Elias Rapieque, #0 Berlin, Germany
Kansas State’s newest addition to the frontcourt brings a deep basketball background and high-level experience. Junior forward Elias Rapieque, a 6-foot-9 product of Berlin, Germany becomes the first-ever German-born basketball player to suit up for K-State.
Before arriving in Manhattan, Rapieque spent the 2024–25 season with European powerhouse ALBA Berlin, appearing in 53 games across the EuroLeague and the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). In 27 EuroLeague contests, he averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while adding 3.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists across 26 BBL games. His international pedigree extends beyond club play, having represented Germany on both the U18 and U20 National Teams, including appearances in the 2022 European U18 Championship and the 2023 and 2024 European U20 Championships. Most recently, during the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Rapieque comes to K-State as a physical and polished rim finisher with a frame built for contact. He’s comfortable handling the ball in transition, where his control and skill set often turn steals into immediate points on the board. He has remarkable versatility on defense, being powerful enough to match up inside and adaptable enough to cover all five positions.
While his perimeter game is still developing, he has shown growing confidence from beyond the arc and brings a skill set that allows him to impact games even when he isn’t scoring himself.
That impact was on display in K-State’s exhibition matchup with Missouri on Oct. 24. Rapieque earned a spot in the starting lineup and logged 21 minutes, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, including 1-for-1 from deep, for 7 points for an early look into Rapieque’s Wildcat career.
Rapieque adds a unique flair to the Wildcats and is another step in K-State’s expanding international pipeline. He has experience in Europe, a history on the national team and an effective strategy based on defensive versatility and control.
Mobi Ikegwuruka, #14 Galway, Ireland
Not new to the purple and white uniform, junior guard Mobi Ikegwuruka continues to embody the toughness and length that K-State head coach Jerome Tang has made central to the Wildcats’ identity. Hailing from Galway, Ireland, Ikegwuruka strengthens the wing rotation with his ability to guard multiple positions, rebound above his size and finish through contact at the rim.
Beginning his collegiate career at Ellsworth Community College, Ikegwuruka spent two seasons with the Panthers and maintained redshirt eligibility. During the 2023–24 campaign, he averaged 19.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Following his standout season, he transferred to K-State for the 2024–25 season, officially joining the Wildcats program.
Ikegwuruka flashed promise in limited action last season, averaging 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in roughly eight minutes per game, often entering as a defensive spark off the bench. His role seems set to expand with a full offseason of development, and the Wildcats’ exhibition game against Missouri provided an early look at that development.
In 17 minutes, Ikegwuruka scored 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting, along with 5 rebounds. Playing with confidence and purpose, Ikegwuruka was making the most of his touches. His physicality on drives and activity on the glass continue to stand out, while his improved spacing and off-ball movement give K-State another reliable option in its wing corps.
As the season approaches, Ikegwuruka projects as a valuable rotational piece with the upside to elevate his role further. He might be one of the team’s most subtly influential rising stars this season.
Dorin Buca, #22 Perugia, Italy
At 7-foot-2, junior center Dorin Buca brings a physical presence rarely seen in college basketball. From Perugia, Italy, Buca announced his commitment to K-State on August 19, 2025, becoming one of the most intriguing additions of the Jerome Tang era. Buca provides the Wildcats the kind of real inside presence that could influence games in a conference known for physicality.
Before arriving in Manhattan, Buca played professionally in Italy, steadily rising through the country’s league structure. He began his career with Basket Perugia in the Italian Series C in 2019–20, spending two seasons before moving to Sana Basketball Academy Siena in Series C for the 2022–23 season. His continued development earned him a promotion to Libertas 1947 Livorno in Serie B in 2023–24, where he appeared in 43 games and averaged 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, helping the team reach both the 2024 Italian Serie B Cup Finals and win the Italian Serie B Nazionale Group B Championship.
Most recently, Buca played for Akern Libertas Livorno in the Italian Serie A2, the second tier of the national league system during the 2024–25 season. He again made 43 appearances, averaging 5.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.7 minutes per game, while continuing to rank among team leaders in block percentage.
