Kansas State basketball has turned to the junior college ranks for its latest addition.
Chimobi Ikegwuruka, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound forward from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa, has signed with the Wildcats, according to a social media post from Arturs Kalnitis, his agent.
Ikegwuruka, from Galway, Ireland, is the sixth transfer signed by head coach Jerome Tang this recruiting cycle, bringing the Wildcat roster to 10 players with three more scholarships available. He averaged 19 points and 10.3 rebounds in 21 games as a redshirt freshman and second-team juco All-American at Ellsworth and still has three years of eligibility remaining.
Scouting reports show that even at 6-6, Ikegwuruka is more of a power forward, as evidenced by his rebounding numbers. He also shot 59.4% while attempting just six 3-pointers and made 70.5% of his free throws on nearly six attempts per game.
Ikegwuruka is the second college transfer signed by Tang since arriving at K-State. Forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin was a key contributor to the Wildcats’ Elite Eight NCAA run in 2022-23. Additionally, 2023-24 leading scorer Tylor Perry spent two years at Coffeyville Community College before heading to North Texas.
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During a Catbacker tour stop in Salina on Tuesday, K-State assistant coach Anthony Winchester said increasing roster size was a priority for the team.
“Obviously we need some size,” Winchester said. “I think that’s where we’re focused right now and then we’ll try to see if we can finish the roster here soon.”
Ikegwuruka, while perhaps undersized as a power forward, clearly feels at home at the basket, but the Wildcats could still use a veteran big or two.
Super senior David N’Guessan, 6-9, 220 pounds, is the only experienced player, although they signed 6-11, 215-pound forward Baye Fall from Arkansas late last month. Fall, a 2023 McDonald’s All-American, played in just nine games as a freshman last season with the Razorbacks.
Related: Kansas State basketball takes another blow to the portal with the departure of guard Dai Dai Ames
In addition to Ikegwuruka and Fall, the Wildcats signed former Michigan guard Dug McDaniel, Illinois-Chicago guard C.J. Jones, Villanova guard Brendan Hausen and Cal State Fullerton senior guard Max Jones from the portal. They will also bring in high school point guard David Castillo, who played his final season at Sunrise Christian Academy.
While Ikegwuruka isn’t a perimeter shooting threat, all four transfer guards are, shooting 37% or better from 3-point range. No Wildcat shot better than 34.5% from beyond the arc last year.
“I think that was in our thoughts. It didn’t work out that way by accident,” Winchester said of the shooters. “Obviously, we consider it a necessity, and any time you have a guy who can help with spacing and stretch the court a little bit, it’s only going to improve your offense.
“We’ve added several guys who can shoot at a high clip, so I think that’s going to pay off when we’re looking for size because you can approach it a little bit differently. I think it allows you to play a little bit differently, too, offensively.” “Arne Green lives in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett Network. He can be contacted at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball earns All-America junior forward
