Unexpected heroics propel Kansas State to Final Four contender status

It was uncertain whether the outstanding wing Keyontae Johnson would play again. Markquis Nowell, a dynamic point player, is 5-foot-8 with platforms. Jerome Tang worked his way up from high school to assistant coach for over two decades before receiving his opportunity.

Together, they have not only returned Kansas State to prominence, but also made the Wildcats a Final Four candidate. There is no greater tale in sports than what has transpired in the Little Apple under Tang this winter.

Kansas State is alone atop the ferocious Big 12 and is undefeated at Bramlage Coliseum after snapping a seven-game losing run against in-state rival Kansas on Tuesday for its fifth Quad 1 victory. Kansas State is also unbeaten at Bramlage Coliseum. It has achieved its greatest national rating in a decade and already has three more victories than it had all of last season, which was the third of three consecutive losing campaigns. It is another evidence that it does not take many years to turn around a program, as well as recognition for the great work Tang did in the transfer portal.

In the first half of an NCAA college basketball contest, Kansas State player Keyontae Johnson (11) blocks a jumper by Kansas forward Jalen Wilson (10).

It all begins with Johnson, a 6-foot-6 senior who leads the team in scoring (18.5) and rebounding (7.4) and is shooting an impressive 40.4 percent from outside the arc. In December of barely two years ago, Johnson collapsed on the court while playing for Florida. After being diagnosed with myocarditis, he was placed in a coma for three days.

Last year, Johnson was an honorary assistant coach for the Gators; he was known as “Coach Key.” When school doctors refused to approve him medically, he entered the transfer portal and landed in Manhattan, Kansas, where doctors there cleared him.

Johnson joined transfers Desi Sills (Arkansas State), Nae’Qwan Tomlin (junior college), and David N’Guessan (Virginia Tech) who joined an established core lead by Nowell, the former Arkansas Little Rock star. The 5-foot-8 Harlem native known on social media as Mr. New York City is a two-way force, a ferocious on-ball defender who averages 2.3 thefts per game and a ready passer (8.4 assists).

The 56-year-old Tang has made it all work, transforming Kansas State into a genius for employing him. During his 19-year tenure at Baylor, he assisted Scott Drew in elevating the team to national prominence. And now he’s doing the same thing at Kansas State, winning at a rate no one could have anticipated so quickly.

Eight weeks before to Selection Sunday, it appears as though there will be an intriguing coaching carousel. Texas, Notre Dame, and Georgetown all expected to have openings in their respective programs.

This week, Mike Brey announced his retirement from Notre Dame after 23 seasons. Texas just terminated Chris Beard after his arrest on December 12 for third-degree felony domestic abuse during an incident with his fiancée. And Georgetown, who have lost 29 consecutive league games under Patrick Ewing, will almost probably make a change in the near future.

Pat Kelsey, the coach at College of Charleston, is certain to top numerous lists. After leading Winthrop to five 20-win campaigns in nine years at the Big South institution, he has the Cougars ranked 18th in the nation. In his third season at Iona, legendary coach Rick Pitino has made no secret of his desire for another chance at the big time. Grant McCasland, the head coach of North Texas, is another name to watch. He has won at the Division II, junior college, and Division I levels, worked under Drew at Baylor, and is approaching his sixth 20-win season in seven years as a Division I head coach.

I believe Georgetown is the most intriguing of these colleges for various reasons. At Texas, where basketball will never be ranked first, expectations are through the roof. Notre Dame has not been the same since leaving the Big East, reaching the tournament only once since 2017; yet, as in Texas, football is always the top sport in South Bend.

At Georgetown, the standard is exceptionally low. Ewing has either been unable to retain or win with his greatest players. It is situated in the midst of a fertile recruiting area filled with wealthy supporters who are sick of this once-proud program being a joke. The next coach will have a plenty of resources, and even modest achievements will be lauded in light of the previous debacle.

After successive vic

tories against No. 9 Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas A&M, Kentucky is beginning to creep back into NCAA Tournament contention. The Wildcats, who have a poor 3-5 record in Quad 1 and 2 games, can begin to change their narrative if they defeat the defending national champs in Lexington. Oscar Tshiebwe, the National Player of the Year from the previous season who averages a double-double, has no matchups for Kansas, despite the Jayhawks’ elite-level talent

It is time to include Smart in discussions of National Coach of the Year. In his second season, Marquette is only a half-game behind Xavier in the race for the Big East conference lead and appears to be a serious contender in March. Remember that the Golden Eagles lost three of their top four scorers from last season’s tournament team, including Justin Lewis, Darryl Morsell, and Greg Elliot, and were projected to finish ninth in the league. They have the nation’s most efficient offense (five players averaging double-digit scoring averages) and appear to be even stronger offensively this year.

During the Hoosiers’ current three-game winning streak, the senior forward has moved Indiana back to the middle of the Big Ten standings with three consecutive impressive games. Sunday’s performance against Michigan State at home was his finest to date, with 31 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 assists. The 6-foot-9 southpaw has made significant strides as a facilitator, posting a career-high 3.5 assists in addition to 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Four consecutive invitations to the NCAA Tournament are set to end for the Red Raiders. On Saturday, they dropped to 0-7 in the Big 12 and are without a Quad 1 or 2 victory. Seven of their nine defeats have been by no more than seven points. It is reasonable to question whether Mark Adams’s success last season was a result of inheriting Chris Beard’s players. Fardaws Aimaq, a crucial transfer from Utah Valley State, missed the first 17 games of the season due to a foot ailment. However, Texas Tech still has more than enough skill to be in a lot better position at this stage in the season.

Hopkins was once considered a rising star, and his choice to depart Syracuse would have a negative impact on the program. In his first two seasons as a head coach, he guided Washington to an NCAA Tournament victory and a total of 48 victories. However, this success proved to be temporary. The Huskies have failed to qualify for the postseason for the past three years, and nothing has changed this year. It is 0-5 versus the top half of the Pac-12 and is not even in the top 100 of the NET rankings (112). Recruiting has plummeted since the 2019 class headlined by Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, which was the best ever. With only two years remaining on his contract after this year, Hopkins’ employment could be in jeopardy if the current year continues to decline.

»Unexpected heroics propel Kansas State to Final Four contender status«

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