Jerome Tang explains why three K-State basketball players will redshirt this season
The Kansas State men’s basketball team was down three players during its 93-59 blowout victory over Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
Turns out, that was by design.
K-State basketball coach Jerome Tang announced afterward that Jerrell Colbert, Taj Manning and Anthony Thomas will all sit out this season with a redshirt, which will allow each of them to preserve a year of college eligibility. Tang thinks removing them from the active roster in the short term will create value for the Wildcats in the long run.
“I’m excited,” Tang said. “I think this moves our program ahead two years, because we’re going to have a great scout team. Every practice is going to be their game day and they are going to get after it. It was something that was very successful for us while I was at Baylor. I’m very thankful to have the kind of young men who can see the big picture and are willing to buy into it.”
It was surprising to see three healthy K-State scholarship players watch Monday’s game from the bench in street clothes. Former coaches Bruce Weber and Frank Martin rarely chose to redshirt more than one player in any given season. When they did, the decision was often based on injuries.
But Tang thinks everyone will benefit from Colbert, Manning and Thomas taking a year off to develop behind the scenes. His hope is that they can all significantly help the Wildcats as they mature.
Colbert, a 6-foot-10 LSU transfer, might have the highest ceiling of the group. The sophomore forward played well for K-State during its closed scrimmage against Southern Illinois and then had five points, five blocks and one rebound in just eight minutes of action during an exhibition win over Washburn.
He would have had to share playing time with senior Abayomi Iyiola and David N’Guessan this season. Perhaps he will have a bigger role in future seasons.
Manning, a 6-foot-7 forward, will also look to crack the rotation next season as a redshirt freshman. Thomas, a sophomore guard, was going to be lost in the shuffle this year. This move could give him more opportunities in the future.
Tang said all three players willingly chose to sit out and redshirt.
“They all understand that this is going to help their career,” Tang said. “We are going to be able to pour into them. I was excited about them making that decision. It was their choice. I gave them the option to. Good business is when both people win. I didn’t see a win for them on a night-in, night-out basis if they chose to play, but I gave them the option to play or the option to redshirt. We laid out a plan for them.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Jerome Tang explains why three K-State basketball players will redshirt this season."