Kansas State men's basketball take another hit as star player turns pro

The Wildcats lose yet another veteran from their quad, this time not to the transfer portal though, to the NBA. Arthur Kaluma officially declared for the NBA draft on Wednesday, April 25 marking the fifth K-State player to leave the team.

Kaluma is the fourth starter to leave the Wildcats either through the NBA Draft or the transfer portal. The Wildcats have now lost all three players of the Wildcats Big Three in Kaluma, Cam Carter, who transferred to LSU, and Tylor Perry, who graduated and went to the NBA Draft.

The Creighton transfer announced his decision via social media on Wednesday thanking his coaches and players for helping him get to where he is. He gave Jerome Tang a lot of praise and thanks for giving him the chance to "play in the best conference in college basketball."

Losing Kaluma will give the Wildcats a new look next season as they have brought in two transfers so far in the offseason. Tang has been active in recruiting through the portal landing Michigan transfer Dug McDaniel and CJ Jones out of Illinois-Chicago. Kaluma could have been the focal point of the Wildcats' offense with McDaniel and Jones, but now Tang will have to rethink a few things.

In his time at Kansas State, Kaluma averaged 14.4 points per game, 2.0 assists, and 7 rebounds. He also shot 42.7% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the arc. With his size and ability to shoot the ball well, Kaluma could be a good addition to any NBA roster, but he could have also benefitted from another year in college to refine his skills.