By Toby Hammes

A sixth Kansas State men’s basketball player is reported to be entering the transfer portal.

According to a report from On3 on Tuesday, K-State junior forward Taj Manning intends to finish his career away from Manhattan after four years in purple, including a redshirt year.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State’s Manning becomes 6th Wildcat to enter transfer portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Kansas State men’s basketball has its first returning piece of the offseason.

In a social media announcement on Monday, K-State freshman wing Andrej Kostic stated plans to remain in Manhattan and continue his career under new head coach Casey Alexander.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State’s Andrej Kostic announces return to Manhattan appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

A second Kansas State women’s basketball player has entered the transfer portal on the portal’s opening day.

The daughter of NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas, Izela Arenas got off to a hot start of her career, scoring 18 points in her Wildcat debut.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Izela Arenas to enter transfer portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The first morning of the 2026 women’s basketball transfer portal season brought bad news for Kansas State fans.

Star freshman sharpshooter Jordan Speiser is hitting the portal, according to a report from On3 Monday morning. She will enter the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag, a designation preventing college coaches from initiating communication with a player, allowing athletes to manage their recruitment by having schools reach out only after the player makes initial contact. It’s often used by players who already have a destination school in mind.

A former five-star from Warrentown, Mo., Speiser came on strong late in the season, ending the Big 12 Tournament with an appearance on the All-Tournament team after tying the national mark by a freshman in the last 15 years for 3-point field goals made in any conference tournament in NCAA Division I.

Speiser ended the year averaging 10.2 points per game, shooting 38% from the field, including 34.9% from 3.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post Jordan Speiser becomes second Wildcat to enter portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

A fourth Kansas State men’s player — and a second former Wildcat starter — is reported to have entered the transfer portal.

According to a report from On3 on Sunday, K-State junior guard Abdi Bashir Jr. will find a new home for his senior season, not sticking in Manhattan with new head coach Casey Alexander.

After transferring to K-State from Monmouth, Bashir emerged as the Wildcats’ primary perimeter threat before suffering a foot fracture early in Big 12 play that became a season-ending injury.

Read the rest and subscribe to The Mercury

The post Bashir becomes 4th K-State player to enter transfer portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Kansas State men’s basketball has its first reported transfer portal departure under Casey Alexander.

Sophomore Stephen Osei intends to enter the portal, according to a report from recruiting analyst Sam Kayser on Monday.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State men see first player enter transfer portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Kansas State men’s basketball has added another future piece under Casey Alexander.

Class of 2026 point guard Jaylen Alexander, who was previously signed to Belmont, has flipped his pledge to K-State, he announced on social media Saturday.

Jaylen Alexander, a three-star prospect, is ranked as the No. 22 point guard in the country and No. 180 overall player in the 247sports composite rankings. He is also rated as the No. 3 overall player in the state of Alabama.

He was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year last week and earned MVP honors at the Alabama state tournament. Jaylen Alexander joins fellow 2026 commit Devin Hutcherson in sticking with the former Belmont head coach.

Jaylen Alexander, who is not related to the Wildcats’ new head coach, becomes the second addition for K-State as the program begins to build its 2026 class after consecutive years with one domestic high school signee.

The post Former Belmont signee Jaylen Alexander flips to follow Casey Alexander at K-State appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander has landed his first commit in Manhattan.

Class of 2026 guard Devin Hutcherson, who was previously committed to play for Alexander at Belmont, has flipped his pledge to K-State after requesting a release from his National Letter of Intent just over a week ago.

Hutcherson, a 6-foot-4 wing, is rated as a top-250 prospect nationally and the No. 33 shooting guard in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. He is also ranked as the No. 16 player in the state of Georgia.

The Atlanta native held offers from Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and Georgia State.

Hutcherson becomes the first commitment for Alexander at K-State, already emphasizing a trend the new head coach spoke on during his introductory press conference.

More roster moves will likely be on the way for the Wildcats amid coaching change. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball transfer portal officially opens on April 7, one day after the championship game, and closes on April 21, lasting 15 days.

