Memphis landed a commitment Tuesday from former Kansas State forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin, according to multiple reports. Tomlin, a starter and key player for the Wildcats' 2023 NCAA Tournament team, is expected to be eligible for the Tigers this season after he was dismissed from K-State last week. Tomlin did not play in a game for the Wildcats in 2023-24, which should allow him to suit up for the Tigers once he's admitted to the university.
Tomlin's controversial dismissal from K-State came over a month after he was arrested for disorderly conduct in connection with an October bar fight. Ultimately, athletic director Gene Taylor announced that Tomlin would not rejoin the team. Tomlin is expected to graduate from Kansas State this semester.
"This decision was not made lightly by me," Taylor said in a statement, "but it is the decision warranted by the circumstances that brought it to bear."
The 6-foot-10 Tomlin averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1 block per game while shooting 50% from the floor for the Wildcats last season in his lone year with the program following three years at junior colleges. He started all 36 games for K-State and scored in double figures during each of the Wildcats' four NCAA Tournament games as K-State reached the Elite Eight in the program's first season under coach Jerome Tang.
Tomlin's commitment to Memphis comes amid uncertainty surrounding prized offseason transfer commit Jordan Brown. The former two-time all-Sun Belt performer at Louisiana was expected to anchor the Tigers' frontcourt but has not been with the team during its last two games after averaging just 6.1 points per game over the season's first seven contests. At 7-2, Memphis is ranked No. 23 in the Top 25 And 1 entering a Saturday showdown vs. unbeaten Clemson.
