Tag: Jerome Tang

Arkansas targets Jerome Tang to replace Eric Musselman as head coach

Arkansas is targeting Kansas State coach Jerome Tang to replace Eric Musselman after he left to take the job at USC.

When Andy Enfield left USC to take the head coaching job at SMU, many connected Eric Musselman to the open position for the Trojans – and indeed the Muss bus departed Fayetteville and Arkansas to come back out west to help lead USC as they move into the Big Ten.

That puts the Hogs in a tough spot, as many of the top tier coaching candidates have already found new jobs this offseason – including Dusty May (Michigan) Pat Kelsey (Louisville) Darian DeVries (West Virginia) and Mark Byington (Vanderbilt).

However, Arkansas has their sights set on a bigger fish, notably targeting a pair of high major head coaches in Chris Beard and Jerome Tang, as well as former LSU coach Will Wade who is now at McNeese St.

Beard was considered the top candidate until he revealed plans to stay at Ole Miss after a successful first season in Oxford, which elevated Tang to the top of Arkansas’ wish list.

Tang wrapped up just his second season as a head coach, leading Kansas State to an Elite Eight in his first year in 2022-23 but failing to make the NCAA Tournament in year two.

With nearly two decades of experience working under Scott Drew at Baylor, a massively successful first season, and proven adeptness at navigating the transfer portal, it is no surprise to see Arkansas narrowing in on Tang.

Plus, Kansas State and Tang reportedly had a disagreement on the punishment for Nae’Qwan Tomlin earlier this season, which ultimately led to Tomlin entering the transfer portal at midseason and going to Memphis.

Could Tang follow suit? And, if so, could he bring key pieces from this Wildcats team with him to Fayetteville – including Michigan transfer guard Dug McDaniel who committed to the Wildcats earlier this week?

Time will tell, but coming off a disastrous season the Razorbacks could use good news on the basketball front and Tang would represent a promising start.

In the midst of a rough patch, No. 23 Oklahoma finds itself in desperation mode

With losses in four of their last six games, Oklahoma is in must-win mode as another week in the Big 12 unfolds.

The covered wagons are treading a bumpy road. After starting the season blistering hot and cruising through nonconference play with one blemish on their record to the now No. 3 team in the country, No. 23 Oklahoma has lost four of its last six games.

The new AP Poll dropped on Monday, and the Sooners are in a bit of a free fall. They had the most significant drop of any team in the top 25, dropping 12 spots. Saturday, they lost at home to the 15th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The game before that, they lost another home game to their Red River rivals, the Texas Longhorns. In both games, the Sooners were winning at halftime.

And yet, somehow, the Sooners came away with nothing to show for it in either game.

Troubling times are upon Porter Moser’s basketball team. Oklahoma’s losses this season have all been to teams near locks to make the NCAA Tournament. Or, at least, they are a few more wins away from solidifying themselves as one of those teams.

There’s no shame in losing to good basketball teams, but Oklahoma had two monster opportunities at home to firmly cement themselves as an NCAA team and came up empty-handed. And now, with his squad marred in a slump and on the precipice of falling out of the top 25, the Sooners are staring down two massive road games against teams capable of beating them. Jerome Tang and Kansas State ended last year in the Elite Eight. They lost some significant contributors from that team but went into the transfer portal to get some excellent replacements.

Kansas State will be ready to play tonight in Manhattan, Kansas. If the Sooners are to come out on top with a win, Oklahoma needs to play a complete 40 minutes. Faster starts from their trio of starting guards, Javian McCollum, Otega Oweh, and Milos Uzan, would be a welcome sight.

After tonight’s affair in the Little Apple, Oklahoma will rest before traveling to Orlando, Florida, where the UCF Knights will be waiting for them. UCF has proven to be a pesky addition to the nation’s best basketball conference, with two of their three conference wins coming at home against two teams Oklahoma hasn’t beaten themselves. One of which was Kansas.

In short, UCF is not to be handled lightly, especially when they are playing on the home court.

