Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Kansas State will probably be the worst team in the Big 12 this year. But the program made what seems to be a strong coaching hire, which could turn around the team’s fortunes quickly.

Jerome Tang comes to Manhattan with two decades of experience as an assistant at another Big 12 school, Baylor. Tang has played a big role in that program’s rise to the top of the sport and he’s been patiently waiting for his opportunity to be a head coach. The fit feels fantastic.

This year might not be an easy one for the Wildcats, though. The team is more or less starting from scratch after 10 players left via the transfer portal. Among the departures, the biggest was guard Nijel Pack and guard Mike McGurl, who went to Miami and ran out of eligibility, respectively.

An interesting addition to the squad is Keyontae Johnson, a former First Team All-SEC player who hasn’t played since collapsing during a game in December 2020. He’s been cleared to play, but it’s not clear how much the former Florida Gator has to give.

As Tang looks to rebuild the program, some growing pains appear to be in order. If the Big 12 was divided into tiers, the Wildcats would probably be in a tier of its own at the bottom of the pack.

But that doesn’t mean the Wildcats won’t be fun to watch. The roster is loaded with young players who will be hungry to make an impact and show their power conference bonafides. Don’t expect them to be a punching bag.