Jerome Tang asks K-State fans for extra support as Wildcats prepare for Iowa State
.jpg "Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang dances on the court after his team’s 82-76 overtime win over West Virginia at the end of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)")
Kansas State is no longer ranked in the top 10 or in serious contention for a Big 12 championship, but there is still much for the Wildcats to play for as they prepare for a 1 p.m. game against Iowa State on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
A victory over their Farmageddon rivals would help the Wildcats snap out of their recent losing skid, provide them with momentum as March approaches and solidify them as one of the best home-court defenders in the country.
Jerome Tang knows that better than anyone. Perhaps that is why the K-State basketball coach shared a video message with fans this week that asked them to continue supporting the Wildcats as they work through some struggles.
“I am just going to tell you that playing at home is different than on the road,” Tang said while sitting in the middle of the K-State student section inside Bramlage. “I promise you that if we can get this section filled — my favorite sections — and we get my people up in here on Saturday, the fellas are going to bring it. We need your help.”
Tang also made sure to mention than “wheat is better than corn,” which is a nod to the agricultural nature of the K-State/Iowa State rivalry.
It should come as no surprise that Tang is encouraging K-State students to show up in full force for Saturday’s game. The Wildcats are 12-1 inside the Octagon of Doom this season, and their only loss came by three against Texas after K-State held a double-digit lead in the first half.
A rowdy student section has helped the Wildcats play with energy at home all season. But there were curiously thousands of empty seats for K-State’s last home game against TCU. That contest was played at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday night, so it’s understandable that the place wasn’t jam-packed.
Still, Tang would like to play in front of 11,000 fans more than 8,600 fans as K-State looks to escape the doldrums it has found itself trapped in this month.
K-State has lost five of its past seven games after getting off to a 17-2 start and it is coming off consecutive losses to Big 12 cellar dwellers Texas Tech and Oklahoma.
Now, more than ever before, the Wildcats could use extra fan support.
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Jerome Tang asks K-State fans for extra support as Wildcats prepare for Iowa State."