Both of Oklahoma’s opponents this week are fringe NCAA  tournament teams with opportunities to use Oklahoma as an opportunity to help improve their resumes. Conversely, for Oklahoma, two losses could make things a little sweaty regarding the Sooners’ tournament chances.

This week is about toughness, execution, and playing complete games. Something that has plagued Oklahoma in the back-to-back losses they’ve suffered.

For Porter Moser, this week feels like the tipping point in a season that started with immense promise. You either steady the ride or watch this covered wagon spin out of control. The choice is in Oklahoma’s hands.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Find out what Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said about his team, which faces USC on November 6

Get an early look inside the Kansas State team USC faces in its season opener on November 6.

Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang talked to the press at Big 12 basketball media days. USC fans should want to know what Tang said, because Kansas State is USC’s first opponent of the season. The Trojans face the Wildcats in Las Vegas on opening night, which is Monday, November 6.

(h/t Kansas State Wildcats on YouTube)

“I felt like I underestimated or set the bar a little too low for the guys last year, and I’d rather shoot for the stars,” Tang said.

“We got three new freshmen, four transfers …We’re living life. We’re plugging away and trying to build a program that can consistently compete for a national championship. Our theme this year is all-in. We want everybody from the custodian to the athletic director.”

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Follow Fighting Irish Wire for more on Notre Dame after the Irish beat USC.

Follow Buffaloes Wire for complete coverage of Deion Sanders and Colorado.

Follow Ducks Wire for coverage of Oregon football after the loss to Washington.

Oklahoma fans were right about Lincoln Riley, at least for this specific season.

USC assistants need to be coaching for their jobs against Utah and into November.

Lincoln Riley did not assemble an elite 2023 roster, which surprised us and a lot of other observers.

Is USC ready to win in 2024 with Miller Moss or Malachi Nelson at quarterback? Lincoln Riley has to be honest about how he answers that question.

Brent Venables is coaching Oklahoma far better this year than Lincoln Riley is coaching USC. It’s up to Riley to change that reality against Utah.

REPORT: Kansas State finalizing contract extension with head basketball coach Jerome Tang

Kansas State is working on an extension with head basketball coach Jerome Tang according to reports.

According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Kansas State is finalizing a contract extension. The terms of the deal are currently unknown.

The 56-year-old Tang is entering his second year at Kansas State after leading the program to the Elite Eight in his first year with the program. He also won the Naismith College Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year awards for his coaching performance.

After earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats defeated Montana State, Kentucky, and Michigan State to earn a trip to the Elite Eight before falling to Florida Atlantic 79-76.

The original deal for Tang when he signed on to lead the program in March of 2022 was a six-year deal worth $14.1 million.

Before becoming the head coach at Kansas State, Tang was an assistant coach at Baylor from 2003 through 2022. He also coached high school basketball in Texas from 1993 through 2003.

The Wildcats’ 26-10 record this past season was their first 20+ win season since the 2019-19 season when they went 25-9.

This upcoming season, the Wildcats are once again expected to be one of the better teams in the Big 12 but will have to replace essential pieces in Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson.

The Wildcats 2023-2024 season is set to tipoff on  November 6 against the USC Trojans as part of the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.

Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell had one of the best men’s NCAA tournaments ever

Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell had one of the best men’s NCAA tournament runs ever.

Even though Kansas State couldn’t quite get past Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight, Wildcats senior guard Markquis Nowell had one of the best men’s NCAA tournaments of any player ever.

After Nowell’s historic Sweet 16 performance against Michigan State, he continued that stellar play in the Elite Eight.

It was special to watch him bank an incredible 3-pointer while falling on a hobbled ankle  or see him execute that stunning sequence where people thought he pulled off a fake argument with coach Jerome Tang to set up a basket.

Nowell actually finished his 2023 men’s NCAA tournament as the only player in men’s college basketball history to record 80-plus points, 50-plus assists and 10-plus steals.

