Jerome Tang Previews Upcoming Week
Nov 18, 2024 | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats host Mississippi Valley before traveling to Paradise Jam
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head men's basketball coach Jerome Tang met with the media on Monday afternoon (Nov. 18) to preview the matchup with Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday (Nov. 18) as well as the upcoming trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, Nov. 22-25.
The Wildcats (2-1) will conclude their 4-game homestand to start the season with Tuesday's matchup with the Delta Devils (1-3) at 7 p.m., CT. Tickets are available by calling (800) 221.CATS or online at kstatesports.com/tickets.
Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang's availability are above.
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between K-State and Mississippi Valley State on the hardwood. The Delta Devils will be the first of two SWAC opponents on the 2024-25 schedule with UAPB set to visit on Dec. 1. The Wildcats are 19-1 all-time vs. teams from the SWAC.
K-State will leave Wednesday morning (Nov. 20) to travel to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where the Wildcats compete in Paradise Jam starting on Friday, Nov. 22 and running through Monday, Nov. 25. They will take on George Washington (3-0) in Friday's night cap at 7 p.m., CT on ESPN+.
The winner of Friday's game will play Sunday, Nov. 24 against the winner of the first-round matchup between Liberty (3-1) or Louisiana (1-2) at 7 p.m., CT, while the losers will play on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m., CT. All games will air on ESPN+.
Other participants in the tournament include American favorite UAB (2-2), Illinois State (3-1), Longwood (4-0) and Southland favorite McNeese (1-2). UAB, Longwood and McNeese all won their respective conference tournament championships and appeared in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
On seeing a response from the team since Thursday' s loss to LSU…
"Yes, yeah, for the most part, yes. I've seen a response from the staff, from myself, from the team. Yeah, I like our last two practices, today was a lighter [practice]. It wasn't the guys, it was the staff. We didn't prepare them for that level of competition and with the emotional attachment that they would have. Yeah, that was that fully the staff's fault."
On what bothered him about the LSU game after rewatching it…
"No, it was exactly what we thought, transition defense, you know. And when guys make mistakes, man, our guys want to play, so if we will hold them accountable to it in game, then they won't keep making the same mistake. We as a staff, allowed the same mistakes to happen, transition defense and rebounding, and so that that's on us."
On pinpointing one particular problem from the game against LSU…
"We weren't physical enough, weren't physical enough. You know, we play in a grown man's league and this was a great wake up call for us, that size is not enough, you gotta be physical as well."
On the team's mood in the first practice after a loss…
"Oh, it was great, guys want to get better, you know. I mean, had guys, you know, call me and ask questions and have some comments, and some guys that took ownership of stuff and so everybody was in it to get better."
On what they learned from their play against LSU…
"Well, you know, I'd like to say that I thought we could compensate for what I felt was something that was lacking, or where maybe we wasn't as good at but we can compensate for some other things. But, I mean, we had single digit turnovers and, you know. The staple of a good defense is the ability to rebound and you have to be able to set your defense, which is transition defense, and so floor balance. Then get yourself when shots aren't going in, because they're not gonna go in, right, you got to get yourself second chance shots and we didn't do any of those things. And, like I said, that's all on the staff, and, you know, sometimes you have to have something that, like, embarrasses you, to get you to, like really own up to it. And so, I know that I was embarrassed that I didn't have our guys ready. Now I wasn't embarrassed with our guys, I was embarrassed with myself that I didn't have our guys ready. And so, we've done a better job the last few days."
On what impressed him about Dug McDaniel's first start…
"I say all the time point guards are judged by W's, that's it. So, if you're gonna be a point guard or a pitcher, right, you're gonna be judged by wins and losses, then that's it. So, it doesn't matter, like, you know what individuals do, it's what did the team do."
On what Coleman Hawkins can do to participate in scoring more…
"I don't know if it's Coleman, I think it's us. We got to put him in better positions where he's more comfortable, like, instead of having him adapt to us, we got to adapt to what he does best. And that's a collaboration between the staff and him and picking his brain, and some of the other guys. We got some other guys who can, you know, put the ball in the hole if they're put in the right positions. And now I feel like they're buying into how we want to play and what's important to us now, we gotta figure out what allows them to be the best version of themselves."
On how LSU's defense limited Brendan Hausen from shooting 3's…
"No, yeah, they did a good job of crowding his space and not letting him get any easy catches. And we have to do a better job as a staff of creating better opportunities for him with that so, you know, you can expect that the rest of the year. And somebody was really know they have to take that away, because he's a weapon, and then it's up to us to create some creative ways to help him get open."
