For Kansas State men's basketball, 2025-26 was a rough season.
And it's arguably been just as rough an offseason, too. The Wildcats are slowly shedding their star players following a disappointing season and the departure of coach Jerome Tang. Major news outlets have consistently emphasized the significance of the losses, including ESPN's latest.
Last season's scoring leaders, Abdi Bashir Jr. and PJ Haggerty, as well as former role player-turned-star Dai Dai Ames, were lauded by the popular news outlet on its top 100 transfer portal rankings.
7. PJ Haggerty
2025-26 STATS: 23.4 PTS, 5.3 REB, 3.8 AST
The article wrote:
"Haggerty will head to his fifth school in as many seasons, but he proved at each of his last three stops that he can produce at a high level, averaging 21.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over the course of his career. He hit career highs in scoring and assists at Kansas State in 2025-26."
Haggerty was the Wildcats' primary weapon last season, at times the team's only source of offense. He tended to stall until the second half to really explode, but was one of the very few bright spots in a miserable year for Kansas State.
62. Dai Dai Ames
2025-26 STATS: 16.9 PTS, 2.0 REB, 2.2 AST
The article wrote:
"Ames enjoyed a true breakout campaign as a junior at Cal after up-and-down seasons at Kansas State and Virginia. The Chicago native averaged 16.9 points for the Golden Bears, shooting nearly 38% from beyond the arc. He scored 25 or more points on five separate occasions, including 31 against Wake Forest and 27 against Florida State in back-to-back March games."
Ames spent his freshman season with the Wildcats, averaging just 5.2 points and starting 50 percent of the games. He's since shot up in production, and his junior year was a career season that elevated him to one of the nation's best.
93. Abdi Bashir Jr.
2025-26 STATS: 13.2 PTS, 2.2 REB, 2.3 AST
The article wrote:
"Bashir's prolific 3-point shooting translated from Monmouth to Kansas State, and he even became more efficient in the process this past season. He averaged 13.2 points while shooting 44.4% from 3 -- on more than eight attempts per game. At Monmouth in 2024-25, Bashir attempted more than 10 3s per game at a 38% clip."
One of the best sharpshooters in the country, Bashir was the only other Wildcats scorer besides Haggerty during the early part of the season. His year was cut short due to injury, a dagger to a team already struggling in conference play.
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