You can see how he tallied up all these points, assists and steals in four games below.

Nowell also joined some fantastic company with his tournament performance.

Nowell showed his appreciation for all the support his team had garnered during their impressive men’s NCAA tournament run.

His brother, Marcus Nowell, talked about why he was so proud of his sibling after his incredible March Madness run.

Nowell’s basketball future is uncertain, but it feels like he’ll get a chance at some level to prove himself at the professional level. After this stunning tournament run, he deserves it.

Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang showed serious class by encouraging FAU after his team’s loss

Now this was a classy move by Kansas State coach Jerome Tang.

Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang didn’t let an Elite Eight loss to Florida Atlantic keep him from showing some real class.

After the Wildcats fell to the Owls on Saturday, 79-76, Tang visited the FAU locker room and offered words of encouragement for the Owls as they celebrated their first Final Four appearance.

“Nobody can beat y’all,” a supportive Tang told FAU after Saturday night’s game. “Just stay together. Don’t get distracted between now and then, alright? Stay locked in. Keep doing what you’re doing. Y’all the toughest son of a guns we’ve played all year long.”

That’s just the epitome of classiness.

Tang has been one of the best stories during the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament, and his Kansas State came awful close to punching a ticket to this year’s Final Four.

Most coaches don’t go to congratulate the opposing locker room and offer them support as they advance in the tournament, but that’s exactly what Tang did.

You just hope he’ll be back next year because March Madness just won’t be the same without him if he’s not.

Each college basketball head coach that has a chance to win national championship for first time

One of these coaches will be cutting down the nets for the first time ever on April 3.

We’ve been treated to a historic NCAA Tournament thus far. Continue reading “Each college basketball head coach that has a chance to win national championship for first time”

Kansas State’s unlikely Elite 8 run means we get more Jerome Tang, who we can’t get enough of

More Jerome Tang is a good thing for college hoops.

Kansas State coach Jerome Tang has an infectious personality. Even without meeting him, you can feel it ooze through the screen during interviews and in behind the scenes footage of his team’s incredible March Madness run.

The Wildcats continued that run Thursday with an impressive overtime win over Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, demonstrating just how good they truly are. If it wasn’t evident after a 26-9 regular season and top-15 AP finish, it certainly is now.

Markquis Nowell is an absolute star and Keyontae Johnson might hear his name called on NBA draft night. But not to be overlooked in Kansas State’s success is the first-year head coach.

The more Tang and the gang hang around, the more we’ll get moments from him like this.

“We had to celebrate a little bit. Hope y’all didn’t mind.”

Thursday’s game was the biggest in the careers of many of his players, and you wouldn’t have been able to tell by their demeanor on the court. They were loose, even in the most tense moments of a game that was tight throughout, and it’s hard to think that’s not a reflection of their coach.

Tang is even the main hype man during a pregame Lil Baby listening session K-State apparently has been doing since before the tournament.

That’s a 56-year-old man getting more hype off a Lil Baby song than his 20-year-old players who I can assure you are the intended audience. Sure, they might be a little embarrassed in the way a kid might be embarrassed by a parent doing too much at the sleepover, and Tang’s dance moves leave a little to be desired, but they love him anyway.

And it’s not hard to see why. He’s good for that program, and he’s good for college basketball.

Prior to this season, Kansas State hadn’t qualified for the NCAA tournament since the 2018-19 season. Not only did they make it back in Tang’s first year, they shattered all expectations.

In a Big 12 preseason poll, the Wildcats were picked to finish last in the conference. Instead, they were third. And now they’re the first and maybe only conference team to reach the Elite 8 (Texas plays Friday).

Whether or not Kansas State advances any further, the season is a success, and Tang has officially put himself on the map as not only a fun head coach, but a legitimately good head coach.

The more the Wildcats win, the more he’ll get to show both.

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Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell had one of the greatest performances in March Madness history

Heart over height. What a game, Markquis Nowell.

