Kansas State University Athletics
‘It Turned into Family’
Mar 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
David N'Guessan walked alone on Senior Day When he was stopped by loving messages from his family in the Netherlands that splashed across the video boards at Bramlage Coliseum. When the senior three-year letterman posed with his framed jersey on the basketball court, he wasn't alone. The entire K-State team joined him. The crowd rose in a standing ovation. N'Guessan wiped tears from his eyes prior to playing his final game in Manhattan.
That's the kind of love that K-State coaches, players and fans have for N'Guessan, who learned how to make the Wildcat sign with his hands the day after he arrived in Manhattan on July 1, 2022, and who has made the Wildcat sign while posing for photos with fans ever since.
"It turned into family," N'Guessan said. "These last three years, I just got closer and closer with the people and the community as well as with the coaching staff and my teammates. Those are relationships I built that will be there for life. I feel like I always have a place to come back even after I leave college. I'm definitely thankful for that."
And K-State head coach Jerome Tang is thankful for N'Guessan, who has meant so much more than the numbers on a stat sheet or the Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolade he earned on Sunday.
"I don't know that I have any other adjectives to describe what he's meant to us," Tang said. "He's just been an incredible human being from the moment that we met him, and he has a big heart and a very kind spirit and a beautiful family that loves him.
"You've just seen him grow as his confidence level as a player from his first year to where he is now, I mean, those are the kinds of things that you sign up for as a coach, to watch a kid go through those kinds of evolutions and grow, and tell them there's someplace that I want to help you get to and you can get there if you just stick with it and trust the process."
N'Guessan had a team-high 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in nearly 35 minutes in a 73-57 loss to No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday. It marked the 50th time that N'Guessan has scored in double figures, including the 25th time this season.
"Just had to leave it all out there," N'Guessan said. "That's been my mindset the whole season. I'm just thankful for being healthy and playing as hard as I can. We try to give it our all. We didn't get the result that we wanted. If you give it your all, you'll be able to live with the result."
N'Guessan has appreciated the crowd support along the way.
"I've been through a lot these last three years," he said. "I didn't really know what to expect when I got here. But, man, they showed a lot of love. I try to pay them back by going all out there and leaving it all on the floor. They appreciate me for that, and I love them for that. I'm thankful, and it goes both ways."
N'Guessan leads K-State with 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds while leading the Big 12 Conference with 63.8% (169-of-265) shooting accuracy from the floor.
The last remaining member of the 2023 Elite Eight team, N'Guessan is in his third season at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech. He has 865 points, 555 rebounds, 100 assists, 69 blocks and 70 steals in 94 games.
N'Guessan, who earned his first Big 12 Player of the Week honor in February, has garnered respect across the league.
"David N'Guessan I have tremendous respect for," Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "He's been a guy in this league for a number of years that plays with tremendous spirit, heart, passion, energy and has been a tremendous offensive rebounder. He's someone you have to account for.
"He's a winning player in every facet of the word. We knew coming in here, we talked about him a lot and the heart that he plays with. So much respect for him. He's a tremendous player, and he's done it year in and year out. Nothing but respect for him."
Late Saturday, K-State, 15-16 overall and 9-11 in the Big 12, learned that it will be the No. 10 seed and will face No. 15-seed Arizona State, 13-18 and 4-16, in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The game will air on ESPN+.
K-State split its two matchups with Arizona State with a 71-70 win in Tempe, Arizona, on February 4 before suffering a 66-54 loss to the Sun Devils at Bramlage on February 23.
The Wildcats-Sun Devils winner on Tuesday will face No. 7-seed Baylor, 18-13 and 10-10, at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. That game would also be on ESPN+.
"Just take it one game at a time," N'Guessan said. "We can't look too far ahead. Just take it one game at a time. We just have to put all our focus on that one."
N'Guessan looks at the week ahead with optimism.
"It's really good," he said. "When you have games remaining, that means there's life. It means we still have a chance. Obviously, Senior Night didn't go the way we want. I didn't imagine me losing my last home game, but there's another game, and we have to go all out and get that win, and then go from there."
