Why Jerome Tang is ‘fired up’ for his first Big 12 Tournament with Kansas State

For years, Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew has floated the idea of playing the Big 12 Tournament in a new location.

Why? Well, it’s not like he has something against Kansas City. He enjoys playing in front of packed crowds at T-Mobile Center as much as the next coach. Thing is, very few of those fans ever show up wearing green and gold. In Drew’s mind, any school located more than a short drive away is at a disadvantage this time of year.

Perhaps there is a reason why only Kansas, Iowa State and Missouri have won the Big 12 Tournament during non COVID years going back to 2006.

“In the past, I have been on his side on that one,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said earlier this week. “But, man, there is no greater place to have a Big 12 Tournament than in Kansas City. What a great basketball city with all the restaurants and the location and everything. I am so fired up about that.”

Funny how a change of scenery altered Tang’s mind on that topic.

After spending the past 19 seasons by Drew’s side as an assistant coach at Baylor, Tang is now eager to see what kind of fan support the Wildcats will receive this week in Kansas City.

“I’m fired up because this is the first time I feel like we have a home-court advantage in Kansas City,” Tang said. “The other 19 times I’ve been there we didn’t have a home-court advantage. So I’m fired up about our fans being there. We have the best fans in America and I know they’re going to show up in Kansas City and have a great time.”

Tang got a taste of what it’s like to play in front of a friendly crowd at T-Mobile Center earlier this season when K-State hosted a nonconference game there against Nebraska.

A decent chunk of Huskers fans showed up, but the vast majority of the arena was purple.

The crowd was so large and loud that Tang gave the arena a 180-degree look after he walked onto the floor.

“I was blown away,” Tang said. “I remember the guys coming back into the locker room after we got through our first round of warmups and they were like, ‘Coach, it’s like a NCAA Tournament game out there.’ I was like, ‘No way.’ I didn’t expect it. Then I walk out there and I pretended I was trying to get something so I could turn a full circle. I didn’t want to look silly with my mouth open.”

K-State went on to beat Nebraska 71-56 and Tang was giddy afterward.

That was the day he started his postgame tradition of dancing to the “Wabash Cannonball” with fans after victories. He wouldn’t mind doing that again when K-State plays its first game of the Big 12 Tournament against TCU at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.

“To know that we could have something like up there, I’m ecstatic,” Tang said. “It’s going to be fun.”