K-State men’s head basketball coach Jerome Tang wears his religion on his sleeve. At first, I found it admirable, but recent comments from Tang during his press conferences have left me more perplexed than impressed. K-State lost a close game at TCU on Saturday night, blowing a six-point lead in the final three minutes and 14 seconds. TCU went on a 7-0 run to end the game to secure the 63-62 victory.

“I just want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this opportunity that I have to live life with these dudes and guys in the locker room. It’s such a blessing. So thankful for the growth that’s taking place and the opportunities that we have in front of us. This was one heck of a Big 12 basketball game with an incredible environment, and they made one more play than we did.”…Jerome Tang, post-game

JM: K-State missed a huge opportunity to steal a win in Fort Worth. TCU did not play particularly well, shooting 39% from the field for the game, missing on several alley-oop passes, shooting 56% from the free throw line, and getting out-rebounded 47 to 36 by K-State. Down one point with nine seconds left, Jerome Tang called a timeout. Wildcat guard Dug McDaniel got the ball, dribbled, and drove to the basket, missing a layup as time expired. McDaniel got his second start in a row. He played pretty well, scoring 12 points and adding five rebounds and five assists with only one turnover. After the conference opening win against Cincinnati Monday night, Tang revealed that it was God’s choice to start McDaniel in the game, not his….

Jerome Tang speaks on Dug McDaniel getting the start today in the Win over Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/5vlZsZsqZT

— WildcatTakeover (@WildcatTakeover) December 31, 2024

JM: Do I have this right? God told Tang to start McDaniel? This feels like a bit of a cop-out to me. Tang even had a conversation with McDaniel in which he told him it was God’s choice to give Dug an opportunity and start him, not his. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a coach say something like this.

Leaving God out of it for a minute, I question what is going on with McDaniel. He is obviously one of K-State’s most talented players. Why isn’t he the obvious choice to be the starter? Does he not work hard? Does he have issues off the court? Grades? Late to practices? Attitude problems? Tang has not been forthcoming about what is going on. He has only said that he didn’t feel McDaniel deserved to start, but God did. Maybe I am making a bigger deal of this than is warranted, but I find it strange.

“You just have to credit them for playing really good defense.”…Jerome Tang, post-game

JM: This was Tang’s response to a question asking why K-State couldn’t score in the final three minutes and 14 seconds of the game. Isn’t the coaching staff paid to draw up offensive plays or sets that work against a “really good defense?” I wish I could say I was surprised that K-State couldn’t find a way to score, but this has been a recurring issue. Maybe God can show him some good plays to run.

“No, we’ve got good shooters, and we want to shoot the ball. Probably not that many. I thought we settled in the first half. The second half, we decided it wasn’t going to settle. And obviously we had a better shooting performance.”…Jerome Tang, post-game

JM: K-State shot just a season-low 26.3 percent (10-of-38) from the field, including 13.6 percent (3-of-22) from 3-point range, in the first half. Bad shooting nights happen, but letting your team shoot 3-of-22 from three-point range in a half is coaching malpractice.

“We wanted to go fast. And I thought he (Dug McDaniel) made the right decision. He turned on the ball screen and got to the rim. He made, like, probably five of those similar type shots earlier and so and then we had two offensive rebound opportunities. So, I’m living with that.”…Jerome Tang, post-game

JM: The final shot of the game by McDaniel was well-guarded and contested, so I am NOT living with that. And neither should Tang. But let’s talk about another reason that K-State lost the game.

K-State was ahead by one point with 24 seconds left when David N’Guessan was fouled and shot a one-and-one. He missed the front end. TCU rebounded, scoring the go-ahead, and winning, basket. N’Guessan is a terrible free-throw shooter, shooting 54% (27 of 50) on the season. Although he had a good game overall with 10 points and 17 rebounds, if he isn’t going to improve from the line, he should not be on the court at the end of close games because he is a liability.

“It’s the Big 12. If we’d won the game, it’s still the same. You have to flush it, kind of like golfers and tennis players. You know, it’s one point, you move on to the next. It’s one game. We have to move on to the next. We flush it and we start preparation. Preparation starts with treatment and whatever we have to do right now. We don’t get to travel back tonight. So, we have to take care of their bodies, get them food and rest, and start our scout on Oklahoma State.”…Jerome Tang, post-game

JM: K-State has lost 12 consecutive road games, including nine straight in Big 12 play. The last road win by the Wildcats came at West Virginia on Jan. 9, 2024. Does that give you any confidence that K-State will be able to beat Oklahoma State on Tuesday night? God help us.