WVU Notebook: Reaction from Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang

We discuss the top things said by Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang after the win over West Virginia.

Kansas State plays well with lead

I thought it was a good point made by Tang about his guys kind of being in unfamiliar territory and responding well to it. Unfortunately for all the wrong reasons, they hadn’t been in position where they had to nurse an extended lead for the entire game or know what comes to that.

But they executed it well. That leads to different situations that Kansas State just hasn’t faced because of the limited success they have shared. You have to know when to be aggressive and when not to, what buttons to push and when, handle a press and knock down meaningful free throws and know how to run clock and still get a good shot.

I wouldn’t say they were perfect, but K-State was good enough to hang on for a 13-point lead.

Losing sucks

“Before you win, you have to believe you can win.”

“Losing sucks.”

Those are just a few of the statements made by the Kansas State head coach afterwards a much-needed victory. They dominated West Virginia and took care of business from start to finish. And the joy, excitement and euphoria from being away from that feeling for so long was palpable.

It was evident in the K-State players and coaches.

They needed that encouragement. And it is good for the mind and soul to escape some negativity and constant struggle for a bit. That is relief. That is satisfying. And a weight that comes off their shoulders that they have carried for so long.

That can help sustain the improvement and growth necessary to keep moving forward towards bigger goals. It can be validating. It can help the message from the coaches have even more punch and merit because proof of concept has been shown.

Build off wins

Building off wins is different than building off losses. There are different challenges associated with that, most of them psychological. Tang gave that message to the team almost immediately after the Kansas State victory over West Virginia.

They can’t settle. They can’t get fat off success. They can’t get complacent. They can’t celebrate too long because there’s a game in four days and it takes the same kind of preparation and work, perhaps more, to win that one. They have to be just as hungry after wins, maybe more, than after losses.

The purpose and the intention is to continue to get better and that doesn’t happen if you rest on your laurels. There’s also much more they want to accomplish than just winning a random Saturday game in Bramlage Coliseum over West Virginia.

The Wildcats want to snap that dumb losing streak and turn this season into one that is much more respectable than how it currently looks.

Four back-to-back road games for K-State

I didn’t realize it, but it was pointed out by Tang that K-State is the only team in the Big 12 that will have to play back-to-back road conference games this year four times. A few have to do it three times, most only have to do it twice and there may be a team or two that only has it happen once.

Now, that isn’t what has shaped this season for the Wildcats. And it isn’t going to be what keeps them out of the Big 12 title hunt, either. However, his point is that kind of schedule is very conducive to streaks and runs for teams because teams in the league are so good at home.

It also feels like they go on long periods without home games and he was just thrilled to be back in Bramlage Coliseum.

Scorer Dug

We haven’t seen the scorer part of Dug McDaniel break out much this year. Tang acknowledged that since Dug is more of a pass-first guy by nature, which McDaniel admitted, and noted that he is so keen on doing the right thing now that he’s trying so hard to please his head coach and teammates.

First, that’s a heck of a sign that he has morphed into that kind of behavior because it is a sign that he realizes where he went wrong in the past and is looking to atone for it. That’s a flip. That’s maturity and a sign of growth.

Too little too late for the ramifications of this particular season? Of course. In totality? Never.

But Tang’s message for McDaniel ahead of the win over the Mountaineers was to be more aggressive and look more for his own shot due to how they knew West Virginia would defend them. A secondary reason for it was the assessment and realization that Kansas State has been best when he is scoring and hunting his, like against Cincinnati.

Tang even admitted needing to remember that and giving McDaniel more freedom on the court and more of a license to do it moving forward.