‘One more year!’ Jerome Tang and K-State basketball fans want this key player back
David N’Guessan reluctantly grabbed a microphone and prepared to speak to all the Kansas State basketball fans inside Bramlage Coliseum after he helped the Wildcats knock off Iowa State 65-58 on Saturday in what might be the final home game of his college career.
But before he could say a single word the crowd had a message for him.
“One more year,” they chanted as he walked to mid-court and looked into the crowd. “One more year.”
They yelled those words over and over over, hoping that they may ultimately convince him to return to K-State next season. Even though the 6-foot-9 forward is a senior and he has already played four full years of college basketball between his time at Virginia Tech and K-State, he is allowed to return to school for an extra year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
K-State fans clearly want him to exercise his COVID year so he can continue making plays for the Wildcats. Fans usually save chants of “one more year” for star players. But they made an exception for N’Guessan on Saturday because of what he means to Jerome Tang’s team, even though he comes off the bench.
N’Guessan proved his value on Saturday by scoring 11 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. He has come on strong during the second half of the season and made it clear that his value goes far beyond what shows up on the stat sheet.
K-State coach Tang thinks so highly of N’Guessan that he isn’t waiting until after the season ends to try and convince him to stay. He was chanting “one more year” right along with the fans on Saturday.
“We want David back,” Tang said. “I think he knows that we want him back. I believe that it’s going to help his career in the long run, because of the growth that he’s making and the confidence that he is starting to play with. He is adding a little more and playing at a higher level and showing leadership skills. I am so proud of him, and we are doing everything we can to make sure that young fella comes back.”
Last season, N’Guessan helped K-State win 26 games and make it to the Elite Eight. Things haven’t been quite as rosy this season, but he entered the weekend averaging 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for a team that has now won 18 games. The Wildcats would welcome him, and those numbers, back with open arms next season as Tang looks to build a foundation before he adds more talent to the roster through recruiting and the transfer portal.
But it’s unclear what N’Guessan wants to do at the moment. He grew up in The Netherlands and wants to return to Europe and play professional basketball after his college career is over. Now that he is playing at a high level, perhaps it is time for him to move on to the next chapter in his life.
Or maybe he will look to transfer to another college.
But he could remain with the Wildcats. That is certainly the preferred choice among K-State fans right now.
“It always feels good to be wanted,” N’Guessan said. “But, like I have said, I’m going to wait until after the season is over to focus on that. Right now all my focus is still on getting to the NCAA Tournament and making another run.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 5:44 PM with the headline "‘One more year!’ Jerome Tang and K-State basketball fans want this key player back."