Kansas State Basketball: Wildcats poised for another big year in 2023-24

Kansas State Basketball is riding high following the commitment of North Texas Mean Green transfer Tylor Perry.

Jerome Tang and Kansas State Basketball bursted on the scene during his first year in the head coaching job, shocking everyone with a run to the Elite Eight. They may be in position to do so again.

While the Wildcats lost a lot in the offseason, they just gained a critical player in former North Texas Mean Green guard Tylor Perry. The transfer helped lead the Mean Green to the NIT title and was named Conference USA Player of the Year last season.

It was a coup for the Wildcats, as Perry was being pursued by a number of major programs, including Florida and Texas Tech, where his former coach at North Texas just landed the head job.

Perry’s impact can’t be overstated. Despite being less than 6-feet tall, he’s a grinder on the court. He averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game last year.

He was also one of the best three-point shooters in the nation, hitting 41.3 percent from distance. Perry ranked fourth in the nation in total three-pointers and was top 20 in three-point percentage.

As a junior, Perry was named First Team All-Conference USA despite starting just a single game. Obviously, he also won the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 13.5 points per game.

This is a homecoming of sorts for Perry. For starters, he plied his trade at a community college in the state for the first two years of his collegiate career. Additionally, former North Texas assistant Jareem Dowling was part of Tang’s inaugural staff.

But is the addition of Perry enough to keep the Wildcats in the upper echelon of the Big 12?

The Wildcats are losing a ton of top talent from last year’s squad. Arguably no loss is bigger than Markquis Nowell, the breakout star of the NCAA Tournament. The All-American leaves big shoes for Perry to directly step into.

Keyontae Johnson is also gone. Arguably the story of college basketball last year, Johnson was able to return to the court with the Wildcats after collapsing during a game as a member of the Florida Gators in the 2020-21 season. Not only did he come back, but he did so at a high level, making First Team All-Big 12.

Then again, nobody expected either of those players to blow up the way they did last season when the Wildcats were picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12. Instead, they finished as one of the last eight teams in the country. Doubting Jerome Tang may be a mistake.

Cam Carter should be ready to take a step up next season. He was a good sixth man for the Wildcats last year and projects to start at the 2 or 3 next year. The Mississippi State transfer’s success will be dependent on an improved three-point shot.

David N’Guessan is also slated to return. A high ankle sprain affected him at times during the season, but he’s a solid Big 12 big man, for what that’s worth.

The breakout candidate, however, may be Nae’Quan Tomlin. his athleticism is off the charts and he’s expected to have a legitimate professional future. The 6-foot-10 big man didn’t even play basketball until after high school, so if he can put it all together, he could be special.

There’s still areas for Kansas State to clear up in the transfer portal, where the Wildcats could conceivably add three more players. But the commitment of Tylor Perry should make sure the drop from last year’s historic season won’t be too staggering.