With the start of fall comes the official start of men’s basketball practices. Kansas State men’s head basketball coach Jerome Tang held a press conference on Sept. 22 to discuss the 2025-26 team and individual players. Last season, the Wildcats had a losing season of 16-17 overall and 9-11 during conference play.
“What I took from it [last season] is that we had a good enough team to win games,” Tang said. “When we didn’t win, then it wasn’t players, it was the staff. It was me, and so I had to be better. If I was better, they would have had a better outcome.”
The team conquered Shark Week, and Tang was pleased by how it went while acknowledging some of the difficulties the team had throughout the week.
“They learned a lot,” Tang said. “Everything that I wanted to happen in it happened. They had to come together. They had some setbacks and had to overcome some things. They had to rally around each other and help each other.”
With a new season comes a new team. This Wildcat roster has 10 new additions with four returners. Last year’s returning cast includes senior guard C.J. Jones, junior guard Mobi Ikegwuruka, junior wing Taj Manning and sophomore guard David Castillo.
Tang has kept a close eye on some returners and has focused on the improvements they can make for the upcoming season.
“[David Castillo’s] confidence has to continue to grow and [he has to] not worry about making mistakes moving on to the next thing,” Tang said. “Physically, he’s done a great job. Phil’s [Strength and Conditioning coach Phil Baier] done a great job of his body. He’s going to be able to impact defensively on the ball. Then, it’s just having the confidence to make mistakes and play through it and then get to the point.”
Jones returning from the transfer portal is another topic of discussion among the Wildcat squad. Although Tang acknowledged that he was unsure of the specifics of Jones’ decision to use the portal, he added that he had reviewed the matter after consulting with his staff and welcomed Jones back to the team.
“I’m fired up about C.J. coming back,” Tang said. “[I’ve] had some really good conversations with C.J. I told him once I made the decision that he could come back, that nothing that happened was going to affect what’s going to go forward. And he’s been great, [I’m] so excited to have him.”
Though Tang stresses the necessity for sustained effort, he thinks Jones will help his teammates succeed this year.
“I think he’s going to contribute to us winning this year, I mean, he started for us last year. There are not very many 6-foot-5 guys with 6 ’7” wingspan that can play the point, so God blessed him with the measurables but now he’s got to continue to work from the time so that he can become the best player.”
Despite some strong leadership from the returning squad, international players are going to be major contributors throughout the season.
Starting strong with a 6-foot-9 junior wing from Berlin, Germany, Elias Rapieque might be young, but he doesn’t lack skill.
“Elias [Rapieque] played professionally in Germany for probably [the] last three or four years,” Tang said. “Just at a young age, being around grown men who — it was their livelihood, and therefore their approach to the game was different than the normal kid who grows up playing either high school basketball or even at another college.”
Even though Rapieque competed in Germany with different competition, Tang is not worried about his talent when it comes to competing in the Big 12.
“[Rapieque’s] been used to being around pros and having different goals,” Tang said. “Whether it’s being on the Euro Cup team or Euroleague team where he had the same role of being a ball mover, body mover, rebounder, defender or playing on the team one level down, still professional, but being more. Having to be more of a weapon offensively, having a bigger role on the offensive end — he can adjust to either one.”
The 6-foot-10 sophomore wing Stephen Osei is another addition to the Wildcats’ roster. Osei is from Toronto, Ontario, but came from Casper College [Wyo.], where he played at the junior college level.
Another young but capable player for K-State is Andrej Kostic. The true freshman wing stands at 6-foot-6, from Belgrade, Serbia.
“Andrej [Kostic] is just a talent at 18 years old,” Tang said. “He’s just really talented and played grown men, and every level he’s played at he has a gift for how he can shoot the ball. As gifted as he is talent-wise, he still has to learn to grow and mature in his approach, but he’s got a supreme confidence about himself, and that comes from playing at a real high level at a young age and then watching other professionals prepare.”
Towering at 7-foot-2, the junior center from Perugia, Italy, is already a notable player on the Wildcats’ court.
“Dorin [Buca], I mean, [is] a young fellow. I get more impressed with him every single day,” Tang said. “There’s a lot to like at 7-foot-2, and for him to have played as much basketball and grow and learn and be able to bring that to the equation, it’s really impressive. His toughness, you know, it’s just a sponge, just soaking up everything.”
The K-State lineup is full of talent and has a solid foundation to build upon before their first exhibition game against Missouri on Friday, Oct. 24, and their home opener against UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
