Jerome Tang swept into the Wichita Union Stockyards, signed autographs, snapped pictures, shook hands, and brought down the house with an impassioned, fiery speech to a roomful of Kansas State supporters at the Wichita Catbackers event Tuesday night, and less than one week after signing a pair of high-quality transfers that enlivened a fan base eager to witness a men's basketball resurgence in 2024-25.
While senior wing David N'Guessan, and sophom*ore wings Taj Manning and Macaleab Rich return from a squad that went 19-15 with an appearance in the NIT, Tang and his staff have labored ceaselessly in assembling a talent-riddled team with potential stars that could contend for a spot in the NCAA Tournament this coming year.
"Jareem Dowling was joking about two months with no sleep, but it's been constant (work on the roster)," Tang said. "We'd add one (player), lose one, add one, lose one. That's just the nature of it. I tell guys our job is to go out and get five guys who can start, and their job (as competitors) is to make sure they don't (start), and the guys stayed because they want to compete, so we're thankful for the ones who stayed and blessed for the ones who are coming in.
"We're going to put together a roster that's going to give us a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament next year. That's the goal."
K-State grabbed seven transfers to join top-50 high school prospect David Castillo, who signed during the early signing period on November 8.
"You just want hungry guys," Tang said. "The goal is to find guys who want to win, who want to get to the NCAA Tournament. We just need to get more athletic and be a little higher IQ and more competitive. That's what we built the roster to be."
The influx of transfers began when K-State announced the signing of Dug McDaniel on April 4. McDaniel, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound point guard, led Michigan in points (16.3), assists (4.7), steals (1.1) and minutes (35.4) as a sophom*ore. He also made a team-high 56 3-pointers. He had seven 20-point games and two 30-point outbursts, and he scored a career-high 33 points twice — at Oregon and then against Florida — in a span of 17 days. He knocked down seven 3-pointers against the Ducks. He made 12-of-13 free throws and added eight rebounds and five assists against the Gators. He also posted 122 assists as a true freshman, becoming the first Michigan freshman to reach 100 assists in a season since Trey Burke in 2011-12.
"Since I began playing basketball, I've always been a pass-first point guard and my vision is definitely a strength in my game," said McDaniel, who was the fifth-rated point guard in the transfer portal. "I was put in a different position the past two years where I had to score a lot more. Getting back to my main strength, passing and getting others involved, is something I'm really ready to bring to the table. My shot making has improved through the years. I'm excited to see how much it goes up this year." (Read more on McDaniel)
CJ Jones, who signed on April 16, originally signed with Missouri and decommitted due to uncertainty around the program. Overlooked in the recruiting cycle — he was offered by DePaul, Southeast Missouri State and Denver, among others — the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Jones stayed close to home and played at University of Illinois-Chicago. Last season, the guard scored in double figures in 14 of the final 17 games, including a career-high 25 points against Bradley and 24 points against Northern Iowa. His 14 assists against Drake were the most by a Missouri Valley Conference player in 2023-24.
He's a dog.
"Where I come from, that's automatically built in," Jones said. "Where I come from, I experienced a lot of stuff other kids don't get to experience. It's something that's inherited in me." (Read more on CJ Jones)
Brendan Hausen, who signed on April 16, once made 105 3-pointers in a row, getting up shots two or three times a day, practicing five hours in all, and during his first two seasons at Villanova attempted 246 field goals, including 223 shot attempts from beyond the 3-point line. Hausen, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard, shot 39.5% (88-of-223) on 3-point attempts at Villanova — a figure that would've ranked second in the Big 12 Conference this past season. And it was Hausen who had a career-high 18 points, including 6-of-8 3-pointers, against Le Moyne in November.
