![]() “We surpassed the epectations I had,” Tang said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. But not even the longtime Baylor assistant could imagine how quickly, and how high, he would have the Wildcats soaring. Tang kept using the term “elevate” when he was hired to replace Bruce Weber a year ago. And you know, we still have a lot to prove.” “He's the reason we play with so much love and joy. “I mean, I'm just happy to see Coach Tang and our team having so much success,” says Markquis Nowell, their All-American guard. This is a coach who can be found posted up on a purple sofa delivered to random spots around campus, from dining halls to the engineering building, so that he can chat with students going about their everyday lives. Chants of “Eff K-U” during home games, the epitome of a long-standing inferiority complex toward their bitter rival, replaced by pride-filled shouts of “K-S-U,” much to the relief of a coach who demands 10 pushups every time his players swear. The fan apathy that reached a nadir last spring? Forgotten after eight straight sellouts to end the regular season. ![]() They've already taken down mighty Kentucky and its roster of NBA prospects, and now they will face Tom Izzo and the Spartans - a program synonymous with NCAA Tournament success - under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. One year after taking over a downtrodden program coming off three straight losing seasons, Tang and his upstart Wildcats are preparing to play Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. “I can't, like, get in trouble for something that already happened, right?”
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