Bowling Green transfer Marcus Johnson brings his talents to Jerome Tang's Kansas State after announcing commitment

Bowling Green big man Marcus Johnson has found his new home. The 6'7" senior will spend next season at Kansas State, On3 basketball reporter Joe Tipton announced on X Wednesday.

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Johnson is coming off his first DI basketball season. The forward began his college career with three seasons at Wheeling University. In his final year with the DII program, he put up 21.6 ppg.

The big man made an immediate impact on DI basketball. In his sole season at Bowling Green, he led the squad in scoring with 16.2 ppg. He added 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Johnson is a solid shooter and averaged 43% last season, including 39.4% from beyond the arc. He knocked down 89.8% of his free throws.

Syndication: Lansing State Journal - Source: Imagn

Johnson is the fifth transfer addition to Kansas State this offseason. He will provide the Wildcats with an efficient big man as they aim to receive their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2023.

Jerome Tang's impact on Kansas State

After 19 seasons on Baylor's coaching staff, Jerome Tang took his first head coaching gig with the Wildcats. He became Kansas State's head coach in 2022 and immediately turned the program around.

Tang was an essential piece of Scott Drew's coaching staff at Baylor and helped lead the Bears to their first national championship in program history in 2021. He brought his program rebuilding skills to Kansas State, and his expertise was on display in his inaugural season.

NCAA Basketball: Big 12 Conference Tournament Second Round - Baylor vs Kansas State - Source: Imagn

In his first season leading the Wildcats, Tang turned Kansas State into a top team. His squad topped out at No. 5 in the AP Poll and ended the season ranked No. 15. The Wildcats made a March Madness run to the Sweet 16.

Tang was named the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year and was runner-up for AP National Coach of the Year. He was also voted the consensus Big 12 Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches.

NCAA Basketball: Arizona State at Kansas State - Source: Imagn

The Wildcats have missed the NCAA Tournament in the past two seasons, but Tang has led his squad to 35 total wins in that time. Now, he is making use of the transfer portal to try to return Kansas State to its 2022-23 excellence and further build the program.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh