The Kansas State University Wildcats went fishing in the European talent pool and landed Serbian two-guard Andrej Kostić. However, it’s been reported that the Wildcats had to spend a pretty penny to secure his services.
Andrej Kostić Lands at K-State for a Million Dollars
Securing Kostić’s services did not come cheap: KSU reportedly paid $1 million to bring the shooter halfway around the world. First reported by Adam Zagoria via a tweet and his site ZagsBlog, Zagoria provided a brief bio on Kostić, noting:
“Kansas State has added Serbian guard Andrej Kostić on an NIL deal worth a reported $1 million. The 6’5″ guard most recently played for Dynamic Balkan Bet in Serbia and is considered Serbia’s top prospect born in 2006.
“Dynamic is Crvena zvezda’s development team. He’s Zvezda’s player, so it will be interesting to find out if Zvezda gets any buyout. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in the U18 league, and was the leader of Serbia’s U18 national team in their 2024 EuroBasket silver-medal squad.”
A couple of questions come to mind: Would Zvezda be willing to match the deal? Would they receive any compensation for Kostić? If so, that could forge a lucrative relationship that sees K-State using Europe as a pipeline for talent.
What Kostić Brings to the Table
From the moment you press play, Kostić’s varied skill set leaps out. With an angular frame, he effortlessly mixes hesitation dribbles with crossovers. On offense, the newest Wildcat displays a shooting range that extends well behind the 3-point line.
Not to mention the ease of his jump and the feathery touch from midrange. Additionally, the 6’5″ scorer puts the ball on the floor with ease, blowing by opponents and converting near the hoop.
Looking at last season’s stats, Jerome Tang’s squad could have used Kostić. The team ranked 262nd in scoring and shot just 44.1% from the field, making life easier for defenses. Now, expect Kostić to take over games offensively. The hope is that the 18-year-old Serbian standout can keep opponents guessing.
At times, K-State measures itself against Kansas. That fixation can become a problem. Kostić is there to improve the team— not just its self-image.
Last season, the Houston Cougars showed the conference where the power lies. With a conference record of 34-4, the Cougars became the de facto head of the league. Now that perennial leader Kansas has looked pedestrian in recent years, Houston captured the crown.
Can Kostić alone swing the tide in K-State’s direction? Of course not. He’ll need a supporting cast. However, playing a fundamentally sound European style should allow the freshman to thrive in a variety of circumstances.
K-State broke the bank for Kostić. Without hesitation, the program wrote the check and now enters the season with a proven scorer.
More importantly, the signing sends a distinct message to everyone in the conference—especially their rivals in Lawrence.
The days of the Wildcats rolling over and forfeiting Sunflower State bragging rights have ended. Now, the Wildcats want to be a force to be reckoned with this season and for years to come.
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In the stroke of a pen, the program heaped a metric ton of pressure on itself. Can they capitalize and make K-State a winner again?
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