The post Alexander lands first K-State commit with Belmont flip appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

With the Kansas State women’s basketball team wrapping up its season over the weekend in a second-round WBIT loss to California, the focus has already shifted to next season.

Following the 2024-25 campaign, the Wildcats suffered a mass exodus through both graduation and the transfer portal. Junior guard Taryn Sides was the only returning K-State player to have recorded any meaningful playing time, and so the cupboard had to be restocked.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com

Click here for more K-State sports

The post K-State women hopeful to retain talented freshman class appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

As Kansas State fans begin to piece together who their next head coach is in Casey Alexander, one of the important questions becomes what his teams will actually look like on the floor.

Alexander has built one of the most efficient offensive programs in the country during his time at Belmont, but his philosophy goes beyond simply scoring points.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Alexander outlines offensive, defensive philosophy for K-State program appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

Kansas State women’s basketball’s season ended Sunday night as so many do, with heartbreak.

The Wildcats wrapped up their first WBIT appearance with a tough 83-75 loss to California in a game that slipped away in the third and early fourth quarter and couldn’t be salvaged with a late rally.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State women end season with home WBIT loss to Cal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

A bad taste was left in the mouth of the Kansas State women the way they ended the regular season.

The Wildcats ended the season with three straight losses, two of which against rivals Kansas and Iowa State on their home floor. A magical run to the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament did a lot to make up for that, but now the Wildcats have a chance to return to Bramlage Coliseum to play at least one more game on their home floor.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post KSU women opens WBIT play hosting Georgia Tech appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Junior guard P.J. Haggerty was an honorable mention selection to The Associated Press All-America team, which was announced on Tuesday afternoon.

It marked the second time in Haggerty’s career that he earned All-America honors from The Associated Press after being selected to the Second Team while at Memphis in 2024-25. He was a consensus Second Team All-American in 2024-25 while with the Tigers as he was named to the First Team by Andy Katz, the Second Team by AP, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and The Sporting News and the Third Team by the NABC and College Hoops Today.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Haggerty named Honorable Mention AP All-America appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

There is no denying the success Casey Alexander had at Belmont.

Over seven seasons leading the Bruins, Alexander compiled a 166-60 record while consistently fielding one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Why Alexander, Taylor are confident mid-major success can translate to Big 12 appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

A top-10 salary in the Big 12 and over $1 million in potential bonuses highlight new Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander’s contract, which The Mercury obtained Monday afternoon.

K-State announced last week that Alexander signed a five-year deal worth $17 million before any bonuses. He will make $3.3 million in the first year, and that will increase by $50,000 every year through the 2030-31 season.

The post Details on new K-State men’s basketball coach Casey Alexander’s 5-year contract appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

After a magical run in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City that was cut short in the semifinals, Kansas State women’s basketball will get to play at least one more game.

The Wildcats (18-17) were selected to compete in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) Sunday evening, earning a No. 2 seed. This is K-State’s first WBIT bid since the tournament’s inception in 2024.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State women to compete in WBIT as No. 2 seed appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

With Casey Alexander now officially in place at the helm of Kansas State men’s basketball, attention will quickly turn to who will fill out the new head coach’s first roster in Manhattan.

As with most coaching changes, the list starts with assessing whether any of his former Belmont players would follow him to Manhattan if they choose to explore new opportunities.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Belmont players K-State could pursue in the transfer portal appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State men’s basketball’s calamitous season came to a close on Tuesday night in Kansas City as No. 10 seed BYU pulled away in the second half for a 105-91 win in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center.

The 15-seeded Wildcats finished the season 12-20 and 3-15 during regular-season Big 12 play. It marked the seventh and final game for interim head coach Matthew Driscoll, who finishes with a 2-5 record after Jerome Tang’s firing.

“Really proud of the fact that we didn’t quit,” Driscoll said. “We never quit during this whole tumultuous situation. We were probably the most resilient team in the Big 12, bar none. We’ve been through everything you could possibly think of — injury, illness and attrition. And attrition, being Coach (Tang).

“To our guys’ credit, they could have just opted out and quit. So there’s a lot to be said about this team and what they did. And I’m super proud to be the person that’s temporarily in charge of them.”

