Watch: Jerome Tang Vibes with Team in Locker Room at NCAA Tournament
It didn’t take long for Jerome Tang’s team to love him. It certainly hasn’t taken long for Tang to win over the Kansas State Wildcats fan base either, and look no further to what he did in the locker room with his team Friday for the reason why.
Listening to some jams, Tang clapped his hands and even showed off some brief light dance moves with his team. Of course they chimed in with their first-year head man.
Tang showed some more of that personality Thursday during his pre-tournament press conference.
“This hits different,” a personable Tang said about stepping to the podium in the Big Dance for the first time as a head coach. “I’ve never sat here with my name in front of me.”
Indeed, he has not. But it almost certainly won’t be the last time either, with how quickly he’s made an impact in Manhattan.
Under his direction, Kansas State completed the regular season with a healthy 23-9 record. That included an 11-7 mark in Big 12 play.
All-Big 12 First Team recipients Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell are obviously a huge reason that’s the case. Johnson and Nowell have been highly productive in the scoring department, pouring in 17.7 and 16.8 points per game, respectively. In addition to that, Johnson is grabbing 7.0 rebounds per contest, and Nowell is racking up 7.6 assists per contest.
Tang, who, as mentioned, has had a phenomenal first season in front of the Kansas State bench, is the Big 12 Coach of the Year. He’s seen his team collect victories against each of the league’s other contenders during the run.
