‘A whole lot of buckets’: Transfer Abdi Bashir brings scoring mindset to K-State
The first thing most Kansas State basketball fans noticed about Abdi Bashir when he committed to play for the Wildcats earlier this week was that he averaged 20.1 points per game this past season at Monmouth.
It’s impossible to miss a number like that.
Bashir, a 6-foot-7 sophomore guard, led the Colonial Athletic Association in both scoring (663 points) and 3-point shooting (127 makes from beyond the arc) as a key starter for the Hawks. That kind of production made him a popular name in the transfer portal when he decided to look for a new school.
“A whole lot of buckets,” Bashir said in an exclusive interview. “That’s what I bring to the court. I’m out there just getting buckets, making shots, making plays, bringing energy and making all the right reads, everything we need to win.”
He is confident he can continue his high-scoring ways next season after he enrolls at K-State and begins playing for head coach Jerome Tang in the Big 12.
“I’m super excited,” Bashir said. “It’s one of the best leagues in college basketball, and I’m getting prepared for it. I know it’s a physical league, so I’m putting on a lot of weight to get ready to play my best basketball. And my best basketball is yet to come. I haven’t really played my best ball yet. I have still got a lot of work to do, but I can’t wait to show Kansas State fans that I’m ready to make plays at the next level.”
Bashir only weighs 160 pounds, and his defensive metrics are not impressive. But he is blessed with a tall frame and knows how to score from anywhere on the court.
That makes him an intriguing portal addition for the Wildcats as they look to rebuild their roster.
“Certain things are easy for me because of my size,” Bashir said. “I can shoot over a lot of people and see over a lot of people. It helps me do a lot of things.”
He scored at least 20 points in 18 different games last season and at least 30 points in five different games. His season-high came in a game against Rutgers when he erupted for 38. But his favorite memory in a Monmouth uniform is when he scored 28 points and the Hawks beat Seton Hall last November.
K-State is looking to replace its top 3-point shooter from a year ago now that Brendan Hausen has decided to transfer elsewhere. Perhaps Bashir can fill that role, and possibly expand on it.
Bashir expects to be a “pretty good fit” alongside point guard Dug McDaniel in the K-State backcourt.
He said he heard from Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky “and a lot of other schools” before he picked K-State. That was a much different experience from when he was recruited as a high school prospect out of Omaha and settled on Monmouth.
“I didn’t really get recruited out of high school,” Bashir said. “Everybody thought I was too skinny and I wasn’t good enough. So now I’m just proving all them guys wrong, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Bashir only averaged 6.3 points as a freshman, but his numbers ballooned as a sophomore.
He hopes to continue improving after he transfers to K-State.
Bashir has followed the Wildcats over the years. Michael Beasley used to be one of his favorite players. And Tang sold him on the program’s future. So much so, that he committed without making a campus visit.
“I already have a great relationship with Coach Tang and the coaching staff,” Bashir said. “They made me feel like a priority. I could tell they really did their homework on me and that they really wanted me. It made my choice easy. Kansas State was a no-brainer for me.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 10:25 AM with the headline "‘A whole lot of buckets’: Transfer Abdi Bashir brings scoring mindset to K-State."