Sports
Kansas State basketball transfer portal tracker: Who's in and who's out for the Wildcats? – The Topeka Capital-Journal
MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball’s roster looks much different now than the one that completed the season with a first-round National Invitation Tournament loss to Iowa on March 19.
The Wildcats had several early departures via the transfer portal, but coach Jerome Tang and his staff have been busy filling those vacancies with more additions still to come.
K-State missed out on several priority targets recently, but Tang ended the drought on Thursday by gaining a commitment from Cal State Fullerton senior guard Max Jones. Before that, the Wildcats signed Villanova transfer guard Brendan Hausen and gained a commitment from Arkansas center Baye Fall at the end of April. That brought the total of incoming transfers to five.
But just as they were gathering momentum withe the addition of Fall and Hausen, freshman guard Dai Dai Ames, a starter over the final 13 games, announced on April 30 that he was entering the portal. One day later, junior forward Arthur Kaluma joined him in the portal after already having declared for the NBA draft with an option to return.
K-State now has four scholarships to give, and Tang’s focus has been determined not only to restock the roster for 2024-25 but to upgrade the talent in hopes of improving on the past season’s 19-15 record.
While the Wildcats were unable to duplicate the success of his first season when they reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight, Tang said he is determined to get them back that level.
Here is a breakdown of the Wildcat roster as it currently stands. Players are listed with their year of eligibility heading into the 2024-25 season. Bookmark this story and check for updates as they unfold.
Related:Kansas State basketball is headed to the Big Apple in December for Big 12/Big East battle
Related:Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang turns down Arkansas offer to stay with Wildcats
2023-24 stats: 27.4 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 38.3 FG, 38.5 3FG, 78.7 FT with 21 starts in 24 games.
Notable: Played his first two seasons at University of Tampa before transferring to Fullerton for the past two. Suffered a foot injury in February that limited him to 24 games in 2023-24.
2023-24 stats: 4.9 minutes, 0.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, appeared in 9 games.
Notable: A Senegal native who was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American out of Denver Accelerated School, but played sparingly as a freshman at Arkansas.
2023-24 stats: 17.7 minutes, 6.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 39.2% FG, 38.1% 3FG, 86.7% FT in 34 games.
Notable: A 3-point shooting specialist whose role increased over the course of the season. Did not score in six minutes of action in Villanova’s overtime loss at K-State last December.
2023-24 stats: 33.4 minutes, 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 42.5% FG, 37.8% 3FG, 61.6% FT, 31 starts in 33 games.
Notable: Was second in scoring and first in assists as a sophomore on a UIC team that finished 12-21, 4-16 in the Missouri Valley Conference, leading to the firing of coach Luke Yaklich.
2023-24 stats: 35.4 minutes, 16.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 41.0% FG, 36.8% 3FG, 77.4 FT, 26 starts in 26 games.
Notable: Led the Wolverines in scoring and assists as a sophomore. Took over as the starting point guard nine games into his freshman year.
Related:Kansas State basketball guard Dorian Finister is the second Wildcat to enter transfer portal
Seven players from the 2023-24 roster are eligible to return and have not announced that they intended to transfer. School year reflects their eligibility status for the 2024-25 season.
2023-24 stats: 27.5 minutes, 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, 58.4% FG, 16.7% 3FG, 41.7% FT, 21 stars in 34 games.
Notable: After two years at Virginia Tech and two at K-State, is eligible to return for a fifth COVID year, but has yet to officially announce that he is staying.
2023-24 stats: 4.9 minutes, 1.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 62.5% FG, 33.3 3FG, 42.9 FT, 1 start in 14 games.
2023-24 stats: 9.6 minutes, 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.3 steals, 69.2% FG, 53.8% FT, appeared in 16 games.
Notable: Four-star guard from Bartlesville, Okla., who signed with K-State in November and played his senior year at Sunrise Christian Academy.
2023-24 stats: 34.5 minutes, 14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 42.7% FG, 34.5% 3FG, 74.7 FT, 32 starts in 33 games.
Notable: Kaluma was the Wildcats’ third-leading scorer and No. 1 rebounder while receiving Big 12 all-conference honorable mention. He declared for the NBA draft while remaining eligible to return, then entered the transfer portal on May 1.
2023-24 stats: 20.6 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 35.3% FG, 32.9% 3FG, 69.8 FT, 16 starts in 31 games.
Notable: Started the last 13 games at point guard.
Notable: Transferred from Samford but missed the 2023-24 season with a knee injury.
2023-24 stats: 9.0 minutes, 2.4 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 29.4% FG, 29.8 % 3FG, 84.6% FT, appeared in 28 games.
Notable: The former four-star recruit from Denton, Texas, has signed with TCU.
2023-24 stats: 11.3 minutes, 2.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals, 47.5% FG, 52.4% FT, 13 starts in 31 games.
Notable: The former LSU transfer started the last 13 games at center after redshirting in 2022-23. He has since signed with SMU.
2023-24 stats: 12.7 minutes, 2.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 39.6% FG, 13.3% 3FG, 64.3% FT, appeared in 19 games.
Notable: Has since signed with Sam Houston State.
2023-24 stats: 35.5 minutes, 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 39.1% FG, 30.9% 3FG, 84.0% FT, started all 34 games.
Notable: Entered the transfer portal and signed with LSU after starting every game in his two years at K-State.
2023-24 stats: 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 35.8% FG, 33.5% 3FG, 90.9% FT, started all 34 games.
Notable: Transferred to K-State from North Texas and led the team in scoring. Also named honorable mention all-conference by Big 12 coaches.
2023-24 stats: 22.8 minutes, 8.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 62.4% FG, 25.0% 3FG, 53.7% FT, started 19 of 33 games.
Notable: Played three seasons at New Mexico State and one at Mississippi State before transferring to K-State as a super-senior.
2023-24 stats: 0.8 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, appeared in 4 games.
Notable: Super-senior walk-on transfer from Manhattan Christian College.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.