Jerome Tang Calls Out Students to Show Up for K-State Home Games
Kansas State now has a winning streak on its hands after defeating West Virginia 94-90 in overtime on Monday night, moving the Wildcats to 17-11 (7-8 Big 12) on the year.
It’s the first time that K-State has won back-to-back games since the week of January 16, and with the Cats being on the bubble in Joe Lunardi’s latest projections, it’s a big deal.
After blowing a 25-point lead over the Mountaineers, Jerome Tang’s group held on to win a must-have nailbiter, their seventh overtime win of the season (NCAA Record). The Wildcats are now 12-0 in overtime games under Tang, and much of that has been credited to a raucous environment at Bramlage Coliseum.
However, the last two home games haven’t exactly been sellout crowds.
Tang has been in Manhattan for less than two years, but it feels like he’s been around the K-State program for much longer. The report that he’s built with the fan base, and most notably the students, is incredibly strong. However, one of the reasons why that relationship has merit is Tang’s ability to “coach” the students.
He’s the first one to jump into the stands and celebrate with them, but he’s also going to call them out when things aren’t up to expectations.
On Monday, he did just that, challenging the student section to show up when the Wildcats are at home.
“They text me, they hit me on Instagram, ask me to repost things, to come by their sororities and fraternities and have dinner and speak, and we show up,” Tang said, according to Ryan Gilbert. “We do that, and when we have a home game, I need them to show up.”
Kansas State has one home game remaining on the year, when No. 8 Iowa State comes to Manhattan on Saturday, March 9. We’ll have to wait until then to see if the student section responds, but I’d count on the stands being packed to the gills for that matchup.
