‘That will never happen again’: One thing still bothers Jerome Tang from KU loss
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jerome Tang apologized to fans and vowed the final-minute collapse won’t recur.
- KU finished 86-62 in Manhattan, celebrated emphatic late dunks amid K‑State inaction.
- K‑State sits 10-11 (1-7 Big 12); rematch with KU looms March 7 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Several days have gone by since the Kansas State men’s basketball team suffered a humbling 86-62 loss to its biggest rival at Bramlage Coliseum, but head coach Jerome Tang is still upset about it.
Specifically, he is still frustrated by how the game ended.
“I personally was embarrassed by how the game ended, the last minute of the game,” Tang said this week. “On my radio show, I apologized to the fans and I will do it again and apologize for our fans who drove all that way for that situation.”
The final minute of that game was nightmare fuel for Tang and K-State fans because the Kansas Jayhawks chose not to dribble out the clock, perhaps because they hadn’t won in Manhattan since 2022.
Instead, KU’s Flory Bidunga and Tre White both threw down late dunks in front of a dejected home crowd. Then KU guard Melvin Council celebrated the victory by mocking the “Wabash Cannonball” dance at midcourt.
No one in a K-State uniform offered any resistance to the Rock Chalk party.
That part was unacceptable for Tang.
“I had never lost to them on our home court,” Tang said. “I didn’t understand. But I understand now. I’m not saying we will never lose to them again, but that will never happen again.”
K-State (10-11, 1-7 Big 12) is in the middle of a disappointing season. KU (15-5, 5-2 Big 12) has won four straight games.
Maybe the way Round 1 of the Sunflower Showdown ended will provide some spice for the regular-season rematch. The Jayhawks and Wildcats meet again on March 7 inside Allen Fieldhouse.
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 12:16 PM with the headline "‘That will never happen again’: One thing still bothers Jerome Tang from KU loss."