Kansas State basketball retools after a down season, hoping to make another Elite 8 run.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Kansas State basketball.
Tang’s reign with Kansas State basketball couldn’t have started better. Kansas State came in with zero expectations that season, yet made it all the way to the Elite 8. Last year, it was not more of the same, and the team went 8-10 in conference play and missed the tournament. Lots of Kansas State players weren’t happy with this, and transferred out. David N’Guessan is the only player from last year’s rotation back this year, a bit of a rarity for a team that didn’t lose their coach.
Tang hit the portal hard and came back with some dudes. The big get was Coleman Hawkins, one of the best big men in the country, who would spread the floor for this team. The other star get was Dug McDaniel, the Michigan point guard who can score in bunches for this team.
Then, there are the two potential-based pickups in Baye Fall and Ugonna Onyenso. Both were near 5-star recruits, but haven’t found a consistent role. If they can play like their high school ranking shows, then Kansas State becomes a force down low.
Finally, there’s the talented mid-major class, led by Achor Achor. He, along with Max and CJ Jones should provide good energy and experience for this team. The non-conference is pretty light, and they should come into Big 12 play with a maximum of 3 losses. After that, it becomes a war. The Big 12 has five top-10 teams, and Kansas State will need to pull off a few upsets if they want to compete for the title. They have the talent, so it’s all about these players coming together and dominating on the court.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Jerome Tang (2nd season at Kansas State, 2nd season overall)
2023-24 record: 19-15 (8-10)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Iowa (91-82) in first round of NIT
Notable departures:
- Tylor Perry (15.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.0 RPG)
- Cam Carter (14.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG)
- Arthur Kaluma (14.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- Will McNair Jr. (8.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.8 APG)
- Dai Dai Ames (5.2 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. LSU (Nov. 14)
- Paradise Jam (Nov. 22-25)
- vs. St. John’s (Dec. 7)
- vs. Drake (Dec. 17)
- vs. Wichita State (Dec. 21)
Projected Rotation
PG: Dug McDaniel (5-11, 175, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 41.0 FG%, 36.8 3P% (Michigan)
SG: Brendan Hausen (6-4, 205, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 38.1 3P%, 86.7 FT% (Villanova)
SF: Max Jones (6-4, 220, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 15.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 38.5 3P% (Cal State Fullerton)
PF: Coleman Hawkins (6-10, 230, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 12.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 36.9 3P% (Illinois)
C: David N’Guessan (6-9, 220, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 58.4 FG%
6: Achor Achor (6-9, 227, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 16.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.8 BPG, 58.6 FG%, 43.5 3P%, 71.2 FT% (Samford)
7: Ugonna Onyenso (7-0, 247, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 3.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 0.2 APG, 2.8 BPG, 55.0 FG% (Kentucky)
8: C.J Jones (6-5, 195, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.4 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.5 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 37.8 3P% (UIC)
9: Baye Fall (6-11, 215, So.)
2023-24 stats: 0.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.7 BPG, 5.0 MPG, (Arkansas)
10: David Castillo (6-1, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #54 ranked recruit
Kansas State Basketball Team MVP: Coleman Hawkins
How good is Coleman Hawkins? EvanMiya, an analytical model that ranks thousands of Division 1 players, ranked Hawkins as the 11th-best player in college basketball next season. His stats don’t pop, but that’s because he’s been the third or fourth option at Illinois. Now, as the first or second option, he has a chance to shine.
He’s a does-it-all all guy. He can score in the post, stretch the floor, or get to the line. On defense, his size and length make it so difficult to get past, and his athleticism at his size allows him to guard multiple positions. Foul trouble is a bit of an issue, but with the rim protection, this Kansas State team has, he should be able to avoid some of those situations. Don’t be surprised if Hawkins is not only on the All-Big 12 team but also the college basketball All-American team.
Kansas State Basketball make-or-break player: Dug McDaniel
In the third game of the season, Dug McDaniel scored 26 points, and added 6 rebounds and 7 assists against St. John’s. This obviously caused a lot of excitement, and many people were expecting him to be a superstar and lead Michigan to the tournament. However, some of the court issues led him to miss games, and he never reached that form again, which was partially why Michigan struggled so much.
At his best, McDaniel can be a top-15 player in the Big 12. He can score at will, and he’s extremely shifty, making him dangerous as a defender. The big question is everything else. If the same issues plague McDaniel this year, this can be a huge problem for Kansas State basketball. They are a little thin at the guard position, so a lot of their success relies on how good McDaniel is this season.
Key analytic: Rebounds per game
Kansas State wasn’t the best rebounding team in the country, but they were still pretty good. They averaged 37.4 rebounds a game, the 61st best in the country. This year, expect them to finish towards the top. Hawkins and Achor are both good rebounders already, and with more minutes, Fall and Onyenso will make it pretty impossible for teams to get second chances. The team that wins the rebounding battle usually wins the game, and Kansas State is expected to do so often this season.
Kansas State Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 8th in the SEC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Exit