K-State kept pace for much of the night behind a strong offensive performance from P.J. Haggerty, but BYU freshman star AJ Dybantsa proved too much to contain. Dybantsa poured in a game-high 40 points as the Cougars used a late second-half surge to create separation and close out the victory.

Haggety’s 27 points marked his 23rd 20-point game of the season, which is the second-most in school history and the most since Michael Beasley’s school-record 26 in 2007-08.

Read the rest at The Manhattan Mercury and subscribe!

The post K-State closes calamitous season in Big 12 Tournament loss to BYU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Following her stellar performance at the 2026 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament, K-State freshman Jordan Speiser has been named to the all-tournament team.

With this honor, Speiser becomes the sixth player in program history to be named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and first since Ayoka Lee in 2024.

To view this full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Speiser makes all-tournament team appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An improbable run through the Big 12 Tournament ended after four games in four days for the 12th-seeded Kansas State women Saturday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center.

The Wildcats ran out of steam midway through the fourth quarter, falling to the veteran and size-laden top-seed TCU, 74-62.

K-State had a slim lead at the break, thanks in part to first-half TCU turnovers and four 3-pointers in the second quarter, but the Horned Frogs caught fire in the third quarter and couldn’t be caught.

The loss ends one of the best Big 12 Tournament runs for the Wildcats in school history, and shows the growth and potential that this young roster could have moving forward.

“I mean, obviously we want to be playing tomorrow, but I’m just proud of this group and proud of the growth they’ve had all year,” junior Taryn Sides said. “Just wish we were playing (on Sunday).”

Read the rest at The Manhattan Mercury and subscribe!

The post K-State women end magical run with semifinal loss to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After Friday’s thrilling win over No. 4 Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, the 12th-seeded Kansas State women are stepping into relatively unknown territory.

K-State will play its fourth game in as many days on Saturday, when it takes on No. 1 TCU in the tournament semifinals. The Wildcats have only played four games in four days like this once, in the 1997 Big 12 Tournament.

But of all of the concerns that head coach Jeff Mittie might have about facing the conference’s regular-season champions in a high-stakes tournament game, fatigue is not one of them.

“The (players) would tell you that we’ve practiced seven, eight days in a row, and some days the seventh or eighth day is the hardest day, and it also might be the best day,” Mittie said. “Their bodies are tired right now, but they’re young. I don’t think it’s any different. We’ll get our preparation

“I would say this: The one thing about playing early in the day is the day is pretty normal for us in terms of our recovery. We practice at 10, 11 a.m. (in Manhattan), so the day is pretty normal. I’m sure they’ve got a nap scheduled later at some point later today, but our preparation will be the same.”

Both junior Nastja Claessens and freshman Jordan Speiser agreed and mentioned plans for a nice ice bath to help with their recovery.

Read the rest at The Mercury and subscribe!

The post K-State women showing growth and defying the odds in Big 12 Tournament run appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

A promising first half spiraled for the Kansas State women versus an Iowa State team that’s starting to find its footing after a mid-season dip following a red-hot start to the season.

The Wildcats (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) used an excellent second quarter to lead by as much as six, but the Cyclones’ physicality down low was too much, led by a 41-point performance from star center Audi Crooks, to handle, as K-State fell 93-79 in Bramlage Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

With a win, K-State had a chance to earn a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament, but the loss forces the Wildcats into the opening game of the tournament Wednesday morning.

“We were in position to get (the bye),” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “It is what it is, right? We didn’t earn the bye. We had a chance, and now our opportunity is to play right away. So we’ve got to make the most of that.”

For the rest of the story, visit The Mercury and subscribe!

The post K-State women end regular season with home loss to Iowa State appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Kansas State men saw another close game slip down the drain in the final minutes on Saturday, falling at home to TCU, 77-68.

The Wildcats trailed for the entire second half but managed to keep it within a couple of possessions until a 9-0 run in the final minutes put it out of reach.

