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Jersey Number 15
Taj Manning
- Position:
- Wing
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-7 / 230
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Grandview, Mo.
- High School:
- La Lumiere (Ind.) School
FEATURES (click on headline for link)
HONORS
CAREER OVERVIEW
Career-High Rebounds: 10 vs. TCU (2/28/26) while at K-State
Career-High Assists: 4 vs. Cincinnati (2/11/26) while at K-State
Career-High Steals: 3, twice while at K-State
AS A JUNIOR AT K-STATE (2025-26) | 4.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.7 BPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
AS A SOPHOMORE AT K-STATE (2024-25) | 0.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT K-STATE (2023-24) | 1.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
SUMMER 2023 | INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL, ABU DHABI | 3.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.3 BPG
AS A FRESHMAN (2022-23)
HIGH SCHOOL
PERSONAL
- Manning Has Become a Key Role Player for K-State (Kansas City Star, December 23, 2025)
- One Trip, Two Missions (K-State Sports Extra, June 18, 2025)
- 'You Can Count on a Guy Like That' (K-State Sports Extra, Jan. 3, 2024)
- This unsung freshman has Jerome Tang excited about the future (Kansas City Star, Feb. 9, 2023)
- Why Taj Manning remained true to K-State after Jerome Tang took over as coach (Wichita Eagle, June 9, 2022)
HONORS
- 2026 Winter Academic All-Big 12 Team
- 2021 KBCA Class 4A First Team All-State Team
CAREER OVERVIEW
- Saw action in 52 games in his four-year K-State career (2022-26) with 18 starts… Earned a redshirt in 2022-23 before playing 14 games with a start as a redshirt freshman in 2023-24 and 8 games in 2024-25… Opted to enter the transfer portal and transferred to Iowa State.
- Scored less than 200 points (146) in his K-State career, connecting on 49.6 percent (56-of-113) from the field, including 23.5 percent (8-of-34) from 3-point range, and 65 percent (23-of-33) from the free throw line… Also averaged 3.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 blocks and 0.5 steals in 13.7 minutes per game.
- His best season at K-State came as a junior in 2025-26, as he averaged 4.2 points on 48.5 percent (49-of-101) shooting with 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in 20.7 minutes per game.
- Was signed by former head coach Bruce Weber on November 10, 2021.
- Spent the 2021-22 season at the famed La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., helping the Lakers to the GEICO National Championships.
- Played locally at Grandview (2018-20) and Bishop Miege High Schools (2020-21), winning a Missouri Class 4 state title with the Bulldogs in 2019 with a 29-2 record and a Kansas Class 4A state title with the Stags in 2021 with a 22-1 record.
- Overall won two state titles and 93 games at La Lumiere, Grandview and Bishop Miege.
Career-High Rebounds: 10 vs. TCU (2/28/26) while at K-State
Career-High Assists: 4 vs. Cincinnati (2/11/26) while at K-State
Career-High Steals: 3, twice while at K-State
AS A JUNIOR AT K-STATE (2025-26) | 4.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.7 BPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
- Helped guide the Wildcats to a 12-20 overall record, including a 15th-place finish in the Big 12 with a 3-15 mark.
- Saw action in 30 of 32 games with 17 starts… Role increased with injuries, as he came off the bench in 11 of the first 13 games before earning starts in 17 of the last 19 games, including each of the last 16.
- Played in 621 total minutes, averaging 20.7 minutes per game… Played a career-high 35 minutes vs. Utah (1/20/26)… Averaged 29.1 minutes in starting the last 16 games.
- Averaged 4.2 points on 48.5 percent (49-of-101) shooting, including 18.5 percent (5-of-27) from 3-point range, with 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals per game… Connected on 69.7 percent (23-of-33) from the free throw line.
- Production picked up in the last 25 games, where he averaged 4.9 points on 47.5 percent (47-of-99) shooting with 5.9 rebounds per game.
- Scored in 24 of 30 games played, including 3 double-digit scoring games… Tallied 10 points each vs. UCF (1/14/26), at No. 3/3 Houston (2/14/26) and at No. 13/13 Texas Tech (2/21/26)… Posted career-highs for both field goals (5) and attempts (9) vs. UCF.
- Led the team in offensive rebounds (64), while he was second in total (154) and average (5.1 rpg.) and third in defensive rebounds (90)… Grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds vs. TCU (2/28/26) while he had 9 boards each at West Virginia (1/27/26) and Cincinnati (2/11/26).
- Made 5 of 27 attempts from 3-point range… Knocked down a career-best 2 triples on 4 attempts vs. No. 19/19 Kansas (1/24/26).
- Hit on 69.7 percent from the free throw line, making 23 of 33 attempts… Went a season-best 4-of-4 from the line at Arizona State (1/10/26).
- Dished out 28 assists to 21 turnovers… Had a season-high 4 vs. Cincinnati (2/11/26).
- Was third on the team with 22 blocked shots… Had a career-high 3 at No. 13/13 Texas Tech (2/21/26) while he had 2 in 6 other games.
- Totaled the third-most steals on the year with 21… Had 3 steals at Arizona State (1/10/26) and vs. No. 19/19 Kansas (1/24/26).
- Played in all 18 Big 12 games with 16 starts… Averaged 5.3 points on 48.1 percent (37-of-77) shooting, including 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from 3-point range, in league-only games with 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game… Connected on 66.7 percent (18-of-27) from the free throw line.
- Scored in double figures in 3 Big 12 games, including a high of 10 points vs. UCF (1/14/26), at No. 3/3 Houston (2/14/26) and at No. 13/13 Texas Tech (2/21/26).
- Coached by Jerome Tang and Matthew Driscoll.
