Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty Continues to Rack Up Preseason Honors
In this story:
Kansas State guard P.J. Haggerty is already turning heads across college basketball before the new season has even tipped off. The junior star continues to collect national recognition. He landed on not one but two major preseason watch lists for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
P.J. Haggerty Receives Prestigious National Recognition
Haggerty’s inclusion on both lists places him in the elite company of college basketball’s top returning players. The Naismith Trophy, presented by AXIA Time, honors the nation’s best men’s college basketball player. Meanwhile, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), serves as another of the sport’s most respected individual awards.
Double-double night for @HaggertyPj
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) November 1, 2025
27 PTS | 10 AST pic.twitter.com/sEnZj3nUGc
This is the third time Haggerty has appeared on a national player of the year watch list this fall. Earlier, he was named one of 20 candidates for the 2026 NABC Division I Player of the Year on October 30.
The preseason hype surrounding Haggerty extends far beyond these watch lists. He’s been tabbed for All-America honors by outlets such as CBS Sports, Jay Bilas, The Field of 68, Jon Rothstein, and CBBAnalytics. Within the Big 12, league coaches also selected him for All-Big 12 honors. Meanwhile, his name appears on the Jerry West Award watch list, which recognizes the top shooting guard in college basketball.
Let's Look Over His Recent Form and Career Success
Haggerty has already given Kansas State fans plenty to be excited about. In the Wildcats’ two preseason exhibition games, he averaged 25 points per game. That includes a dominant performance in their win over Newman, where he notched 27 points and 10 assists. His blend of scoring ability, playmaking, and leadership has quickly made him the focal point of Kansas State’s offense.
Before transferring to Kansas State, Haggerty starred at Memphis, where he put together a historic 2024–25 season. He became the first Division I player since Ja Morant (2018–19) to average 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals, while attempting 6.5 free throws per game.
Haggerty ranked third nationally in scoring (21.7 points per game) and total points (759). He set an AAC single-season record and posted the most points by a Memphis player since Dajuan Wagner in 2001–02. His breakout campaign earned him a slew of awards, including AAC Player of the Year, First Team All-AAC, AAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and AP Second Team All-American honors, the first Memphis player since 2008 to achieve that feat.
Now, Haggerty turns his attention to the Wildcats’ 2025–26 season opener. Kansas State will host UNC Greensboro on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN+ and the K-State Sports Network, with tickets available online at SI Tickets or in person at the Bramlage Coliseum Athletic Ticket Office.
More from Kansas State On SI
Stay up to date with the Wildcats by bookmarking Kansas State On SI.
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.