P.J. Haggerty ranked among the nation’s top scorers throughout the 2025-26 season. His Kansas State tenure ended with a 27-point performance against BYU in the Big 12 Tournament; fittingly, a snapshot of his time in Manhattan.
Haggerty was one of several Wildcats to hit the transfer portal, alongside David Castillo, Taj Manning and Abdi Bashir Jr. Now, Kansas State is faced with replacing that kind of production, and the bigger question is whether it even can.
Where Kansas State could struggle replacing P.J. Haggerty, other leading scorers
The fourth-year junior ended his first and only season with the Wildcats averaging 23.4 points per game, a mark good enough for third in the nation ahead of the NCAA tournament. Following Arkansas' postseason matchups, he was surpassed by Darius Acuff Jr., who ended with 23.5.
Haggerty made 31 starts for Kansas State, all of which ended with him logging double figure scoring totals. Of those, only eight appearances saw fewer than 20 points. As for the rest of the team, it's fair to say he didn't have much help.
PJ Haggerty is hitting the transfer portal and will look for his fifth school for his final year of eligibility.
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) April 6, 2026
He averaged 23.4 PPG for K-State, being named an AP Honorable Mention All-American, Big 12 Transfer of the Year (AP), and Big 12 Second-Team (AP)#KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/aP3wVrzg6B
He wasn't just one of the nations frontrunners, he was far and away one of Kansas State's primary offensive option. Haggerty led the Wildcats in scoring in 18 straight games, spanning from Dec. 18 against South Dakota through March 3 against West Virginia, a streak longer than any single player in the Big 12 Conference last season.
He also joined Nate Johnson as one of two Wildcats to score 30 or more points in the team’s second home win over Baylor. It marked the first time since 2008 that two Kansas State players had reached that milestone in the same game
And when you lose a starter with that kind of impact, it doesn't just put the world on notice that he's in the portal, it puts eyes on how the program is going to replace him. For first-year head coach Casey Alexander, the answer is likely the transfer portal.
Who Kansas State could target to replace Haggerty at point guard
There are plenty of options on the table for Alexander and the Wildcats in looking for a new point guard. For starters, you could look into who the former Belmont coach flipped in recruiting. That conversation starts with Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson.
Both Hutcherson and Alexander are seniors in the Class of 2026, and are currently committed to play for Kansas State starting next season. Both initially had plans to play for Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference.
According to 247Sports, Alexander is listed as a point guard. Hutcherson, however, played the role of a small forward. Given his size, a shift into the role wouldn't be unheard of, but would take some development. That leaves the second option: pursuing a point guard in the portal.
Plenty of options are still available should the Wildcats choose that route, including former BYU starter Rob Wright III, Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, even former Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson; and the best part, that's only a few of them.
Johnson has already drawn interest from in-state rival Kansas, along with other Big 12 schools, which comes as no surprise given he is one of the conference’s top talents currently in the portal. If Kansas State wants to steal him away, it's likely going to cost more than they might be willing to pay.
As for Haggerty, he'll play for his fifth school in five years entering his last season of eligibility. At the time of publication, there's no indicated favorite for where he might land.
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