Kansas State coach Jerome Tang took two calculated dangers this switch portal season. First, Tang saved most of his NIL price range for late within the cycle as a result of his perception was that one of the best gamers accessible could be those testing the NBA Draft waters and thus delaying their selections.
That call paid off in late Might and early June when Tang bought commitments from former Samford massive man Achor Achor and former Kentucky 7-footer Ugonna Onyenso. At that time, all Tang felt like he wanted was a wing. However one of the best gamers within the portal at that place who had declared elected to maintain their names in that draft. So Tang took one other threat. Although it seemed like his beginning frontcourt was set with Achor and Onyenso, Tang determined to pursue former Illinois massive man Coleman Hawkins, who he sees as somebody who can play a number of positions.
Whereas Tang is not going to declare who the starters will probably be, he informed The Athletic on Friday, after Hawkins introduced his dedication, that the Wildcats will play lineups with Onyenso, Achor and Hawkins, which is unquestionably unorthodox when you think about all three began at middle for his or her respective groups final season.
“Did you ever see our 2012 crew at Baylor?” requested Tang, an assistant to Scott Drew for 19 seasons in Waco. “That’s what this crew’s roster buildup appears to be like like.”
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That crew began 6-9, 6-7 and 6-11 gamers up entrance and made the Elite Eight. Tang not solely has Hawkins, Achor and Onyenso, he additionally returns 6-foot-9 energy ahead David N’Guessan, who has began 39 video games at Kansas State. Earlier within the switch window, he additionally landed 6-11 middle Baye Fall from Arkansas, the place Fall noticed restricted motion in his first season.
Hawkins, who made 59 3s final season and averaged 2.7 assists whereas typically serving because the initiator of Illinois’ offense, is the newcomer who makes these super-tall lineups attainable.
“That’s the plan is that he can play the three and play fairly a little bit of time there,” Tang stated, noting Hawkins might additionally see time on the 4 and 5. “Any individual’s gonna have to determine which a type of guys they’re going to protect with who, after which we’re going to have the ability to decide on mismatches.”
The Illini offense was at its finest final season when Hawkins moved to the 4 and performed alongside Dain Dainja. The Illini scored a monstrous 141.4 factors per 100 possessions with these two on the ground collectively, per CBB Analytics.
Illinois operated like one of the best offense within the nation final season at any time when Hawkins was on the ground, however surprisingly his on-off defensive numbers weren’t good. Tang blames a balky knee that had Hawkins working at round 70 % a lot of the season. Hawkins has a repute as defender, in a position to swap throughout a number of positions, and his on-off numbers backed that up in 2021-22 and ’22-23. He additionally has fast arms and has posted good steals totals for a giant man.
The interchangeability of Ok-State’s bigs is one thing Tang is banking on will probably be a power. The Wildcats virtually seem like an old-school Syracuse roster. Jim Boeheim at all times prioritized size for his zone, and Scott Drew adopted an identical mannequin for years at Baylor. The aforementioned 2011-12 Bears performed zone on 46.2 % of their defensive possessions, per Synergy. Tang plans to make use of some zone however says the Wildcats will primarily be a man-to-man crew.
Tang coached the protection at Baylor and his first two groups at Ok-State have thrived on that finish, ending twenty seventh and twenty fifth in adjusted protection at KenPom. The place the Cats struggled final 12 months was on the offensive finish, turning the ball over too typically and taking pictures solely 31.8 % from 3.
Addressing the taking pictures was a precedence, in addition to upgrading the expertise and touchdown “aggressive guys who had larger basketball IQs.” Tang added three wings within the portal — Brendan Hausen (from Villanova), Max Jones (from Cal State Fullerton) and CJ Jones (from Illinois-Chicago) — who all shot above 38 % from 3 final season.
Ok-State spent early within the portal cycle to handle its want for shot creators, touchdown former Michigan level guard Dug McDaniel, who averaged 16.3 factors and 4.7 assists final season. It additionally prioritized four-star level guard David Castillo within the early recruiting cycle and bought a dedication from him final April. That set Tang’s 2024-25 perimeter early within the portal season. Along with the NBA Draft resolution issue, he waited to spend on his frontcourt as a result of he thought different faculties would run out of funds and there’d be much less competitors.
It labored out. The marketplace for Hawkins, particularly, was not as sturdy as it will have been had he hit the portal early. Tang believes his playmaking skill ties the roster collectively. Hawkins, who averaged 12.1 factors per recreation, has six video games with 20-plus factors in his profession and dropped a career-high 30 factors in opposition to Iowa final season.
“He’s not a man who has to attain numerous factors, however he impacts successful in numerous alternative ways and he can rating,” Tang stated. “There a lot to love. He’s such an clever participant. Performs with ardour and emotion. You by no means should get him up for a recreation. I like youngsters that you just gotta like type of rein again relatively than those you bought to fire up.”
Together with his skill to cross, shoot and deal with at 6-10, Hawkins has been a prospect NBA groups have eyed for a number of years. He would have been a borderline second-rounder within the 2024 draft. Tang pitched Hawkins that if he’s in a position to bump up his productiveness and switch Ok-State again right into a winner, then his inventory will possible rise.
“When you’re as wholesome as you presumably could be in March, then we are able to make a deep run,” Tang stated.
Two years in the past, Tang constructed his roster round Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell, drawing skepticism as as to whether his crew had sufficient firepower. These Cats made the Elite Eight.
This time he’ll draw skepticism {that a} three-big lineup can really work, however Tang talks like he’s not scared to go that route and even believes it’ll be a power.
“On the finish of the sport, when all people’s drained, 6-10 continues to be 6-10,” he unhappy. “Seven foot continues to be 7-foot. That’s what I like.”
(Picture: Steven Branscombe / USA As we speak)