After spending the last few years at conference rival Kansas State, former Wildcat forward Taj Manning is switching allegiances to join the Iowa State men’s basketball program.
Manning announced his commitment to the Cyclones on Saturday, April 11, during a scheduled weekend visit to Ames. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward is Iowa State’s second transfer portal commit of the 2026 cycle, after Northern Iowa guard Leon Bond III pledged his commitment to the Cyclones.
Manning spent the last four years at Kansas State. He redshirted as a true freshman in the 2022-23 campaign, when the Wildcats made their run to the Elite Eight. He sparingly saw action in the two seasons that followed, appearing in 22 games for usually a handful of minutes at a time.
The Grandview, Missouri, native earned a much bigger role this past season. He appeared in 30 games and averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 48.5% overall in 20.7 minutes per game. Manning was elevated to the starting lineup in January and held his spot for the remainder of the season. He made 17 starts as a redshirt junior.
It was a tumultuous year for the Wildcats overall. Kansas State finished 12-20, and head coach Jerome Tang was ousted from his position in mid-February after comments he made following a 91-62 loss to Cincinnati.
Manning played against Iowa State twice. He made a brief two-minute cameo as a redshirt freshman in 2023-24, grabbing a rebound in the Cyclones’ 78-67 win on Jan. 24, 2024.
He wouldn’t get an opportunity to play against Iowa State until the Cyclones and Wildcats’ lone meeting of the 2025-26 season. Iowa State won the Feb. 1 game in a 95-61 rout. Manning started and played 27 minutes for the Wildcats. He went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting, but had four rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
The addition of Manning helps bring reinforcements to the Cyclones’ frontcourt. He is experienced in the Big 12 and will help Iowa State rebuild depth up front following the graduations of Joshua Jefferson and Eric Mulder.
Iowa State is set to return Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta, and also will welcome incoming freshmen Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan and Jackson Kiss in the frontcourt.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball gets Kansas State transfer forward Taj Manning
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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