Watch Jerome Tang’s Press Conference
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang met with the media on Monday afternoon (March 11) to preview the Wildcats’ upcoming matchup with Texas in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday night. Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang’s availability are above.
K-State (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) opens play in the 28th Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as the No. 10 seed and will play No. 7 Texas (20-11, 9-9 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Wednesday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. This will be the third meeting between the schools at the Big 12 Championship with the Longhorns winning 61-58 in the 2009 quarterfinals in Oklahoma City and the Wildcats winning 66-49 in the 2013 quarterfinals in Kansas City.
The Longhorns won the lone matchup in the regular season, as senior Dylan Disu scored a game-high 20 points, including 6 big points in the final 36 seconds, to help the Longhorns hold off a late push from K-State to post a 62-56 win at home on Feb. 19. Junior Arthur Kaluma led the Wildcats with 17 points.
Texas enters Wednesday’s game on a high after shooting a Big 12-record best 63.5 percent in a 94-80 win over Oklahoma in the regular-season finale. The Longhorns have won 3 of their last 5 games since the win over the Wildcats. Four players are averaging in double figures led by All-Big 12 Second Team selection Max Abmas, who is averaging 16.8 points on 43.1 percent shooting, including 86 made 3-pointers. All-Big 12 First Team selection Dylan Disu is averaging 16.1 points on 50.2 percent shooting, including 51.3 percent from 3-point range, to go with 4.9 rebounds. Junior Tyrese Hunter (11.4 ppg.) and sophomore Dillon Mitchell (10.0 ppg.) also average double figures.
K-State is 37-44 all-time at the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to 1977, including 17-26 at the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats have won 2 titles (1977, 1980) and advanced to the finals on 8 occasions (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1993, 2010 and 2013). They have lost 3 straight at the Championship with the last win coming against TCU in the first round in 2021.
The winner of Wednesday’s second-round matchup will face No. 2 seed and No. 7/8 Iowa State (24-7, 13-5 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Thursday. The Wildcats split their 2 regular season meetings with the Cyclones.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
On what makes Texas’ Dylan Disu a matchup problem…
“Good question. He’s skilled, right? He’s skilled, he’s got great size, he can score facing the basket, he can score with his back to the basket. You’re playing with a bigger guy, he’s got quickness that he can get by and a high skill level, you’re playing with a smaller guy, you can take him inside and score without a dribble. Really good at catching face and shooting right away or, you know, turning and shooting his floater. And then he rebounds at a high rate and defensively, he does a great job with blocking shots, challenging shots, and so he’s just all around a really good player.”
On playing in T-Mobile Center after previously winning there…
“Man, I would like to believe so. But last year, we played there, won there and then went in and ran into TCU, which was a bad matchup for us, you know, with Mike Miles, and we didn’t win. So, the hardest game to win is the first one in any tournament, and we just have to just go and try to be the best version of ourselves.”
On the survival mentality going into a neutral tournament…
“You know, I’ve been watching, and the guys obviously, been watching all these conference tournaments and you see teams, who was it, East Tennessee State, was down 20 and came back and sent it to overtime and ended up winning. And you see guys, the guys from Chattanooga, you know, they’re crying, right, the season’s over, the finality of it. And you know what really helps in this time is, do these guys want to spend another day together, right? Do they love being with each other, and they don’t want this thing to end, so they’re gonna do everything they can? And it’s not that the teams that lost didn’t, but that’s why those games, I mean, through all the conference tournaments have been so great and that’s what makes the Big 12 so great. That every game is like a tournament game, and I think every team right now, doesn’t matter who you are, playing like it’s your last game, because it just means so much to you.”
On the player’s mentality when it could be the last game of the season…
“Yeah, no, it’s easy when you say them, but what Tylor [Perry] and Will [McNair], and those guys need is for Dai Dai [Ames] to feel the same way, right. And in preparation, and in practice, and Buddy [Macaleab Rich] to feel the way the same way and RJ [Jones] to feel the same way, that’s really where you need to see it. Because if those guys see it, that way, then they bring a different edge to practice, which then helps us get better because we have to keep getting better as a team that will improve the most between now and when the season ends that’ll go the furthest.”
On the momentum from the Iowa State win leading into the Big 12 Tournament…
“Well, yesterday was really good because we had an off day. And today was good. You know, winning for some teams really might propel you. But for other teams, sometimes it causes them to relax. These guys operate way better when their backs are against the wall and so, you know, I want them to feel the wall. Right, I want them to feel the wall on their back and that it’s on the line and because that’s when they bring their best.”
On getting the players to focus on the Texas game and not winning multiple games…
“Now, I don’t know who’s been outspoken about winning two, right. Like I think if we look at our resume right now, compared to other teams on the bubble, we have as good of a resume. My statement all along has been nine wins in this conference and you are gonna get in for sure. It didn’t mean that eight doesn’t get you or seven doesn’t get you in, like last year I think West Virginia was 7-11 and they got in. So, you know, that’s not the thing, I just knew what I had to put in front of our guys so they understood that you do this and then you’re gonna get in, and then if it’s less than that, then it’s people’s judgments. But I think if you put our resume up against anybody else’s blind, the teams that are on the bubble, our Quad 1 wins and no losses against Quad 3s and 4s, our strength of schedule, because the league we play in, I like our schedule. Now, I think it was [former West Virginia coach] Bob Huggins that said one time, if first is available, why go for second, right? And so, we’re going up there to try and win a championship, a Big 12 championship, but you can’t win it unless you win the first game and so that’s why we’re only focused on the first game.”
On the game against Texas earlier in the season…
“We like rock fights. so yeah, we’re all about it. We want to make it a rock fight, that’s where we operate best. And so, we can’t allow them, they’re so athletic, and they have weapons, and we can’t let them get up and down in transition. And you know, we have to make them play in the half court. They got two prolific scorers and then Tyrese Hunter has been playing, his game against Oklahoma, I mean he looked like a first team all-conference guy in that game. And so, I mean, it’s gonna be tough, we need to make it, you know, a real gritty, grimy, low scoring type game.”
On the announcement of the All-Big 12 teams…
“To the winners go to spoils, man. I haven’t even seen the teams, you know, but I would assume that Houston got a couple guys on there, maybe three in the first two teams, and I think Iowa State should have gotten two or three guys in there. And you know, I mean, when you’re at the top of the league, you know, Baylor was third, so I’m sure they got one or two guys in there. The teams that win get those things and they deserve it.”
On the advantage that fans can give the team…
“Huge, huge man. Yes, I’m hoping to get to experience, like we didn’t take advantage of it last year, right. I’m hoping that we do what we’re supposed to have a chance to allow our fans to be an advantage for us.”
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 (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
