Kansas State Guard P.J. Haggerty Named to NABC Basketball Player of the Year Watch List
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Kansas State basketball fans have another reason to get excited for the upcoming season. And it is not about the game this time, but the players. Junior guard and transfer standout P.J. Haggerty has been named to the watch list for the 2026 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I Player of the Year award. The announcement was made on Thursday, October 30. It has officially placed Haggerty among the top players in college basketball heading into the new season.
Big 12 P.J. Haggerty Stars Shine on National Stage
The NABC Player of the Year award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball. It is also determined by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the end of the regular season. The winner will be revealed during the week of the 2026 Final Four, recognizing the player who made the biggest impact on the court throughout the year.
.@NABC1927 Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List @HaggertyPj
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) October 30, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/JzW2xKR1tE pic.twitter.com/rFXhZqHbQQ
Haggerty’s selection highlights his growing reputation as one of the Big 12’s brightest stars. He is one of five players from the conference to make the list. The athlete joined BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Texas Tech’s JT Toppin, and Houston’s Milos Uzan.
A Preseason Favorite with Plenty of Accolades
Haggerty’s inclusion on the NABC list is the latest in a string of preseason honors that have cemented his status as a player to watch. He has earned preseason All-America recognition from CBS Sports, Jay Bilas, The Field of 68, Jon Rothstein, and CBBAnalytics. He was also named to the Jerry West Award watch list. This also honors the nation’s best shooting guard, who was selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 team.
That selection makes Haggerty just the ninth player in Kansas State history to earn preseason all-conference recognition. The junior guard has wasted no time making an impression in purple. In K-State’s recent exhibition game at Missouri, he led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting. These include two three-pointers, and he added six assists, two steals, and two rebounds in just under 25 minutes.
Haggerty transferred from Memphis after a phenomenal 2024-25 season, where he was named a consensus Second Team All-American. He also became the first Division I player since Ja Morant to average at least 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. He ranked third nationally in scoring with 21.7 points per game and set an AAC single-season record with 759 points. That's the most by a Memphis player since 2002.
Kansas State wraps up exhibition play against Newman on Friday at 7 p.m. CT before officially tipping off the regular season on November 4 against UNC Greensboro at Bramlage Coliseum.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.