Kansas State coach Jerome Tang confirmed nothing however class as his group was eradicated from March Insanity 2023 within the Candy 16.
Following the No. 3-seeded Wildcats’ 79-76 upset loss to No. 9-seeded Florida Atlantic at Madison Sq. Backyard Saturday night, Tang visited the Owls’ locker room to supply a congratulatory message.
“Your toughness, your togetherness, your capacity to make performs for one another, the way in which you talk with one another, no person cant beat y’all,” Tang advised Florida Atlantic gamers. “Keep collectively, don’t get distracted between at times. Keep locked in, hold doing what you’re doing.”
Though they didn’t indulge within the label after profitable 35 regular-season video games (essentially the most within the nation) and the Convention USA Match, the Owls have been maybe the NCAA Match’s best Cinderella this 12 months in advancing to the Ultimate 4.
Florida Atlantic knocked off No. 8-seeded Memphis, No. 16-seeded Farleigh Dickinson (who had simply crushed No. 1-seeded Purdue within the first spherical, simply the second time in historical past a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed) and No. 4-seeded Tennessee earlier than ending Kansas State’s run.
The Owls will face the winner of Sunday’s Elite Eight recreation between No. 6 Creighton and No. 5 San Diego State.
“Y’all of the hardest son of a weapons we performed all 12 months lengthy,” Tang concluded his message to the Florida Atlantic locker room.
In his first season as head coach, Tang was instrumental in Kansas State’s unlikely rise.
The Wildcats had not recorded a 20-win season nor completed above .500 since 2018-19, however Tang — together with with breakout star and Harlem native Markquis Nowell and inspirational ahead Keyontae Johnson — turned this system into among the finest tales within the nation.
The 56-year-old Tang bought his begin as a highschool coach and served as an assistant coach at Baylor for practically twenty years earlier than lastly getting his probability as a head coach this 12 months.
Tang helped elevate Baylor into among the finest applications within the nation, profitable the nationwide championship with the group in 2021.
He instantly did the identical with Kansas State, succeeding past most affordable expectations.
And in defeat, he’s seemingly making an attempt to raise his opponents as effectively.