Kansas State Basketball Hosts Newman in Final Exhibition Game

Kansas State basketball is gearing up for one final tune-up before the regular season tips off. On Friday night, the Wildcats will host Division II Newman University at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. Tip-off is set for 7:01 p.m. CT, with coverage available on ESPN+ and the K-State Sports Network.

The matchup marks the team’s final exhibition test before the start of the 2025-26 season. It will surely give head coach Jerome Tang and his staff a last look at their rotations and game flow.

Kansas State Ends Exhibition Slate with Familiar Opponent

This won’t be the first time the Wildcats and Jets have met in an exhibition game. The two teams last faced off on November 2, 2010, when Kansas State earned an 83-56 win at home. In that game, the Wildcats dominated the free-throw line, outscoring Newman 21-9 from the stripe.

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— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) October 30, 2025

Exhibition matchups have historically been one-sided for Kansas State. The Wildcats hold a 75-22 all-time record in preseason exhibitions dating back to 1964, including a remarkable 58-9 record at Bramlage Coliseum.

Even more impressive, K-State has won 30 straight exhibition games at home since defeating Global Sports 70-68 in 2003. Since shifting to matchups with in-state Division II opponents in 2004, K-State has gone a perfect 26-0 against MIAA competition.

Friday’s game marks K-State’s second public exhibition this fall after a high-scoring 100-91 loss at Missouri on October 24. Junior guard and All-America candidate P.J. Haggerty led all scorers with 23 points and 6 assists in under 25 minutes of play.

Senior Nate Johnson added 14 points, while the Wildcats shot an efficient 49.3 percent from the field. The team tallied 44 points in the paint and 35 from the bench as Tang experimented with a rotating lineup.

Four players return from last season’s 16-17 squad, including C.J. Jones, David Castillo, Mobi Ikegwuruka, and Taj Manning. They are joined by 10 newcomers, highlighted by five Division I transfers. The team also features international flair with 7-foot-2 Romanian center Dorin Buca and Serbian U19 national standout Andrej Kostic.

Kansas State finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 16-17 overall record and a 9-11 mark in Big 12 play. The season was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, including a six-game losing streak followed by six straight wins.

After facing Newman on Friday, K-State will officially tip off its 2025-26 season on Tuesday, November 4, against UNC Greensboro at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats will look to carry momentum from their exhibition finale into a promising new season under Jerome Tang’s leadership.

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