Kansas State coach Jerome Tang did not mince words when talking about what it meant to him to beat Kentucky in the Round of 32 and advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Markquis Nowell scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half to help Kansas State defeat Kentucky, 75-69. The team advances to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.

"We have a program that’s rich in tradition also," Tang told reporters after the game, via WLKY. "All those old dudes that played for Kentucky, they ain’t coming back, right? So, tradition does not help you if you don’t get out on the floor and play with some dudes. We had more dudes than they had today. That’s what that was."