K-State's Jerome Tang Praises Shakeel Moore And Kansas Jayhawks' Defense
As Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats prepare for their in-state rivals at Kansas, they are gearing up to face one of college basketball's top defensive units.
Kansas ranks near the top 15 in the country in scoring defense, placing at No. 3 in the Big 12. Kansas State coach Jerome Tang detailed what makes the Jayhawks so difficult on that end.
"They really really guard you," Tang said Thursday afternoon. "Very much like Houston. Their double-team screens and their ball-scheme screens are a little different."
Tang referenced the Jayhawks' defensive performances during their three-game win streak, holding Cincinnati and UCF to 40-point games while only letting Arizona State score 13 second-half points last Wednesday. Tang said adding former Mississippi State guard Shakeel Moore helps round out their scheme.
"The addition of Shakeel Moore to the lineup gives you another guy who doesn't need a hedge," Tang said. "He can get over the top of ball screens, he can defeat pin downs, and he's got some competitive toughness to him. So it's both the scheme of what they do but it's also the individuals within the scheme."
The Wildcats are back near the bottom of the conference after four consecutive Big 12 losses, only leading Colorado (0-5 in Big 12) for last place. They head to Kansas Saturday afternoon.
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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