Kstate

Social Media Reactions to Kansas State Basketball Being in Last Place

Unfortunately, K-State men's basketball is currently in last place in the Big 12 standings, and social media reactions have been plentiful.
Ryan Kay|
Kansas State Wildcats head coach Jerome Tang gets a technical. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images
Kansas State Wildcats head coach Jerome Tang gets a technical. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

In this story:

Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State is currently 1-8 and in last place in the Big 12. Here is a look at the social media reactions to the Wildcats' performance during their eight-game losing streak out of the last nine games.

With a record of 1–8 in the Big 12 and 10–12 overall, Kansas State's men's basketball team is at the bottom of the league. What people are saying on social media has changed from anger to confusion and calls for a coaching change, especially after Iowa State beat them 95–61 at home.

Jacob Pullen, who is a K-State legend and the school's all-time top scorer, had the most "viral" moment. People liked the post that he shared on X (formerly Twitter), basically saying that it's hard to watch, honestly. When Iowa State beat K-State at home by 35 points, he never thought he would see the day.

Fans have come together around the idea that the program appears to be fractured if well-known and respected former Wildcats are upset about the direction of the program. However, many people on social media don't agree with paying head coach Jerome Tang's $18.7 million buyout when that money can be used for recruiting.

The "Fire Tang" camp continues to grow, as many fans want him fired because the team has been getting worse since they made it to the Elite Eight in 2023. There are jokes about the "Manhattan Project" of raising money for the buyout, which happens when fans who financially support the program react by saying how much it would cost to fire him but also want the program to be on a solid financial footing.

A lot of people didn't like Jerome Tang's press conference following Iowa State's victory. His statement, "I'm not disappointed at all," went viral for the wrong reasons. Fans on Reddit and X thought this meant there wasn't any sense of urgency or "toxic positivity" after a major loss in a feud.

There are rumors in the locker room that people on social media have been interpreting players' body language too literally, especially for Andrej Kostic. This has caused a lot of talk about the "internal friction" and "locker room distractions" that Tang hinted at. However, there is no proof or "reliable" reporting from trusted sources to back these claims.

The transfer class, led by PJ Haggerty, was ranked fourth in the country by 247 Sports, and he and the other transfers for this season were projected to help K-State be one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season. Memes have circulated through social media making fun of the "Top Five NIL" budget that has the team currently in last place because the transfers have not led them to many wins in conference play.

Here are some of the social media posts from fans, media personalities, opposing fanbases, and more about the current state of K-State basketball.

Here are the specific social media posts pertaining to head coach Jerome Tang.

Opposing fanbases are also giving their opinions as well.

More from Kansas State On SI

Stay up to date with the Wildcats by bookmarking Kansas State On SI and follow us on Twitter. 

Published
Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.

Home/Basketball