Kansas State senior guard Markquis Nowell didn’t let a hobbled ankle keep him from turning in one of the best performances in men’s NCAA tournament history on Thursday.

As his No. 3 Wildcats toppled No. 7 Michigan State in the Sweet 16, 98-93, Nowell celebrated setting a men’s NCAA tournament record for assists in a game with 19.

You could sum up Nowell’s incredible game by him executing arguably the most fascinating play of the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament.

At one point, it looked like he possibly set up a pivotal bucket on a fake argument with Wildcats coach Jerome Tang. The coach disputed that it was a fake out, but it still looked incredible.

All in all, few basketball players have ever had such a stunning performance as Nowell’s during this year’s March Madness.

Nowell also scored 20 points in the stellar contest, including this final layup before the buzzer to widen the margin and send Kansas State to the Elite Eight.

The Harlem, New York, native got to shine in front of his home crowd at Madison Square Garden, and he’ll now stick around in the Big Dance with his fellow Wildcats.

At the very least, Nowell sure knows that everyone saw his magnificent performance.

After the game, the 5-foot-8 Nowell also got a special shoutout from Muggsy Bogues, one of the NBA’s most notable players to overcome stature and succeed in the pros.

Nowell is following in the 5-foot-3 NBA legend’s footsteps. Bogues even paid homage to Nowell’s signature slogan: “Heart over height.”

Did Markquis Nowell fake an argument with Kansas State coach Jerome Tang before alley-oop pass?

WAIT A SECOND. Was this an orchestrated play for K-State?!

Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell just had arguably the best game of March Madness thus far, and it was highlighted by one crazy possession.

Nowell, who was rudely referred to as “little kid” after Kansas State defeated Kentucky in the Round of 32, recorded 20 points and a tournament-record 19 assists during the victory over Michigan State. He created, assisted, or scored 69 of the 98 points for K-State.

While he had several incredible moments during the match, the alley-oop pass that he threw to Keyontae Johnson for the reverse dunk was an instant highlight during the men’s tournament.

Watch as the teammates connected for an instant classic:

This was a tremendously impressive basket during the clutch final seconds of overtime, but upon a second viewing, something else stands out.

Don’t look at the dunk and instead watch what Nowell does as he is handling the ball. He looks to the sideline and has an apparent disagreement with head coach Jerome Tang.

On a second watch, it sure looks like Nowell and Tang may have faked their dispute to distract the opposing defense only to find Johnson on the backdoor cut.

During the walk-off interview, Tang was asked about the moment with Nowell. Tang said they were at a “place of fire” and that Nowell was ready for what happened next.

Tang told Richard Johnson that he was calling one play and Nowell was “calling something else” when the guard noticed that Johnson was cutting to the basket.

However, the coach also said during his postgame press conference that Nowell couldn’t tell reporters because then the “next team” would know to expect it.

Good point! You should never tip your hand with trick plays.

Nowell said it was just a “basketball play” between him and Johnson, and they were able to pull it off because they knew Michigan State’s defense likes to play high and tight.

Johnson said that the two have a strong feel for each other.

K-State was one of the most efficient teams in the nation when finishing offensive possessions after timeouts, per Synergy. Meanwhile, only one team in the tournament has scored more points per game on cuts to the basket thus far.

No team in college basketball ran cutters more often (10 percent) than the Wildcats, per ShotQuality. Meanwhile, the Spartans’ defense allowed 1.19 points per possession on cuts to the basket — which ranked far worse than the NCAA average (1.12) in 2022-23.

In fact, Johnson has scored more points when cutting to the basket (117) during this past campaign than the entire Spartans roster managed on this play type (104) all season.

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Intentional or not, especially after K-State’s Tang ran a football-inspired formation on an inbound pass, it’s safe to say that the Wildcats do not lack creativity. Regardless of whether it was scripted or if it was improvised, that possession just fully rocked.

Despite the post-game statement from Tang, several fans and analysts all believed that this could have actually been an orchestrated play designed to catch their defenders off guard. Here is why: