Hoping to bond at Paradise Jam, K-State faces George Washington

Field Level Media|published: Fri 22nd November, 03:32 2024

NCAA Basketball: Champions Classic-Michigan State at Kansas

Nov 12, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) passes around Michigan State Spartans guard Jaden Akins (3) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Kansas State coach Jerome Tang believes there are plenty of reasons to play in an in-season tournament such as the Paradise Jam.

The Wildcats open play in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Friday night against George Washington.

"We get to be together," Tang said Monday when asked about the benefits of the trip. "The weather is going to be nice. There are not a lot of distractions and we get to do some team-building things while we're there. Growing up in the Virgin Islands, I'll have family there, so it will be really cool.

"But it's business, (especially) for the staff. We get to let the guys experience playing in that environment."

The winner will play Sunday against the winner of the first-round game between Liberty (4-1) and Louisiana (1-3), while the losers will play on Saturday.

Kansas State (3-1) is coming off a 74-56 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday. The Wildcats were cold from 3-point range, hitting just 3 of 23 (13 percent) from beyond the arc.

They made up for it by shooting 25-for-27 (92.6 percent) from the free-throw line. That was the second-highest percentage in program history in a game with at least 20 attempts.

The Wildcats won an in-season tournament in the Caribbean (the Cayman Islands Classic) two seasons ago, with a semifinal overtime victory over Nevada and a 61-59 victory over LSU in the championship game. Tang has credited that tournament with building a bond that resulted in a run to the Elite Eight that season.

The Revolutionaries (4-0) have gotten off to a good start thanks to their defense, which has recorded at least nine steals in each of their games. They are second in the Atlantic 10 with an average of 10 steals per game.

George Washington is led by Darren Buchanan Jr., who is scoring 17.3 points and nine rebounds per game, but they have five other players averaging between 13.5 and 9.3 points per game. Buchanan led the Revolutionaries with 20 points in their 84-64 victory over NJIT on Monday.

--Field Level Media