Kansas State's Jerome Tang Used This Analogy To Describe Team's Rebounding Issues
Rebounding has been a concern for Kansas State, as evidenced by ranking 14th overall in the conference.
So it's no surprise Wildcats coach Jerome Tang brought it back up before the team hosts Drake (9-0) Tuesday night. Tang used a boxing analogy to illustrate the rebounding issues, saying it's not enough to play defense if they can't come away with the possession.
“It’s not over when we contest the shot, we gotta go get the rebound," Tang said. "Otherwise, we’re gonna get knocked out. We’ve been throwing the punch contesting the shot, but we haven’t been finishing the play.”
St. John's outrebounded the Wildcats 51 to 40, including nine offensive boards alone by forward Zuby Ejiofor. These created second-chance opportunities for the Red Storm, which Kansas State couldn't reciprocate in the second half.
It's essential for the Wildcats to improve against the Bulldogs on Tuesday night.
ACHOR ACHOR'S DEPARTURE CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER K-STATE PLAYERS
Kansas State took a loss with the sudden departure of forward Achor Achor, who was anticipated to be a major transfer acquisition.
Luckily, coach Jerome Tang says the team prepared for these situations. He is encouraged by the new opportunities presented to players like Taj Manning and Mobi Ikegwuruka, who will step up amidst Achor's exit.
“It opens up the opportunity for a lot of guys," Tang said. "It also gets people’s attention. Love Achor and wish him the best, but one of the things I said is that one of the goals this summer was to have an abundance. So that if you lost a player or two, you still had enough to accomplish what you wanted to accomplish.”
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.