Final Kansas State basketball transfer tracker: How the Wildcats’ roster came together

Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang made a big splash earlier this month by completing the Wildcat roster with a pair of highly coveted big men.

Illinois graduate forward Coleman Hawkins and 7-foot Kentucky junior-to-be Ugonna Onyenso both signed after withdrawing from the NBA Draft, bringing the Wildcats’ transfer portal haul to eight players and eclipsing the mark of seven who left the team following the 2023-24 season. The final 13-man roster also includes one junior college transfer and one high school recruit.

Hawkins, who reportedly received a $2 million NIL deal to complete his career with K-State, was one of the top-rated transfers in the portal, as was former Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel.

K-State only has three players back from a 2023-24 team that went 19-15 with a first-round National Invitation Tournament loss in Tang’s second season. In his first season, the Wildcats made an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight.

Related: Kansas State basketball lands Kentucky 7-footer Ugonna Onyenso via transfer portal

Related: Kansas State basketball’s Big 12 schedule expands to 20 games for upcoming season

Here is a final breakdown of the Wildcats’ roster heading into July. Players are listed with their year of eligibility heading into the 2024-25 season, including portal and junior college transfers, high school recruits and returners, as well as the 2023-24 players no longer with the team.

Related: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang receives a raise and amended buyout clause

▶ Kansas State basketball transfer portal additions

Coleman Hawkins, Sr., forward, 6-foot-10, 230 pounds (Illinois)

2023-24 stats: 31.6 minutes,12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 45.1% FG, 36.9% 3FG, 79.2% FT with 35 starts in 35 games.

Notable: Second team Big Ten all-conference in 2023-24. Only player in Illinois program history to finish with career totals of 900-plus points, 500-plus rebounds, 200-plus assists, 100-plus blocks and 100-plus steals.

Ugonna Onyenso, Jr., center, 7-foot, 247 pounds (Kentucky)

2023-24 stats: 18.7 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.75 blocks, 55.0% FG, 58.5% FT with 14 starts in 24 games.

Notable: Started the last 14 games as a sophomore last year at Kentucky. His 2.75 blocks per game last year were fifth all-time at Kentucky among players with at least 30 blocks.

Related: Kansas State basketball doubles up by landing coveted Samford big man Achor Achor

Achor Achor, Sr., forward, 6-foot-9, 227 pounds (Samford)

2023-24 stats: 22.6 minutes,16.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 blocks, 58.6% FG, 43.5% 3FG, 71.2% FT with 33 starts in 33 games.

Notable: Transferred to Samford from Chipola (Fla.) College, where he twice helped lead his team to the Final Four of the NJCAA Tournament. Had 23 points and eight rebounds last year in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Kansas.

Max Jones, Sr., guard, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds (Cal State Fullerton)

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.

Baye Fall, So., center/forward, 6-foot-11, 215 pounds (Arkansas)

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.

Brendan Hausen, Jr., guard, 6-foot-4, 205 pounds (Villanova)

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 6 minutes of action in Villanova’s overtime loss at K-State last December.

CJ Jones, Jr., guard, 6-foot-5, 195 pounds (Illinois-Chicago)

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.

Related: Kansas State basketball lands former Michigan standout guard from transfer portal

Dug McDaniel, Jr., guard, 5-foot-11, 175 pounds (Michigan)

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.

▶ Junior college transfer additions

Chimobi Ikegwuruka, So., forward, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds (Ellsworth CC)

2023-24 stats: 19 points, 10.3 rebounds, 59.4% FG, 70.5% FT, 26 starts in 26 games.

Notable: A second team NJCAA All-American as a redshirt freshman at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. Born in Ireland to Nigerian parents.

▶ 2024 high school recruits

David Castillo, Fr., guard, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds (Sunrise Christian)

Notable: Four-star guard from Bartlesville, Okla., who signed with K-State in November and played his senior year at Sunrise Christian Academy near Wichita.

▶ Returning players from last year’s team

David N’Guessan, Sr., forward, 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

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 seasons at Virginia Tech and two at K-State, N’Guessan is taking advantage of a fifth COVID year to finish his career as a Wildcat.

Taj Manning, RS-So., forward, 6-foot-7, 230 pounds

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.

Macaleab Rich, So., forward, 6-foot-7, 240 pounds

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.

▶ Players who left via the transfer portal

Arthur Kaluma, Sr., forward; 6-foot-7, 225 pounds (Texas)

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 withdrew from the NBA Draft and committed to Texas on June 27.

Dai Dai Ames, So., guard, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds (Virginia)

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 of his freshman season at point guard. Committed to Virginia on May 15.

Ques Glover, Gr., guard, 6-foot-0, 185 pounds

Notable: Transferred from Samford but missed the 2023-24 season with a knee injury. Has not yet found a new home.

RJ Jones, So., guard, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds (TCU)

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: Entered the portal after his freshman season and signed with TCU in May.

Jerrell Colbert; Jr.; center; 6-foot-10, 235 pounds (SMU)

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: Former LSU transfer who started the last 13 games at center after redshirting in 2022-23. He signed with SMU in May.

Dorian Finister, So., guard, 6-foot-4, 195 pounds (Sam Houston St.)

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: Spent two years at K-State, redshirting in 2021-22, and signed with Sam Houston State.

Cam Carter, Sr., guard, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds (LSU)

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: Signed with LSU after starting every game in his two years at K-State.

▶ Players who exhausted their eligibility

Tylor Perry, guard, 5-11, 189 pounds

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.

Will McNair, center, 6-foot-11, 265 pounds

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.

Taymont Lindsey, guard, 5-foot-8, 170 pounds

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.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball’s final 2024-25 transfer portal tracker