Tang 'wouldn't trade' star point guard for any player in the country
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas State Wildcats used a 24-point performance from junior guard P.J. Haggerty to speed past South Dakota 106-76 Saturday afternoon.
Haggerty has performed well as the No. 2 scorer in the nation, possibly outperforming preseason expectations.
The Memphis transfer scored 24 points in 26 minutes Saturday making baskets at all three levels. He added six rebounds and three assists, showing he can impact in multiple facets of the game.
"He's not just a point [guard]," Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said following his team's victory over South Dakota. "We can play him off the ball just like you can with David Castillo."
"We've got multiple guys like that so it's exciting to see where we can all go together."
That level of efficiency can curate confidence that he can carry into a very tough Big 12, including a conference opener against No. 10 BYU.
Kansas State’s Go-To Guy
This performance marked Haggerty’s eighth game of 20+ points this season. He came into the season as a preseason All-American candidate by various publications and has proved his worth throughout non-conference play.
Following his best shooting performance going 10-of-12 from the field, Tang admitted he wouldn't trade his star point guard for any other in the country.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Tang said. "I think that's probably as much I'd like because there are guys out there that think they have a guard who's the best in the country. All I know is that I wouldn't want anybody else.
"I'm looking forward to watching him continue his improvement in being a point guard and managing the game."
The Wildcats have experiences some hiccups early on this season, recovering from a recent four-game losing streak. Haggerty's growth in diagnoising defenses while building continuity with backcourt mate Castillo will likely stabilize things on both ends of the court as Big 12 play rapidly approaches.
Team feeds off his energy
Haggerty’s performance against Saturday lifted the spirits of teammates aroung him as five other Wildcats scored in double figures. As a team, Kansas State shot north of 60 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three.
His presence helps elevate the offense as a whole, making defenses zero in on where he is on the floor at all times and allows the Wildcats to have multiple offensive threats alongside him.
He has now scored in double figures in each of his first 12 games since arriving in Manhattan, scoring the second-most points (274) in that span behind freshman phenom Michael Beasley's 310 points in that same stretch during the 2007-08 season.
Tang knows the value Haggerty brings to his Kansas State squad, and believes in his leadership qualities can continue to elevate his team's ceiling.
"His care factor, he really cares about his teammates. He cares about winning," Tang said. "He cares about becoming a better player. He wants to get better, wants to improve and grow his game.
"From the outside, he's a good player when he's somewhere else. But, you never know how invested a young man is until he gets here. So, it's been impressive."
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Jacob is a contributor to Kansas State and a seasoned journalist with over eight years of covering college football on digital platforms. He also contributes to Arkansas On SI and has previous writing experience at Saturday Down South and SB Nation. He is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.
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