The Wildcats are emerging as a major player in the 2026 recruiting class with four-star Sam Funches officially visiting Kansas State late this summer, adding to an impressive lineup of frontcourt targets.
Funches, the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 7 center nationally in the 2026 class, has set an official visit to Kansas State for Aug. 29, according to multiple reports.
The 6-foot-11, 215-pound prospect has a busy fall with visits scheduled to Vanderbilt (Aug. 1), Xavier (Aug. 22), TCU (Sept. 19), Mississippi State (Sept. 26), Gonzaga (Oct. 3), and LSU (Oct. 10).
𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: Sam Funches, the No. 99 overall recruit in the national 2026 class, tells @247Sports he has scheduled the following official visits:
— Brandon Jenkins (@BJenkins247) July 18, 2025
𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 https://t.co/mgbL4FPymO pic.twitter.com/KyMBU4EMXw
Funches holds nearly 30 Division I offers and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top interior prospects. He’s known for his physicality in the paint, strong rebounding instincts, rim protection, and soft touch around the basket.
His skill set aligns closely with what Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang seeks in the frontcourt.
Tang has emphasized toughness and agility in his big men, and Funches fits that mold. The Wildcats have also offered Ethan Taylor, Missouri’s top player and the No. 3 center in the 2026 class, who visited Manhattan earlier this summer.
Kansas State still has open scholarship spots for the 2025 recruiting class as it looks to rebuild and strengthen its roster.
After missing the NCAA tournament two years in a row, Tang enters the 2024–25 season under pressure to turn things around.
The Wildcats return only three scholarship players — David Castillo, Mobi Ikegwuruka, and Taj Manning — and leaned heavily on the transfer portal this offseason to bolster the lineup.
Key additions include Nate Johnson (Akron), last season’s MAC Player of the Year; Marcus Johnson (Bowling Green), who averaged 16.2 points per game; and PJ Haggerty (Memphis), a second-team All-American known for his scoring.
Other newcomers include Khamari McGriff (UNC Wilmington), Abdi Bashir (Omaha), international signees Elias Rapieque and Andrej Kostic, and 6-foot-11 JUCO transfer Stephen Osei, who is expected to redshirt.
Kansas State finished last season 16–17 overall and 9–11 in Big 12 play, tied for ninth in the conference — a record Tang and his staff are determined to improve.
With top prospects like Funches on their radar, the Wildcats are hoping to accelerate their rebuild and return to postseason contention sooner rather than later.