![Feb 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard PJ Haggerty (4) dribbles against Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and guard Milos Uzan (7)] in the first half at Fertitta Center.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_633,w_4223,h_2375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/172/01khfv9zetf7p3wyxfjg.jpg "Feb 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard PJ Haggerty (4) dribbles against Houston Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp (21) and guard Milos Uzan (7)] in the first half at Fertitta Center.")
Kansas State tipped off against the No. 3 Houston Cougars on Saturday at the Fertitta Center with something missing. The names on the back of their jerseys were gone, but Tang's message remained: play for the name on the front, not the one on the back.
Jerome Tang, Wildcats explain why the team went 'nameless' on the road
Following the game, Wildcats’ head coach Jerome Tang, starting guard Nate Johnson and a currently-injured Abdi Bashir Jr. addressed how the team made the decision, and the reasoning behind it.
“As we all know, we’re all here to play for K-State,” Johnson said. “I feel like when we played Cincinnati that we didn’t show that we were like unity.”
Johnson said the decision, made by Tang sometime between Wednesday’s loss to Cincinnati and tipoff against Houston, was supported by the players.
“As players, we respected it. [We] came out, tried to respond and show that we’re here… and we want to play for K-State.”
After the loss to the Bearcats, Tang’s press conference got some national attention, specifically after the third-year head coach said that “these dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform,” and “there will be very few of them in it next year.”
Here's Jerome Tang's full press conference following its 91-62 loss to Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/DxJMcfUjxQ
— Wyatt Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_) February 12, 2026
According to Bashir, those words served as a reminder, and a wakeup call to play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.
“I thought it was the right message,” Bashir said. "I don’t think coach Tang said anything wrong, [and] I think that people forgot why we’re here. I think we need to be reminded that we’re here to play for K-State and I think [the team] responded the right way.”
What changed, exactly?
Against the Cougars, K-State improved drastically. Three Wildcats’ finished the night in double figures, including Johnson who was the team’s second-leading scorer behind PJ Haggerty.
As a team, K-State shot 35% from the floor and 31% from three-point range, logging 40 or more points in a half for the first time in three games. They matched Houston’s second-half scoring despite the Cougars entering the game as 20+ point favorites, the Wildcats fell short by just 14.
Even though the result wasn’t in the win column, it was the second-closest game against a ranked opponent that the Wildcats have played all season, trailing on the 83-73 home loss to then-No. 10 BYU.
It’s a promising sign ahead of Tuesday’s home game against Baylor.
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