Kansas State’s first recruiting swing under Casey Alexander didn’t land the way the Wildcats wanted, but the work is only getting started.
The biggest miss so far came with Malik Olajuwon, one of the nation’s top recruits and a standout at IMG Academy in Florida. Kansas State was among his six finalists, but earlier this week he committed to SMU. Olajuwon is the son of former NBA superstar and Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon.
For Alexander, the setback is part of the job. The challenge now is to keep pressing forward, stay in the hunt for elite talent, and not let one recruiting loss slow down a staff that is trying to build momentum in its first year.
Kansas State has already made itself part of the conversation with several other prospects in the class.
One of them is William Powers, a guard who was a third-team All-Metro pick by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch last year.
Powers led Westminster in scoring with 22.1 points per game and added 7.6 rebounds along with 3.1 assists. He helped push his team to a 20-8 record and also earned first-team All-State honors in Class 5A.
The Wildcats are also in the mix for four-star power forward David Cochran, who plays at Brentwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee. Kansas State is one of eight schools still in the running, alongside programs such as Tennessee, Cincinnati, and Virginia. Cochran put together a strong season with averages of 22 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, 1.9 blocks, and one steal per game.
Another name on Kansas State’s radar is center Teke Deng of Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kansas. Deng has been one of the main targets the Wildcats have tracked, and he also picked up an offer from UNLV. In three state tournament games, he averaged 19 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks.
Kansas State’s frontcourt is still loaded with underclassmen, so a big man is not the most urgent need. Even so, adding depth up front matters, especially after injuries exposed the Wildcats’ frontcourt for much of last season.
In Other News...
Jerome Tang's Kansas State Split Just Got More Interesting For Baylor
Kansas States separation from Jerome Tang is moving toward a resolution, with the school and its former basketball coach nearing a $12 million settlement after his firing for cause in February. Tang had been owed more than $18 million if he had been let go without cause, so the financial gap underscores how messy the split became after a difficult season and a postgame rant helped lead to the dismissal.
For Baylor, the part that matters now is Tangs return to Waco as associate head coach. His presence adds another layer to a rivalry that already has plenty of familiarity, and the settlement chatter only makes the aftermath of Kansas States coaching change feel more consequential. The legal and financial pieces are still falling into place, but the coaching fallout has already shifted the focus to what Tangs next chapter means for the Bears. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas States Costly Jerome Tang Split Is Finally Nearing An End
Kansas States long-running dispute with Jerome Tang appears close to wrapping up, with the school and its former mens basketball coach finalizing a settlement tied to his February firing for cause. Tang, who spent four seasons in Manhattan and is now an associate head coach at Baylor, had about $18.7 million left on his contract when he was dismissed, leaving the sides to sort out a pricey separation that has lingered for months.
The agreement would pay Tang $12 million through the end of 2027, trimming the buyout figure and bringing a measure of closure to one of the more costly off-court issues facing the program. For Kansas State, the resolution should finally clear the way to move past the financial fallout of Tangs exit and keep attention on what comes next for a program still adjusting after the breakup. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Can Finally Move On From The Jerome Tang Split
Kansas States coaching search is over, but the fallout from the Jerome Tang era is still being sorted out long after the Wildcats decided to move in a different direction. Tang was let go after the 2022-23 season, and the school has spent the months since trying to close the book on a split that carried real financial weight as well as basketball implications.
The latest step is a deal that would pay Tang $12 million by the end of 2027, trimming the remaining money from his contract and allowing both sides to put the separation behind them. Tang has already resurfaced at Baylor as an assistant coach, while Kansas State has turned the program over to Casey Alexander, who now inherits the task of moving the Wildcats forward without the unresolved business hanging over the transition. [Read more 🡒]