The Kansas State men's basketball team has been selected to play in the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, and Friday, Nov. 21, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
The Cats will be playing in the Classic for the fourth time, but it's their first appearance since 2021. Historically, they've been tournament runners-up twice, most recently losing to No. 13 Arkansas and No. 14 Illinois in their last two appearances.
Kansas State will compete alongside Mississippi State, New Mexico, and former Big 12 rival Nebraska in next year's event.
It will be the first appearance for both the Bulldogs and the Lobos, and the second time participating for the Cornhuskers.
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team remains a work in progress under Head Coach Jerome Tang, who has seen the majority of the roster turn over following the end of the season. The Cats failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, and Tang is firmly on the hot seat.
Kansas State currently returns only three players from last season: point guard David Castillo and forwards Mobi Ikegwuruka and Taj Manning.
However, the Wildcats have recently secured commitments from Akron guard Nate Johnson, the MAC Player of the Year; Abdi Bashir, a 6-foot-7 sophomore guard from Omaha, Nebraska; and Khamari McGriff, a transfer forward from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Kansas State finished the season 16–17 overall and 9–11 in Big 12 play, tying for ninth place in the conference.
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