DAYTON, Ohio (AP) – Whenever John Collins mentions that he plays for Wake Forest, he usually gets a question about his famous coach. Everybody wants to know about Danny and The Miracles .
Danny Manning led Kansas to the 1988 national title, knocking off Kansas State along the way. He’s got Wake Forest (19-13) back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, facing K-State again.
“It’s always brought up when I talk to anybody,” Collins said on Monday. “People find out I play for coach Manning, and that’s the first thing that pops up.”
It’s a hot topic again as Manning’s current team gets ready to play Kansas State (20-13) in the First Four on Tuesday night. The winner will play Cincinnati in Sacramento.
“We had a lot of fun when I was at Kansas, and we’re looking forward to hopefully having a long run in this tournament,” said Manning, in his third season as the Demon Deacons’ coach.