Jerome Tang on Transfer Portal Losses: ‘The Ones We Wanted to Stay, Stayed’
While Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats have done an impressive job of rebuilding their roster through the transfer portal ahead of the 2024-25 season, many fans became concerned with the amount of portal losses the team suffered.
Tang put the concerns to rest at a recent appearance in Manhattan in which he stated that he understood the reason for players leaving and that the “ones [they] wanted stayed.”
Tang started by mentioning the team’s work this offseason and reminded fans of their intentions by saying, “We want to compete for a national championship, and I think we have a great group that starts that, just not a lot of margin for error. The goal is to add to that so we can have a margin for error and be one of the 10 best teams in the country.”
The Wildcats head coach then addressed some recent departures from the program, with the team featuring just three returners heading into the upcoming season. With Arthur Kaluma participating in the NBA Draft process and currently entered in the transfer portal, the team could add one more returner if things work out with the former All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
“Once a young person gets here, they really don’t want to leave,” Tang told the Kansas City Star’s Kellis Robinett. “Sometimes it’s in their best interest for them to leave, which is what happened this year. But the ones we wanted to stay stayed. It’s hard on the fans because they want to get to know kids and watch them grow, but we have got impatient parents and impatient administration. It is what it is. Coaches are out here getting fired after two years, even when they win. That’s tough. We are all on year-to-year contracts.”
Jerome Tang is one of many head coaches experiencing immense departures, but with the constantly changing climate of college basketball, the Wildcats have filled their losses with players like Michigan’s Dug McDaniel, Samford’s Achor Achor, Villanova’s Brendan Hausen, and many more.
