How K-State Fans Reacted To Arizona State Tournament Win Behind Coleman Hawkins
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Kansas State takes another step toward its NCAA Tournament aspirations. They defeated Arizona State in their first Big 12 championship matchup Tuesday night.
We EASILY WON again! UNDISPUTED Coach of the Year Jerome Tang and his Kansas State University Wildcats (the GREATEST team in the country) will TAKE the Big 12, MAKE the NCAA Tournament yet again and in April be NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ! #EMAW #TANGGANG #FIRELINTON #WEOWNTHISCONFERENCE
— Jerome’s Johnson (@CheslorsBurner) March 12, 2025
Coleman Hawkins was relatively quiet after returning from injury. He put up a star performance with 26 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Hawkins set the tone with 15 early points and never turned back.
Coleman Hawkins with 17 points in the first 16 minutes on a fractured tibia
— 785 Sports (@785SportsKSU) March 11, 2025
pic.twitter.com/wypd9OGYO4
Max Jones, Brendan Hausen, and Dug McDaniel scored with 34 combined points on 50 percent shooting from the field.
Wow looks like we can actually play the game of basketball
— Demon Worthy (@demon_worthy) March 12, 2025
Kansas State will play No. 7 Baylor at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night.
K-STATE FORWARD DAVID N'GUESSAN IN LAST GAME AS A WILDCAT
Kansas State forward David N'Guessan couldn't hold back his emotions as he stepped onto Bramlage Coliseum for the final time against Iowa State.
Coach Jerome Tang couldn't either.
"I've just seen him grow his confidence level as a player from his first year to where he is now," Tang said after the Iowa State loss. "Those are the kinds of things that you sign up for as a coach. To watch a kid go through those kinds of evolutions and grow, and tell them there's someplace that I want to help you get to and you can get there if you just stick with it and trust the process."
N'Guessan was the only returning Wildcat in the starting lineup this season, boasting the best season of his career as a fifth-year senior.
"I don't know that I have any other adjectives to describe what he's meant to us," Tang said. "He's just been an incredible human being from the moment we met him. He has a big heart, a very kind spirit and a beautiful family that loves him."
N'Guessan says the Kansas State fanbased "turned into family" over his time in Manhattan, KS.
"These last three years, I just got closer and closer with the people and the community, as well as with the coaching staff and my teammates," N'Guessan said. "Those are relationships I built that will be there for life. I feel like I always have a place to come back to even when I leave college. I'm definitely thankful for that."
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Jayden is a journalism school graduate of Howard University. He was the 2024 recipient of the Terez Paylor scholarship award. He previously worked at the Orlando Sentinel.
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