to having the freedom (to shoot). Once again, it's not a knock on anything the style of play that allowed them (North Texas) to win was different than the style we want to play that's going to allow us to win and it's just going to take him some time for him to feel comfortable taking some shots that he hadn't been allowed to take. I think he got pretty comfortable that last game, playing 18 minutes and getting up 11 3-pointers and making nine of them. So, excited to see that. Cam was just solid all the way through. He's really taken big strides this summer. With all of them, you just want when the season starts to get to where missed shots don't affect their confidence. And that's gonna come from work."

On if any weakness got exposed on the trip…
"Well, we knew rebounding was going to be an issue and it was an issue of why we lost the last game last year and so we're working on correcting, and we'll continue to do that. Not having David (N'Guessan) obviously plays an impact and so David did a great job with this Netherlands team. I knew that like most of the teams we played there are used to being isolated on the side and they know how to attack it and so there was a lot of pressure put on our close outs on the backside and I felt like we did a good job of that. The guys (on the other teams) make shots because they get paid to do it. The question was, did our guys see it? They scrambled. So, we saw some stuff that we're gonna have to continue to get better but we thought for the most part I saw guys fly around and look pretty good."

On Ques Glover and why he left BYU…
"I'm really glad you asked me that question. First of all, Ques Glover is a terrific basketball player. He played at Florida for two years and then at Samford (for two years). Most of the coaches in that league thought he was right there for Player of the Year his senior year (in 2022-23). He played hurt early. And then when he came back at the end averaged almost 20 (points) in the last 10 games of the season. He's a competitor. He can get downhill. He can get by (you). He can make tough shots. He's a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover guy. We're excited for his leadership and his ability on the floor off the court. He's a terrific human being. I mean, y'all are gonna love him. He has a great smile, very engaging, great eye contact. I mean, I'm excited both him and TP (Tylor Perry) are going to be terrific.

"I believe Coach Pope was sending more of a message to his alumni about the NIL thing (when discussing Ques' departure from BYU). But to correct this thing, he (Ques) made the decision to leave (BYU) because of a lack of trust. Not a lack of NIL. These young men are promised things going in. And when they get there, when it's not delivered, if there's a lack of trust in one area, it spreads to all areas. And so, it wasn't a NIL movement. It was a trust movement, and he just didn't feel like they could do what they said they were going to do. And I think Coach Pope would be willing to agree to that."

On if there is a component of international play that can be impactful for your guys moving forward…
"Yeah, they're cutting off the ball. There's a lot of movement, the body movement, the ball movement, which makes it really hard to guard. And so there were some aspects of that play (that were challenging) The 24-second shot clock and then reset at 14, you know, just the faster pace, more possessions. And I'm also more possession guy. So yeah, that aspect really fits into what we want to do. And so that whole thing made for good experience."

On what you want to see from your guys moving forward…
"We're gonna be off for the next two weeks. We're going to have a couple of days of movement and recovery and stuff with (trainer) Luke (Sauber) and (strength coach) Phil (Baier). They're putting that plan together right now. And then next week, it'll be three days of weightlifting and some shooting and stuff with our GAs and then we'll come back and start the basketball process back, get their bodies into some semblance of shape, because two weeks after that, we'll do our Shark Week and then we start practice. And so, there's a buildup that has to take place. I want the guys to be excited about being in the gym and happy to be back enjoying being a college student for a little while. I think most of them will probably try to go home this weekend, and see their families, because we've been going for a while. We've got to figure out how to let them rest with the work, we just put in."

On the final scholarship…
"Yeah, we're seeing what's going on. I mean, whether there's movement taking place, we're looking at overseas guys. A lot of these guys who have played professionally only received room and board; the NCAA is considering them still amateurs. And so, we're checking on all of it."

On being able to watch David N'Guessan with the Dutch National Team…
"We were able to see him. He had two really good games, and then one game where when you come off a big game, then you get put at the top of the scouting report. And so, he had to adjust to that. But, you know, his rebounding was good. He shot the ball well, and his movement, he showed he could dribble handoff. He could do some things. And so, it's making us look at some other things to do with him."

On timeline of figuring out who might redshirt…
"We're not even talking about that right now. Right now, we'll start off probably playing 10 then shrink it down a little bit from there, and you got to figure out who the 10 are going to be. We never choose redshirts, they choose. We'll see how that goes."

On if Dorian Finister might get a redshirt for last season…
"We are still working on that. We will see what happens with that."

On how you were able to recruit Ques Glover and being overseas…
"Yeah, we did some Zoom calls with him and his family. He did his research, being a teammate with Keyontae Johnson (at Florida). He and his family were able to talk to them and just find out more about us and who we are. I think what probably pushed it over the top was all our guys reaching out to him. And so, I know that went a long way with him and his family."

On how Arthur Kaluma and Ques Glover played at their previous schools impacting how they might play here…
"We know guys like Arthur and Quan (Glover), they can do a lot, so we don't want to limit or to put them in a box. If this is what you can do, and so that's what we need you to do. I will give them the opportunity between now and probably, you know, halfway into the season to determine what they can and can't do, and how it's going to best affect us and help us win. And going forward, because the goal is not to peak at the beginning or to be at our best at the beginning. But, to get there in February and March. Right now, they're allowed to do anything that they think they can do, and we work on in practice, and then we'll figure out how to help them do it the most efficient way possible."

