Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang didn’t sugarcoat anything after his team’s 91-62 blowout loss at home to Cincinnati - and honestly, it’s hard to blame him.
“This was embarrassing,” Tang said postgame, visibly frustrated. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year.
I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans and our student section. It’s just ridiculous.”
That’s not just a coach venting. That’s a coach watching his team get outworked, out-hustled, and outshot in front of a home crowd that’s seen more than its fair share of disappointment this season.
Cincinnati, now 13-12 overall and 5-7 in Big 12 play, torched the nets for 16 made threes - the second-most Kansas State has ever given up in a single game. That kind of perimeter barrage would be tough for any team to overcome, but the Wildcats didn’t exactly help themselves. One moment in particular had Tang boiling: a missed Bearcats free throw that turned into a dunk, after Kansas State failed to box out.
That’s not just a lapse in execution - that’s a lack of effort. And Tang made it clear he’s had enough.
“We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow,” he said flatly. “I have no answers or no words.
Y’all got two questions, so whoever wants to ask two questions, I’ll answer ’em to the best of my ability right now. But right now, I’m pissed.”
It’s been a brutal stretch for the Wildcats. Now sitting at 10-14 overall and 1-10 in conference play, they’re tied for last in the Big 12 with Utah. This latest defeat was their third straight home loss by at least 24 points - a stat that speaks volumes about where this team is mentally and physically.
Tang didn’t hold back when talking about what it means to wear the Kansas State uniform - and how, in his eyes, too many players on this roster aren’t living up to that standard.
“None of that crap matters, man,” he said. “These dudes have to have some pride, man.
It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, man.
Our university’s all about that, and it’s why I love this place, man. They don’t love this place, so they don’t deserve to be here.”
This isn’t just frustration over a single game. It’s the culmination of a season that’s spiraling fast - and for a coach who’s already taken this program to an Elite Eight (back in 2023), it’s a gut punch.
Tang is in his fourth season at the helm, with a 71-56 record that includes some big-time wins and memorable moments. But this year is trending toward being his first losing campaign, and the cracks are showing.
Wednesday night, the frustration wasn’t just on the court or in the locker room - it was in the stands, too. Several fans showed up wearing paper bags over their heads, a not-so-subtle protest of the team’s slide. Tang, to his credit, didn’t dismiss them.
“I’d wear a paper bag, too, if I was them,” he said before walking out of the press conference.
It was a raw, unfiltered moment from a coach who clearly cares - about the program, the fans, the school. But caring only gets you so far.
The question now is whether this team can regroup, show some pride, and finish the season with something to build on. Because right now, Kansas State basketball is in a tough spot - and Jerome Tang knows it better than anyone.