Nae’Qwan Tomlin No Longer With Kansas State

Nae’Qwan Tomlin is no longer part of the Kansas State men’s basketball program, Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor announced in a statement Wednesday night.

The decision comes after public backlash reached a fever pitch with protests on campus and various calls to email university leadership online.

In the statement, Taylor said, “This decision was not made lightly by me, but it is the decision warranted by the circumstances that brought it to bear.”

Tomlin was originally suspended on October 30 following an arrest for “disorderly conduct, brawling or fighting.” He was released on bond and is not expected to serve any additional punishment for the incident.

In a statement following the arrest, Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang said, “I have indefinitely suspended Nae’Qwan Tomlin for not living up to the expectations we require of our players. Although he is not with the team, he is still part of our family, and we will do what can to support him as he moves through this process.”

Prior to the arrest, Tomlin spent time away from the program while working through an eligibility issue. Tomlin worked out for multiple NBA teams over the summer and his back-and-forth with various agents raised questions in the compliance department. He was deemed eligible just days prior to the incident at the Manhattan bar.

Divide in University Leadership

Multiple sources said the decision to remove Tomlin was not unanimous among university officials. Kansas State President Richard Linton ultimately had the final say, going against the wishes of athletic department leadership.

In the statement released yesterday, Taylor said, “We know you want answers, but federal privacy laws largely prohibit the University and K-State Athletics from publicly discussing specific information around circumstances like this. Those laws are in place to protect our student-athletes, and more specifically in this instance, to protect Nae’Qwan.”

Sources told Burner Ball there is a separate issue at hand that drove President Linton to make this decision. Details of the issue cannot and will not be shared by this outlet. Despite calls for reinstatement by other university officials and the fan base at large, Linton stood his ground and drew a line in the sand.

What’s next for Tomlin?

Tomlin is set to graduate this semester and could potentially enroll as a grad transfer at a different university. He would be eligible to play at the beginning of next semester, as he has not appeared in a game yet this season. Should he decide to grad transfer, there are a handful of high major schools with scholarships available. Schools that make sense for Tomlin include Georgetown, Kansas, Miami, Oregon, Providence and West Virginia.

Tomlin could also forfeit the remainder of his eligibility and start his professional career.

Where does K-State go from here?

Despite Tomlin’s absence, Kansas State is 7-2 with wins over Providence and Villanova. Their losses are to Miami and USC, both projected tournament teams. The Wildcats have four non-conference games left before starting the gauntlet of Big 12 play. The NCAA tournament is still well within reach for KSU. A middle of the pack finish in league play should be enough to earn a bid.

As for the future of the program, the relationship between the coaching staff and university leadership may be untenable. President Linton’s decision could easily be used against the staff in recruiting circles. NIL support could also take a major hit after backlash from boosters and fans.

Kansas State is no stranger to disagreements between a coach and university leadership. Frank Martin left Manhattan in large part because of a soured relationship with then athletic director John Currie. The widely publicized breakup is probably fresh on the minds of fans today.

There is still a long way to go before now and March, so relationships have time to repair. At the end of the day, this is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. The rest of the season will be full of what-ifs for Kansas State.

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