Kansas State has not exactly been a factory for NBA talent, but the Wildcats still had a front-row seat to one of the biggest missed chances of the cycle: Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz said before the NBA Draft that he loved Kansas State, adding that the program never offered him out of high school. Instead, the Thunder made him the No. 16 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after a college run that turned him into one of the country’s most dangerous scorers.
Across two collegiate seasons, Stirtz averaged 19.5 points, 1.7 steals and five rebounds. He built his reputation quickly, starring for both Iowa and Drake and giving defenses problems every time he touched the ball.
Kansas State fans saw it up close in the 2024 Wildcat Classic, where Stirtz carved up the Wildcats for 22 points on 61.5 percent shooting and buried the overtime winner. That performance is part of why some K-State supporters can’t help but picture him in purple.
Still, the idea that Stirtz would have become something different at Kansas State is far from certain. The Wildcats have had their share of Draft-caliber players who never quite hit another level in Manhattan.
Coleman Hawkins and PJ Haggerty both pulled out of the Draft to play for Kansas State, and both seasons ended in disappointment. Their numbers flashed at times, but the team as a whole never got the lift the Wildcats were hoping for.
Kansas State did, however, produce a pair of former players who landed NBA opportunities this year.
Nate Johnson, a guard who spent one season with the Wildcats in 2025-26, is headed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He posted 12.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.2 steals, all career highs, but his year was uneven.
With Abdi Bashir Jr. injured, Johnson did not make the offensive jump Kansas State needed, even though he delivered some strong games and remained a disruptive defender. His value came more from the other end, where he helped create turnovers and gave the Wildcats a real two-way presence.
Johnson now joins the 2025 NBA champions, a team built on defense, ball movement and player development.
The other former Wildcat moving on is Ugonna Onyenso, who spent the 2024-25 season at Kansas State before transferring to Virginia. At UVA, he put together a career year with 6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, and his play earned him All-ACC Defensive Team honors as the nation’s second-leading shot blocker. He had several games with at least four blocks, and that rim protection helped make him a developmental target for the Pistons.
Onyenso’s fit in Detroit points to a clear role: defense behind Jalen Duren. Duren made his first All-Star team but saw his playoff production drop sharply, so the Pistons are banking on Onyenso to bring help off the bench, even if offense is not his calling card.
His Kansas State season was quieter. Onyenso averaged 2.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 2024-25, with career lows in nearly every statistical category. Even so, he still mattered in the frontcourt, finishing top five on the team that season in total blocks and offensive rebounds.
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Kansas State has been busy widening its board in the 2028 class, handing out offers to a cluster of prospects who already have plenty of attention from around the country. The latest wave includes four-star defensive back Bryson Hazley, along with twin defensive backs Quinn and Cole Pollock, as the Wildcats continue to make an early push at a position group that always carries long-term value for the program.
The list does not stop there, either. Kansas State has also jumped in on running back Dalen Powell and athlete Kipton Neighbors, both of whom are drawing interest from multiple programs. For the Wildcats, the appeal is obvious: get involved early, stay in the mix with players who are already on other big schools radars, and see how much traction that groundwork can build as the 2028 cycle takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Fans Have Even More Reason To Trust This Rivalry
Kansas States hold on the Sunflower Showdown has become one of the more reliable storylines in the Big 12, and the latest chapter did little to change the tone. The Wildcats have now won the last 17 meetings with Kansas, and the most recent one was another comfortable reminder of how tilted the rivalry has been. Avery Johnson looked sharp in that win, giving the offense enough juice to keep the margin wide and the afternoon stress-free for a fan base that has gotten used to this series breaking its way.
Looking ahead to 2026, there is even more reason for Kansas State supporters to feel good about where this matchup is headed. With the next coach in place and the standard set around hard work and competition, the Wildcats are positioned to keep this rivalry very much on their terms. The bigger question now is whether the same edge that has carried Kansas State through this streak can also help push the program into an even higher gear next fall. [Read more 🡒]