A year ago, Kansas State was a late offseason winner via the transfer portal, landing some big names such as Coleman Hawkins, Achor Achor, Dug McDaniel and others. However, the on-the-court results didn’t work out for the program, starting off as one of the most disappointing teams in college basketball.
After finishing 16-17 overall and missing the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats effectively had to start over, losing everyone from the main rotation. However, like last year, the program has been slow in terms of landing players from the transfer portal. The two main commitments from the first month of the process includes MAC Player of the Year and former Akron guard Nate Johnson, along with Abdi Bashir Jr., a 6’7 transfer guard from Monmouth who averaged around 20 ppg.
Even with those pickups, there’s little else to be excited about with Kansas State’s roster. However, the program could be making a run of its own late in May. First, they landed one of the best scoring frontcourt players left in the portal in Marcus Johnson, a 6’7 forward/center from Bowling Green.
Johnson got onto the national spotlight in the non-con when he scored 23 points in a near-upset win over Michigan State. Overall, the senior big man produced 16.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg on 43% shooting from the field and nearly 40% from three-point range on over six attempts a game. He figures to be a potential focal point of the frontcourt at the Big 12 level.
Yet even bigger news could be on the way for Kansas State and arguably the biggest available transfers in the portal. PJ Haggerty averaged over 20 ppg at Memphis and was the AAC Player of the Year, making him a valued free agent. His recruitment has reportedly been all over the place, with some teams opting out. NC State was viewed as a contender to land him but now, the Wildcats seem to be making a late push.
Right now, only Nate Johnson is a capable ball-handler on the roster and he may not be the kind of true point guard they want to give big minutes to in the Big 12. Haggerty, a former Big 12 player from his early days at TCU, would be one of the best players in the conference if he were to land there.
Coach Jerome Tang has made portal moves before and he could have something up his sleeve again to get Kansas State back into contention.