Kansas State basketball fans had plenty to be frustrated about after last season, but the Wildcats are hitting the reset button with a top 5 transfer class that’s reigniting excitement around Manhattan — and putting pressure on head coach Jerome Tang in a pivotal year.
After missing the NCAA tournament two years in a row, Tang has doubled down on the transfer portal, bringing in a strong haul that could turn the tide.
247Sports ranks Kansas State’s transfer class among the nation’s best, highlighted by the recent addition of Memphis All-American point guard P.J. Haggerty.
The group also includes MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson from Akron, Bowling Green forward Marcus Johnson (16.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG), forward Khamari McGriff (UNC Wilmington), sharpshooter Abdi Bashir (Omaha), Serbian guard Andrej Kostic, and 6-foot-11 JUCO center Stephen Osei, who’s expected to redshirt.
With Matt Driscoll joining as associate head coach from North Florida, K-State is putting together the pieces to climb back up the Big 12 standings.
Haggerty and Nate Johnson bring veteran leadership to a backcourt ready to grind in the physical Big 12.
If Kostic and Marcus Johnson develop as hoped, they’ll provide crucial secondary scoring in Driscoll’s fast-paced, high-volume 3-point offense. Bashir’s deep shooting will fill the shooting void left by recent departures.
Not long ago, Tang was the toast of Manhattan, riding a wave of success after nearly 20 years at Baylor. In his first three seasons, he led K-State to 61 wins, including a 2023 Elite Eight run, becoming just the fourth coach in program history to reach the postseason in each of his first two years.
But after finishing tied for third in the Big 12 his rookie season, things have gone south.
The Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament two years running, including a disappointing 16-17 mark in 2024-25 that dropped them to ninth in the conference — even with one of the country’s top NIL budgets.
Roster turnover has been a headache under Tang. Transfers have added talent, but stability remains a problem, and the initial buzz has faded. The 2025-26 season is shaping up as Tang’s biggest test yet — and the fanbase is watching closely.
Kansas State returns just three scholarship players: point guard David Castillo and forwards Mobi Ikegwuruka and Taj Manning.
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