Five Things to Know: Marcus Johnson

Today we continue a series of "Get to Know" features on the newest members of the 2025-26 Kansas State men's basketball team. We continue with senior wing Marcus Johnson (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary/Wheeling/Bowling Green), who is one of 10 newcomers, and one of 5 Division I transfers.

Head coach Jerome Tang recently announced the 14-member team, which can be reviewed here.

Johnson's complete bio can be viewed here.

Development has been key for Johnson to play at the Power 5 level.

The 6-foot-7, 265-pound wing has taken a long and winding path to play at K-State, starting at the junior college level at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., in 2021-22 then moving to Division II Wheeling College in Wheeling, W.Va., for 2 seasons (2022-24) before playing at Bowling Green in Bowling Green, Ohio in 2024-25.

The Akron native who was a part of back-to-back state championship teams (2017, 2018) at famed St. Vincent-St. Mary Catholic High School (the alma mater of LeBron James) has played in 107 games with 80 starts in his college career, including 88 games played with 86 starts at the Division I and/or II levels at Wheeling and Bowling Green.

Johnson averaged 8.2 points on 50.5 percent shooting as a freshman in 2021-22 before averaging 18.1 and 21.6 points per game, respectively, at Wheeling as a sophomore and junior, earning All-Mountain East Conference First Team honors in 2023-24. Last season, he averaged a team-best 16.2 points on 43 percent shooting in his lone season at Bowling Green.

Johnson has developed into a near 2,000-point scorer in college.

Johnson has scored nearly 1,900 points (1,865 to be exact) in his 107-game college career, including more than 1,600 points (1,627) at the Division I and/or II ranks in 88 career games with 86 starts at Wheeling and Bowling Green from 2022-25. He has registered three consecutive seasons of 500 or more points, including a career-high 582 in 2023-24.

Johnson has scored in double figures in 86 of 107 career games at Parkland, Wheeling and Bowling Green, including 42 20-point games and four 30-point games. He scored a career-high 34 points vs. West Virginia State on Feb. 3, 2024, while at Wheeling on 12-of-23 field goals, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He posted a Division I scoring high of 28 points vs. Toledo on Jan. 24.

Johnson averaged a career-high 21.6 points per game at Wheeling as a junior, which ranked 14^th nationally at the Division II level in 2023-24.

Johnson was one of the top scorers in the MAC in 2024-25.

Johnson made quite the impact in his one season at Bowling Green in 2024-25, ranking sixth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in scoring (16.2 ppg.) while scoring in double figures in 26 of 32 games played with 13 games of 20 or more points. In total, he ranked in the MAC's top-15 in four other categories, including first in free throw percentage (89.8), fourth in 3-point field goals made (78), ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (39.4) and 14^th in minutes (31.4).

Among his team-best 13 20-point games was a season-high 28 points against Toledo on Jan. 24, which came on 10-of-20 field goals and 5-of-5 free throws. He scored 23 at Michigan State on Nov. 16, 2024, 24 vs. Niagara on Nov. 19, 2024, 23 vs. New Mexico State on Nov. 30, 2024, and 22 at Kansas City on Dec. 14, 2024.

Johnson led the Falcons in nine categories, including scoring, total points (519), double-digit scoring games (26), 20-point games (13), field goals made (181) and attempted (421), 3-point field goals made (78) and attempted (198) and free throw percentage. He was also second in rebounding (5.0 rpg.), assists (58) and steals (28).

Johnson also ranked among the MAC's top 15 in five league-only categories, including fourth in 3-point field goals/game (2.33) and free throw percentage (85.7), 11^th in scoring (15.6 ppg.), 14^th in minutes (32.4 mpg.) and 16^th in rebounding (5.4 rpg.).

For the season, Johnson connected on 43 percent (181-of-421) from the field, including 39.4 percent (78-of-198) from 3-point range, and hit on 89.8 percent (79-of-88) from the free throw line.

Johnson can shoot the ball in a variety of ways.

It might be stating the obvious for a near 2,000-point scorer, but Johnson can really shoot the ball, including in a variety of ways. For his career, he has connected on 46.8 percent (678-of-1449) from the field, including 40.9 percent (201-of-492) from 3-point range, and 85.8 percent (308-of-359) from the free throw line. In his 88 games at the Division I and/or II levels, he is hitting on 43 percent (181-of-421) of his field goals, including 39.4 percent (78-of-198) from long range, and 89.8 percent (79-of-88) from the free throw line.

Johnson is one of the top active free throw shooters in the nation.

Johnson has demonstrated the ability to be one of the best free throw shooters in the country, connecting on 85.8 percent (308-of-359) in his college career, including 87.2 percent (272-of-312) at the Division I and II levels. He has hit on 80 percent or better from the line in each of the last 3 seasons, including 90.8 percent (109-of-120) in 2023-24.

Johnson led the MAC with a program-best 89.9 free throw percentage (79-of-88) in 2024-25, including 85.7 percent (42-of-49) in league games. He went perfect from the line in 19 games, including a season-best 7-of-7 against New Mexico State on Nov. 30, 2024.

Tickets for the 2025-26 season are currently on sale with a variety of options and packages. Fans can purchase tickets by calling toll free at (800) 221.CATS (2287) and/or online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets.

How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Marcus Johnson

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