“So, do you have a record player? Have you ever seen the 33-inch vinyls? Right? Have you ever had one that had a bad scratch on it? That’s what we have,” interim head coach Matthew Driscoll said of the Wildcats’ late-game struggles. “We put it on the record player, and it plays and plays and plays and plays and plays, and then it hits that scratch and it just (circles). We get there, and then for whatever reason, we just can’t break through.”

The loss is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post K-State men fall late at home to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Kansas State men saw another close game slip down the drain in the final minutes on Saturday, falling at home to TCU, 77-68.

The Wildcats trailed for the entire second half but managed to keep it within a couple of possessions until a 9-0 run in the final minutes put it out of reach.

“So, do you have a record player? Have you ever seen the 33-inch vinyls? Right? Have you ever had one that had a bad scratch on it? That’s what we have,” interim head coach Matthew Driscoll said of the Wildcats’ late-game struggles. “We put it on the record player, and it plays and plays and plays and plays and plays, and then it hits that scratch and it just (circles). We get there, and then for whatever reason, we just can’t break through.”

The loss is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post K-State men fall late at home to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Kansas State men saw another close game slip down the drain in the final minutes on Saturday, falling at home to TCU, 77-68.

The Wildcats trailed for the entire second half but managed to keep it within a couple of possessions until a 9-0 run in the final minutes put it out of reach.

“So, do you have a record player? Have you ever seen the 33-inch vinyls? Right? Have you ever had one that had a bad scratch on it? That’s what we have,” interim head coach Matthew Driscoll said of the Wildcats’ late-game struggles. “We put it on the record player, and it plays and plays and plays and plays and plays, and then it hits that scratch and it just (circles). We get there, and then for whatever reason, we just can’t break through.”

The loss is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post K-State men fall late at home to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Kansas State men saw another close game slip down the drain in the final minutes on Saturday, falling at home to TCU, 77-68.

The Wildcats trailed for the entire second half but managed to keep it within a couple of possessions until a 9-0 run in the final minutes put it out of reach.

“So, do you have a record player? Have you ever seen the 33-inch vinyls? Right? Have you ever had one that had a bad scratch on it? That’s what we have,” interim head coach Matthew Driscoll said of the Wildcats’ late-game struggles. “We put it on the record player, and it plays and plays and plays and plays and plays, and then it hits that scratch and it just (circles). We get there, and then for whatever reason, we just can’t break through.”

The loss is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post K-State men fall late at home to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Kansas State men saw another close game slip down the drain in the final minutes on Saturday, falling at home to TCU, 77-68.

The Wildcats trailed for the entire second half but managed to keep it within a couple of possessions until a 9-0 run in the final minutes put it out of reach.

“So, do you have a record player? Have you ever seen the 33-inch vinyls? Right? Have you ever had one that had a bad scratch on it? That’s what we have,” interim head coach Matthew Driscoll said of the Wildcats’ late-game struggles. “We put it on the record player, and it plays and plays and plays and plays and plays, and then it hits that scratch and it just (circles). We get there, and then for whatever reason, we just can’t break through.”

The loss is the third straight for the Wildcats, and the ninth loss in the last 10 games.

Read the rest and subscribe at The Mercury!

The post K-State men fall late at home to TCU appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

A disastrous third quarter for the Kansas State women sunk any hopes of a potential road upset of No. 18 Baylor Monday evening, as the Bears rolled at home, beating the Wildcats 80-54 in Waco, Texas.

The Wildcats (15-15, 8-9 Big 12) only trailed by nine at the break, but seven 3-pointers in the third quarter were too much for the Wildcats to contend with, as they dropped their second straight game, and their last true road matchup of the season.

“(Our) shot decisions in that stretch were poor,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we were weak around the rim. I think we had some frustration in our players. I think the fatigue at that point was a combination of those two things. We didn’t go to the next play very well. We had a lot of breakdowns, and then tonight, Baylor made you pay every time you missed a break. You know, if you had a breakdown defensively, if you went inside on a screen, they faded it. If you trailed it, they made the right read. So I think a combination of a lot of things.”

Read the rest and subscribe to The Mercury!

The post K-State women rolled on the road at No. 18 Baylor appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

No. 13 Texas Tech reminded Kansas State men’s basketball once again how unforgiving Lubbock can be.