On what he wants to see from the team against Mississippi Valley State…
"I want to see transition defense and rebounding, those two things that we worked on, transition, offensive and defensive rebounding, and then setting our defense in the half court, and being able to guard guys. You know, 18:50 to go in the game, it's an 8 point game at Texas, and Texas is a really good team, so we don't take anybody lightly, we have to keep getting better and they're gonna come, they're coming in to try and get a win, and we have to bring the fight to them."
On how Achor Achor played after missing the first two games…
"You know, if you go back to our first game, or even our first exhibition game, everybody walked away and said, 'man, we were little tight, right?' And he not only had his first game, you know, real game to play, but then it was against a high major opponent, you know, and so that's a tough way to evaluate, him, he's had two really good days of practice."
On what excites him about getting to play away in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam…
"You know, get to be together. The weather is going to be nice. You know, not a lot of distractions, get to do some team building things while we're there. And I always like this time, you know, there's some things that we have in the bag that we save for this time to do with the team and help guys grow closer together. And, you know, then growing up in Virgin Islands, it's, you know, I have family down there and stuff. So, it's going to be really cool."
On family in the Virgin Islands being able to see his team play in the Paradise Jam…
"A lot, it's gonna be a lot of cousins, and, you know, Reem [assistant coach Jareem Dowling] and I coached the Virgin Islands team, and so a bunch of the players and even the staff members and different people that we've worked with, bunch of media people that we do stuff with. So, it's gonna be a really cool time, and I'm excited that we get to go back and our guys get to experience some of what we grew up with and, you know, and then play some good basketball."
On how to balance the team enjoying the Virgin Islands while also playing four games straight…
"Well, we're going in, like, a day early, and so when we land, and then the next day, it's an off day. So as far as no game, so we'll do some prep, but they'll also get a chance you know, go out on a catamaran for a little bit, and, you know, we'll have a good dinner the night that we get there, we have a dinner on the beach. And so it's some really cool things that we do with them. And, you know, it's business, right, like, for the staff, it's business. But we also, I remember two years ago when we were in the Caymans and we did a walk through outside, right? And I just stopped the guys and I said, look, and I mean, we were, you could [see] the beach and the water and, you know, people on sailboats or whatever they were, you know, just like, and we get to do it in that type of environment. Who gets to do that, how many people get to do that in their life and so just get them to enjoy and appreciate the opportunities there for them."
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The Wildcats (2-1) will conclude their 4-game homestand to start the season with Tuesday's matchup with the Delta Devils (1-3) at 7 p.m., CT. Tickets are available by calling (800) 221.CATS or online at kstatesports.com/tickets.
Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang's availability are above.
Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between K-State and Mississippi Valley State on the hardwood. The Delta Devils will be the first of two SWAC opponents on the 2024-25 schedule with UAPB set to visit on Dec. 1. The Wildcats are 19-1 all-time vs. teams from the SWAC.
K-State will leave Wednesday morning (Nov. 20) to travel to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where the Wildcats compete in Paradise Jam starting on Friday, Nov. 22 and running through Monday, Nov. 25. They will take on George Washington (3-0) in Friday's night cap at 7 p.m., CT on ESPN+.
The winner of Friday's game will play Sunday, Nov. 24 against the winner of the first-round matchup between Liberty (3-1) or Louisiana (1-2) at 7 p.m., CT, while the losers will play on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m., CT. All games will air on ESPN+.
Other participants in the tournament include American favorite UAB (2-2), Illinois State (3-1), Longwood (4-0) and Southland favorite McNeese (1-2). UAB, Longwood and McNeese all won their respective conference tournament championships and appeared in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
On seeing a response from the team since Thursday' s loss to LSU…
"Yes, yeah, for the most part, yes. I've seen a response from the staff, from myself, from the team. Yeah, I like our last two practices, today was a lighter [practice]. It wasn't the guys, it was the staff. We didn't prepare them for that level of competition and with the emotional attachment that they would have. Yeah, that was that fully the staff's fault."
On what bothered him about the LSU game after rewatching it…
"No, it was exactly what we thought, transition defense, you know. And when guys make mistakes, man, our guys want to play, so if we will hold them accountable to it in game, then they won't keep making the same mistake. We as a staff, allowed the same mistakes to happen, transition defense and rebounding, and so that that's on us."
On pinpointing one particular problem from the game against LSU…
"We weren't physical enough, weren't physical enough. You know, we play in a grown man's league and this was a great wake up call for us, that size is not enough, you gotta be physical as well."