AS A SOPHOMORE AT K-STATE (2024-25) | 0.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
- Helped guide the Wildcats to a 16-17 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-11 mark.
- Saw action in 8 games, all off the bench… Played in 21 total minutes, averaging 2.7 minutes per game… Played a season-high 4 minutes vs. Colorado (3/2/25).
- Averaged 0.8 points on 50 percent (2-of-4) shooting, including 50 percent (2-of-4) from 3-point range, with 0.8 rebounds per game… Did not have an attempt from the free throw line.
- Scored a season-high 6 points vs. UAPB (12/1/24), connecting on both 3-point attempts.
- Grabbed a season-best 2 rebounds vs. Oklahoma State (1/29/25).
- Played in 3 Big 12 games… Did not register any points, but did grab 3 rebounds and a steal.
- Coached by Jerome Tang.
AS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN AT K-STATE (2023-24) | 1.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG | Game-by-Game Stats (.pdf)
- Helped guide the Wildcats to a 19-15 overall record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and a trip to the NIT.
- Saw action in 14 games, including a start vs. No. 21/22 USC (11/6/23) in the season opener in first career action… Totaled 68 minutes, averaging 4.9 per game.
- Averaged 1.0 points on 62.5 percent (5-of-8) shooting, including 33.3 percent (1-of-3) from 3-point range, with 1.1 rebounds per game… Connected on 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from the free throw line.
- Scored in 5 games, including a season-high 4 points twice… Had 4 points vs. Chicago State (1/2/24) on 2-of-2 field goals in 15 minutes and vs. No. 23/24 Oklahoma (1/30/24) on 1-of-2 field goals, including his first 3-pointer of his career, in 10 minutes.
- Posted his first career points with a field goal and free throw for 3 points vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23) to go with 4 rebounds and a steal in 9 minutes.
- Totaled 16 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end… Had a season-high 4 boards vs. Central Arkansas (11/22/23).
- Saw action in 9 Big 12 games… Averaged 0.6 points on 33.3 percent (1-of-3) shooting in league-only games with 0.4 rebounds in 2.8 minutes per game.
- Scored his first points in Big 12 action with a free throw vs. UCF (1/6/24).
- Coached by Jerome Tang.
SUMMER 2023 | INTERNATIONAL TRIP TO ISRAEL, ABU DHABI | 3.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.3 BPG
- Played in all 3 games with 1 start in the Wildcats’ historic 10-day trip to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel, and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., which ran from August 9-20.
- Averaged 3.0 points on 37.5 percent (3-of-8) shooting with 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.3 steals in 16.0 minutes per game.
- His best performance came in a close loss to Team Mexico (8/17/23), where he scored 6 points on 3-of-4 field goals with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes.
- Played a tour-high 22 minutes in the win over Al-Sharjah Club (8/18/23).
AS A FRESHMAN (2022-23)
- Did not see action as a redshirt.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Was rated as a consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals… Rated among the top 200 prospects nationally (No. 189 by 247Sports), including the top-40 power forwards (No. 36 by 247Sports).
- Played his senior season at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. … Helped the Lakers to a 21-5 record and a berth at the GEICO National Championships in 2021-22.
- Averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a senior… Posted a near double-double vs. IMG Academy (3/31/22) at GEICO Nationals with 14 points on 5-of-8 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, to go with a team-tying 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in 21 minutes.
- Spent the 2020-21 season at Bishop Miege High School in suburban Kansas City, where he helped the Stags to a 22-1 record and their sixth Class 4A State Championship, alongside current Missouri junior Mark Mitchell… The team dominated their competition, losing just one game (a 68-55 setback to Class 6A Blue Valley Northwest) all season and defeating their other 22 opponents by an average of 30.4 points per game… Won their 5 playoff games by an average of 42.6 points, including a 94-40 victory over Louisburg in the championship game.
- Named to the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) Class 4A First Team All-State Team… Also selected First Team All-Eastern Kansas League.
- Averaged 15.1 points on 63 percent (131-of-208) shooting with 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in 2020-21… Also connected 84.9 percent (79-of-93) from the free throw line… Led the team in rebounding and blocks and was second in scoring.
- Scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games played, including six games of 20 or more points… Posted a season-high 29 points vs. St. Michael (2/10/21) on 11-of-17 field goals and 7-of-7 free throws to go along with 12 rebounds… Also had 25 points twice, first vs. Blue Valley West (2/5/21) on 10-of-13 field goals and vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (2/19/21) on 9-of-14 field goals.
- Collected 9 double-doubles on the season, including 4 20-10 point/rebound efforts… One of those double-doubles came in the state championship game, scoring 20 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds vs. Louisburg (3/13/21).
- Played two seasons (2018-20) at Grandview High School in his hometown of Grandview, Mo., where he led the Bulldogs to a combined 50 wins those two seasons, including a 29-win campaign and the Missouri Class 4 State Championship in 2018-19.
- Paced Grandview in scoring (16.1 ppg.), rebounding (6.9 rpg.) and blocks (1.9 bpg.) in 2019-20, while connecting on 50.1 percent (172-of-343) from the field and 64.2 percent (79-of-123) from the free throw line.
- Averaged 10 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 assists per game for Grandview in 2018-19, in which, the Bulldogs posted a 29-2 record and won the Missouri Class 4 State Championship.
- Coached by Pat Holmes (La Lumere), Rick Zych (Bishop Miege) and Reggie Morris (Grandview).
PERSONAL
- Parents are Lorenzo Manning and Jacquelyn Anderson… Has three siblings (Nia, Kai, and Tre).
- Chose K-State after offers from Creighton, East Carolina, Milwaukee, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Tulsa and Wake Forest.
- Earned his bachelor's degree from K-State in May 2026.
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