GoPowercat's Gilbert talks K-State men's basketball transfers on K-Nation

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Things were quiet in Manhattan during the early portion of the transfer portal window, but now just three eligible Wildcats remain from last year's team.

K-State analyst Ryan Gilbert of GoPowercat joined K-Nation's Caroline Soro to discuss the ins and outs of the transfer portal for K-State men's basketball. For another year, head coach Jerome Tang's hopes of maintaining roster continuity have not panned out.

Returners include David Castillo, Mobi Ikegwuruka and Taj Manning.

"A lot of obviously scoring, minutes, rebounding, defense, everything has to be replaced," Gilbert said. "It's not just putting the ball through the net."

Impact players like Dug McDaniel (Memphis) and Brendan Hausen (Iowa) have already found new homes. Meanwhile, the Wildcats graduated the likes of Preseason Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Year Coleman Hawkins and fifth-year Wildcat David N'Guessan.

The good news: K-State has added three players out of the portal who Gilbert views as 'winners'. Sharp-shooter Abdi Bashir Jr. of Monmouth, Khamari McGriff of UNCW and MAC Player of the Year Nate Johnson of Akron have all pledged their commitment to the 'Cats.

"Jerome Tang's first season [at K-State] was full of players who has won previously," Gilbert said. "... It's hard to start winning with a bunch of newcomers, period it's hard to win, but when you're, bluntly put, not used to winning and you've lost games than you've won, it becomes that much steeper of a challenge with a group of new faces."

The full conversation with Gilbert aired in Sunday's episode of K-Nation and can be watched above. K-Nation airs every Sunday night following 27 News at 10, only on KSNT.