Big 12 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2023-24 season

11. Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State was the most difficult team for me to rank. Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year Jerome Tang has shown what he can do when his team is underestimated, as the Wildcats turned a preseason last-place Big 12 projection into a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament and an Elite Eight appearance.

The graduations of superstar Markquis Nowell, former Florida transfer Keyontae Johnson, and Desi Sills means the Wildcats will look very different next season. The team also lost key reserve Ismael Massoud to the transfer portal, but there is an influx of talent that fans in Manhattan can look forward to.

Replacing Nowell will be impossible, but Tang has secured commitments from a four-star backcourt combo of Dai Dai Ames and RJ Jones. Ames, who once scored 65 points in a game, could help provide some of the highlights that made Nowell and the Wildcats the most fun watch of the tournament.

Tang has already shown an ability to attract players in the transfer portal, and with so many high-profile names out there, I expect him to land a few to further bolster a roster that still includes Nae’Qwan Tomlin and David N’Guessan in the frontcourt. Though I can’t see the Wildcats matching their magical run from this previous season, the future seems to be in good hands in Manhattan.