K-State basketball hoping to land UTEP transfer Kaosi Ezeagu this week
The Kansas State basketball team may add a transfer big man to its roster this week.
Kaosi Ezeagu, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward who is looking to transfer from UTEP, is set to announce his next college destination Monday.
K-State appears to be the front-runner for Ezeagu after he visited campus on a recruiting trip last week and watched the Wildcats’ home game against TCU from behind the team’s bench. But he is also considering some other opportunities at smaller schools.
Ezeagu is a mid-year transfer who did not play in any games for the Miners this season, allowing him to join a new team now and take the court next season, either at the start of the year or midway through after sitting out a year in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.
Depending on the particulars of his transfer situation, the NCAA may need to grant a waiver in order for him to play immediately during the 2020-21 season.
Ezeagu averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman while playing in 29 games at UTEP, starting its last seven games. He led the Miners in blocked shots (24) and field goal percentage (57%). He had a career-high 12 points during a game against Middle Tennessee State.
He is originally from Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
K-State coach Bruce Weber has said he would like to add an extra big man to the Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class, which currently ranks in the top 25 nationally with the signings of Nijel Pack, Selton Miguel, Davion Bradford and Luke Kasubke.
Ezeagu would certainly provide more size and a defensive presence to the Wildcats, but there are questions about his offensive abilities.
The Wildcats are currently at their scholarship limit for 2020, so a roster spot will need to open up in order to accommodate any new recruit next season. The team has an open scholarship on its roster now following the departure of Shaun Williams.
This story was originally published January 12, 2020 at 11:55 AM with the headline "K-State basketball hoping to land UTEP transfer Kaosi Ezeagu this week."