BREAKING: Kansas State Announces Two Straight Departures as Roster Shake-Up Continues

Kansas State basketball has been hit with another wave of roster movement, with multiple players moving on as the Wildcats reshape their roster under first-year head coach Casey Alexander.

The 2026 offseason has already brought significant change to Manhattan. Kansas State lost several players to the transfer portal, including PJ Haggerty, David Castillo, Abdi Bashir Jr., Taj Manning, Stephen Osei, Exavier Wilson, Dorin Buca and Mobi Ikegwuruka.

The departures are part of a much larger transition for the Wildcats. Alexander arrived at Kansas State after five seasons at Belmont, and the program has undergone a substantial roster rebuild ahead of the 2026-27 season.

TWO MORE NAMES ATTRACT ATTENTION

The latest movement adds to the uncertainty surrounding the Wildcats’ previous roster.

For Kansas State fans, the changes are particularly notable because PJ Haggerty and David Castillo were among the team’s significant contributors last season.

Haggerty averaged 23.4 points per game, finishing as the nation’s third-leading scorer, while Castillo averaged 10.3 points per game and started 16 games.

Their departures created major openings that Alexander and his staff needed to address through the transfer portal.

K-STATE RESPONDS WITH A MAJOR REBUILD

Kansas State didn’t simply watch its roster disappear.

The Wildcats moved aggressively in the transfer portal, bringing in players including Brock Vice, Brandon Rechsteiner, Dezdrick Lindsay, Jaden Schutt, JT Rock, Matt Gilhool, Isaiah Abraham, Montana Wheeler, Timo Malovec and Pape N’Diaye.

By July, Kansas State had assembled a 14-player roster for the 2026-27 season, with returning sophomore Andrej Kostic joined by numerous Division I transfers.

That means the Wildcats entering the new season will look dramatically different from the team that finished the previous campaign.

A NEW ERA IN MANHATTAN

Alexander now has the difficult task of building chemistry among a group that includes many newcomers.

The coaching staff’s approach has been clear: use the transfer portal to quickly reconstruct the roster while developing the players who remain.

For Kansas State supporters, the coming season will therefore be about finding out how quickly the new pieces can come together.

The departures may have changed the look of the program, but the Wildcats have responded by adding significant transfer talent.