Another basketball player has decided to transfer away from the Kansas State Wildcats
The losses are beginning to add up for the Kansas State men’s basketball roster.
After several weeks of calm, the Wildcats have now seen six players with remaining eligibility decide to enter the transfer portal and continue their college careers elsewhere.
This is not what K-State head coach Jerome Tang was hoping for when he spoke about the importance of retaining as many K-State players as possible after this past season.
CJ Jones is the latest departure.
The 6-foot-5 junior guard announced his plans to transfer on Monday after one short season in Manhattan. He started out at Illinois-Chicago and averaged 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists as a point guard with the Wildcats.
Jones made nine starts for Tang and looked like a steady contributor at the beginning of the season. But he lost his spot in the starting lineup to Dug McDaniel during conference play and held a less significant role as the season progressed.
Still, it seemed like Jones was on board for another year with the Wildcats earlier this month, when he posted a highlight video of himself in a purple uniform on social media. Some took that as an announcement he was returning.
Perhaps it was and he changed his mind.
In any case, K-State will now only return between three and five players from last year’s roster, depending on whether NCAA eligibility waivers are approved for seniors Max Jones and Tyreek Smith.
K-State Wildcats basketball tracker
Outgoing transfers:
Incoming transfers:
High school recruits:
Returners:
- Mobi Ikegwuruka
- Taj Manning
- David Castillo
- Max Jones*
- Tyreek Smith*
*Player is seeking a waiver to gain extra eligibility
Available scholarships: 4-6
This story was originally published April 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Another basketball player has decided to transfer away from the Kansas State Wildcats."