Multiple Red Raider offensive avalanches buried the Wildcats in a 100-72 loss Saturday afternoon at United Supermarkets Arena. The 100 points are the most scored by Texas Tech in series history.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post Lubbock lows linger in blowout loss at No. 13 Texas Tech appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

The Kansas State women played their best offensive game of Big 12 play Wednesday night, sprinting past UCF for a 93-67 road win at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.

A red-hot 81.3% shooting percentage in the first quarter gave the Wildcats (15-13, 8-7 Big 12) an early boost, and they rode that to their best offensive performance in Big 12 play and third-most points scored in a game this season.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State women scorch UCF for dominant road win appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

A member of the Kansas State University men’s basketball coaching staff arrested last week is scheduled to make his first appearance in Riley County District Court on Monday.

Mark Randall Vital Jr., 29, of Manhattan is charged with one count of disorderly conduct by engaging in brawling or fighting. He was arrested at 12:20 a.m. Feb. 9 and originally charged one charge of domestic battery, which has since been changed.

Also arrested in the same incident was Kristen Blake Whiting-Daniels, 27, of Manhattan. She was originally charged with domestic battery and criminal damage to property but now faces the same charge as Vital. Whiting Daniels is also set to make her first appearance Monday, in the same 1:30 p.m. docket as Vital.

Read the rest of the story at The Mercury!

The post K-State’s Mark Vital no longer charged with domestic battery appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tobby Hammes

Longtime Baylor head coach Scott Drew doesn’t like to coach against many former assistants.

Even with that, few matchups have carried the weight of Tuesday night.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

The post Scott Drew speaks on his ‘family’ in Tang, Driscoll after K-State’s coaching change appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Former Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang has hired legal representation following his Sunday night firing, and they’re coming out swinging.

On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Pete Thamel announced that Tang had retained lawyers Tom Mars and Bennett Speyer in response to K-State terminating the fourth-year head coach with cause.

The post Jerome Tang’s lawyers give pointed public response to firing appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Former Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang has hired legal representation following his Sunday night firing, and they’re coming out swinging.

On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Pete Thamel announced that Tang had retained lawyers Tom Mars and Bennett Speyer in response to K-State terminating the fourth-year head coach with cause.

The post Jerome Tang’s lawyers give pointed public response to firing appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

For the second time in the last three months, Kansas State fans experienced a whirlwind of change in a small amount time over the weekend when former Wildcat men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang was fired for cause.

While most are aware of where things stand as of publication early Monday afternoon, it’s worth looking back at what all transpired over the last week that led to the ouster of the fourth-year head coach and his team that was mired in one of the worst seasons in school history.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Tang goes on a viral rant following a 29-point blowout loss to Cincinnati, one of the 10-worst home losses in program history. His comments, along with the students wearing paper bags on their heads during the game, made national news.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post HOW WE GOT HERE | A timeline of the five days surround Jerome Tang’s firing appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Ned Seaton

K-State offered Jerome Tang the chance to coach out the rest of this basketball season and then resign with a negotiated payout at the end, but he turned down that offer and instead got fired for cause.

Athletics director Gene Taylor confirmed to The Mercury Monday that when he met with Tang Sunday morning, he offered Tang a choice: coach the rest of the season and then resign, or else be terminated immediately for cause. If Tang chose the former, there would be some kind of financial package offered to him in lieu of a buyout, at an undetermined amount that would be substantially less than the full buyout.

“We never gave him a specific number,” Taylor said.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State offered Tang chance to keep coaching, then resign appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Kansas State has started its search for a new men’s basketball head coach following the firing of Jerome Tang on Sunday.

Here are eight names to look out for over the next several weeks as athletics director Gene Taylor begins his hunt for the 26th K-State men’s basketball coach in school history.

The post 10 names to consider for K-State’s new basketball coach appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State’s fourth-quarter comeback fell just short Sunday in a road loss at No. 25 Iowa State.

