Jerome Tang urges fans to stay patient (and show up) as K-State builds toward March
It was suggested to Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang on Monday that some fans may be “panicking” after the way the Wildcats played in a pair of recent overtime victories against Oral Roberts and North Alabama.
K-State was favored by more than 15 points in both games but had to fight for 45 minutes to win each of them.
What would he say to anyone who is losing faith in this team as it prepares to host Villanova on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum?
“Those were a couple of wins in overtime, right?” Tang said. “Southern just beat Mississippi State. UNC-Wilmington beat Kentucky. Not: ‘They went to overtime and Kentucky won and Mississippi State won.’ These are teams that were ranked or are ranked, and they’re losing buy games. It’s hard to win. Teams are really good.”
Much like Dominic Toretto in the movie “The Fast and The Furious,” Tang is not going to apologize for victories.
It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning is winning.
“Our guys are figuring out a way to win close games,” Tang said. “If everybody wants a blowout and all that, we don’t have that team right now. I don’t know that a team exists like that right now. Didn’t Duke lose at Georgia Tech? They’re like a .500 team, and I know Damon (Stoudamire) is doing a great job over there and that’s not a knock. But it’s hard to win. I don’t want fans to put expectations on our guys.”
Tang was far from done.
He went on to say that playing elite basketball in December is never the goal. In his mind, he is trying to help this roster mature and develop now so the players can be at their best when the games matter most in March.
When Tang was at Baylor, he was part of teams that peaked too early in the season and lost early in the NCAA Tournament.
Tang wants this group to build toward March, even if that means sending a message to certain players by removing them from the rotation for a game or holding them out longer than absolutely necessary because of injuries.
“You want to peak at the right time,” Tang said. “That doesn’t necessarily sit well with some fans who don’t like the ebbs and flows and the ups and downs. It doesn’t sit well with my mom. She doesn’t like these overtime games ... It’s just the nature of sports and how we deal with it.”
In other words, Tang is nowhere near ready to panic.
“Our fans are still remembering senior night,” Tang said. “They’re still remembering Kentucky and Michigan State. That was 30-something games into the season with a bunch of guys who had been together since the middle of October. We don’t have all of our players together right now. We’ve only been together for a couple of months. We’re going to get there.”
The Wildcats (6-2) can calm the proverbial waters by winning a pair of games this week against Villanova and LSU.
Tang hopes K-State fans will come out in big numbers to help on Tuesday. Perhaps playing in front of a capacity crowd for the first time this season will help the Wildcats play better.
“I say all the time that we have the best student section in America, and I don’t think I’ve seen that yet this year,” Tang said. “That’s just being real honest. Love them. Love every one of them. But that is just being real honest. I would like our season ticket holders to — I know our athletic department appreciates the money, but I want to see their butts in the stands. I hate cold weather. The thing I hate more than cold weather is an empty gym. I can put up with cold weather if the gym is packed. If we’re not using the ticket, get it to somebody who will and will be there. Our guys deserve it.”