K-State Wildcats Q&A: Jerome Tang, basketball problems, football transfers and more
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
One of these weeks I will get back to writing an elaborate intro. But it’s not happening today.
Instead, let’s dive right into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
I love Jerome Tang as a person, but his teams have seemed to under perform the last two years. What gives? -@BruceBenteman via X.
He has strayed too far away from what worked when he was an assistant coach at Baylor.
Tang came to K-State saying that he wasn’t going to put much thought into NIL. He wanted to recruit hard-working players who dreamed of making money in the NBA, not getting paid in college. That is why he asked several players to redshirt his first year in Manhattan and aggressively recruited high school players as well as some veteran transfers.
Somewhere along the way he switched course and decided to buy players out of the transfer portal.
David Castillo, Taj Manning and Macaleab Rich are the only players currently on the roster who signed with K-State out of high school. And they barely play. The Wildcats didn’t land a single high school recruit during the early signing period this year, either. A program that was supposed to be built on developing players and limiting outgoing transfers is now focused on something else entirely.
Tang had to change with the times. No coach could put together a competitive roster in today’s age without at least some NIL money. But I fear he is leaning on it too much at the moment.
I don’t think it’s a surprise that K-State’s best two transfers are a pair of unheralded guards who came to Manhattan with something to prove (Brendan Hausen and Max Jones) and no one has any idea how much their NIL deals are worth.
Building a roster full of mercenaries might be easy. Molding them into a cohesive unit is not.
Markquis Nowell also hasn’t been around to lead the past two seasons.
Over or under 5.5 conference wins for Tang and Company? Right now, I’m hammering the U. What’s the case for the O? -@jeff_burkhart via X.
K-State is only projected as the favorite in four Big 12 games, according to Bart Torvik. So the under seems like the smart bet.
I hate to declare a team dead after just nine games, but it sure seems like the Wildcats are in for a long season.
If they lose their next two games against Drake and Wichita State, which both look like they will be toss-ups, I hate to think about what the crowd will look like at Bramlage Coliseum for the conference opener against Cincinnati.
But here’s the case for the over: There is a lot of season left. Maybe Tang will get things turned around. K-State didn’t have a great roster last season and still managed to win eight conference games. It’s possible that the Wildcats can push for something close to a .500 conference record again.
Achor and Hawkins were significant offensive contributors to their previous teams. Why does Tang’s system stifle their production? -@shanekrull1 via X.
I don’t know that playing in Tang’s system caused their numbers to go down.
Coleman Hawkins is more or less the same player he was on paper at Illinois. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season. Now he’s at 8.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His scoring is down a bit, but his other numbers are up.
Those stats aren’t worth $2 million. Otherwise there’s not much to criticize there.
Achor Achor went from 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds at Samford to 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds at K-State. That is a big drop off. But was that not to be expected for a player making the jump from a low-major school to the Big 12? Him leaving the team after only playing in seven games is the surprise.
Sometimes it is hard to make the transition to a new team. I think that is what we are seeing here.
Jerome Tang probably isn’t on the hot seat yet. But if things keep getting worse how much is his buyout? - Jeff M. via e-mail.
It would cost K-State $18.7 million to terminate his contract. So you’re right. He’s not on the hot seat.
But his buyout to leave for another job is much less, only $5 million.
Hindsight is always 20/20. But now that the season is over, which QB/OC combo would’ve produced more wins? A. Will Howard + Collin Klein. B. Avery Johnson + Collin Klein. C. Will Howard + Conor Riley. D. Avery Johnson + Conor Riley (status quo and 8 wins was the best we were going to do regardless of combo) -@bph1468 via X.
Keeping Will Howard and Collin Klein together would have given K-State the highest ceiling in 2024.
The best teams in college football have continuity at head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback. Running it back with the same group would have almost certainly yielded the best short-term results for K-State.
But it’s worth pointing out that the Wildcats also went 8-4 in 2023, albeit against a more difficult schedule that featured road games against Missouri and Texas. So it’s not like Howard and Klein were a lock to go undefeated had they stayed together.
It would be fascinating to know how much differently things would have played out this season with Johnson at QB and Klein at offensive coordinator instead of Riley. Things probably would have gone better, simply because Klein had an identity as a play-caller and Riley is still searching to find one.
But it’s impossible to say how much of an upgrade he could have provided.
Will we go into another year with Riley being both offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. I’m concerned with the idea of Riley having to be on the sidelines to motivate his offensive line and worry about calling plays. -@Dar88265793 via X.
I’m not expecting anything to change there.
K-State is hoping that Riley was calling plays from the wrong spot most of the season and a move down to the sideline will help him and the offensive line moving forward.
You’re right, though. Calling plays and coaching a position like the offensive line isn’t easy. Perhaps hiring an extra person to help with the offensive line on game day would help take pressure off a few shoulders.