On the team's mood in the first practice after a loss…
"Oh, it was great, guys want to get better, you know. I mean, had guys, you know, call me and ask questions and have some comments, and some guys that took ownership of stuff and so everybody was in it to get better."
On what they learned from their play against LSU…
"Well, you know, I'd like to say that I thought we could compensate for what I felt was something that was lacking, or where maybe we wasn't as good at but we can compensate for some other things. But, I mean, we had single digit turnovers and, you know. The staple of a good defense is the ability to rebound and you have to be able to set your defense, which is transition defense, and so floor balance. Then get yourself when shots aren't going in, because they're not gonna go in, right, you got to get yourself second chance shots and we didn't do any of those things. And, like I said, that's all on the staff, and, you know, sometimes you have to have something that, like, embarrasses you, to get you to, like really own up to it. And so, I know that I was embarrassed that I didn't have our guys ready. Now I wasn't embarrassed with our guys, I was embarrassed with myself that I didn't have our guys ready. And so, we've done a better job the last few days."
On what impressed him about Dug McDaniel's first start…
"I say all the time point guards are judged by W's, that's it. So, if you're gonna be a point guard or a pitcher, right, you're gonna be judged by wins and losses, then that's it. So, it doesn't matter, like, you know what individuals do, it's what did the team do."
On what Coleman Hawkins can do to participate in scoring more…
"I don't know if it's Coleman, I think it's us. We got to put him in better positions where he's more comfortable, like, instead of having him adapt to us, we got to adapt to what he does best. And that's a collaboration between the staff and him and picking his brain, and some of the other guys. We got some other guys who can, you know, put the ball in the hole if they're put in the right positions. And now I feel like they're buying into how we want to play and what's important to us now, we gotta figure out what allows them to be the best version of themselves."
On how LSU's defense limited Brendan Hausen from shooting 3's…
"No, yeah, they did a good job of crowding his space and not letting him get any easy catches. And we have to do a better job as a staff of creating better opportunities for him with that so, you know, you can expect that the rest of the year. And somebody was really know they have to take that away, because he's a weapon, and then it's up to us to create some creative ways to help him get open."
On what he wants to see from the team against Mississippi Valley State…
"I want to see transition defense and rebounding, those two things that we worked on, transition, offensive and defensive rebounding, and then setting our defense in the half court, and being able to guard guys. You know, 18:50 to go in the game, it's an 8 point game at Texas, and Texas is a really good team, so we don't take anybody lightly, we have to keep getting better and they're gonna come, they're coming in to try and get a win, and we have to bring the fight to them."
On how Achor Achor played after missing the first two games…
"You know, if you go back to our first game, or even our first exhibition game, everybody walked away and said, 'man, we were little tight, right?' And he not only had his first game, you know, real game to play, but then it was against a high major opponent, you know, and so that's a tough way to evaluate, him, he's had two really good days of practice."
On what excites him about getting to play away in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam…
"You know, get to be together. The weather is going to be nice. You know, not a lot of distractions, get to do some team building things while we're there. And I always like this time, you know, there's some things that we have in the bag that we save for this time to do with the team and help guys grow closer together. And, you know, then growing up in Virgin Islands, it's, you know, I have family down there and stuff. So, it's going to be really cool."
On family in the Virgin Islands being able to see his team play in the Paradise Jam…
"A lot, it's gonna be a lot of cousins, and, you know, Reem [assistant coach Jareem Dowling] and I coached the Virgin Islands team, and so a bunch of the players and even the staff members and different people that we've worked with, bunch of media people that we do stuff with. So, it's gonna be a really cool time, and I'm excited that we get to go back and our guys get to experience some of what we grew up with and, you know, and then play some good basketball."
On how to balance the team enjoying the Virgin Islands while also playing four games straight…
"Well, we're going in, like, a day early, and so when we land, and then the next day, it's an off day. So as far as no game, so we'll do some prep, but they'll also get a chance you know, go out on a catamaran for a little bit, and, you know, we'll have a good dinner the night that we get there, we have a dinner on the beach. And so it's some really cool things that we do with them. And, you know, it's business, right, like, for the staff, it's business. But we also, I remember two years ago when we were in the Caymans and we did a walk through outside, right? And I just stopped the guys and I said, look, and I mean, we were, you could [see] the beach and the water and, you know, people on sailboats or whatever they were, you know, just like, and we get to do it in that type of environment. Who gets to do that, how many people get to do that in their life and so just get them to enjoy and appreciate the opportunities there for them."
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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