Kansas State basketball fills last 2023-24 roster spot with graduate transfer big man
Just when it looked as if Kansas State men's basketball team would start the 2023-24 season with an open roster spot, Jerome Tang delivered.
Will McNair, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound graduate transfer who played three seasons at New Mexico State and last year at Mississippi State, announced his commitment to the Wildcats on Friday after a summer pit stop with Providence.
The addition of McNair means Tang begins his second season as coach with a full 13-man roster, and also provides some needed frontcourt depth.
More: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang lets students know he's just a text message away
McNair averaged 3.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocked shots in 34 games last year at Mississippi State. His most productive season was the 2021-22 campaign with New Mexico State, when he averaged 22.9 minutes over 34 games with 6.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks, before following head coach Chris Jans to Mississippi State.
This marks the second straight year that Tang has gone to the wire in filling his roster. Last year he brought in All-American forward Keyontae Johnson and guard Desi Sills late in the process.
McNair entered the portal in May as a graduate transfer and signed with Providence in June. He even joined the Friars on their summer trip to Spain, averaging 9.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in three games before re-entering the portal on Sept. 5.
Interestingly, Tang said one of his goals during K-State's summer trip to Israel and United Arab Emirates was to keep all his players happy so they would want to remain with the team and not enter the portal before the season.
McNair will join a Wildcat frontcourt that includes returning starters Nae'Qwan Tomlin and David N'Guessan, redshirt sophomore Jerell Colbert, Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma and true freshman Macaleab Rich.
The guards include returning starter Cam Carter, North Texas transfer Tylor Perry, Samford transfer Ques Glover, returning sophomore Dorian Finister and true freshmen Dai Dai Ames and R.J. Jones.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State men's basketball adds grad transfer big man Will McNair
