Greener pastures might await former Wildcats star after transfer portal move

Former Kansas State men's basketball forward Elias Rapieque entered his name into the transfer portal last weekend, becoming the final member of the last season's team opting out of head coach Casey Alexander's first-year vision for the program. Following the decision, he'll aim to prove it was the right move.

Elias Rapieque’s transfer portal move: context and implications

The window for this season's transfer portal closes at midnight on April 21, leaving little time for players still considering their options. Rapieque, however, has already made that decision with no indication he is reconsidering the move.

Rapieque spent the entirety of his care with Kansas State, albeit just one season, under head previous head coach Jerome Tang. He later played under interim head coach Matthew Driscoll following Tang's "for cause" dismissal. Now that former Belmont head coach Casey Alexander, Rapieque has entered the portal.

During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 46% from the field. Wherever he lands, his talent makes him a reliable rotation piece at his next destination.

Wildcats implications without Rapieque

There's already been a number of moves bringing in new forwards, the same position that Rapieque played last season. That includes Georgetown transfer Isaiah Abraham, Oregon transfer Dezdrick Lindsay, and most recently Miami transfer Timotej Malovec.

Would Rapieque have chosen to stay, the competition for a starting role would have been crowded. Was it in his best interest to transfer? Only he can answer that question.

His departure, however, opens the door to new names and faces. That includes Devin Hutcherson who's committed to the Wildcats out of high school in the class of 2027, and the aforementioned others.

Options that exist for Rapieque

Just because he's out at Kansas State doesn't mean that Rapieque isn't capable of competing at the Power Four Level. If the trend follows, he could become the third member of last season's team to commit to a school at that level.

Among that group are P.J. Haggerty and Taj Manning, with Manning choosing to remain in the conference and sign with Iowa State. Haggerty, however, will play for Texas A&M in the SEC next season.

Rapieque's options aren't limited, either. He'd make a great fit on a roster fit for a rebuild, such as Cincinnati or Creighton. Similar to Kansas State, both the Bearcats and Bluejays are navigating coaching changes. Cincinnati hired former Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun, who's name originally surfaced in the Kansas State search.

Rerouting to the mid-major level is also a possibility, and could see Rapieque land on a roster in a conference like the A-10. No current reports indicate that he's a favorite to land anywhere specific.

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