Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang nabs MAC Player of the Year from transfer portal
Akron guard Nate Johnson, the Mid-American Conference player of the year and defensive player of the year, announced his decision just days after entering the portal on April 17, choosing K-State over interest from Kansas, Kentucky and Indiana, among others.
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Johnson, a 6-foot-3 junior from Liberty Township, Ohio, had a breakout junior season in helping Akron to a 28-7 record that included both MAC regular season and tournament championships and a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He led the Zips in scoring with 14 points per game while averaging 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals.
Johnson scored a career-high 31 points in the MAC Tournament semifinals against Toledo and added 22 points in the championship victory over Miami (Ohio). He scored 13 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Arizona.
Related: Kansas State basketball big men Ugonna Onyenso and Baye Fall enter transfer portal
Related: Kansas State basketball transfer guard Brendan Hausen finds a new home in the Big Ten
Former Akron guard Nate Johnson (34) celebrates during the Mid-American Conference Tournament 2025 championship game against Miami-Ohio at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Johnson has committed to Kansas State for the 2025-26 season.
For the season, Johnson shot 43.9%, but just 30.1% from — a career low — 3-point range while knocking down 80.3% of his free throws.
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Johnson is the third portal addition for the Wildcats, who earlier landed 6-9 forward Khamari McGriff from North Carolina-Wilmington and 6-7 guard Abdi Bashir from Monmouth.
But Tang still has at least three roster spots to fill after losing starting forwards David N'Guessan and Coleman Hawkins to graduation and five players — starting guards Dug McDaniel and Brendan Hausen, forwards Macaleab Rich and Baye Fall, and center Ugonna Onyenso — to the portal. Last week, high school forward Ashton Magee withdrew his commitment, leaving point guard Exavier Wilson as the lone incoming freshman.
The Wildcats still have four players left from last year's roster in guards David Castillo, CJ Johnson, Mobi Ikegwuruka, and forward Taj Manning. Memphis midyear transfer forward Tyreek Smith and starting guard Max Jones also could be back pending waiver decisions from the NCAA.
The transfer portal closes Tuesday, though players who enter by then can sign with a new school after that.
Kansas State basketball roster breakdown
Outgoing transfers
Macacleab Rich, sophomore forward
Brendan Hausen, junior guard (Iowa)
Dug McDaniel, junior guard
Ugonna Onyenso, junior center
Baye Fall, sophomore forward
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Incoming transfers
Abdi Bashir, sophomore guard (Monmouth)
Khamari McGriff, junior forward (UNC-Wilmington)
Nate Johnson, junior guard (Akron)
Incoming freshmen
Exavier Wilson, guard
Returning players
Taj Manning, sophomore forward
CJ Jones, junior guard
Mobi Ikegwuruka, sophomore guard
David Castillo, freshman guard
Max Jones, super-senior guard*
Tyreek Smith, senior forward*
*Pending NCAA eligibility waiver
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball lands top all-around guard from MAC champion
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Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Optimism for Chicago Bears is usually rooted in change. 5 reasons the latest reboot might succeed.
Optimism can be found in many ways, but the only way it has been consistently produced at Halas Hall over the last decade or so is by change. Changing the general manager. Changing the head coach. Changing coordinators. Changing the quarterback. Call it the cycle of football for the Chicago Bears, one that has left them in a series of reboots — the latest of which started in earnest Tuesday when veterans reported for training camp, with the first practice Wednesday morning. GM Ryan Poles expressed gratitude for a contract extension that aligns him with first-year coach Ben Johnson, and he outlined some recent roster moves — notably Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson landing on the non-football injury list with a leg issue that will sideline him at least a few weeks. Then Poles turned over the show to the man charged with taking an improved roster to a higher level. 'There's a lot of excitement around the program and I think rightfully so,' Ben Johnson said. 'There's a lot of talent on the roster. Looking forward to seeing what leaders come out of the locker room and really lead the charge here for us going into the fall.' Here the Bears go, with the hope this is nothing like any of the failed changes of the recent past. That excludes, of course, the terrific 2018 season under first-year coach Matt Nagy, the team's last real taste of success. Johnson, 39, was the hot name during the coaching hiring cycle in January, and the fact the Bears landed him with a contract worth $65 million over five seasons remains a bit of a shocker. If he's the next young rock-star head coach to roam NFL sidelines, the Bears indeed are headed in the right direction. Here are five reasons that potentially validate the latest wave of optimism as the Bears prepare to hit the field: That's how one team executive framed the notion that the Bears previously did more talking about having competition than actually putting players in position to battle it out. 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Wisely, they're waiting until pads go on and they're not operating in helmets and shorts. 'We've got to find out who we are, and I'm going beyond just the quarterback here,' Johnson said. 'I don't know if we're going to be a wide-zone team up front. I don't know if we're going to be a gap team yet. There's a lot of things that have got to play out.' No one would put the Bears in the discussion of the NFL's elite offensive lines because of the big question at left tackle. But Poles' trades for guards Joe Thuney — one of the most decorated interior linemen of the last decade — and Jonah Jackson plus a big contract to add free-agent center Drew Dalman have made them as good as any team from guard to guard. Williams should have a firm pocket, and no longer will conversations about the quarterback or offense have to be hedged with concern about protection. The Bears should be a better running team too. 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And we're going to push him as hard as we can and do what is right for the team.' Williams said he spent his downtime since the end of the offseason program improving his footwork, becoming more accurate on short throws to the left and trying to improve his cadence while also mastering the playbook. 'It's a really important relationship,' Williams said. 'It has been growing. It has been awesome. We're having fun. He gets on me, and it's greatly appreciated that he does. 'Being tough on me and realizing and understanding that nobody's above anybody. All of us are, and that's how we're going to march through this season.' Johnson even shared a lofty goal of having Williams complete 70% of his passes this season. He was 25th among qualifying players in 2024 at 62.5%, and only five quarterbacks — Tua Tagovailoa, Goff, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow and Geno Smith — reached the 70% threshold. Why not enter the season with bold ambitions? The Bears paid handsomely to hire Johnson, and they followed up by investing in assistants — notably Dennis Allen (defensive coordinator), Richard Smith (linebackers), Eric Bieniemy (running backs), Dan Roushar (offensive line), Al Harris (secondary) and Richard Hightower (special teams) — with a wealth of experience for Johnson to lean on. Provided Johnson is comfortable delegating responsibility — something every first-time head coach has to learn as he goes — it could prove to be a valuable mix. 'We've got a number of guys that have done this at a high level for a long time,' Johnson said, 'and so I am going to be going to them for advice quite a bit when certain things arise.' It was Winston Churchill who said, 'To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.' In that vein, the Bears have been chasing perfection for a mighty long time. Once again, it's a new beginning at Halas Hall.
Chicago Tribune
5 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
4 things we learned as Chicago Bears reported to camp, including Jaylon Johnson out for ‘a few weeks'
The Chicago Bears are back at Halas Hall. Veteran players reported for training camp Tuesday in Lake Forest, and general manager Ryan Poles, coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams met with the media. The team will hold its first practice Wednesday morning. Here are four things we learned. The Bears placed Johnson on the non-football injury list over the weekend, and Poles said Tuesday the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback will be out for a few weeks because of a leg injury. The NFI list is for players who suffer injuries away from team facilities. Poles said Johnson injured his leg while training on his own. He declined to elaborate on the injury. 'It is going to take a few weeks before he can come back,' Poles said. 'We've got a lot of faith that he's going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back. I'm sure we'll have updates as we go through training camp, but it's going to take a little bit of time. But (we're) not overly concerned about (it) long term.' Still, the Bears will be without their top coverage cornerback for a while. With the Sept. 8 season opener against the Minnesota Vikings looming just seven weeks from now, 'a few weeks' is not insignificant. Photos: Chicago Bears report to training campWithout Johnson, the spotlight in practice will turn toward cornerbacks Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. In other injury news, running back Ian Wheeler and wide receiver Jahdae Walker were activated off the NFI list. The Bears previously designated veteran quarterback Case Keenum for the NFI list but removed him a day later. Poles noted that left tackle Braxton Jones and rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who dealt with injuries in the spring, are healthy and ready to go for camp. Poles suggested there would be a 'ramp-up period' before they're 100% back to football activities. Additionally, the Bears signed cornerback Tre Flowers and defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon. Flowers, an eighth-year NFL veteran, spent last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. Kpassagnon is in his ninth season and spent the last four years with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with the New Orleans Saints. To make room for those two, the Bears waived defensive end Jereme Robinson and safety Alex Cook. Speaking at the lectern in the media room, Johnson asked the assembled media if anyone had seen the Netflix documentary 'Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds.' Few in the room had. 'Spoiler alert,' Johnson warned. The first-year head coach likened training camp to the preparation process of the Air Force's elite aerial demonstration team. 'It's four new pilots and they've never worked together,' Johnson said. 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'He and I have been talking all spring, all summer, constant phone calls, constant conversations,' Johnson said. 'And so I think we're in a great place and he wants to get coached hard. And we're going to push him as hard as we can and do what is right for the team.' Poles spoke publicly for the first time since the Bears awarded him a contract extension earlier this month. The deal matches Poles' duration with Johnson's; both are under contract through the 2029 season. For a franchise that has been constantly juggling GMs, head coaches and quarterbacks over the last 15 years, this should give Poles and Johnson some stability to build the team together for the next several years. 'I am excited about the alignment and the stability that we have within our leadership group here,' Poles said. 'I have an unbelievable group of people that support me, believe in me, work with me, that help drive what we're doing on our roster and on our football team, and that means a lot.' 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I can't tell you I've been through a three-man race before, and so each play is going to be evaluated and they've got to take full advantage of each opportunity that they get.' As expected, third-year pro Darnell Wright will remain at right tackle. Wright, a 2023 first-round draft pick, worked on the right side throughout organized team activities and minicamp. As a rookie last year, Amegadjie saw limited action and started one game. Trapilo, a second-round draft pick, started at right tackle the last two seasons at Boston College. With 40 NFL starts under his belt, Jones likely remains the favorite to win the job. He won the starting left tackle job as a rookie fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah in 2022 and has held the job ever since. 'I would like to think his experience will help him, but we're coming in with blank slates right now,' Johnson said. 'And so just because a guy's played and another guy hasn't in this league, we're going to let the competition play out and we'll see where it goes.'
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Ryder Cup: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson will not return to site of 2019 PGA Championship showdown
At first, it didn't appear we'd have much drama for the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black. Brooks Koepka, who would regain the world's No. 1 ranking later that day, was a comfortable seven shots ahead of the current No. 1, Dustin Johnson, in Farmingdale, N.Y. But the Palm Beach County residents suddenly were in an epic battle. Two of the most dominant, ruthless golfers of that time battling on a course that matched their intimidation as Johnson cut Koepka's advantage to one stroke on the back nine. In the end, Koepka prevailed by two shots for his fourth major in 23 months, and the two once again held the top two spots in the Official World Golf Ranking. 'To be standing here today with four majors is mind blowing,' Koepka said. And if you think that is "mind-blowing," consider this: In two months, Bethpage Black will host another major event, possibly the biggest and rowdiest this country has ever seen, the 2025 Ryder Cup. And six years ago, heck, three years ago, it would have seemed inconceivable that neither Koepka or Johnson would be wearing the red, white and blue in 2025. But that is the reality now. With the four majors in the books, the two most dominant figures in their sport from 2016 to 2021 and two of the biggest names to defect from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, have gone from royalty to irrelevant. While Koepka was an easy captain's pick for Zach Johnson two years ago, neither will even occupy one second of captain Keegan Bradley's time as he fills out his 12-man roster in one month. The lone LIV golfer who will be part of the team looking to avenge its 2023 loss to the Europeans: Bryson DeChambeau. Dustin Johnson says it will 'suck' watching Ryder Cup Johnson, 41, showed some life at the British Open, the final major of the season, finishing tied for 23rd. But the two-time major winner and a man who has spent 135 weeks at No. 1 in the world, fourth most all-time, is in the midst of a steady decline. The Jupiter resident had missed the cut in all three majors this season, entering the British Open, and six of the last eight. Koepka showed some life at the U.S. Open, finishing T12. Otherwise, he, too, missed the cut at three majors this season, including the British Open. This is the man who one time said he believed majors were the easiest events to win, his rationale explained in this quote before the 2019 PGA Championship: 'There's 156 in the field, so you figure at least 80 of them I'm just going to beat. From there, you figure about half of them won't play well from there, so you're down to about maybe 35. And then from 35, some of them, the pressure is going to get to them. It only leaves you with a few more, and you've just got to beat those guys.' Since winning his third PGA Championship in 2023, Koepka has two top-20 finishes in majors. His three missed cuts in majors this year are one more than he had in his last 11 years combined. And it's not just against the elite fields where these two former champions have struggled. They have become middle-of-the-pack players in LIV Golf. Neither has won on the Saudi-backed tour this year, finishing in the top 5 one time each in 10 LIV events. Two years ago, Dustin Johnson told the Palm Beach Post he was disappointed captain Zach Johnson left him off the Ryder Cup team, admitting he did not play well but believed he "played well enough to be on the team." Before the British Open, he told The Athletic, "It's going to suck watching (the Ryder Cup) from home. I just haven't played well enough this year." As easy a choice as Koepka was for the team in 2023 after finishing tied for second at the Masters and winning the PGA Championship, his fifth major, he'll be just as easily dismissed this year. Koepka, 35, hinted in April that he believed he figured out what's held him back and then missed the cut at the Masters with a 74-75. He admitted from around the Masters until just before the U.S. Open, "I haven't been happy. It's been very irritating. … you didn't want to be around me.' A brief resurgence at the U.S. Open buoyed that confidence, but now that's likely gone after a 75-74 at Royal Portrush in the year's final major. Is complacency to blame for many LIV golfers fading? For both, it's back to LIV's 54-hole, shotgun-start events to close out the season. Theories abound as to why so many marquee names who sacrificed their legacies to join LIV have faded. Koepka and DeChambeau are the lone LIV golfers to have won a major since leaving the Tour, but only DeChambeau and Jon Rahm currently are thriving and move the needle when it comes to the world stage. While LIV does little to prepare its golfers for the majors with its format and being forced to play on many courses that are less challenging, the ongoing debate will center on the financial security these top-tier stars obtained with their initial contracts. For the elite few, those deals exceeded $100 million. "It's hard to make an argument that LIV prepares you to win major championships," Irishman Paul McGinley, a former Ryder Cup captain, recently said. "They are playing team events, they're not playing on the most difficult golf courses, traveling around the world and then having to come back to America to play three to four majors." Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at tdangelo@
