Kansas State University

K-State basketball ends busy day with addition of UNCW transfer Khamari McGriff

Jerome Tang and the Kansas State men’s basketball team ended a busy day of roster moves on a high note.

After the Wildcats lost three players to the transfer portal (starting point guard Dug McDaniel, 7-foot center Ugonna Onyenso and reserve big man Baye Fall) on Monday, they received some good news when North Carolina Wilmington forward Khamari McGriff announced plans to finish his college career in Manhattan.

McGriff is a 6-foot-8 junior who averaged 11.5 points and 4 rebounds as he helped the Seahawks win 27 games and reach the NCAA Tournament last season.

He has spent his entire college basketball career playing for UNCW, but now he will try to prove himself in the Big 12.

McGriff is a skilled big man who scored on 74.6% of his shots near the rim last season. He shot 51.9% on all of his other attempts from within the arc. He also made a pair of 3-pointers, proving that he can occasionally step outside and make a shot from downtown.

Texas Tech limited him to eight points and three rebounds when the Red Raiders beat the Seahawks 82-72 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. But he put up good numbers during a November game at Kansas, as he scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Jayhawks inside Allen Fieldhouse.

His season high came during a game against Howard in which he scored 34 points.

K-State will hope he can improve as a defender and boost his rebounding numbers after he joins the Wildcats. Nevertheless, he is a welcome addition for a team that badly needs new blood in the front to replace David N’Guessan, Coleman Hawkins, Macaleab Rich, Onyenso and Fall.

K-State Wildcats basketball tracker

Outgoing transfers:

Incoming transfers:

High school recruits:

Returners:

  • CJ Jones
  • Mobi Ikegwuruka
  • Taj Manning
  • David Castillo
  • Max Jones*
  • Tyreek Smith*

*Player is seeking a waiver to gain extra eligibility

Available scholarships: 3-5

This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 9:41 PM with the headline "K-State basketball ends busy day with addition of UNCW transfer Khamari McGriff."

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Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
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