No preseason hype or midseason projection could have prepared anyone for how badly Kansas State has fallen this season. It's gotten to a point where students are wearing paper bags and calling for a buyout.
But even with the current state of things in The Little Apple, three players are doing everything they can to keep a struggling Wildcats team from completely going off the rails.
Jerome Tang: "I'd wear a paper bag too if I was them." (h/t @WyattWheeler_) pic.twitter.com/CzzkXnORjv
— Tejay Cleland (@KWCHTejay) February 12, 2026
PJ Haggerty, senior guard
Calling PJ Haggerty the saving grace of K-State this season would be an understatement. The senior from Memphis isn’t just scoring points, he’s carrying the team.
In Wednesday night’s win over Cincinnati, Haggerty scored 24 points, three times as many as the team’s next-leading scorer. He led the Wildcats in the scoring column in each of the last 13 games, ranking second in all of Division I at 23.3 points per game and trailing only BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa.
It’s not just the offense where he’s shining, either. He regularly logs 30 or more minutes in every game, the lone exception this year being nonconference wins over South Dakota and Mississippi Valley State.
Against the Bearcats, he shot 61% from the field, logged three rebounds, dished two assists and came away with a pair of steals.
Those numbers don't lie, and neither does the tape when it comes to Haggerty's ability.
Marcus Johnson, senior forward
If you’d told the fanbase before the season that Bowling Green transfer Marcus Johnson would be logging consistent minutes, you probably would have been laughed out of the room.
Yet that’s exactly where the Wildcats find themselves.
Johnson is one of two MAC transfers to join the Wildcats’ roster this season alongside former MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson. [Marcus] Johnson scored his season-high 15 points against TCU in a game that saw an 18-point lead disappear in the final seconds.
It was unfortunate to say the least, but his performance didn’t go unnoticed. It will be an interesting watch the rest of the season if Johnson’s size, versatility and playmaking ability shine off the bench.
Andrej Kostic, freshman forward
Unlike the others on this list, Kostic hasn’t suited up for the Wildcats since Feb. 1 against Iowa State. Before his injury, though, he knocked down four triples in the first half against Kansas, ending the game with a season-high 12 points.
Without Abdi Bashir Jr., that kind of shot making ability is crucial, especially in big games. Unfortunately for the already riddled roster, an ankle injury sidelined the freshman ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Houston.
Depending on when he returns, real roster implications could be in effect to determine who starts, who rides the bench and who is given the opportunity to make those big plays.
But if a turnaround is imminent, it's going to take more than just Kostic pulling up from beyond the arc. The entire team will need to click, and move with an efficiency that's been missing down the stretch in conference play.
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