College basketball transfer portal: Does PJ Haggerty’s arrival make Kansas State a Big 12 title favorite?

Kansas State secured the commitment of reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year PJ Haggerty on Monday after withdrawing from the NBA draft.

It will be Haggerty's fourth school in four seasons after spending his first three with TCU, Tulsa and Memphis.

Kansas State welcomed Haggerty as they bid to bounce back from a disappointing 2024-25 stint. The Wildcats finished the season 16-17 (9-11 in the Big 12), resulting in Jerome Tang's first losing season in three years.

Haggerty's addition gives the Wildcats a second 20-point scorer after acquiring Monmouth transfer guard Abdi Bashir Jr. The two guards are an upgrade from last season's backcourt, and the coaching staff hopes the duo will provide the scoring and playmaking skills it needs this season.

Aside from Haggerty and Bashir, forwards Marcus Johnson and Andrej Kostic give Kansas State a frontline boost that fans should count on.

Haggerty's overall maturity and NCAA Tournament experience give the Wildcats a promising outlook. They could be a contender for the Big 12 title, but perennial powerhouses Houston, Kansas, Arizona and Texas Tech, plus the AJ Dybantsa-led BYU, serve as an extreme challenge for their championship aspirations.

The 6-foot-3 guard was third in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The Crosby, Texas, native helped the Tigers win the AAC title and reach the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed.

However, Haggerty failed to guide Memphis deep into the tournament, losing in the first round to No. 12 seed Colorado State.

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Kansas State brings in Matthew Driscoll to beef up Wildcats coaching staff

Kansas State strengthened its coaching staff by adding Matthew Driscoll to its coaching staff. Driscoll, the winningest coach in North Florida history, joined K-State and will serve as Wildcats' associate head coach.

Driscoll and Tang had close ties, previously working together in Baylor's coaching staff under Scott Drew from 2003 to 2009. Drew, Tang and Driscoll won 81 games as a group and made the NCAA Tournament in 2008.

The Pittsburgh native accepted the K-State coaching vacancy after his resignation as North Florida's coach. Driscoll, who guided the Ospreys to three Atlantic Sun regular season titles and first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015, hailed Tang, calling him a "special human being."

"Jerome Tang is a special human being," Driscoll said. "As amazing as this was, I'm so excited to see what's in store going to Manhappiness and to be with Coach Tang at Kansas State."

Driscoll is Tang's third staff hire this season. Earlier, veteran coach Bill Peterson took the job as Kansas State's assistant coach on April 29. Chase Driscoll, Matthew's son, was hired as Video and Analytics Director on May 15.