Kansas State forward Taj Manning enters Transfer Portal
Kansas State junior forward Taj Manning has entered the Transfer Portal with a ‘Do Not Contact’ Tag. On3’s Pete Nakos reported the news.
Manning played three seasons at Kansas State, where he averaged 2.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 52 career games. This year, Manning averaged career-highs in points (4.2), rebounds (5.1), assists (0.9), and blocks (0.7). He was tabbed as a three-star by Rivals in the Class of 2022 .
The 6’7” forward was Kansas State‘s seventh-leading scorer, second-leading rebounder, and third-leading shot blocker this season. He is the fourth Wildcat to announce plans to enter the Portal, joining guard Abdi Bashir Jr. , guard David Castillo , and former All-American guard PJ Haggerty .
The junior forward hits the Portal as Kansas State basketball heads into a new era. After nearly four years at the helm, head coach Jerome Tang and the program parted ways 25 games into the 2025-26 season. This season, the Wildcats posted a 12-20 (3-15) record and failed to punch their ticket to the Big Dance. Across three full seasons and 25 games of the 2025-26 season, Tang led the program to a 71-57 (29-39) record with one NCAA Tournament appearance (Elite Eight run in 2023).
Kansas State is heading into new era under head coach Casey Alexander
To replace Tang, Kansas State quickly agreed to terms on a deal with Belmont head coach Casey Alexander . Across seven seasons at Belmont, Alexander led the Bruins to a 166-60 (102-33) record. The program won three conference championships under Alexander, but did not make an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the team at K-State and can’t wait to get the journey started,” Alexander said in a statement . “K-State has such a rich tradition and a wildly passionate fan base and I’m grateful for the opportunity provided by Gene Taylor to be a part of it.”
The Chattanooga native rose to prominence as the head coach at Lipscomb , where he led the Bisons to three consecutive 20-plus wins seasons across his final three years at the program (2016-2019). They included an NCAA Tournament berth in 2018, and an appearance in the NIT Championship Game in 2019.
The program is desperately seeking a return to relevance, as it has missed the Big Dance in six of the last seven seasons. They have also lost double-digit games in seven straight seasons. Taj Manning, however, will not be sticking around for the rebuild.
