K-State Q&A: Markquis Nowell’s slump, Desi Sills, Jerome Tang vs. KU chant and more
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
No need for an elaborate introduction this week. Jerome Tang led Kansas State to a thrilling overtime victory against KU a few days ago and we have got tons of great questions about that game and other basketball topics. Let’s get right to them.
I thought it was funny that a few people showed up in my mentions during Kansas State’s win over KU and asked if Markquis Nowell was hurt.
He is most definitely not injured.
Even though his scoring stats have taken a nosedive in his past two games (16 points against TCU and four points against KU) compared to where he was at the start of conference play (27.8 points per game) he still played 38 minutes against TCU and then 42 minutes against the Jayhawks.
Nowell is perfectly healthy. But I suppose it is an incredible compliment to him that the only explanation some fans have for his quiet games are that he must be injured. That shows just how well how we was playing there for a while.
So what is holding him back? Well, I think it just comes down to matchups. TCU coach Jamie Dixon and KU coach Bill Self saw how many points Nowell scored during wins against West Virginia, Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State. They didn’t want him to do the same to them.
The Horned Frogs put lots of pressure on him as he crossed midcourt and cut off passing lanes. That forced the Wildcats into 20 turnovers and Nowell couldn’t find his rhythm until it was too late. The Jayhawks mostly used taller wings to defend Nowell and that made it hard for him to score over them in the lane or to shoot over them from the perimeter.
Had he been locked in a 45-minute battle with with DaJuan Harris, I think his numbers would have been higher.
That being said, Nowell had more opportunities for points. He missed an open three near the end of regulation and also took a few ill-advised shots. But he also dished out seven assists and made some huge plays down that stretch against the Jayhawks. It’s not like he was awful. He just didn’t score a boatload of points.
Besides, with Desi Sills coming out of nowhere to score 24 points it’s not like Nowell needed to carry much a scoring burden against KU.
Moving forward, K-State can use ball movement to get Nowell open for a few more looks. But if opponents keep refusing to let him beat them with unique defensive lineups we may not see many more 30 point games from him. It will be up to players like Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Ismael Massoud and Sills to score while Nowell distributes.
Jerome Tang decided to keep three players on the bench with redshirts this season, so more of the team will likely be back next season than you might think.
Four players in the main rotation will have no choice but to move on, as this is their final year of college eligibility. Enjoy Markquis Nowell, Tykei Greene, Desi Sills and Abayomi Iyiola while you can. That means Tang will need to replace K-State’s starting point guard and a quality sixth man next season.
Odds are high that Keyontae Johnson will also only spend one season in Manhattan, but he might be able to return if he chooses to do so. This is Johnson’s fifth year of college basketball, but he did not play in a single game during the 2021-22 season while he managed a heart condition. He also only played four games before collapsing at Florida State during the 2020-21 season. If the NCAA were to retroactively rule either of the seasons a redshirt, he could have eligibility remaining. But I’m not sure how that works.
In any case, he has put himself back on the NBA radar this season, and I imagine he will look to play professionally sooner rather than later.
That means four (and likely five) players won’t be returning for an encore.
Cam Carter, Ismael Massoud, David N’Guessan, Anthony Thomas, Taj Manning, Jerrell Colbert, Dorian Finister and Nae’Qwan Tomlin will all return as scholarship players unless they elect to transfer.
Well, Tang is a lot like Bill Snyder when it comes to injuries.
We in the media ask him all the time for health updates on injured players and Tang rejects us as if he is Dikembe Mutombo.
So I can’t tell you with absolute certainty when to expect David N’Guessan back in the lineup. But I think it will happen soon. The 6-foot-9 forward dressed and warmed up before the KU game earlier this week. He looked close to a return after spending the past few weeks on crutches.
My guess is we see him play limited minutes against Texas Tech on Saturday. If not then, it will happen soon after.
This is a difficult question for me to answer, because I have been worried about Kansas State’s depth (or lack thereof) all season and it never seems to hurt them in games.
I also worry that the Wildcats have a weak frontcourt, especially when N’Guessan is sidelined, but that hasn’t cost them very often either.
K-State actually seemed to have more depth than KU earlier this week. Tang was comfortable keeping Keyontae Johnson on the bench in foul trouble. He trusted his reserves and then had Johnson available for crunch time. Bill Self did not. He did almost nothing to prevent KJ Adams, Kevin McCullar and Gradey Dick from fouling out of that game. And they all did.
McCullar was gone with 5:47 remaining in the second half, for crying out loud.
Ismael Massoud, Tykei Greene and Sills have been playing well of late. Add N’Guessan back into the mix and depth will be even less of an issue.
Even though K-State ranks 330th nationally in bench minutes, it now has a nine-man rotation. That is more than adequate in college hoops.
