It wasn’t surprising when PJ Haggerty announced his decision to withdraw from the NBA draft. However, he also announced his commitment to a surprising school. Despite being constantly linked to NC State, PJ Haggerty announced he will play for Kansas State next season. It’s a huge signing for Kansas State, but it marks a huge loss for the Wolfpack. After NC State added Darrion Williams, there could have been a lack of funds available for the Wolfpack. The initial reports say that Haggerty only got around $2.5 million, well short of his $4 million asking price. So, what will Haggerty bring to Kansas State? How does he fit with other transfer additions? What is Kansas State’s ceiling? Let’s dive in.
NEWS: AAC Player of the Year and consensus All-American PJ Haggerty has withdrawn from the NBA draft and committed to Kansas State, he told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/1PuVD4RoD2
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 26, 2025
PJ Haggerty Takes Less Money in Shocking Transfer Decision, Chooses Kansas State
What PJ Haggerty Brings to Kansas State
Haggerty is a dynamic scorer for his age. In his first full season, a year in Tulsa, he averaged 21.2 points per game before transferring to another American Conference team, Memphis. He continued to demolish American opponents, averaging a conference-best 21.7 points per game, earning himself All-American honors and serious NBA Draft hype. Haggerty shot a relatively efficient 47.6% this past season from the floor and 36.4% from three on 3.1 attempts per game. He thrives inside the arc and draws fouls at an incredible rate, averaging 8.2 free throw attempts per game throughout his career.
Haggerty is known for his scoring, but he will bring other aspects of his game to Kansas State. He averaged 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. His willingness to stuff the stat sheets brings an NBA level of play to the point guard position (assuming they meet his demands). Haggerty also averaged 1.8 steals per game this past season. While he does bring playmaking to an offense, his 3.3 turnovers per game this past season plummeted his draft stock. He will need to prove his ability to make plays for others while avoiding turnovers to improve his draft stock in the Big 12 in 2025-26.
How Does Haggerty Fit In?
Kansas State has several basketball commits in the transfer portal. One of the top three-point shooters in the country, Abdi Bashir Jr, committed to Kansas State earlier in the portal. He made 127 threes this past season as a sophomore. As a secondary scoring option, Bashir could thrive as a spot-up shooter. He won’t have as much attention on him with Haggerty and fellow transfer Nate Johnson. Johnson averaged 14.0 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He will likely help share playmaking with Haggerty, opening Bashir for a larger scoring role.
Khamari McGriff, a UNC Wilmington transfer forward, averaged 11.5 points per game last season and shot 67.9% from two throughout his college career. Haggerty will run an offense of all new pieces, but full of dynamic scorers. The Wildcats finished 125th in offensive efficiency last season, so Jerome Tang quickly put together a much stronger offensive team.
What is Kansas State’s Ceiling?
Kansas State became markedly better when Haggerty committed. The Big 12 continues to be one of the best conferences in college basketball, but the Wildcats were an elite team recently under Tang. While they fell off this season, they will improve next year. The Big 12 will have elite teams, but Kansas State could be right up there with other contenders. They won’t compete with Houston, but their ceiling is almost as high as any other team in the country. If they increase defensive pressure and play with the fire that Tang wants, Kansas State could make the NCAA Tournament with the potential to make noise in March.
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