K-State Media Day: Coach Jerome Tang Gives High Praise To 'Quarterback' Transfer

Kansas State coach Jerome Tang marveled about his transfer class entering this season.

Zain Bando | 21 Hours Ago

Kansas State coach Jermone Tang applauds his team during the first half of Tuesday's Sunflower Showdown against Kansas inside Bramlage Coliseum. / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Kansas State Wildcats

Despite Kansas State not being the vocal point of Big 12 preseason expectations, coach Jerome Tang likes who he has brought in from the transfer portal this season.

Tang enters his third season in Manhattan in an attempt to return to the NCAA Tournament. To do so in the world of NIL, limited availability and an emphasis on NBA Draft stock, Tang went for the jugular. This offseason, Tang lured away guard Coleman Hawkins from Illinois for his graduate year. Hawkins was one of five transfer additions, adding depth to an experienced roster.

Tang said Wednesday he is impressed with Hawkins' on-court adaptability, plus adjusting to a new environment.

"To get Coleman Hawkins, who's one of the most versatile players in the country, [who] can guard multiple positions and offensively play multiple positions," Tang said. "He's a 6-10 quarterback. It's like having another point guard out on the floor. He gets his joy watching his teammates score and delivering passes to him. So, he's fun to play with."

Last season, Hawkins helped Illinois to its first Elite Eight appearance since 2005. He said he understands Tang's system thus far and wants to find new wrinkles in his game to improve his eventual draft stock.

"Coach Tang never made any promises to me," Hawkins said regarding his decision to play for him. "He never told me that, you know, you're guaranteed a starting spot. You're guaranteed 40 minutes, 35 minutes a game, whatever it was. Just the blueprint he had for me. He had some efficiency things that he felt like the usage wasn't right at Illinois. I mean, it's no knock on them, but he felt like he could exploit those things and use me in many different ways."

The Wildcats open the season Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET, hosting New Orleans.