Iowa State Transfer Taj Manning Reflects on Time With Kansas State

The Iowa State Cyclones added several new players to the men’s basketball roster in the transfer portal this offseason.

There was a lot of talent that had to be replaced on the roster. The Cyclones had five seniors, Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder, exhausted eligibility. Then Milan Momcilovic, Cade Kelderman and Mason Williams all hit the transfer portal.

One of the players who will be relied upon to help fill the gaps in the lineup is Taj Manning. With one year of eligibility remaining, he decided to enter the transfer portal after playing the first three seasons of his collegiate career with the Kansas State Wildcats.

Part of the reason that Manning picked the Cyclones is to recreate something that he experienced early in his career: NCAA tournament success. Kansas State earned a No. 3 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Taj Manning hoping to return to NCAA tournament

Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning jogging on the floor. — Jan 10, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Taj Manning (15) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

However, Manning quickly came to realize that taking part in March Madness isn’t always guaranteed. After experiencing so much success as a freshman, reality came crashing down hard after that.

"That was an extremely fun season," Manning told Cyclone Alert, via Alec Busse (subscription required). "It was an amazing experience. I've told people, one thing that season did for me, it kind of gave me, at that time when I was young, that was my first experience in college, going to the Elite Eight. It gave me a false sense of reality. I thought getting to the NCAA Tournament was easy. I thought that was a given. I realized very quickly how extremely hard it was, and how much work actually goes into that."

Life comes at you fast. Jerome Tang was fired as head coach of the Wildcats during this past season, not even holding the job for three years after that incredible run.

Along with missing the NCAA tournament for three years in a row, the firing of Tang certainly played a part in Manning hitting the transfer portal. With a new head coach coming aboard, it was the perfect time for him to explore his options and see what else is out there.

He won’t have to go too far, sticking in the Big 12 as a member of the Cyclones. His adjustment after transferring won’t be nearly as difficult as some of the other players coming to Ames who are making the jump from a mid-major program to a Power Conference team.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger likes what Manning brings to the table, and it is fair to wonder if there is another level of production that the Iowa State staff can bring out of him after he played in only 52 games the last three seasons.

His production during Big 12 play was promising this past year, averaging 5.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game. He will provide a major boost to the team’s frontcourt depth with his physicality and rebounding.

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