MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang met with the media on Monday afternoon (Sept. 23) to preview the start of practice, which kicks off on Tuesday (Sept. 24) at Ice Family Basketball Center.
Links to the audio and a transcript of Tang’s availability are above.
The third-year head coach and his staff welcome 14 players for the 2024-25 season, including 3 returning lettermen (senior David N’Guessan and sophomores Taj Manning and Macaleab Rich) and 11 newcomers. Among those newcomers are 8 Division I transfers, a junior college All-American (Mobi Ikegwuruka) and a top-50 high school prospect (David Castillo).
The transfer class is considered one of the best in the country and includes notable additions Achor Achor (Samford), Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), Dug McDaniel (Michigan) and Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky) as well as Baye Fall (Arkansas), Brendan Hausen (Villanova), C.J. Jones (UIC) and Max Jones (Cal State Fullerton).
The Wildcats finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including an 8-10 mark in Big 12 play, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in Tang’s first two seasons, including consecutive postseason appearances.
The team will have 43 days until their first exhibition game against Fort Hays State on Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 50 days before hosting New Orleans in the opener on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
On what the last few weeks have been for the team as they start practice…
“Well, Shark Week is Shark Week. I thought our guys did a great job of attacking it. Before that, we went on a team retreat. There’s a lot of psychological challenges, mental stuff, that they have to overcome in that for the team retreat, so I was pleased. Our strength coach Phil Baier should get a lot of credit for it because he had those guys in shape to handle what we did Shark Week. We gave them three days off (after Shark Week) then we went for two hours today (Monday) before we get going tomorrow (Tuesday).”
On Shark Week and the kind of foundation that it sets going forward…
“I don’t know if I can quantify it. We try to do the best job that we can as a staff, to put them in a place of fire, that’s what we call it, and see how they respond. For the most part, we’re really pleased with the response.”
On feeling comfortable with a team full of newcomers…
“No, I feel really comfortable around them, and I think they feel comfortable around each other. But, you know, in a two-hour practice today, there’s probably three or four things I had to stop and explain. You know, what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, where, you know, if you have guys for a couple years, it’s not something that you have to really explain. And so, there’s some newness. Tune it to it. But then there’s also some community.”
On Dug McDaniel as a point guard…
“Dug has really embraced learning what we want him to do as a point guard and as a leader, and he empties his cup every day and allows us to fill it. And so, I’ve been really pleased with that. And like with everything, every new phase of what we’re doing, there are new challenges that he has to face, and then it’s helped us as a staff to confront him on it, and then give him guidance on how to get through it. And so, there’s going to be a continual voice. But I love the kid. I mean, if we were playing football, and he was the defensive back, you’re not getting open, and he’s going to win the 50/50 ball, and if you flipped it, he became the wide receiver going against that defensive back, he’s going to go catch that ball. He’s that kind of competitor, so I love having him in our program.”
On his recruiting philosophy so far with going after some highly rated recruits…
“Well, NIL definitely helps, you know, our alumni have done a great job of helping us step up to the plate and help Wildcat NIL, along with some others, and so that’s been really important to, first of all, getting guys to visit. It’s just a part of the business right now. We’ve always had a terrific product here. I mean, like the fan base here is the best in the country, the league we play in is the best in the country, you know, so there are kids out there that value the family environment that we have here, and the small-town feel, the college town, and, you know, being the pro sport in your town. That’s just appealing to a lot of kids out there, and it doesn’t matter if they’re four-star, five star, whatever. But I’ve always taken the philosophy of the approach that that pretty girl won’t dance with you unless you ask. So, I got no problem asking.”
On the returners stepping up to bring the newcomers along much like Markquis Nowell and Ish Massoud did…
“You know, David N’Guessan has been incredible. His confidence level is at an all-time high. You know how he carries himself, how he practices, and his personality is really blossoming, and that definitely really helps. Taj (Manning) also has come along. Taj hasn’t had a big of a role, so he’s still fighting through stuff, and Buddy (Macaleab Rich) is still trying to figure some things out. So not quite the impact of Ish (Massoud), you know, a fourth-year college guy and Markquis (Nowell), a fifth-year college guy, but they have definitely been important in how we’ve been able to recruit, and now as we prepare for the season.”
On Coleman Hawkins and any surprises about him as you have gotten him on campus…
“Yeah, no, no. No surprises. He’s done a really good job of rehabbing his knee and changing his body. You know, he’s really embraced (strength coach) Phil (Baier) and what we’re doing in the weight room, and (trainer) Luke (Sauber), what we’re doing rehab wise. And you know, he knocked out Shark Week, you know, for a kid who spent six weeks in rehab and, you know, a slow build up to get in shape, the way he responded to that challenge was super impressive, and his basketball IQ is really going to help us.”
On David Castillo and the confidence he has that you don’t normally see from a true freshman…
“He definitely has the approach of a professional, like he’s got championship habits like how he approaches pre-practice, post-practice, how he competes in practice, the way he talks to his teammates, and when things get tough in practice, he gets the very best out of his teammates. For those moments, the very best of him comes out. He’s not your typical freshman. We knew he was a winner, and so I recruited him, and he’s been better than that being on campus.”
On the advantages of having experienced newcomers to help integrate into the program…
“It helps a ton. You know, they’ve been through the get up early for workout or lift and then go shoot. They don’t miss home. They’ve been away from home. There’s a lot of like maturity, things that they’ve been through already. So, then it comes down to basketball and personalities. They’ve been yelled at before by a coach, so they know how to respond to it. You know they’ve been in real heated competitive practices, and you know they know how to control their emotions. So, all that experience they have coming in really helps. And then guys who have been around winning programs understand, you know what it looks like. You know off the court, like you know how much they spend time together, just all the team building things and why they’re so important.”
On what you have learned about the team so far…
“When you test them, they rise to the occasion, like at our team retreat. Some of the things that we do there definitely take them out of their comfort zone and to see them all step up to the plate. You know, that was great. Shark Week takes you out of your comfort zone. You have to try to punch, punch through paper ceilings. You know it feels like you can’t take another step, and you have got a whole lot more in you. And so, to watch them all, you know how they encouraged each other, you know, bonded. That was impressive.”
