Kansas State bowed out of the season with a loss to TCU in the Big 12 tournament on March 11. The Wildcats have lost even more since then.
Two players have transferred out of the program and three have been dismissed for different violations. Most recently, Malek Harris was kicked off the team by head coach Bruce Weber.
“We have high standards for the players in our program,” Weber said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Malek could not live up to those expectations. We wish him the best as he continues his basketball career.”
Harris, a freshman, started his collegiate career on a strong foot, appearing in 27 games and averaging just over two points each outing. The other two players who were asked to leave Kansas State are more pressing losses for a team that will return just three returning veterans.
Harris followed sophomore guard Marcus Foster and freshman forward Tre Harris out of Manhatten. Foster started 24 of the Wildcats’ 32 games in 2014-15. He led the team in scoring with just over 12 points per game. Tre Harris appeared in 21 games and averaged nearly four points per outing.
Leaving on their own accord were sophomore guards Jevon Thomas and Nigel Johnson. Thomas appeared in 31 games, averaging 4.5 points per game. He was the team leader in assists with three per outing. Johnson averaged five points in his 32 games and was second on the team with 32 steals.
The Wildcats also lose graduating seniors Nino Williams and Thomas Gipson, who were both starters and the second and third leading scorers.
While the departures may be alarming, it may be the new look that Kansas State needs. Just two years removed from a Big 12 conference championship, the Wildcats finished 15-17 this season and were sixth overall in the Big 12. K-State was marred with a five-game losing streak from the end of January to the beginning of February and were losers of 8 of 10 games during that stretch.
It was an uncharacteristic season for Weber, who had guided the Wildcats to two-straight 20 win seasons in his first two years at the helm. This past campaign was his third at Kansas State and one he’d like to forget. This offseason has been even more encouragement to look forward.
“I know that it has been concerning for many of our fans to see the attrition from the program, including the dismissal of three players, and the decisions of two players to transfer and seek opportunities to continue their education elsewhere,” Kansas State athletic director John Currie said in a letter posted on the school’s athletic website. “At the same time, I have heard from many K-State fans their appreciation of coach Weber’s determination that the commitment of student-athletes in our program reflects the advantages and opportunities that we offer here in Manhattan.
“It is very encouraging to see the hard work and positive attitude of our returning players every day.”
Obviously the moves made to rid the team of troublemakers is a positive, no matter how talented they may have been. The transfers of Thomas and Johnson may be cause for concern, but it is a trend that treads along with the current state of college basketball.
In 2014, there were over 600 players who transferred programs. So far in 2015, there are nearly 500 players who have opted to change their decisions. Most programs at the Division I level have at least one transfer each offseason. There’s an average of three per team each offseason.
The NCAA has become aware of this growing tendency and tackled it head-on with the way players can apply for waivers to enroll at another Division I school and play immediately.
Lack of playing time, coaching changes and locker room turmoil are all just cause for transferring. The problems currently at Kansas State are no different than what other similar programs are also going through. Weber and Currie have announced their confidence in the program and they want players who want to commit to their tradition of excellence.
So far, five incoming freshman have announced their intent to enroll at Kansas State. That includes Dean Wade, the prep player of the year in the state of Kansas. Weber may be faced with a rebuilding project, but he’s starting to form a foundation the right way.