K-State’s Jerome Tang ‘had no intentions’ of starting Dug McDaniel. Why he did it anyway
By Kellis Robinett – The Wichita Eagle (TNS)
Dec. 31—Manhattan
It’s no secret that Jerome Tang and Dug McDaniel have an icy relationship.
Tang has probably used more tough love on his point guard this season than he has with any other player during his three-year coaching stint with the Kansas State men’s basketball team.
McDaniel arrived at K-State last spring as a high-profile transfer from Michigan, but he has failed to live up to expectations. So much so that it has been difficult for him to earn a spot in the starting lineup. Last time out against Wichita State, Tang benched McDaniel after just five minutes.
No wonder Tang describes his bond with McDaniel as “good” but not “great.”
With that in mind, it came as a major surprise when Tang gave McDaniel his second start of the season for K-State’s conference opener against Cincinnati. But the strategy paid dividends when McDaniel helped the Wildcats pull off a 70-67 upset by scoring 17 points and sending out two assists on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
“He just adds swag,” Tang said afterward. “Look at his speed. I think (Cincinnati senior) Day Day Thomas is one of the fastest guards in the country and those guys were off balance because of his speed. He gave the other guys confidence. The coach in me is going to see his turnovers, but all the other things he did made the game easier. And he was locked in defensively.”
McDaniel must have done something special in practice to earn that kind of opportunity from his coach, right?
Well, sort of.
Here is what makes Tang’s decision to start McDaniel against Cincinnati even more interesting than it appeared on the surface: He didn’t want to do it.
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” Tang said. “I had no intentions of starting Dug.”
Tang said he didn’t like McDaniel’s body language during practice over the weekend and he was downright mad about it. But when he brought it up during a meeting with his coaching staff, one of his assistants had the ultimate contrarian idea.
Why don’t we just start him? That’s what he wants. Maybe we’ll get more buy-in from him.
At first, Tang hated the suggestion. It ticked him off. Tang didn’t think McDaniel deserved to be in the starting lineup when other point guards like David Castillo and CJ Jones were working harder than him behind the scenes.
But the word “deserve” stuck with him. There is a Bible verse that Tang likes to use to motivate his team that mentions the term “undeserved privilege.” It’s something he thinks all of humanity benefits from, and in this instance it struck a chord with him. Maybe putting McDaniel in the starting lineup would bring out the best in him.
Tang prayed on the idea and ultimately felt like he was being called to start McDaniel against Cincinnati.
So that is what he did, saying it wasn’t “a great coaching move.”
“Dug is a really good player, and he can continue to get better,” Tang said. “I’m very thankful that God slapped me in the face and challenged me to set my ego aside.”
Tang’s faith in McDaniel was rewarded.
K-State is at its best when McDaniel is locked in. That much was obvious against the Bearcats, even though he committed six turnovers. His ability to score and distribute helped the Wildcats space the floor and get buckets against a stingy defense.
“We’re definitely a well put together team when he’s out on the floor,” K-State wing Max Jones said. “I feel like he’s a leader in all aspects of the game. So it was definitely good to see him out there.”
McDaniel may not have deserved to start in the eyes of his coach, but he pushed himself to take advantage of the opportunity.
With the win, K-State (7-5, 1-0 Big 12) gave itself reason to hope after a dismal start the to season. Perhaps the Wildcats can build off a game like this, especially if McDaniel stays in the starting lineup.
“I definitely challenged myself,” McDaniel said. “A big part of it was my team challenged me. They were just telling me they need me. In order to go far I have got to lock in. I don’t want to let them down. So I just took that upon me to be better for them, overall.”
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