Kansas State Wildcats unveil nonconference basketball schedule for 2024-25 season

The Kansas State men’s basketball team has unveiled the nonconference portion of its schedule ahead of the 2024-25 season, and it’s clear that head coach Jerome Tang has a strategy in mind before the Wildcats begin Big 12 play.

He wants to give the Wildcats plenty of time to bond and mature as a team by piling up wins against mostly soft competition.

That much is obvious based on the lack of quality teams that the Wildcats will play early on next season. K-State will open with four straight home games, and the Wildcats will be colossal favorites in all but one of them. First up is New Orleans, followed by Cleveland State, LSU and Mississippi Valley State.

The LSU game at Bramlage Coliseum could be a fun early season test as the Wildcats face off against former player Cam Carter. But the other three should be little more than warmup games.

K-State will then head to the Paradise Jam for a game against George Washington. After that, it will take on Liberty or Louisiana, followed by one more game on a neutral court.

When the Wildcats return home, they will play Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The final three games of K-State’s nonconference schedule get more interesting with the team’s first true road game. That contest will occur on Dec. 7 at St. John’s as part of the Big East/Big 12 Battle.

Then the Wildcats will play Drake at T-Mobile Center on Dec. 17, followed by a trip to Koch Arena for a game against Wichita State.

College basketball statistician Bart Torvik projects four of K-State’s non-conference opponents to rank 250 or lower nationally. LSU (71) and St. John’s (15) are the only teams inside the top 100.

This is a less challenging schedule than K-State has traditionally opened with, but it makes sense that Tang would go this route considering the roster he has coming back.

The Wildcats were very busy during the offseason retooling their roster with nine new players. K-State appears to be a more talented team than it was a year ago when it won 19 games and reached the NIT. But its new assortment of players may need time to develop into a cohesive unit with David N’Guessan serving as the only productive returner.

It’s possible a weak nonconference schedule could damage K-State’s resume for the NCAA Tournament, but the Wildcats will have ample opportunities to prove themselves later in the season as the Big 12 expands to 20 games.

Tang, it seems, is hoping that a soft nonconference schedule will set his team up for success when the games get hard.

Kansas State’s non-conference basketball schedule for 2024-25

Oct. 29 - Fort Hays State (Exhibition)

Nov. 5 - New Orleans

Nov. 9 - Cleveland State

Nov. 14 - LSU

Nov. 19 - Mississippi Valley State

Nov. 22 - vs. George Washington (Paradise Jam)

Nov. 23/24 - vs. Liberty or Louisiana (Paradise Jam)

Nov. 25 - vs. TBD (Paradise Jam)

Dec. 1 - UAPB

Dec. 7 - at St. John’s (Big East/Big 12 Battle)

Dec. 17 - vs. Drake (T-Mobile Center)

Dec. 21 - at Wichita State