David N'Guessan walked alone on Senior Day When he was stopped by loving messages from his family in the Netherlands that splashed across the video boards at Bramlage Coliseum. When the senior three-year letterman posed with his framed jersey on the basketball court, he wasn't alone. The entire K-State team joined him. The crowd rose in a standing ovation. N'Guessan wiped tears from his eyes prior to playing his final game in Manhattan.
That's the kind of love that K-State coaches, players and fans have for N'Guessan, who learned how to make the Wildcat sign with his hands the day after he arrived in Manhattan on July 1, 2022, and who has made the Wildcat sign while posing for photos with fans ever since.
"It turned into family," N'Guessan said. "These last three years, I just got closer and closer with the people and the community as well as with the coaching staff and my teammates. Those are relationships I built that will be there for life. I feel like I always have a place to come back even after I leave college. I'm definitely thankful for that."
And K-State head coach Jerome Tang is thankful for N'Guessan, who has meant so much more than the numbers on a stat sheet or the Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolade he earned on Sunday.
"I don't know that I have any other adjectives to describe what he's meant to us," Tang said. "He's just been an incredible human being from the moment that we met him, and he has a big heart and a very kind spirit and a beautiful family that loves him.
"You've just seen him grow as his confidence level as a player from his first year to where he is now, I mean, those are the kinds of things that you sign up for as a coach, to watch a kid go through those kinds of evolutions and grow, and tell them there's someplace that I want to help you get to and you can get there if you just stick with it and trust the process."
N'Guessan had a team-high 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in nearly 35 minutes in a 73-57 loss to No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday. It marked the 50th time that N'Guessan has scored in double figures, including the 25th time this season.
"Just had to leave it all out there," N'Guessan said. "That's been my mindset the whole season. I'm just thankful for being healthy and playing as hard as I can. We try to give it our all. We didn't get the result that we wanted. If you give it your all, you'll be able to live with the result."
N'Guessan has appreciated the crowd support along the way.
"I've been through a lot these last three years," he said. "I didn't really know what to expect when I got here. But, man, they showed a lot of love. I try to pay them back by going all out there and leaving it all on the floor. They appreciate me for that, and I love them for that. I'm thankful, and it goes both ways."
N'Guessan leads K-State with 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds while leading the Big 12 Conference with 63.8% (169-of-265) shooting accuracy from the floor.
The last remaining member of the 2023 Elite Eight team, N'Guessan is in his third season at K-State after transferring from Virginia Tech. He has 865 points, 555 rebounds, 100 assists, 69 blocks and 70 steals in 94 games.
N'Guessan, who earned his first Big 12 Player of the Week honor in February, has garnered respect across the league.
"David N'Guessan I have tremendous respect for," Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "He's been a guy in this league for a number of years that plays with tremendous spirit, heart, passion, energy and has been a tremendous offensive rebounder. He's someone you have to account for.
"He's a winning player in every facet of the word. We knew coming in here, we talked about him a lot and the heart that he plays with. So much respect for him. He's a tremendous player, and he's done it year in and year out. Nothing but respect for him."
Late Saturday, K-State, 15-16 overall and 9-11 in the Big 12, learned that it will be the No. 10 seed and will face No. 15-seed Arizona State, 13-18 and 4-16, in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The game will air on ESPN+.
K-State split its two matchups with Arizona State with a 71-70 win in Tempe, Arizona, on February 4 before suffering a 66-54 loss to the Sun Devils at Bramlage on February 23.
The Wildcats-Sun Devils winner on Tuesday will face No. 7-seed Baylor, 18-13 and 10-10, at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. That game would also be on ESPN+.
"Just take it one game at a time," N'Guessan said. "We can't look too far ahead. Just take it one game at a time. We just have to put all our focus on that one."
N'Guessan looks at the week ahead with optimism.
"It's really good," he said. "When you have games remaining, that means there's life. It means we still have a chance. Obviously, Senior Night didn't go the way we want. I didn't imagine me losing my last home game, but there's another game, and we have to go all out and get that win, and then go from there."
Players Mentioned
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