Rapid Recap: Jerome Tang addresses the Kansas State offseason and remaining needs
Remaining Kansas State needs
It has not been as hectic of an offseason for Jerome Tang and Kansas State. Only four spots remained open following the season rather than 10 or 11 like he was tasked with a year ago. Two have them have already been filled with transfers Tylor Perry and Arthur Kaluma.
While he admitted that he already believes they have a roster that is the caliber of an NCAA Tournament team, they are not complacent. The margin for error is still small, and merely clinching a berth in the Big Dance is no longer the goal at K-State.
The goal is to win a national championship. They want the two remaining pieces to contribute to that mind-set and expand the margin for error, so to speak. But is there a specific criteria of what they are looking to land?
Not necessarily. At this point, Kansas State does want an older guard and the final piece to the puzzle can just be the best player available to them. But more importantly, and as always, bringing in the right people will be of the utmost importance.
Addition of Arthur Kaluma
Unsurprisingly, Tang was very animated when speaking about the addition of the Creighton transfer. He called Kaluma a big-time get for the program. The K-State head coach loves the fact that he has participated in two NCAA Tournaments and has been in an Elite Eight and nearly a Final Four.
He felt that Kaluma cared about the right things. He was prioritizing the right things when addressing his recruitment, and because of that, he resonated and connected with the Kansas State program top to bottom and had no need to visit elsewhere.
According to his new coach, Kaluma is extremely versatile, especially on the defensive end. He’s a heck of a rebounder, can play multiple positions and can score in a variety of ways.
Growth/maturity of Cam/N’Guessan/Tomlin
Tang is also bullish on the rest of the roster. As mentioned earlier, he feels like he already has an NCAA Tournament roster, and a lot of that is because of what he also has returning in Cam Carter, David N’Guessan and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
He is very appreciative that they have helped him recruit the final pieces, but he is also impressed by how they have conducted themselves since falling in the NCAA Tournament.
Carter will have a terrific year, according to Tang. They will want more consistency from him during the 2023-2024 campaign, but just playing more basketball will help him get to that point. His first year at K-State was the first time he had been given a heavy dose of minutes.
Since experiencing the NBA try, Tomlin is building better habits. He now knows and understands more about what it takes and also what he is capable of achieving. It’s more real to him. He knows where he needs to improve and has had better focus on figuring those type of things out and exhibiting maturity.
N’Guessan will benefit greatly from having a regular offseason and being consistently healthy and available. That was not the case last year. He was barely with the team over the Summer because of a visa issue and was not able to be a full participant for much of the strength and conditioning program.
Top 10
- 1New
Michigan fighting allegations
NCAA, UM to battle over Connor Stalions
- 2
'A big blow to the ego'
Paul Finebaum: SEC is reeling
- 3Hot
Predicting the 2025 CFP
ESPN projects 12-team field, champs
- 4
Duke fan unconscious
Scary scene unfolds on TV
- 5
Lamont Butler
UK star out vs. UT
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Being active with that will allow him the confidence boost he needs to take the next step at Kansas State.
Notes on the K-State true freshmen
Everyone always wants to know more about the freshmen. Tang discussed each of the three on an individual basis, but also cautioned that they were young and would have to go through some adjustments before being counted on in a heavy manner.
Dai Dai Ames arrived on the K-State campus in unbelievable shape, and he has been on a mission ever since making it to Manhattan. He has a great body, has been an incredible worker and has a lot of tools to work with in his offensive game.
Macaleab Rich is a physical specimen with some amazing gifts and talents. He’s working hard so that he can be in college basketball shape, because that is much different than high school basketball shape. He’s attacking his work as well and is a fun kid to be around, according to Tang.
The gifted scorer of the bunch is RJ Jones.
Multiple times Tang referred to him as a natural and elite scorer and shooter of the basketball. Though he will have to endure some growing pains and hurdles as a young player as well, he’s also capable of scoring nine points for Kansas State in 10 minutes on his best days.
Flashing
The excitement continues to build for Jerrell Colbert. He redshirted last season for K-State so that he could mature and grow up both on the court and off the court. Colbert has made huge strides in both departments.
His body and mind had to change and improve, and it is all headed in the right direction at this point. He was already a talented basketball player. They expect him to play minutes for the Wildcats this season and impact winning.
At the same time, they do not want to burden or overwhelm him with a ton of responsibility. They’re pleased with his growth and development, but they want it to continue to grow naturally. Giving him help and support would be preferable.
