Kansas State basketball is in the running for a pair of West Virginia transfers
Could it be that West Virginia's misfortune leads to a basketball recruiting windfall for Kansas State?
The Wildcats could find out soon enough after playing host to two potential transfers from the Mountaineers to close out the week.
Guard Joe Toussaint and forward Mohamed Wague both entered the transfer portal after West Virginia hall of fame coach Bob Huggins was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and subsequently resigned. They arrived in Manhattan for their K-State visits on Thursday.
K-State was the second visit for both players since hitting the portal. Toussaint first made a stop at Texas Tech, while Wague took a trip to DePaul. Both said they were headed to Alabama next.
Toussaint, especially, fits the criteria K-State coach Jerome Tang laid out as priorities for filling the two remaining spots on the Wildcats' roster. He said he was looking to the portal for a veteran guard, "and then the best player available."
More: Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang gives high marks to his five 2023-24 newcomers
Toussaint, a 6-foot, 190-pound super-senior from Bronx, New York, spent three years at Iowa before transferring to West Virginia. He served as the Mountaineers' sixth man, appearing in 34 games with just one start, but averaged 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
In addition to North Texas transfer Tylor Perry and returning starter Cam Carter, Tang recruited a pair of highly regarded freshmen guards in Darrin Ames and R.J. Johnson. But he would prefer not to rush the rookies.
"If we can get an older guard in there, then that will free up the young guys just to let their talent take over and not have to worry about game management," Tang said.
Wague, an athletic 6-10, 225-pound junior also from the Bronx, would give the Wildcats the kind of versatile defender and rim protector that Tang prefers. He was not much of an offensive threat in his one season at West Virginia, averaging 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game off the bench.
Wague did shoot 74.2%, mostly from near the basket, and had arguably his best game in the Big 12 opener at Kansas State with 10 points and 10 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. He did not face the Wildcats at home in the regular-season finale, missing the last six games with a foot injury.
Wague spent his freshman year at Harcum College in Pennsylvania, where he received first-team junior college All-America honors after helping lead his team to the NJCAA Division I Tournament quarterfinals in Hutchinson. He averaged 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, shot 65.1% and and was third in the nation with 102 blocked shots.
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 gets visit from West Virginia players