Desi Sills emerging as possibly the best sixth man in the entire Big 12 also makes whatever issues K-State has on its bench much less noticeable. The guy is instant offense and he was a hero against KU. He truly is an extra starter.
I am probably more concerned about the frontcourt.
Adams (17 points, two rebounds) had his way with K-State before he fouled out. TCU bigs Emanuel Miller and Eddie Lampkin combined for 40 points and 11 rebounds when the Horned Frogs ran the Wildcats off the court last week. Butler big man Manny Bates (22 points, 10 rebounds) also did whatever he wanted when K-State lost that game.
The Wildcats don’t need a traditional big in all of their games, but the lack of one has hurt them a few times this season.
He will either sign a lucrative extension with Kansas State or leave the Wildcats after one season and sign a mega contract to coach somewhere else.
I am of the belief that he will remain at K-State. I have advised fans not to worry about rumors linking Tang to Texas or anywhere else, and I stand by that. He seems too loyal to bolt after one year in Manhattan, especially after winning all these games and lining up a promising recruiting class for next season.
But there’s always a chance I’m wrong on that, so I listed both possibilities above.
Assuming he’s back at K-State, he will certainly get a new contract. The Wildcats will be eager to reward him after exceeding expectations the way he has this season.
I wouldn’t expect anything to happen on that front until after the season.
Tang isn’t going to want to divert his focus too much while there are games to coach.
His current salary is $2.1 million. A bump up to $3.5 million wouldn’t surprise me.
False.
I think Jerome Tang leading K-State to a rare victory over Kansas will help his cause considerably when it comes to putting an end to the “dumb chant,” as he called it the other day.
Old habits die hard, and when K-State students saw KU players on the floor they threw the new “K-S-U” chant in the trash and brought back the NSFW version that is focused on their rival. But fans were happy to chant “K-S-U” again when Tang got up on the scorer’s table after the win and led the cheer himself.
Fans seemed to respond favorably to his message about ending the chant, too. Social media was filled with fans, for the first time, sharing posts about how they thought it was time to end the chant. For once, it didn’t seem like a divisive topic.
Things will get a little better each year Tang is in charge until it mostly goes away.
I will say this, though, if that doesn’t happen and the chant continues loud as ever Tang will not be happy. He was visibly upset that K-State fans brought back the “dumb chant” before Tuesday’s game and had assistant coaches trying to put an end to it at every single timeout. Poor Jareem Dowling probably left Bramlage Coliseum with sore arms after all the motioning he did.
The chant really bothers the staff. K-State beat KU in one of the best Sunflower Showdown games in recent memory and he spent half his media time afterward talking about how disappointed he was about “the dumb chant.”
In time, I think it will quiet down.
But if no one listens to Tang’s request for a change, that is something that could maybe make him think about taking another job.
Give me Keyontae Johnson here.
He isn’t the most vocal guy in the world, but he has some pretty good celebrations. I love his three-point goggles and the way he reacts after making important dunks and layups.
Johnson is built like a linebacker, so no one on the other team dares to bother him when he shows off his swagger on the court.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin is probably the runner up.
The combination of Bill Snyder and Frank Martin was hard to beat, although it didn’t last very long. Neither did Snyder and Lon Kruger or Snyder and Dana Altman.
Too bad Bob Huggins was paired with Ron Prince. It’s unfortunate that Tex Winter/Jack Hartman coached long before Snyder arrived.
Jerome Tang and Chris Klieman is pretty up high there, too.
Jerome Tang’s quarter-zip game is extremely strong this season.
The K-State equipment manager deserves major kudos for always having cool gear for Tang and his coaching staff to wear on gamedays. I especially like it when they match lavender tops with lavender shoes.
I asked one of the assistant coaches who was in charge of organizing all that swag and he shrugged his shoulders and told me he just wears what the equipment team provides for him. So I’m not sure they know how to get a hold of more cool quarter zips.
One complaint I have heard from fans over the years about Nike is that it’s hard to find new gear in retail stores. The basketball team seems to always have something new that fans want to purchase, but it’s rarely available.
Too bad.
K-State and Nike could both make a killing if they sold more quarter zips at basketball games.
Hey now, let’s not forget what Jeff Mittie is dealing with this season.
The K-State women’s basketball team is playing without Ayoka Lee, which is a big deal considering she scored 61 points in a game last season and was expected to contend for All-America honors this year.
K-State managed to start 14-3 without her, including a thrilling home victory over highly ranked Iowa. But the wheels have fallen off with four straight losses since.
Lee is expected back next season. Add her to the roster alongside Gabby Gregory and Serena Sundell and the Wildcats will be back in the top 25 before you know it.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 9:41 AM.