"I just want to prove that I'm more than just a shooter, but I can play at the highest level," Hausen said. "I want to prove that I can defend at the highest level and that I can get my teammates involved and that I can win, ultimately. Winning is the most important thing to me. If we win, it's going to take care of itself." (Read more on Hausen)
The 6-foot-11, 215-pound Baye Fall, who signed on May 3, was named a 2023 McDonald's All-American, the fourth such honoree to ink with the Wildcats and the first since Wally Judge in 2009. The others include Tom Freeman (1977), Deryl Cunningham (1991) and Michael Beasley (2007). He arrives at K-State after playing the 2023-24 season at Arkansas, where he totaled just 45 minutes while appearing in nine games as a true freshman.
"I'm super excited, man," Fall said. "I can't wait to get to K-State. Every day I just think about it. I'm picturing it all in my head. I just want to get there and get to work." (Read more on Fall)
Max Jones, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard who signed on May 10, is a young man from Clearwater, Florida, who's always taken steps to move up. He scored 1,000 points at Clearwater High School, moved to Division II Tampa, and spent the last two years at Division I Cal State Fullerton. He's scored 20 points, he's scored 30 points, and once he scored 38 points in a game against No. 17 Barry in South Florida. He was named Division II National Player of the Week for his efforts.
Last season, he averaged 13.7 points on 41.5% (233-of-562) shooting, including 39.0% (76-of-195) from 3-point range, with 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 40 of 56 career games with the Titans.
"I've learned to never stop and just keep going," Jones says. "I feel like a lot of people in my shoes would've stopped at a lower division and never strived to be the best person they can be.
"I'm not even done yet. I'm just getting started." (Read more on Max Jones)
Mobi Ikegwuruka, who signed on May 17, is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing, and a second-team NJCAA All-American guard who rides a wave of adrenaline that the ultra-athletic competitor intends to bring with him when he arrives on campus in June. As a redshirt freshman, Ikegwuruka averaged 19.0 points and 10.3 rebounds in leading Ellsworth Community College to a 29-8 record and a fourth-place finish at the 2024 NJCAA Division II Championship. Ikegwuruka, who shot 59.4% (155-of-261) from the floor, averaged 2.2 blocks, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists in 26.9 minutes per game. Ikegwuruka was also named a Fab 50 Freshman by JUCORecruiting.com.
It's his jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism that first captures the eye. A highlight reel shows powerful dunk after powerful dunk — one-handed and two-handed dunks, dunks off alley-oops, dunks off dribble drives, dunks while going to his left or to his right.
"First time I dunked I was 14 when I first started playing basketball," Ikegwuruka said. "I was through the roof. Sometimes, to me, dunking is issuing a statement, and I want to put a statement out there on who I am and what I can do.
"When I dunk the ball, I want to add a lot of passion." (Read more on Mobi)
Achor Achor also signed on May 17. The 6-foot-9, 227-pound wing had a memorable game the last time he wore a uniform. That's when 13th-seeded Samford nearly erased a 22-point second-half deficit before falling to No. 4 seed Kansas, 93-89, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Achor led the Bulldogs' charge with a 23-point, eight-rebound effort that placed him firmly on the map of college basketball while helping guide his squad to a 29-6 record, setting a school record for wins in a season.
The Most Outstanding Player of the Southern Conference Championship and first-team all-conference selection, Achor averaged 16.1 points and led the Bulldogs in 10 categories, including both scoring and rebounding, and had 12 20-point games, including a career-high 35 points at Western Carolina on January 16. He also added three double-doubles, including a 28-point, 14-rebound effort in a semifinal win over Furman in the Southern Conference Championship.
"I'm versatile, I'm high energy, I have a motor and I can play inside and outside," he said. "I can shoot, and I can defend. It's a great feeling. I put in a lot of hard work. To be in this situation, to see myself, it's crazy, you know? I'm glad God put me into this position." (Read more onAchor)
Tang and the Wildcats are markedly in a better position than they were two months ago.
Armed with transfers who believe they have something to prove, the Wildcats are just getting started.
"The goal now is to get them collectively to have something to prove," Tang said. "I hope the No. 1 thing that they all have to prove is winning and how important winning is. Winning will take care of everyone's individual goals. I like guys who have a chip on their shoulder, I like their competitiveness, and so I'm excited about getting them all together."
