Things didn't exactly favor the Kansas State men's basketball program after an opening round exit in the Big 12 Tournament. Now, the tides are shifting after the Wildcats landed two of the biggest names in this season's edition of the transfer portal.
Kansas State lands Brandon Rechsteiner, Dezdrick Lindsay in transfer portal boost
Things looked bleak at the end of the 2026 season, beginning with the departure of star guard P.J. Haggerty. And sure, Haggerty finished among the nation’s top scorers, but that's not the only thing the Wildcats lost.
Haggerty's presence was a nightmare for opposing defenses. In a way, he was everything talent-wise that no starting lineup wanted to go against. Fittingly, he landed at Texas A&M and will play his fifth season in the SEC.
His departure came among a handful of players: Taj Manning, David Castillo, Abdi Bashir Jr., Stephen Osei and Exavier Wilson. At the time of publication, Dorin Buca has also entered the portal. That leaves a void, one the Wildcats are already working to fill.
Kansas State welcomes former Colorado State guard Brandon Rechsteiner
Brandon Rechsteiner has been around the block a time or two at the power conference level. He spent the entirety of last season at Colorado State after two seasons with Virginia Tech.
Rechsteiner averaged 12 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season with the Rams, pacing a team that had four players scoring in double figures. He scored a season-high 21 points against Wichita State, a game the Rams won 76-60.
In total, he eclipsed 20 points twice during the regular season, first against the Shockers and later in conference play against San Jose State. He was also a major contributor in the Mountain West Championship quarterfinal, scoring 16 points on 5-8 shooting.
He was one of seven players on the Rams roster to averaged 40% or better from distance. Rechsteiner joins the Wildcats exhausting his final season of eligibility.
Oregon transfer Dezdrick Lindsay could fill vacuum created by other exits
Kansas State was also successful in earning a commitment from Dezdrick Lindsay, a senior forward from Oregon. Lindsay averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds last season, shooting 40.3% from the floor.
Lindsay appeared in 32 games last season averaging over 20 minutes. Five games saw double figure scoring totals, including a season-high 16 points against Penn State.
He didn't lead the team in any category last season, but did contribute to both the Ducks' steals and blocking totals. Like Rechsteiner, he also joins Kansas State entering his final season of eligibility.
Where Lindsay and Rechsteiner could fit in 2026-27
It'll be an interesting position battle between Lindsay the lone Wildcats' returner at forward Andrej Kostic. Both are currently listed at forward, and occupied similar roles on their respective rosters last season.
The primary starting forward role in 2025-26 belonged to Khamari McGriff, who exhausted his eligibility. Any replacement for McGriff's former role won't be known until closer to next season.
Conversations at the guard position, however, are a little different. There are multiple guys on the floor at any time, and success at that position likely starts with someone that has experience. For Kansas State, that's Rechsteiner. But again, that's hard to predict, especially at this stage.
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