Over the last few days, Kansas State lost a handful of players to the transfer portal, making the upcoming weeks vital to filling out next year’s roster.

K-State won’t return anyone from last year’s main starting lineup, so finding players in the portal that can play at a high level is key for head coach Jerome Tang and staff.

Tang added Monmouth transfer Abdi Bashir Jr, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard who averaged 20.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 33 minutes per game as a sophomore last week.

This week, K-State added Khamari McGriff, a 6-foot-9 forward who spent all four years of college at UNC Wilmington. A rising redshirt senior, McGriff became one of the top sixth men in the country, averaging 11.6 points and four rebounds per game off the bench, helping take the Seahawks to the NCAA Tournament.

Here is a look at a few guys K-State is also interested in for next year and some other players that would likely be good fits in a Wildcat uniform.

Marcus Millender, 5-foot-11 PG, sophomore, UTSA

Millender, a point guard from UTSA, gained a lot of attention from universities in the portal — one being K-State. Millender could be the replacement for Dug McDaniel, who entered his name in the transfer portal this week.

Last year at UTSA, he averaged 14.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. Millender shot 43.8% from the 3-point line, and he would bring help with ball handling and shooting for the ‘Cats. 

Ante Brzovic, 6-foot-10 F, senior, Charleston

Brzovic is another player K-State contacted in the portal this year. He was a senior last year at Charleston, but applied for a waiver to continue his college career because he started at a Division II school, much like K-State’s Max Jones and Tyreek Smith. 

Brzovic averaged 18.4 points per game last season and has good height, potentially playing at the four or five for K-State with his athletic ability. Last year at Charleston, he shot a respectable 32% from the 3-point line, making him a tough matchup. 

Jestin Porter, 6-foot-1 PG, senior, MTSU

Another guard K-State looked at in the portal, Porter has plenty of experience after playing two years at a junior college and three at Middle Tennessee State.

Porter averaged 15 points per game last year and would be another guy who could put the ball in the hole for Tang and the Wildcats.

Jacob Dar, 6-foot-7 F, senior, Rice

Dar has great length and high potential with a lot of Power Four schools interested in him. Dar would be a nice wing piece that could play defense both inside and on the perimeter.

Last season at Rice, Dar averaged just 7.5 points per game but has high major athleticism, and should he transfer to a Power Four team, his game would translate nicely. 

Chase Forte, 6-foot-4 G, senior, South Dakota

Forte is an impact player who would immediately compete for the best scorer title at K-State. He has great height at 6-foot-4, and as impactful as he is on offense, he is no slouch on defense either.

Forte averaged 17.8 points per game last season for South Dakota. He also recorded 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The ‘Cats should love his two-way ability. 

Jalen Shelley, 6-foot-8 F, freshman, USC

Jalen Shelley is a former top-100 recruit of the 2024 class who could be a solid fit at K-State. While it is unclear if the Wildcats are interested in him, taking a shot on a player with untapped potential and athleticism may be worth a look.

At USC, he played sparingly, which may be the reason he ended up in the portal. Shelley is versatile and would be a good fit at any place he ends up. 

Papa Kante, 6-foot-10 C, freshman, Pittsburgh

Kante is one of the few remaining centers in the portal who hasn’t found a new home yet. The Wildcats will need some bigs because of the departure of Ugonna Onyenso and Baye Fall to the portal.

Kante is broad-shouldered and brings a 7-foot-4 wingspan with great rim protection. While he gained a lot of attention out of the portal, if K-State were interested in him, it could sell him on lots of playing time due to the need for a big. 

Mathieu Grujicic, 6-foot-5 G, Freshman, FC Barcelona

Grujicic isn’t a transfer player but instead an overseas player in whom K-State shows interest in bringing onto the squad. He played lots of high-level basketball overseas and would bring needed experience to K-State.

Grujicic is a good shooter and quickly climbed up the international ranks as one of the top young promising players. The Wildcats staff may be interested in a few international players because of the amount of open spots left on their roster.