BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 19, 2022

Jerome Tang

Kansas State Wildcats

Media Day Press Conference

COACH TANG: I'm excited to be here. I know our guys are too. We've got a great group of young men who fit what the K-State family is about. And we're excited to get better every single day. And looking forward to starting the season.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the (indiscernible) development since you've got there at Kansas State?

COACH TANG: Both Ish and Markquis have both been invaluable to the program because they understand the family environment at Kansas State. They've done a great job helping us recruit the team that we have. And Ish, we've challenged Ish and in fact his mom on the video challenged him to go rebound more. We're looking forward to seeing that.

Q. You guys obviously have brought in a lot of new guys with only Ish and Markquis coming back. How has that process been over the summer, everybody gelling together?

COACH TANG: You know, it's obviously a process, building chemistry. But when you bring in good kids who care about the right things and that part of it becomes easier. I think we have a team that likes each other. They spend a lot of time together both on and off the court. We still have to work at them understanding each other's strengths on the basketball court. And that's going to take time and experience.

Q. You kind of had a blank canvas when you came to Kansas State two returning players. You have an opportunity to create your own roster with the players that you want, that fit your play style and mindset. What exactly are you looking for or were you looking for and what did you find this season?

COACH TANG: From what was available for us, the number one thing we're looking for is hard workers, guys who are addicted to the game of basketball. If you are addicted to it, you can't stay out of the gym. You're going to keep getting better. Because nobody's ready right now where they need to be. So everyone has to continue to get better.

The second thing is toughness. We wanted guys who had been through some things in life and they understood, they understood how to overcome things.

And lastly we want winners. I think we have eight state championships on the roster. So guys who had won before.

Q. On Keyontae, I know he's had some injury issues in the past, health issues in the past. Can you tell us how you navigated that when you brought him in, how he's doing in that regard? And secondly how is he looking in practice and how much can he help you guys this season?

COACH TANG: I can't comment on Keyontae's health things in the past but I can tell you that he's very healthy right now. He's doing a great job. Hasn't missed anytime at all at practice. And he's getting in better shape and he competes at a very high level. So I'm looking forward to him continuing to get better.

Q. Last time we talked to you back in August, you said Taj Manning was a player that sort of stuck out to you and was surprising in the offseason. Since then who is a player or two that stuck out to you?

COACH TANG: I'm going to tell you those two freshmen, Taj and Dorian Finister. They've both been exactly what I had hoped they would be and even a little bit more in their work ethic and what they're doing in the weight room. And I don't know that you guys are going to see that this year on the court. But for what's going to happen in this program moving forward, they're going to play an integral part.

Q. Do you look at all at Iowa State, what they were able to do with a new coaching staff coming in there last year, what's possible for a first year program?

COACH TANG: Yes, of course T.J. put a lot of pressure on every coach that takes over a program. And the administrations look at it, too, and say it can be done.

Our expectations are that we win every day. If we win every day, then at the end, come March, I think the K-State family and we'll all be happy.

Q. You spent about 20 years with Scott Drew. You had a lot of success there at Baylor, especially the last five years. As you take over a program, what kind of things with your time with Coach Drew culture-wise, structure and practice have you tried to bring to Manhattan?

COACH TANG: Scott is like -- he's family. He's a brother to me. And I absolutely love him. And the thing that he taught me is servant leadership. And his humility. I hope to bring that to the culture at the K-State family.

But I think that's what K-State was already about, about people who serve each other and very humble, hardworking people. And I think that's why I fit. And we're going to be a great marriage.

Q. I know you're wearing purple. I know you've coached against Bill Self and KU. But is it good for the league, even for K-State, that the Jayhawks won a national championship?

COACH TANG: It is great for the Big 12 Conference that the last two national champions have come from our conference. And in the last four years we've had a team in our conference play in the Final Four because the rising tide raises all ships.

Very much like SEC football, kids want to go play against the best. And we have the best conference in America. So we can get the kids to come here because they want to play against other great players.

Q. Coming into the Big 12 Conference, how exciting and how intimidating is it to come to a conference that has so many great coaches and so many great teams?

COACH TANG: I've been in the conference for 19 years, so I don't feel like I'm coming into something. Just moves over. And knowing all the coaches, they're great coaches. I mean, not good ones, they're great coaches in this league.

But at the end of the day none of those coaches take a shot or grab a rebound. It's about getting really good players that can buy into what you're about. So that's the thing that we have to do. We've got to get really good players that are bought in.

Q. I've seen on social media you've had a chance to attend a lot of football games and meet with a lot of students on campus at Manhattan. What's been your favorite part of that process?

COACH TANG: The students. We have incredible students. I knew we had incredible students from when we played in Bramlage, and that place was rocking and rolling. Getting to know them and their passion and care for the university, our students, they're very philanthropic.

I haven't run into one organization that's not raising money for something that needs to be touched in our community and in our state. And that's really -- it endeared me to them and them to me. I absolutely love our students. I can't wait to see them in Bramlage.

Q. We talked about getting a lot of new guys in here earlier but you also brought in a lot of experience. How important was it to you to get in guys who played a lot of college basketball?

COACH TANG: You win with experience. You look at the Big 12 football right now, the three teams at the top of the conference all have fifth-year quarterbacks. And experience wins in our league. And so you have to have guys that are experienced, but you want to experience guys who have won also so they understand it. And they understand how to approach every day.

The goal, too, is to balance the roster because you don't want to lose all your experience after this year and have to redo it again. To try to balance the roster is also important.