Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang on playing exhibition games
Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang says he prefers closed scrimmages with outside team to preseason exhibition games.
K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN — The wait is over and Kansas State basketball officially gets its 2024-25 season underway tonight against New Orleans at Bramlage Coliseum.
It will be the Wildcats’ third season under coach Jerome Tang, who has restocked the roster with nine Division I and one junior college transfer, plus a freshman and a walk-on to go with three returning players from last year’s 19-15 team.
The Wildcats played their lone exhibition game last week at Bramlage against Fort Hays State, beating the Division II Tigers, 70-56. They were led in that game by guard Brendan Hausen’s 15 points, all on 3-pointers, and forward Coleman Hawkins with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
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Tang started Hawkins, Hausen, returning super-senior forward David N’Guessan, point guard C.J. Jones and forward Achor Achor against Fort Hays State. Jones had nine points and five assists, while N’Guessan scored 10 points with nine rebounds.
Tang said Monday that senior guard Max Jones, who missed the exhibition with a toe injury, should be available for the opener.
New Orleans, which went 10-23 last year, has a new coach in Stacy Hollowell.
K-State still trails New Orleans 27-22 with 7:18 left in the half, but David N’Guessan is doing his part to keep the Wildcats in it with 11 points and eight rebounds. Max Jones has seven, including a pair of 3-pointers.
New Orleans still shooting 52.6% and has made 4 of 6 from 3. K-State shooting an anemic 29.6%, including 3 of 12 3-pointers. So far, the three has not been a strength for the Wildcats.
New Orleans’ James White scores with 11:46 left in the half and is fouled with a chance to complete a three-point play after the media timeout. The Privateers lead K-State, 19-12.
New Orleans is shooting 58% to 31% for K-State.
New Orlreans reeled off nine straight points, forcing Jerome Tang to call timeout. down 17-7.
The Wildcats have responded with a Ugo Onyenson layup and Max Jones 3 to cut it to five.
New Orleans has come out firing, hitting three of its first four 3-point attempts to lead K-State at the first media timeout, 11-7.
David N’Guessan has all seven K-State points on an offensive rebound, a fast break and a rare 3-pointer.
Kansas State’s starting lineup for tonight’s season opener against New Orleans are Max Jones, C.J. Jones and Brendan Hausen at guard, with David N’Guessan and Coleman Hawkins at the forwards.
Jones missed the exhibition against Fort Hays State last week with a toe injury. He replaces Achor Achor, who missed practices this week because of a family emergency.
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Tuesday:
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Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
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