Former Kansas State forward David N’Guessan surprisingly declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after three years in the program. N’Guessan logged career highs in nearly every category last season, leading the Wildcats in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage.
“Kansas State has been great for me and I’m glad that I can say that I left everything out there and gave my all to this program, and it returned the favor by turning me into the player I am today,” N’Guessan said Thursday morning. “It has been a dream of mine since a little kid. When I moved from the Netherlands to the United States, I had a clear vision and dream, and I am proud to see how far I have come. With that being said, I’ll be declaring for the 2025 NBA draft.”
Could we see his former Wildcats teammate Coleman Hawkins accomplishing the same feat?
Hawkins declared for the Draft last year but pulled out to play a fifth season at Kansas State. He signed a $2 million NIL deal, projected to help elevate the Wildcats to Tournament contention. However, they fell way below competing in March, with their season officially ending after a Big 12 Tournament loss to Baylor.
But even for his drop in scoring and free-throw percentage, Hawkins is still a dynamic weapon that could aid a handful of NBA teams. He averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks last season, logging career highs in several categories.
Only time will tell.
Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
