Jerome Tang thankful (but not surprised) for K-State fan support in difficult season
For the Kansas State men’s basketball team, one of the most gratifying things about a 73-60 victory over West Virginia on Saturday was that it happened in front of a rowdy crowd inside Bramlage Coliseum.
It wasn’t a sellout, but the announced attendance of 9,018 was more than enough to give the Wildcats a home-court advantage. They used it to take a big lead over the Mountaineers and end a six-game losing streak.
“Bramlage was crazy,” K-State guard Max Jones said afterward. “It got pretty loud.”
No one was sure if that would be the case heading into the game. It has been a difficult season for the Wildcats (8-11, 2-6 Big 12) and they played in front of sparse home crowds while students were out of town between semesters.
Jerome Tang was hopeful that would change when students returned to campus last week. But some feared K-State would continue to see empty seats with the team on a prolonged losing skid.
Fans haven’t given up on this team, though. Enough students showed up on Saturday to fill every courtside section, which pushed the empty seats behind the basket on the south end of the arena.
Tang was pumped when he saw the student section.
“I am so thankful to the students,” Tang said. “Man, I walked out and I saw them and my joy tank was full. They really provided great energy for us and allowed us to get off to a great start.”
He was grateful, but not surprised.
“I’m never surprised that the K-State family shows up for each other,” Tang said. “It’s something that I expect. I’m thankful, though. I don’t take it for granted that we have a great fan base and our students are just unbelievable. People drive a long way and they spend a lot of money and time to come here. I just always pray that we give an effort that’s worthy of the sacrifice that they’re making.”
The Octagon Doom is unlikely to reach its full noise potential this season as K-State appears on its way to a losing season. But the Wildcats can expect another solid crowd when they host Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Who knows? Maybe a few more wins will allow them to attract bigger crowds when Arizona and Kansas come to town in February.
K-State has reason to hope after the crowd that showed up against West Virginia.
“It was a great feeling to have fans that engage and are happy for us,” K-State guard Dug McDaniel said. “They take part of their day to come watch us play, so I’m glad we gave them their money’s worth.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Jerome Tang thankful (but not surprised) for K-State fan support in difficult season."