K-State basketball veteran Taj Manning has become a key role player for Wildcats
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Taj Manning evolved from bench player to key role contributor for K-State.
- Coach Jerome Tang and teammates credit Manning’s defense and rebounding.
- Manning stayed at K-State, accepted role, then produced impact this season.
Jerome Tang couldn’t stop looking at an often overlooked area of the stat sheet after Kansas State’s recent basketball victory over South Dakota.
The Wildcats demolished the Coyotes 106-76 with five different K-State players finishing in double figures. But Tang seemed most impressed by the production of Taj Manning, a reserve forward who scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Why? Because K-State outscored its opponent by 32 points while he was on the floor.
“I’m so proud of him,” Tang said. “He was a plus-32 tonight. ... He just creates opportunities for us. He’s willing to do all the little things that contribute to winning but may not show up in the stat sheet.”
Indeed, after three mostly quiet seasons Manning has become a valuable role player for the Wildcats. He’s only averaging 1.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, but things seem to go well for K-State when the 6-foot-7 redshirt junior from Grandview is in the rotation.
He plays solid defense, grabs rebounds, moves the ball and clears out space in the paint when his teammates are driving toward the rim. Manning has played so well in recent games that Tang is encouraging him to start occasionally looking for his own shot.
Manning took an old-school approach to this point. A decade ago, it was common for college basketball players to bide their time at one school until they were ready to make an impact. Not anymore. Manning is the only remaining player from K-State’s run to the Elite Eight in 2023.
He has been in Manhattan for so long that his teammates affectionately refer to him as Udonis Haslem, a former NBA player who spent his entire 20-year career with the Miami Heat.
“They love to joke with me about that,” Manning said, “because I’m the vet.”
PJ Haggerty, who leads K-State in scoring 12 games into the season, thinks another NBA comparison is also appropriate for Manning.
“Taj is a hard worker,” Haggerty said. “He’s not really out there looking to score. I mean, he can score, but he’s just doing the little things like Draymond Green with the spirit he brings. He’s been here a couple years, so he knows the expectations. That’s why he just comes in, plays hard and does anything you need him to do.”
Manning says it feels “awesome” to see his hard work paying off.
He never doubted that it would happen, but it had to be frustrating for him at times to spend three years helping the Wildcats in practice but almost never in games. Manning watched from the sideline with a redshirt when K-State won 25 games in Tang’s first year as coach. Then he only played in 22 games over the next two seasons.
Most players would have transferred rather than wait this long for an opportunity. But Manning remained committed to his school.
He expected things to work out eventually.
“I just love playing for Coach Tang,” Manning said. “He’s a great guy and I love the program. I love K-State, everything about it. It’s a perfect situation for me on the court and off the court. It has been tough at times, but I’m not somebody who gives up when things aren’t going my way. I knew that if I kept doing everything right, surely my time would come.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 12:35 PM with the headline "K-State basketball veteran Taj Manning has become a key role player for Wildcats."