Playing with purpose: K-State dedicates game to freshman who died recently
25 March 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Less than 24 hours before the biggest game of his career, there is now no question the hiring of Jerome Tang was a home run hire for the Kansas State Univeristy men’s basketball program.
The team is preparing for the opportunity to advance to the round of 4. But the moment Tang stepped on campus in Manhattan, the trajectory of Kansas State basketball changed for the better.
Tang said coaches have told him tomorrow’s game is the hardest one to win in the NCAA tournament.
“We have the same old boring habits, and we’re going to work on going 1-0,” Tang said. “And I’m just grateful to be here because you think of how many coaches never get a chance to play in an Elite 8, and you just said I have been in three of them already. I’m so blessed.”
Tang was introduced as the head coach around a year ago, and he said he’s just stayed true to himself since day one.
“I’m just being me,” Tang said. “This is who I am. I’ve always been like this. I mean, I’m not doing anything different that I hadn’t done for the last 19 years. I just did it behind the scenes. Now, for some reason, social media — I guess it might be Jareem Dowling that got me out there. But yeah, I’ve been the same guy this whole time, and I was never going to change.”
19 years of action behind the scenes, and now it’s being displayed for the world to see.