The Wildcats (14-13, 7-7 Big 12) trailed by double-digits early in the fourth quarter, but found a way to make a late push to get within a point with just over a minute left. But K-State was unable to get over the hump and came away with a 76-72 loss to the Cyclones (20-6, 8-6) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

“Proud of the group for battling back,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We battled back. We had a double-digit deficit in the second half that we battled back from, which gave us a chance. … It just came up a little bit short.”

Read the rest at The Manhattan Mercury!

The post K-State women can’t complete rally in loss at No. 25 Iowa State appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Ned Seaton and Tim Everson

Kansas State on Sunday fired Jerome Tang, deciding to part ways with a basketball coach whose tenure began with enormous promise and ended with fans wearing bags on their heads.

In doing so, K-State said the firing was “for cause,” claiming that Tang had violated the terms of his employment contract by publicly criticizing his players for lackluster effort in a home loss to Cincinnati.

Such a tactic, if it stands, would allow K-State to avoid paying Tang an $18.7 million buyout that he would be due if the firing were based solely on wins and losses.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

The post Jerome Tang fired for cause after 1-11 start to Big 12 play appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State men’s basketball struck first and showed early fight against No. 3 Houston on Saturday afternoon at Fertitta Center, but a decisive 33-4 Houston run spanning the end of the first half and start of the second proved too much to overcome in a 78-64 loss.

“As a team, we’ve decided that we can either be the victims or the victors,” head coach Jerome Tang said. “We’re choosing to be the victors, and that’s the approach they have. They have a really positive mindset.”

K-State (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) suffered its sixth straight loss overall, while Houston improved to 23-2 and 11-1 in Big 12 play. The 1-11 mark ties for the worst start in the Big 12 era, also by the 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams.

“I was impressed with what Coach Tang did with their team today,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said. “They should be proud of their effort. They played hard today. That’s not always easy to do when people are kicking dirt on you.”

Read the rest at The Manhattan Mercury!

The post With jersey names removed, K-State shows fight in loss at No. 3 Houston appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Kansas State men’s basketball continued its descent into the depths of team record book hell on Wednesday night, falling 91-62 to Cincinnati at Bramlage Coliseum to tie the 7th-worst home loss in program history.

Including the Wildcats’ recent 34-point home floor loss to Iowa State, three of the seven worst home losses in school history have now occurred within the past two seasons. K-State (10-14) is now 1-10 in Big 12 play, which ties for the worst start in the Big 12 era, along with 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State records another historic low in 91-62 home loss vs. Cincinnati appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Once again, Kansas State men’s basketball put itself in position to win a Big 12 game.

Once again, it couldn’t finish.

TCU took its first lead of the afternoon on two free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining and capitalized on a late K-State turnover to secure an 84-82 victory Saturday at Schollmaier Arena.

The Wildcats committed three turnovers in the final 90 seconds and dropped to 10-13 overall and 1-9 in conference play.

“I’ve got to be better for our guys because they gave everything they had,” head coach Jerome Tang said. “We actually thought we’d only have five guys for this game as of yesterday (sickness and injuries), so I’m proud of our guys — not proud of the result. Nobody wants to lose, but for what these guys have been going through, I’m very proud of them. We’ll keep fighting. We’ll figure this thing out.”

Read the full story at The Manhattan Mercury!

The post Late collapse sends K-State to 1-9 in Big 12 play appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

In perhaps their most complete performance of the season, the Kansas State women rocketed past BYU for a 77-52 bounce-back win over the Cougars after a disappointing loss at Arizona on Wednesday.

K-State (13-12, 6-6 Big 12) got off to a strong start, but it was a dominant second half that featured the Wildcats outshooting BYU (16-8, 5-7) by more than 30% that turned the win into a rout.

“I would say that we played very well together, very connected all day long,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “And I thought the start was a good, solid start. …Everybody’s always caught up in the score, but from a coaching perspective, you want to get things established. You want to get ball movement established. You want to get your attack established. Defensively, you want to see how connected your team is in the game plan. And from that standpoint, I felt like we were solid. I felt that we were getting better as the game went on. And that’s what you want to see.”

