MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang has passed up the transfer portal and gone overseas to land his latest recruit.

Tang, who had said he intended to go international in recruiting this cycle, delivered by picking up Andrej Kostic, a 6-foot-6 combo guard from Serbia with a reported $1 million NIL deal.

Kostic, 18, currently plays for Dynamic Balkan Bet in the Serbian professional league and leads his team in scoring with 16.4 points per game while shooting 43.2%, including 35.2% from 3-point range while making 75.7% of his free throws. He also averages 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

Kostic also helped lead the Serbian under-18 team to a silver medal in the 2024 European championship.

Kostic is the fifth player added by the Wildcats during the 2025 recruiting cycle. He joins transfer guards Nate Johnson from Akron, Abdi Bashir from Monmouth, forward Khamari McGriff from North Carolina-Wilmington, and high school recruit Exavier Wilson from Columbia, Missouri.

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Related Kansas State basketball takes another portal hit with starting point guard Dug McDaniel

The Wildcats also added a mid-year transfer forward in Tyreek Smith from Memphis, but he needs a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible next season.

Tang still has work to do to fill his 2025-26 roster after losing starting forwards David N’Guessan and Coleman Hawkins to graduation, along with guards Dug McDaniel, Brendan, and CJ Jones, forwards Macaleab Rich and Baye Falle, and center Ugonna Onyenso to the transfer portal. McDaniel and Hausen both were starters.

Starting guard Max Jones also exhausted his eligibility but is seeking an extra year of eligibility after starting his career at the NCAA Division II level. The Wildcats return only three reserves — forward Taj Manning and guards David Castillo and Mobi Ikegwuruka.

The current roster is very guard-heavy with McGriff, the seldom-used Manning, and possibly Smith as the only frontcourt players. Tang still has at least three spots available, depending on the status of Jones and Smith.

Kansas State basketball roster breakdown

Outgoing transfers

Macacleab Rich, sophomore forward

Brendan Hausen, junior guard (Iowa)

Dug McDaniel, junior guard (Memphis)

Ugonna Onyenso, junior center

Baye Fall, sophomore forward (Rutgers)

CJ Jones, junior guard

Incoming transfers

Abdi Bashir, sophomore guard (Monmouth)

Khamari McGriff, junior forward (UNC-Wilmington)

Nate Johnson, junior guard (Akron)

Incoming freshmen

Exavier Wilson, guard, Columbia, Mo.

International recruits

Andrej Kostic, guard, Serbia (age 18)

Returning players

Taj Manning, sophomore forward

Mobi Ikegwuruka, sophomore guard

David Castillo, freshman guard

*Starting guard Max Jones and midyear transfer forward Tyreek Smith are seeking waivers from the NCAA for another year of eligibility

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen.

Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla wants to set the record straight about Cinco de Mayo.

“Everybody thinks May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, and it’s not,” he said April 22.

Padilla, who is Hispanic, talked about Cinco de Mayo at the news conference in which he appears monthly with city manager Robert Perez, who is also Hispanic.

Figures from the 2020 U.S. Census showed 16.9% of Topeka’s population was Latino or Hispanic.

What does Cinco de Mayo actually celebrate?

Mexican Independence Day is actually observed Sept. 16 to commemorate the beginning in 1810 of the war in which Mexico won its independence from Spain.

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Cinco de Mayo is held May 5 to celebrate the anniversary of an outnumbered Mexican Army’s victory in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla over the Second French Empire.

The French were in the early stages of what ultimately became an unsuccessful attempt to gain permanent control of Mexico.

Mayor thinks Topekans generally embrace event

Topeka retailers have historically recognized May 5 as being important to some of the city’s population, Padilla said.

“For the most part, I think Topeka embraces that day,” he said. “It’s something to celebrate just if you want to get together with friends and family.”

Padilla encouraged Topeka residents to make it a point to spend some time on Cinco de Mayo at local businesses.

He noted that a Cinco de Mayo Market would be offered May 3 and 4 at the West Ridge Mall, 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

The lone Fiesta Topeka queen candidate, Milagro Alvarado, will kick off Mexican food sales May 5 at Marlo Cuevas-Balandran Activity Center, 224 N.E. Chandler. Alvarado and her supporters will then sell food from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at that site every other week.

Chipotle, which has a Topeka location at 2040 S.W. Wanamaker Road, on May 5 will launch a Roblox gaming experience that will give the public a chance to win free food.

Who’s offering margarita deals?

May 5 margarita deals have been advertised on Facebook by the following Topeka restaurants:

• El Ranchito, which has sites at 2800 S.W. Fairlawn Road, 3425 S. Kansas Ave., Auburn, Holton and Osage City, will celebrate with 10% off food from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily on May 3, 4 and 5. Eighteen-ounce lime margaritas will cost $6.99, buckets of domestic beer $15.99 and lime margarita pitchers $22.99, with house tequila shots costing $2.99 and premium tequila shots costing $4.99. The Fairlawn location will feature music from Mariachi Habanero from 6 to 7 p.m. and patrones de la cima from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on May 5. Patrones de la cima will play from 6 to 7 p.m. and Mariachi Habanero from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. that day at the Kansas Avenue location. The Auburn, Holton and Osage City locations will offer Karaoke from 6 to 9 p.m. May 5.

