Cats Leaning on ‘Crazy Faith’ as Conference Play Begins
Jan 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Kansas State has a new team this year. A different team. But K-State head coach Jerome Tang has his Wildcats adopting a similar mindset to the squad that advanced to the Elite Eight a year ago.
Tang broke out purple his "Crazy Faith" t-shirt to underscore those efforts.
"I think if you look at us and how we've played on paper, you'd say, 'Man, I don't know if we are a NCAA Tournament team,'" Tang said on Wednesday. "But I believe we have crazy faith in each other."
He added: "We have this great belief in who we are and what God called us to be, and if we love each other more than anybody else and we really support each other and stay focused, we can accomplish things people don't think we can accomplish."
That mindset could be a valuable ally for K-State, as the Wildcats, 10-3, prepare to open the Big 12 Conference season against UCF, 9-3, in Saturday's 5 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State has won seven of its last eight games. That features wins against Villanova (72-71 in overtime), at LSU (75-60), and versus Wichita State (69-60). The Wildcats' lone blemish in the stretch was a disheartening home loss to Nebraska (62-46) on December 17.
K-State has played in four overtime games, the most of any Big 12 team, featuring a win versus Providence (73-70) on November 17. The Wildcats played three straight overtime games against Oral Roberts (88-78), North Alabama (75-74) and Villanova (72-71), for the first time since 1964.
Perhaps K-State can draw from those experiences in the Big 12, where tight games figure to be the norm leaguewide in arguably the nation's premier conference.
"You know your guys are going to be up for every game," Tang said. "You don't have to worry about them overlooking anybody. Their juices are flowing a little bit more. That's why they came to K-State — to play in this conference. It's a lot of fun."
Three players in particular have proven themselves ready for the league season in sophomore Cam Carter (16.5 points per game), junior Arthur Kaluma (15.2) and senior Tylor Perry (15.0). They are responsible for 62% of the team's scoring (46.7 out of 75.8 points per game).
K-State is the only Big 12 team to have three players rank in the league's top-20 in scoring, as Carter ranks sixth, Kaluma 14th and Perry 16th. The trio has been even more impressive in the team's 10 victories, averaging 47.9 points per contest.
"They've been a blessing," Tang said. "Somebody hit me with a DM and said that Cam, Art and Tylor spell, 'CAT,' their first initials. So, she called them three 'CATs.' It was pretty cool. I've been pleased with what they're doing. If you can get all three of them to click on a given night, we're going to be hard to beat. It's a joy to coach them."
Tang came excruciatingly close to coaching senior guard Ques Glover in an official game, but the graduate transfer, who was cleared to play after rehabilitating from an injury, suffered a setback prior to the Wildcats' 62-55 win over Chicago State on Tuesday.
Tang said, "Surgery went well," adding that Glover was "really distraught" over his setback, which is believed to cost him the remainder of the season.
"He did all that he could to be out there for the guys in the Chicago State game," Tang said. "Man, he's a tough kid, and he really, really cares. I think he was most disappointed because he felt like was letting the staff and the team down more than anything else. We're going to let him know how much we love him, and we're going to support him."
Tang indicated that his staff is actively looking at potential player to fill the roster.
"We're flipping rocks to see if there's one guy out there," Tang said. "We haven't found one yet, but it doesn't mean we're going to stop. The semester starts like January 10 and then you have 12 days to get a guy in from that day. Until it's done, we're going to continue to work on this thing."
Tang maintains Crazy Faith.
And the Wildcats must have Crazy Faith going forward.
As for what it'll likely take in league play for K-State to enjoy another spot in the NCAA Tournament?
"Nine wins," Tang said.
"We have crazy faith, and we're going to take it one at a time," Tang said. "It's going to be one heck of a job for us to get nine wins in this conference. Anybody who does that deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament."
Kansas State has a new team this year. A different team. But K-State head coach Jerome Tang has his Wildcats adopting a similar mindset to the squad that advanced to the Elite Eight a year ago.
Tang broke out purple his "Crazy Faith" t-shirt to underscore those efforts.
"I think if you look at us and how we've played on paper, you'd say, 'Man, I don't know if we are a NCAA Tournament team,'" Tang said on Wednesday. "But I believe we have crazy faith in each other."
He added: "We have this great belief in who we are and what God called us to be, and if we love each other more than anybody else and we really support each other and stay focused, we can accomplish things people don't think we can accomplish."
That mindset could be a valuable ally for K-State, as the Wildcats, 10-3, prepare to open the Big 12 Conference season against UCF, 9-3, in Saturday's 5 p.m. tipoff at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State has won seven of its last eight games. That features wins against Villanova (72-71 in overtime), at LSU (75-60), and versus Wichita State (69-60). The Wildcats' lone blemish in the stretch was a disheartening home loss to Nebraska (62-46) on December 17.
K-State has played in four overtime games, the most of any Big 12 team, featuring a win versus Providence (73-70) on November 17. The Wildcats played three straight overtime games against Oral Roberts (88-78), North Alabama (75-74) and Villanova (72-71), for the first time since 1964.
Perhaps K-State can draw from those experiences in the Big 12, where tight games figure to be the norm leaguewide in arguably the nation's premier conference.
"You know your guys are going to be up for every game," Tang said. "You don't have to worry about them overlooking anybody. Their juices are flowing a little bit more. That's why they came to K-State — to play in this conference. It's a lot of fun."
Three players in particular have proven themselves ready for the league season in sophomore Cam Carter (16.5 points per game), junior Arthur Kaluma (15.2) and senior Tylor Perry (15.0). They are responsible for 62% of the team's scoring (46.7 out of 75.8 points per game).
K-State is the only Big 12 team to have three players rank in the league's top-20 in scoring, as Carter ranks sixth, Kaluma 14th and Perry 16th. The trio has been even more impressive in the team's 10 victories, averaging 47.9 points per contest.
"They've been a blessing," Tang said. "Somebody hit me with a DM and said that Cam, Art and Tylor spell, 'CAT,' their first initials. So, she called them three 'CATs.' It was pretty cool. I've been pleased with what they're doing. If you can get all three of them to click on a given night, we're going to be hard to beat. It's a joy to coach them."
Tang came excruciatingly close to coaching senior guard Ques Glover in an official game, but the graduate transfer, who was cleared to play after rehabilitating from an injury, suffered a setback prior to the Wildcats' 62-55 win over Chicago State on Tuesday.
Tang said, "Surgery went well," adding that Glover was "really distraught" over his setback, which is believed to cost him the remainder of the season.
"He did all that he could to be out there for the guys in the Chicago State game," Tang said. "Man, he's a tough kid, and he really, really cares. I think he was most disappointed because he felt like was letting the staff and the team down more than anything else. We're going to let him know how much we love him, and we're going to support him."
Tang indicated that his staff is actively looking at potential player to fill the roster.
"We're flipping rocks to see if there's one guy out there," Tang said. "We haven't found one yet, but it doesn't mean we're going to stop. The semester starts like January 10 and then you have 12 days to get a guy in from that day. Until it's done, we're going to continue to work on this thing."
Tang maintains Crazy Faith.
And the Wildcats must have Crazy Faith going forward.
As for what it'll likely take in league play for K-State to enjoy another spot in the NCAA Tournament?
"Nine wins," Tang said.
"We have crazy faith, and we're going to take it one at a time," Tang said. "It's going to be one heck of a job for us to get nine wins in this conference. Anybody who does that deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament."
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