Kansas State forward Tyreek Smith will not be eligible to play in the 2025-26 season after the NCAA denied his waiver for an extra year, the school announced Friday.

Head coach Jerome Tang expressed disappointment with the decision, saying the process left both Smith and the program in limbo. Smith, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound wing, transferred to K-State in January after stints at Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and SMU.

He began his career at Texas Tech in 2019-20, redshirting his first year. Over five seasons, Smith played 128 games, scoring more than 600 points and shooting 60 percent from the field. His best year came at SMU in 2023-24, averaging 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.

A Baton Rouge native, Smith starred at Trinity Christian in Texas, earning 2018 TAPPS 5A Player of the Year. He now plans to pursue the next step in his basketball career.