The victory is just K-State’s third at home this season, and the first since a 69-65 win over Houston on Jan. 21. It’s just the second double-digit victory of conference play.

Read the full story at The Manhattan Mercury!

The post K-State women wallop BYU in definitive home win appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

Consistency continues to be the Kansas State women’s greatest enemy, and that was on display Wednesday evening as K-State fell in a 72-62 road upset to Arizona.

The road Wildcats never led and trailed by as much as 16 multiple times down the stretch as turnovers and a steady and strong offensive attack from Arizona became too much for K-State to handle.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State women suffer road upset at Arizona appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Following the third-worst home loss in program history, and the second-worst start to conference play ever, uncertainty in the future of Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang has started to take hold.

Tang is in his fourth season with Kansas State. Barring a miracle run through the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, the Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, a feat for which previous head coach Bruce Weber was fired at the end of 2021-22.

The post A look at the buy-out situation for Jerome Tang’s contract appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Toby Hammes

Jerome Tang didn’t think he needed to explain anything to Kansas State fans after Sunday’s 95-61 loss to Iowa State.

“I don’t feel like I need to give an explanation to our fans right now,” Tang said. “I want them to know that I’m working really hard and I’m not happy with the results. But I am proud of the young men that we brought in.”

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post COLUMN | K-State fans deserve better appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

After back-to-back losses in the Sunflower State, the Kansas State women traded the cold tundra of Manhattan for the warm deserts of Arizona, and it paid dividends.

Behind a stellar showing from behind the arc, the Wildcats (12-11, 5-5 Big 12) came away with a convincing 74-67 win over Arizona State (18-5, 5-5) on Sunday, the team’s first trip to Tempe since 1988.

The loss was the first at home for Arizona State this season.

K-State led by as much as 24 in the third quarter and held off a late push by the Sun Devils to buck their recent two-game skid.

“I thought we did a lot of good things all day long, and we’re not going to focus on the end,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We can fix those things. … I’m going to enjoy this one. I’m going to focus on how we got the 24-point lead, and we’ll try to fix whatever we can to do better tomorrow.”

Read the rest of the story and subscribe at The Manhattan Mercury

The post K-State women fire past Arizona State for road win appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The low points keep finding ways to get lower for Kansas State men’s basketball this season.

No. 8 Iowa State jumped on the Wildcats early and imposed its will with little resistance, rolling to a 95-61 win Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum — the worst margin of defeat under head coach Jerome Tang.

After the game, Tang was asked what he was most disappointed about. His response:

“I’m not disappointed at all.”

And why not?

“Because I’m with these dudes every single day, and I know everything that they’re going through,” Tang said. “So I was proud of our guys, especially in the second half.”

K-State fell to 10-12 overall and 1-8 in Big 12 play, a start that ties the second-worst conference mark in program history.

Read the rest of the story and subscribe at The Manhattan Mercury!

The post K-State suffers 3rd-worst home loss in program history vs. No. 8 Iowa State appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang released a statement Thursday regarding junior wing Mobi Ikegwuruka, who has missed the Wildcats’ last six games.

“Mobi is dealing with a private matter and remains a member of our team,” Tang said in a written statement. “He is eligible to be with us but is not personally ready. We love him and he has our full support.”

The statement follows reporting from WIBW, which noted that Ikegwuruka has been away from the program for several weeks. According to WIBW, Ikegwuruka’s absence is not injury-related.

Ikegwuruka has been consistently listed as out on K-State’s availability reports since December. He briefly returned to the rotation to open Big 12 play before stepping away again, last appearing in a Jan. 7 loss at Arizona.

Read the rest at The Mercury!

The post Tang releases statement on Mobi Ikegwuruka’s absence appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Tim Everson

A short-handed Kansas State women’s team couldn’t keep pace with rival Kansas in Lawrence on Sunday. The Wildcats fell 83-61 in a game that was only close through the first quarter, and ended as K-State’s worst loss to its rival in over 30 years.

The defeat is the Wildcats’ fourth in the last five meetings at Allen Fieldhouse.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

Click here for more K-State sports.

The post K-State women fall by 22 at rival Kansas appeared first on News Radio KMAN.