Coleman Hawkins, from Illinois
Anticipated position: Beginning ahead
Hawkins has reworked into an wonderful school basketball participant. Kansas State’s ball-screen offense needs to be elite with Dug McDaniel and Hawkins converging repeatedly to place stress on opposing defenses. Hawkins has ridiculous vary, and he is grow to be a extremely efficient playmaker in area. If he is wholesome and guarding wings or forwards, Hawkins needs to be a lot better defensively than attempting to physique huge facilities. Hawkins has improbable fingers and that reveals up so usually on his defensive tape. He can choose and poke on the ball for steals, and Hawkins is an superior secondary shot-blocker.
Kansas State has added a bunch of bigs, however Hawkins is one of the best of the bunch. Using Hawkins correctly may drive some uncomfortable conversations with a few of Kansas State’s different prized offseason additions. That is the price of doing enterprise while you land one of the best stretch ahead within the portal.
Dug McDaniel, from Michigan
Anticipated position: Beginning level guard
Nobody scored extra factors in pick-and-rolls final yr than McDaniel. Now, he is headed to the Octagon of Doom the place quick kings like Markquis Nowell (and Tylor Perry to a lesser extent) have put up numbers. McDaniel has legit defensive questions, however he is such a troublesome cowl resulting from his velocity, deep jumper and nifty floater. Kansas State’s funkily-built roster depends on McDaniel being a celebrity. His utilization fee needs to be ridiculously excessive. He’ll put up numbers. Will it impression successful?
Achor Achor, from Samford
Anticipated position: Frontcourt rotation, potential starter
A frontcourt tandem of Hawkins and Achor could possibly be a nightmare for plodding huge males. Achor is so cell and so fluid. The 6-foot-9, 225-pound ahead has elite athleticism. Achor operated because the small-ball 5 for Samford, and he was consistently in a position to assault lengthy closeouts and get to the rim for flushes. He’ll have to alter his sport a bit for the high-major ranks, however Achor ought to function as a high-level, play-finisher for McDaniel and Hawkins. If McDaniels will get blitzed, he can flip it to Hawkins who’s an impressive decision-maker in 4-on-3 basketball. Achor may discover himself on the receiving ends of these lobs.
Defensively, Achor must be a menace to achieve his full potential. Kansas State has the personnel to flood the passing lanes and generate a bunch of turnovers and deflections. Achor can be on the middle of all of that. His ground-coverage defensively is actual.
Max Jones, from Cal State Fullerton
Anticipated position: Wing rotation, possible starter
Jones is a hooper. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard has a high-major body and a high-major sport. Jones is usually a killer, tough-shot maker. Even with a defender draped throughout him, Jones can rise and fireplace from downtown. Jones shot 39% from 3-point vary within the final two years mixed, and he is improbable at attending to the free throw line. McDaniel’s velocity will create some lengthy closeouts, and Jones will know what to do with ’em. Turnovers have been a difficulty, as anticipated with such a high-usage position, however his decision-making is a bit higher than you would possibly assume. Jones’ job was to attain for Cal State Fullerton, however he is able to making some superior reads. Kansas State’s finest lineup will in all probability embrace him.
CJ Jones, from UIC
Anticipated position: Guard rotation
Jones is a 6-foot-5 playmaker. He had the second-best help fee in Missouri Valley play final yr. He acquired the dimes, however a few of his turnovers could be so irritating. Taking part in with huge males like Achor and Hawkins who can shoot it ought to definitely assist. Jones has some actual taking pictures questions. He shot simply 60% from the free throw line, however the 3-point jumper just isn’t damaged. Jones shot 38% from 3-point vary, nevertheless it was solely on 2.5 makes an attempt per sport. Jones was additionally a part of a UIC protection that was well-coached beneath Luke Yaklich.
Jones ought to slot in off the bench for this new-look, Okay-State backcourt. If he does not beat out David Castillo for the backup level guard duties, Jones may get buried shortly.
Brendan Hausen, from Villanova
Anticipated position: Guard rotation, potential starter
Hausen took 176 pictures final yr. Simply three have been on the rim. He is a 99th-percentile specialist who’s on the ground to shoot the rock. Hausen is a profession 40% 3-point shooter and he does it in a wide range of methods and with excessive problem. Kansas State ought to be capable of free him utilizing hand-offs or pindowns for 3-pointers. Hausen is only a knockdown murderer. If his 3s are dropping, he is extremely impactful. Even after they aren’t, he creates a lot stress for opposing defenses who should consistently maintain tabs on him. Hausen is 6-foot-4 and 205 kilos, so whereas he is not some defensive wizard, he is not a cone on that finish, both.
Ugonna Onyenso, from Kentucky
Anticipated position: Frontcourt rotation, potential starter
Onyenso was perhaps one of the best per-minute shot-blocker within the nation final yr. He is big and the 7-footer is armed with an amazing wingspan. Kentucky’s rim protection was almost 10 proportion factors higher with Onyenso on the ground. However he has an extended approach to go offensively to be greater than something than a play-finisher. He does give Kansas State a lob risk within the pick-and-roll sport, however Onyenso did not present a lot playmaking or floor-stretching means final yr.
Kansas State ought to present him the runway to point out he is greater than only a shot-blocker.
Anticipated position: Frontcourt rotation
Fall is a former prized recruit who has a 6-foot-11 body with the instruments to be an impression defender. However his path to enjoying time is cloudy. Fall is fifth on the depth chart within the frontcourt behind Hawkins, Achor, Onyenso and David N’Guessan. All these guys could possibly be gone subsequent yr, so Fall could possibly be set as much as begin in 2025-26 if he stays affected person.
Mobi Ikegwuruka, from Ellsworth Neighborhood School
Anticipated position: Wing rotation
Ikegwuruka is a blur of legs and arms. His protection is approach forward of his offense proper now and that is his path to enjoying time. Surrounding McDaniel with measurement on the perimeter looks as if the best technique, and Ikegwuruka may chip in with that. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound wing is an explosive leaper and strikes very effectively. However he is nonetheless so uncooked offensively. He does most of his work within the paint and depends on energy, not finesse. He has an uphill climb to minutes in Yr 1 at Okay-State.