• 785 Beer Company on May 5 will offer $5 margaritas of any flavor, as well as $13 Elota pizzas, $7 queso chorizo, $6 walking tacos, $5 Cantina Driveway beers and $2 hard or soft tacos.

• Happy Basset Barrel House, 510 S.W. 49th, on May 5 will offer $5 margaritas of any flavor, as well as $1 off 13-ounce and 16-ounce drafts of Happy Basset craft beers.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

AI-assisted summary 785 Beer Co. offers brunch and a three-course Mother’s Day dinner.

Blue Moose hosts a Mother’s Day brunch buffet.

Mother’s Day is Sunday, and if you’re still looking for somewhere to celebrate, we’ve got you covered.

Whether it’s a platter of your mother’s breakfast favorites or a buffet full of lunch specialties, these two restaurants in Topeka are ready to help you celebrate with her.

785 Beer Co.

785 Beer Company, 301 SE 45th St., will have a full day brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11 with a special $10 Monte Cristo that includes a side of your choice. 785’s brunch menu includes such items as chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, breakfast pizzas and more.

Ashley Loewen, who is co-owner of 785 Beer Co., said the restaurant will also offer a three-course meal from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. to treat mom to a special dining experience. The dinner will include a choice of house or Caesar salad and a choice of entree options fried gnocchi with chicken in creamy white sauce or baked ziti with Italian sausage.

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Blue Moose

Blue Moose, 3030 S.W. Wanamaker Road, will host a Mother’s Day brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission prices will be $35 for adults, $29 for seniors (65 and older) and $15 for children ages 4 to 13. Children 3 younger will be free, said the Blue Moose website.

Blue Moose’s brunch buffet will include French toast, breakfast potatoes, waffles, scrambled eggs and more.

Where else can you celebrate Mother’s Day with a brunch?

Though the following establishments aren’t advertising special Mother’s Day brunches or deals, here are a few more places in Topeka where you can still catch great breakfast options.

LAWRENCE — Kansas baseball coach Dan Fitzgerald has signed an amended six-year contract, the program announced Tuesday, as KU Athletics highlights the progress the team has made during his tenure.

Fitzgerald and company reached the NCAA tournament this year, before being eliminated as a No. 2 seed in the four-team Fayetteville Regional. It was the program’s first NCAA regional appearance since 2014, and one that came in just the third year of a rebuild Fitzgerald began when he took over ahead of the 2023 season.

The conversation around the Jayhawks has shifted from whether they can be a team that makes the NCAA tournament to one with much higher expectations.

“This contract is a reflection of Dan Fitzgerald’s remarkable impact during his time in Lawrence,” Travis Goff, KU’s athletic director and vice chancellor, said in a KU release.

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“The program’s progression on the field is well documented and certainly unprecedented. And this extension demonstrates our belief that we can compete for conference championships and CWS appearances under his leadership. Dan is an elite leader and mentor for the student-athletes in his program, creating a culture of accountability, holistic excellence, and strong character.”

The KU release goes on to further outline an investment in the baseball program’s coaching staff as part of a broader investment. That includes a scholarship increase, plans to involve athletes in revenue-sharing, and continued facility investments.

These efforts will look to ensure Kansas, which had the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference tournament and reached the semifinals there, can be a leader in the Big 12 and nationally.

Fitzgerald arrived at KU after a short stint as an assistant at LSU and a more lengthy time as an assistant at Dallas Baptist, following a run as the head coach at Des Moines Area Community College. The contract he signed at Kansas, which was effective June 15, 2022, originally ran through the 2028 season. Each year of his tenure, the Jayhawks have improved, aiding in the momentum the team is working with ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Fitzgerald, the first Kansas baseball coach to be named the Big 12 coach of the year, praised the shared vision he and Goff have for the future of the program. What that looks like in 2026 will be determined in time, but the 2025 season did see the Jayhawks’ 43-17 record tie for second all-time in program history for wins in a season.

“Kelly and I would like to thank Chancellor Girod, Travis Goff, Sean Lester and the entire administration for the opportunity to continue to build Kansas Baseball,” Fitzgerald said in the KU release.

“I am so appreciative to my staff who have worked relentlessly to recruit and develop the right student-athletes. This past season was a major step forward – one that gives us a great road map for the journey ahead.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

AI-assisted summary Dutch Bros is opening its second Topeka location at 3200 SW Topeka Blvd. on May 19.

The new location will offer $3 medium drinks on opening day.

Topeka’s second Dutch Bros location is set to open its doors.

Dutch Bros will open at 3200 SW Topeka Blvd. on May 19, said a Dutch Bros news release. That’s the franchise’s second location in Topeka.

A city of Topeka building permit was issued on Dec. 9 for the new coffee shop, The Capital-Journal previously reported.

Day deal for drinks

The new location will offer $3 medium drinks on opening day. Drinks available will include specialty coffee, smoothies, teas, freezes, lemonade, exclusive Dutch Bros Rebel energy drinks and Nitro Cold Brew coffee.

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“Dutch Bros works to create a massive difference one cup at a time through partnering with local organizations who are focused on enriching their communities,” said the release.

What will the business hours be?

The new location will be open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

How many Dutch Bros are in Kansas?

There are currently more than 10 Dutch Bros locations in Kansas, according to the website. Those location include the following: