P.J. Haggerty spent the 2025-26 season as one of the nation’s most prolific scorers, and he closed out his Kansas State career with a fitting 27-point outing against BYU in the Big 12 Tournament—a performance emblematic of his time in Manhattan.
Haggerty joined several teammates—including David Castillo, Taj Manning, and Abdi Bashir Jr.—in entering the transfer portal, leaving Kansas State with the tall task of replacing that level of production. The real question is whether such a loss is even replaceable.
Where Kansas State may struggle to replace P.J. Haggerty and other top scorers
The fourth-year junior averaged 23.4 points per game in his lone season with the Wildcats, ranking third nationally before the NCAA Tournament. After Arkansas completed its postseason games, Darius Acuff Jr. nudged ahead of him at 23.5.
Haggerty started all 31 games for Kansas State and scored in double figures every time. Only eight of those appearances ended with fewer than 20 points. And considering the team’s overall scoring output, he rarely had meaningful help.
He wasn’t just among the nation’s best scorers—he was unquestionably Kansas State’s primary offensive engine. He led the Wildcats in scoring for 18 consecutive games, from Dec. 18 against South Dakota through March 3 against West Virginia, the longest such streak by any Big 12 player last season.
He also joined Nate Johnson as the only Wildcats to score 30-plus in the home win over Baylor, making them the first Kansas State duo since 2008 to hit that mark in the same game.
Losing a player with that kind of impact doesn’t just alert the country to his portal availability—it amplifies scrutiny on how the program intends to replace him. For first-year head coach Casey Alexander, the solution will almost certainly involve the transfer portal.
Who Kansas State might pursue to replace Haggerty at point guard
Alexander has several avenues to explore when searching for a new floor general. One option is to look at players he previously recruited while at Belmont—most notably Jaylen Alexander and Devin Hutcherson.
Both seniors in the 2026 class, Alexander and Hutcherson are committed to join Kansas State next season after initially planning to play for Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Per 247Sports, Alexander is classified as a point guard, while Hutcherson has primarily played small forward. Although Hutcherson’s size could allow for a transition to point guard, it would require development, making the transfer portal the more realistic route.
Numerous portal options remain, including former BYU starter Rob Wright III, Villanova transfer Acaden Lewis, and ex-Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson. And those are only a few of the available names.
Johnson has already drawn interest from Kansas and other Big 12 programs—a predictable outcome given his status as one of the top talents in the portal. For Kansas State to secure him, it would likely require a financial commitment beyond the program’s comfort level.
As for Haggerty, he is preparing to join his fifth team in as many years for his final season of eligibility. As of now, no clear favorite has emerged for where he will play next.
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