I’m puzzled by Carver Willis’ decision to enter the transfer portal. Seems odd that a starter on an O-line with a pretty good reputation would head out the door with only one season of eligibility left. Any insights on this? Also, why do you think Tre Spivey hit the portal just when he appeared to be making a name for himself? -Kirk Z. via e-mail.
Carver Willis is the most surprising transfer that Chris Klieman and the Wildcats have lost to the portal thus far.
I say that because K-State offensive linemen rarely transfer. Even the backups seem content to develop and wait their turn in Riley’s system, as if it’s still 2005. The people in that position room tend to stay put unless they truly have no path to playing time.
But a starting right tackle from the Big 12 can be valuable on the transfer market.
I’m not saying this is what happened for Spivey or Willis. But most transfers involving key players tend to come down to money. Players want a certain amount of NIL cash and their current schools aren’t always willing to pay that amount. When that is the case those players often choose to explore their options in the transfer portal.
Willis committed to Washington on Thursday. You can’t fault a player for moving to the Big Ten and presumably getting a NIL raise.
Spivey has reportedly been in contact with 25-plus schools already. And he is visiting Iowa State as we speak. He is also in demand.
K-State has mostly done a nice job of retaining the players it really wants to keep. But sometimes players think they are more valuable elsewhere and they move on.
If you became the Baron of Bowls would you use your power to bring back the name of the present day Rate Bowl to being the Copper Bowl or Cactus Bowl? -@scottwildcat via X.
Give me the Cactus Bowl all freaking day.
The old logo they used for that game was amazing. You can’t beat a cactus goal post with a football splitting the uprights.
I wish the women’s basketball team in Bramlage was filled more with fans. Is that due to the non-conference schedule and we’re playing nobody’s yet, expect duke? I hope in big 12 play more fans show up. -@CaoWildcat via X.
Well, if you’re looking for a winner to support right now then the K-State women’s basketball team is definitely the way to go.
Jeff Mittie’s team is off to a strong start this season and ranked in the top 15.
I wouldn’t worry about the crowds. They will come. Basketball season doesn’t truly start in Manhattan until football season ends.
Fans will show up when the K-State women host Kansas, Iowa State, TCU and West Virginia.
Will K-State Football schedule any Big 10 or SEC opponents for Football over the next several years to improve their Strength of Schedule? -@erikmstone via X.
That is unlikely.
Chris Klieman recently said that he wants the Big 12 to play eight conference games instead of nine so every team in the league can add a cupcake opponent to their schedule. I will be very surprised if he changes his mind and schedules a home-and-home series with Georgia.
The College Football Playoff selection committee clearly values the loss column more than anything else. No three-loss teams earned at-large bids into the bracket this year. BYU and Miami both lost two games and were left out in the cold. I still think the Cougars got a raw deal. They beat SMU on the road and finished seven spots behind the Mustangs in the final rankings.
It seems like Indiana and Notre Dame figured out the easiest path to the playoff -- win 11 games.
K-State doesn’t have many non-conference dates to fill in the near future. It doesn’t have much incentive to schedule hard with them.
The K-State WBB squad are playing a yearly game in St. Joe. MBB play most years in T-Mobile. If another team was going to create a home away from home situation who and where should it be? -@scottwildcat via X.
It would be cool to see a football game in Wichita.
Too bad they don’t have a stadium. If the Wildcats ever bring back the spring game they could probably play it at the minor league baseball stadium there.
Long time reader, first time e-mailer. Mailbag question: In light of the news at Chapel Hill, hypothetically, what current or former NBA/NFL coach do you think would do well or at least be fun at K-State? -Garrett S. via e-mail.
Mike Ditka.
Not only did he lead the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl in 1985, he also helped the Tigers win a little league soccer championship in the movie “Kicking and Screaming.” A national championship in college football would look great on his resume.
Is it true that they had to cancel the national chocolate milk championship when Call Hall entered because it was no longer a competition of who had the best chocolate milk in all of the land? -@ItzNatiiv via X.
Would you believe my kids get to take regular field trips to Call Hall?
Talk about a fun day at school.
Greetings Kellis and Merry Christmas! The 2024 Big 12 football season was a shocker....The Cats were picked to finish much higher than they did and lost to teams they should have beaten. What are your thoughts on how the 16 Big 12 teams will play out from 1st to last in 2025? -@rcst2msn via X.
I can tell you right now that Baylor will get my first-place vote in the Big 12 preseason poll.
The Bears won their final six games of the season and figure to bring back most of their key talent. They should be the team to beat next season.
Other teams I like moving forward: Arizona State, Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech.
I want to see the transfers that K-State brings in before I make any predictions about the Wildcats. But they could be contenders next season if they add the right pieces.
Colorado is probably the biggest wild card in the conference. Where do the Buffaloes go after losing Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders?
Kansas is also a big question mark, even with Jalon Daniels coming back.
Teams that probably won’t be any good: Arizona, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats Q&A: Jerome Tang, basketball problems, football transfers and more."