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NCAA Rejects Kansas State’s Tyreek Smith Waiver Request

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Brian McQuillen | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 3:15 PM ET

Kansas State men’s basketball forward Tyreek Smith had his eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA, per Jon Rothstein.

“Smith joined the Wildcats as a mid-season transfer in January and had petitioned the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility,” Rothstein said.

The 6-foot-8 forward started his career at Texas Tech in 2019, then transferred to Oklahoma State, SMU, and Memphis, though he left the Tigers before playing a game. Smith officially landed at Kansas State for the spring semester and petitioned for one final season.

Kansas State’s Tyreek Smith has had his eligibility waiver denied by the NCAA, per release.

Smith joined the Wildcats as a mid-season transfer in January and had petitioned the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 22, 2025

He helped Texas Tech reach the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21 and has tallied 639 points in his career. Smith appeared in 128 career games, recording 639 points, 490 rebounds, and 129 blocks, while shooting 60% from the field.

His strongest showing came at SMU in 2023-24, where he averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.

Kansas State missed the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season, following its Elite 8 run in 2022-23.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, has reached double-digits 20 times in his career, including four double-double performances.

With Smith unavailable, Kansas State’s frontcourt rotation grows thinner, putting more pressure on the team’s returners and newcomers to contribute early against a tough non-conference slate and Big 12 schedule.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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