On if there were any revelations in terms of personalities and what players can do on the court from trip…
"More personalities. In several instances, there were some different things we were in where some of them volunteered. This is non-basketball stuff, volunteered to be the person, who were the first ones up with the belly dancers. The older guys like TP, Quan then Dai Dai was right there with them. And, you like to see their personalities. Who's the ones that are at the front and who are the ones that kind of fall behind and who's the ones that stay behind and see what's going on before they get involved. So, we're able to learn a lot about their personalities."

On giving out his phone number to freshman at the Welcome Back event and them reaching out…
"I've had parents reach out for the kids who are struggling and asked if I would just check on them. I've had kids, young man yesterday, needed some gas and so I met him at the gas station, put some gas in his car. I've had kids say, 'coach, we got this going on, can stop by.' And it's been so helpful for me to get to know about the college life and what's going on. And, you know, for me to stop in for five minutes and say hi, it means the world to them. And, and I learned so much. I have been as rewarded in this as anything else."

On why it is so important for him to give out his number…
"I got two kids on campus. And I hope that a professor, someone else on campus will take an interest, see that if they haven't a good or bad day and be willing to, you know, put their arms around them or just talk to them and understand that they're people, they're people away from home probably for the first time. They just need to know somebody cares about them."

On where he got the idea…
"Matt Driscoll at North Florida. He told me he gave out his number. He's been there for 15 years. And he told me, like a second year there, he gave his number out. And just the response he got. I thought he was crazy, like coaching 3000 freshmen and, and he says the best thing that he ever did, so I was very thankful he shared that with me."

On if anyone of his coaching friends think he is crazy for doing it…
"Oh yeah all the time, they think I'm crazy."

On the strong pace of season ticket sales…
"It's great. But check this out. We have never sold out every game for a season in the history of Kansas State. We have never sold out of every game, so I know that our student section is going to be rocking every night. Our students have answered the bill. They bought the passes and done all those things. They're going to be there. So, this is a challenge to our alumni. Can we sell out an entire season? I think the most we've ever had was 15 sellouts. And that was 2010 with (head coach) Frank Martin and the team went to the Elite Eight. Can we beat that? The school up the road sells out every game, right? And we say we want to beat them. Right? That's what the fans told me. We want to beat them. Well, I want to beat them. Let's sell out the arena every night. Let's not just buy the tickets, let's show up. Come to the games. Make it a priority. Get here. Let's sell out every game that we have here at Bramlage. Come cheer not because of who we're playing against but come to the game because we are playing. And so that's my challenge. Let's sell this thing out every game. And don't let anybody don't give any tickets away to somebody on the other side. That'd be all purple. And let's keep this thing going."

On his excitement for the start of football season…
"Oh, man, I'm fired up. I've been the two practices. And yes, I'm very excited about football season. Can't wait."

On if you would like to take an overseas trip every summer or does it make it more special only do it so often…
"It would be great to do it every summer. I think my staff might not necessarily like that. Maybe, maybe not. I wish we could do it more than once every four years like every other year. That is because he had some kids who are not in school, but for one or two years. And if they miss, you know, that window, then they never get a chance to do that. And it's such a great team building thing now. I think (athletic director) Gene (Taylor) and (deputy AD) Jill (Shields) may not like the bill on it every couple of years. But I know that everyone that went on this trip thought it was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

On the end of the Mexico game and if that adversity will help your team in the long run…
"I went into the locker room and told them, 'Hey, you know, we gave the game away. And it had nothing to do what happened at the end of the game.' We had like a 7-0 run, and then came out a timeout and they hit a two and hit a three on one of our mess ups on defense and then suddenly take off things that they're all things that we could control. I thought the guys handled it well, shook it off and came back the next day ready to play."

On Franklin Miskelly…
"Oh, he's great. Franklin is a talent. He's got a really good basketball mind. He's elite at the video stuff. Excited to have him and (wife) Mackenzie. They are a great addition to our program. I got to spend 10 days and get to know their personalities and watch them together, just a beautiful couple. And I was so blessed to have that time with them."

On the trip being a bucket list item and if it lived up to the hype…
"I really thought that I would be overwhelmed, because of my faith and being where Jesus was. And I tell you, I was probably more overwhelmed to see the conflict. Exactly what the fight was over, and that it didn't exist. But to visit the Abraham House, and to see where there was a synagogue, a mosque and a Christian church on the same facility and watch how they focused on what is similar about the faith, rather than the differences in the faith. That was really, really moving. And I mean, sports can bring people together. And so, the whole thing, I wish I had better words to describe what we feel. But I know that every guy on our staff, every wife, everyone has said it was by far and away the best trip ever taken. The people in Jerusalem were so gracious and wonderful in Tel Aviv. That is a terrific city, and just a wonderful place (to visit). And then Abu Dhabi. There's zero crime rate, right? I mean, it's like one of the guys told us, "Coach, I could leave my car unlocked with the keys in it and my wallet on the front seat for a week parked in the same spot. And I guarantee no one will touch it.' That he said there's more likely they will come to my house to check on me and make sure everything's okay and say, 'Hey, I saw your car sitting there you are right, then then they would go in and touch it.' How the people embrace their culture and how important it is the respect that they show for other people. That was tremendous a blessing to see."

On eating watermelon and overall food experience…
"I did eat the watermelon in Jerusalem, and it was incredible. All the food was just unbelievable. We'd sit down and the table was covered with food, right? Like, these are the cold appetizers. And then the hot appetizers and then the starches or whatever and then the main course and they would say don't fill up and I'm like don't fill up?! And it just kept coming in and coming in. Everyone's like they can't possibly eat like this every night. But it was incredible. I mean, the pictures of the food are just terrific. So, the food was better than I thought it was going to be and I was excited about the food. I was excited about the watermelon and the fruits and stuff and it just blew everything away."

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