With his professional foundation and demanding European-style of play, Buca has fast-tracked his readiness for the Big 12. His first on-court action at K-State came at the Wildcats’ preseason exhibition matchup against Missouri, where he logged 15 minutes and totaled 6 points, going 2-of-4 at field goal range and a perfect 2-of-2 at the free-throw line, along with snagging 6 rebounds. His presence around the rim altered multiple possessions, showcasing the interior impact he is expected to bring during the season.
As he continues to settle into the rotation, Buca projects as a valuable interior piece whose combination of height, touch and pro-seasoned physicality could make him a long-term anchor in the Wildcats’ system.
Stephen Osei, #23 Toronto, Ontario
Kansas State’s potential lineup grew stronger, with the addition of Stephen Osei, a high-value big man whose combination of mobility, strong finishing and defensive disruption has already drawn attention within the Wildcat program. Due to injury, though, Osei will miss the season from an injury from last year. A transfer from Casper College in Wyoming, Osei averaged 11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his lone JUCO season, leading the Thunderbirds in field goal percentage and blocks while ranking third in rebounding. His performance earned him recognition as a Top 50 JUCO Freshman transfer.
Before landing in the junior-college ranks, Osei developed his game at the NBA Academy, sharpening the versatility and fluidity that now define his style of play. His international résumé includes time with both the Canadian U17 and U16 National Teams. With the U17 team, he averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game, finishing second on the roster in both scoring and rebounding. A year earlier, he helped lead Canada to a bronze medal with the U16 squad, adding 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
At 6-foot-9 with length and agility, Osei is a modern big man who can run the floor, alter shots at the rim and finish in traffic. He has advanced footwork for his size, allowing him to stay agile in space and complete tough layups when attacking. His skill set extends beyond scoring — he can handle the ball when needed and pass effectively out of the post, making him a difficult matchup for opposing bigs.
Osei will redshirt this season as he continues to recover from an injury sustained last year. The coaching staff emphasized that ensuring his long-term health and strength is the priority, viewing the redshirt season as an investment in his development rather than a setback. Once healthy, he is expected to bring an immediate combination of interior presence, rim protection and offensive versatility to the Wildcats’ rotation.
Andrej Kostic, #47 Belgrade, Serbia
K-State added one of the most dynamic young scorers in Europe with the arrival of freshman wing Andrej Kostic, a 6-foot-6 offensive threat whose scoring versatility has made him one of the continent’s top emerging prospects. Coming from Crvena Zvezda Meridian Bet Beograd, Kostic has an established record for playing both professionally and internationally, a rare combination for a freshman entering the collegiate ranks.
Kostic’s rise accelerated on the international stage, where he represented Serbia at both the U18 and U19 levels. At the FIBA U19 World Cup, he helped Serbia to three straight wins while averaging 23.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, establishing himself as the focal point of the offense. A year earlier, he played for the U18 Serbian national team, averaging 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while helping the squad secure a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA European Championship.
Kostic also excelled in pre-draft scouting environments, earning All-Tournament honors at the Adidas Eurocamp, one of Europe’s most prestigious showcases for elite prospects aged 16-22. At the 2025 Eurocamp, he was named to the All-Eurocamp five, averaging 11 points, 1.7 assists and 1.0 rebounds per game against high-level international competition.
Before moving to Crvena Zvezda, Kostic played professionally for KK DYNAMIC VIP PAY BEOGRAD, where he appeared in 29 games and averaged 16.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, finishing as the team’s leading scorer.
Offensively, Kostic offers a skill set that fits immediately into the Wildcats’ system. He can score at all three levels, creating off the dribble, rising over defenders from mid-range and stretching the floor from deep. His length allows him to elevate cleanly over smaller guards, and when he attacks downhill, he finishes through contact at the rim. With Kostic’s size and scoring instincts, he creates natural mismatch problems for opposing defenses.
While still developing as a defender, the staff expects that consistent minutes and experience will accelerate his progression on that end of the floor. With his polish, poise and proven scoring production at the international level, Kostić has the potential to be an instant offensive spark for Kansas State and one of the most impactful newcomers in the Big 12 this season.
