Jerome Tang, Kansas State coach between his third season in Manhattan with 11 new players, including eight transfers.

The Wildcats reached the NIT last season, but didn’t have enough depth to advance past the first round. Tang said Monday that he expects his team to be different, but there are still some kinks to iron out before the season opener against New Orleans (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

“I think right now it’s just about going out and playing a game,” Tang said. “I just want to see how we respond and how we can improve a little bit. I still think it takes a certain amount of time to be able to play the game for 30 to 35 minutes the way you want. Part of that is the Conditioning. Part of it is focus. We want to know how many minutes we can play the way we want so we know what we need to work on.

Tang said he noticed things happening to his players the same way compared to his first year. Everything from the arena instructions to the program routines are new for names like Achor Achor. While mistakes may happen, he said his team will continue to adapt if necessary.

Tang confirmed that Archer was absent from the team due to a “family emergency”, but did not comment further on his playing status against the Privateers.

The Wildcats won their only exhibition game on Oct. 29 against Fort Hayes State, which gives a little preview of what’s to come. Turning the page on New Orleans, Tang said it was anything but a breeze.

“They are aggressive toward glass,” Tang said. “They want to force turnovers and speed things up. They do a good job in the half court, forcing you to really work to get a shot. We can’t settle for a first three because they’re going under screens ball. We have to continue to work (on the offensive side).

Kansas State dominated the first few games of the season. He is aiming for his 30th home victory, with a record of 93-27.

Zain Bando is a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be contacted at [email protected] and on Instagram/’X’ @zainbando99.

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