Kansas State Wildcats NCAA Basketball Betting
Jerome Tang’s Wildcats suffered a second-year slump after reaching the Elite Eight in 2023 in Tang’s first season at the helm. Year three is set to be a big one, a talented roster with no excuse not to get back to the Big Dance if you’re Tang. The NIL for K-State hoops is rumored to be one of the best in the sport, and if Tang wants to keep that money flowing in, a big season needs to be on the horizon.
Just three players return from last season’s letdown, most notably David N’Guessan (8 ppg, 7 rpg). N’Guessan has been an important part of the first two years of Tang’s tenure, starting 39 games across the last two seasons as a lengthy and athletic four. Macalaeb Rich (4 ppg) returns after a promising freshman season, adding more depth to the three and four spots. Taj Manning (1 ppg) is the final returner, seeing limited time as a freshman and likely to see the same role as a sophomore with the number of incoming transfers that can play the three or the four.
Check the latest NCAA Basketball Betting Lines today!
Eight players left Kansas State after the Wildcats missed the NCAA Tournament this past March. In the backcourt, Tylor Perry (15 ppg, 4 apg), Cam Carter (15 ppg, 5 rpg), Dai Dai Ames (5 ppg), Dorian Finister (3 ppg), and RJ Jones (2 ppg) departed. The Wildcats’ frontcourt lost Arthur Kaluma (14 ppg, 7 rpg), Will McNair Jr. (8 ppg, 5 rpg), and Jerrell Colbert (3 ppg).
To replace the losses, Jerome Tang went hard in the transfer portal, landing eight transfers with ranging D-I experience. Dug McDaniel (16 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg at Michigan) was part of a vastly disappointing Michigan squad last season but put up impressive numbers himself. McDaniel can score at all three levels and is a great creator for his teammates. The main question surrounding McDaniel is his ability to stay eligible. McDaniel suffered an academic suspension this past spring, not allowing him to partake in any road trips in order to stay on top of his schoolwork. If McDaniel is fully ready to go for every game, K-State has itself an experienced power conference point guard. Brendan Hausen (6 ppg at Villanova) is another high major pickup in the backcourt, coming over from Villanova with two years of experience after two satisfactory seasons as a bench guard for the Wildcats.
Tang made a handful of high-major additions to the frontcourt as well, perhaps none more well-known than Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins (12 ppg, 6 rpg at Illinois). Hawkins was the recipient of a rumored massive NIL deal worth around $2 million. Regardless of how much he got paid, Hawkins will be a vital piece for Tang, giving the Wildcats an ultra-versatile forward who can quite literally do everything on a basketball court.
Next to Hawkins in the frontcourt will likely be Kentucky transfer Ugonna Onyenso (4 ppg, 5 rpg at Kentucky). Onyenso’s role at Kentucky blossomed as a sophomore, starting 14 of 24 games and establishing himself as an elite rim protector and rebounder. Setting Onyenso next to Hawkins gives the Wildcats everything you could need in a frontcourt, and a talent level high enough to compete in the top half of the Big 12. Baye Fall (1 ppg at Arkansas) is the final high-major pickup of the cycle by Tang, an athletic big who appeared in just nine games for Arkansas this season as a freshman.
Tang also dipped into the mid-major world to fill out his roster in the transfer portal, finding three double-digit scorers. Achor Achor (16 ppg, 6 rpg at Samford), likely most known for his 23-point, 8-rebound performance in a tight loss to Kansas in the NCAA Tournament this past March with Samford, should be an impactful addition to the Wildcats’ frontcourt.
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2023 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (9) Florida Atlantic 76–79 |
| 2019 |
Lost First Round vs. (13) UC Irvine 64–70 |
| 2018 |
Lost Elite Eight vs. (11) Loyola Chicago 76–79 |
| 2017 |
Lost First Round vs. (6) Cincinnati 61–75 |
| 2014 |
Lost Second Round vs. (8) Kentucky 49–56 |
| 2013 |
Lost Second Round vs. (13) La Salle 61–63 |
| 2012 |
Lost Sweet 16 vs. (1) Syracuse 59–75 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
Log into BookMaker Sportsbook and get the best College Basketball Betting Odds, College Basketball Betting Articles and information about this and all other sports betting events!
