‘We’re going to be fun to watch’: Why Jerome Tang likes rebuilt K-State hoops roster
It’s too early for Jerome Tang to know exactly how good the Kansas State men’s basketball team will be next season. Heck, he hasn’t even decided on what kind of offense the Wildcats will run when he coaches his first game inside Bramlage Coliseum.
About the only thing he is sure of as summer practices draw to a close this week is that he is ready for a vacation. That much is understandable after he watched K-State’s basketball roster shrink to two returning members (Ismael Massoud and Markquis Nowell) after he was hired in the spring and then swell to 11 players with a mixture of high school recruits and transfers. Tang and his assistants worked frantically to find them all.
His upcoming trips to Las Vegas and Cabo San Lucas should provide a relaxing breather.
Still, there are a few things he wants K-State fans to know about what the future holds.
“We’re going to play extremely hard,” Tang said, “we’re going to play together and we’re going to be fun to watch.”
Tang went on to say that the Wildcats are also going to rebound and play defense at a high level. He is sure of that already. He offered no predictions about a possible return to the NCAA Tournament in Year 1. Nor did he speculate on how fast the team might operate on offense.
But his words show he is confident in some areas.
“We’ve got some super-competitive guys who care about winning and care about each other,” Tang said. “I’m excited about what we have and what’s going to happen moving forward.”
K-State’s roster began to take shape a few weeks ago when the Wildcats were able to land transfers Tykei Greene (Stony Brook), Abayomi Iyiola (Hofstra) and Desi Sills (Arkansas State).
Sills was a surprise late addition who averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a guard last season. He also has previous experience as a SEC player at Arkansas. Iyiola might be the team’s most talented rebounder. Greene delivered 14 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last year.
Those additions raised expectations far beyond what was expected when summer classes began in June.
Tang had a unique connection with Sills.
“We did our homework on him,” Tang said. “We played against him in our (2021) Elite Eight game at Baylor to get to the Final Four. He didn’t shoot it well, but he had five assists that game. He was also able to get in the paint and make tough plays. I knew he was a winner.”
After coaching players in scrimmages over the past month, Tang said he has been impressed by how many players have added muscle in the weight room and embraced his high standards for hard work. He also likes how close the team has grown through off-court activities.
One surprise player has stood out: Taj Manning. The freshman forward originally signed with K-State to play for former coach Bruce Weber, but Tang convinced him to honor his commitment.
Few expected Manning to contribute right away, but that narrative is changing. Tang said he made a scrimmage-winning shot at practice earlier this week.
“He has probably been the biggest surprise,” Tang said. “He is an extremely hard worker. That has stood out. His competitiveness and toughness have stood out. Because he has spent so much time in the gym his shot-making ability is growing.”
K-State has two open scholarships it can use for the 2022-23 season, and there is hope that the Wildcats could add at least one new player soon. Former Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is a possibility.
But all that is about to be set on pause.
“Right now my priority is to go on vacation, because it has been one heck of a summer,” Tang said. “But I was very thankful of the guys. We had our last workout (Thursday) and it was our best workout. We’re all excited to go home for a little bit and get some rest. Then we will come back and start building towards a great season.”