Iowa State Basketball Can Better Utilize Taj Maning Than Kansas State

Taj Manning has a lot to offer the Iowa State Cyclones compared to what he produced with the Kansas State Wildcats.

Feb 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning (15) warms up before playing against the Houston Cougars at Fertitta Center. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to have a lot of playing time up for grabs in their frontcourt during the 2026-27 season.

Both of their starting forwards from this past season, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic, aren’t going to be back. Neither is Nate Heise, who stepped into the starting lineup when Jefferson was injured during the NCAA tournament.

One of the players who is looking to secure a prominent role in the forward rotation is Taj Manning. A transfer from the Kansas State Wildcats, he has one year of eligibility remaining after spending four years in Manhattan.

While his numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, there is untapped potential with the physical 6-foot-7 forward that the Cyclones can unleash. It is imperative that they find a consistent role for him so he can build upon the positive momentum created during Big 12 play this past season.

Taj Manning speaks on limited role with Kansas State

Feb 1, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) goes to the basket against Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning (15) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

"Just got comfortable being out there," Manning said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required), when discussing his increased production during the conference schedule. "Sometimes when you're playing so limited, you tend to play so uptight because you're scared to do something wrong. The more comfortable I got. I felt like I started fitting in a lot better. Then, I started getting this sense of belonging, too.

Manning played only 52 games with the Wildcats. It is fair to wonder if he was underutilized by head coach Jerome Tang, who was fired during the 2025-26 campaign. He played 491 minutes during Big 12 competition this past season; in his career, he logged only 710.

Manning played in 18 conference games this season, starting 16 of them and averaging 27.3 minutes per game. The Wildcats didn’t find much success, but he made his presence felt on the court.

BREAKING: Kansas State forward transfer Taj Manning has committed to Iowa State 🌪️https://t.co/gPYrO73y1s pic.twitter.com/YcrjOuGZrp

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 11, 2026

5.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks were averaged by Manning. He was one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the Big 12 with his overall rebounding percentage (13.9%), offensive rebounding percentage (11.6%) and block percentage (3.7%) ranking 17th, 10th and 18th, respectively.

That is exactly what Iowa State’s rotation was missing last season. Without Jefferson, they were painfully undersized and outmatched on the interior, where the Tennessee Volunteers mauled them in a Sweet 16 loss.

Manning will help change that. Finding his way into the starting lineup will be a challenge, but he should receive minutes in the frontcourt. His strength, physicality and versatility are all something head coach T.J. Otzelberger will find a use for.

Anything that he offers offensively will be a bonus, as he was targeted by the Cyclones for what he can do on the defensive end.