Why K-State basketball newcomer Dorian Finister checked every box for Jerome Tang
There are typically a few things that Jerome Tang likes to see from a recruit before he offers him a scholarship to play basketball at Kansas State.
Based on the six newcomers he has already brought to campus, it’s clear Tang values height, athleticism and a winning background. Though not essential, he also likes it when he can sign a new player from Louisiana or Texas, because he won big with players from those stats while he worked under Scott Drew at Baylor over the past 17 seasons.
Add up all those recruiting desires, and it’s easy to see how Dorian Finister became the first high school recruit Tang signed after taking over as K-State coach in March.
Finister is a 6-foot-5 guard from New Orleans who makes acrobatic dunks look easy. He also helped Carver Collegiate Academy win a 4A state championship in Louisiana last season.
He might as well be K-State’s new prototypical recruit.
“There is a common thread with the new group that is here,” Tang said. “They are winners and they are workers. They have won state championships or regional championships. And they are all Big 12 athletes, Big 12 players.”
K-State’s pack of newcomers (Cam Carter, Jerrell Colbert, Taj Manning, David N’Guessan, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Finister) already remind Tang of a few of the teams he coached at Baylor, at least in some ways.
“They have some of that talent and that athleticism,” Tang said. “They just aren’t grown men yet ... We have to get there, but they have that type of ability.”
It didn’t take long for Finister to realize that he would fit in well with the Wildcats after Tang began recruiting him earlier this spring.
Finister informed Tang he intended to sign with K-State while he was on a recruiting trip in Manhattan. He didn’t need to sleep on the decision or discuss his options with family. He was sold on the Wildcats and his potential future with their basketball team.
“He set out a plan and executed it perfectly when he was recruiting me,” Finister said of Tang. “Everything was on point. It’s a beautiful place here. I love the way he coaches. I can’t wait to start.”
Finister figures to play shooting guard next season. He will complement returning point guard Markquis Nowell and Carter, a Mississippi State transfer, in the back court.
What should fans expect from him?
“They can expect a lot of energy,” Finister said. “I can jump out of the gym, I can shoot the ball really well, I can handle the ball, I can defend and I’m a good teammate. But mostly a lot of energy.”
Tang still needs to add another guard or two to the K-State roster before he coaches his first game for the Wildcats next season. There’s no telling who those players will be just yet. But odds are good they will look and play a lot like Finister.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Why K-State basketball newcomer Dorian Finister checked every box for Jerome Tang."