‘Wish I had more time’: Why Tylor Perry has no regrets about transferring to K-State
Tylor Perry had lots of options when he decided to transfer away from North Texas last spring. He wanted to finish out his college basketball career with a team that played in a power conference, and several notable coaches gave him an opportunity to do exactly that.
He ended up choosing K-State for many different reasons, but mostly he wanted to experience the thrill of playing in the NCAA Tournament.
In that sense, this season could be framed as a disappointment for Perry. The Wildcats will need to win the Big 12 Tournament next week in Kansas City to play their way into March Madness. The odds of that happening are long.
But Perry hasn’t given up hope. He also doesn’t have any regrets about playing for K-State coach Jerome Tang, even though they have only won 17 games together.
“Just being able to play under Coach Tang, I think he changed my life forever,” Perry said. “There are so many things I’ve learned in this short time here. I’m definitely glad that I signed on that dotted line to come play for him. There is nothing I would change about it.”
Well, that’s not entirely true.
There is one thing he would most definitely change about his experience with the Wildcats ahead of his final home game against Iowa State on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum. Unfortunately, that change would be in violation of NCAA eligibility rules.
“I hate that I have only been here one year,” Perry said. “I hate that I only got to spend one year under Coach Tang. I wish I had more years to play with them, play with these guys. I wish I had more time to embrace the community and embrace the fans the same way I did at UNT.
“That is one thing that (stinks) about this transfer portal and only getting to spend on year here. Because when you really care about things outside of basketball it’s not the same. You really want to enjoy the community and enjoy the fans. I didn’t feel like I got to do that as much as I wanted to.”
Perry has only spent one season in Manhattan, but it was filled with some memorable moments. The senior guard has averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds for the Wildcats. He helped them win big-time home games against Baylor and Kansas. He also scored at least 20 points in 10 games, reaching a season-high of 29 in a victory over West Virginia.
His 83 makes from 3-point range would rank seventh in program history if the season ended today. He can enter the top five, and maybe even the top three, with a hot finish.
But it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine for Perry in a lavender jersey. Even though he has made a lot of 3-pointers, his shooting percentage has dropped sharply from 41.3% at North Texas to 33.5% at K-State.
The Wildcats are also floundering at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, and his inability to make game-winning shots in conference play has contributed to those struggles. At North Texas, he was more of a shooting guard. At K-State, he has spent most of his time at the point. That transition has been awkward at times.
Still, he is the team’s leading scorer. And it’s scary to think where the Wildcats would be without him.
Perry is hopeful that he can take what he learned from K-State and use that to help him find a successful career in the pros. But it’s hard for him to think about what will come after college while there are still games to play this season.
As much fun as it was for him to celebrate a Sunflower Showdown win over Kansas earlier this year, he thinks it would be even better to experience the NCAA Tournament.
He hasn’t given up on that dream yet.
“Hopefully my favorite win comes in a couple of weeks in a national tournament,” Perry said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to. I probably won’t even think about that KU win 10 years from now if we get to that tournament.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 5:30 AM with the headline "‘Wish I had more time’: Why Tylor Perry has no regrets about transferring to K-State."