Just like they have a few times on the football side of things, KSO's Matt Hall and Derek Young project out a basketball class for the Class of 2019. It is a class with four spots vacant right now to fill, but we are under the impression it will be a class that ultimately ends up with five spots. We operated as if there were five openings to fill when picking the classes.

D.J. Thorpe takes his official visit to Kansas State the weekend of Sept. 15.

DEREK YOUNG'S PROJECTED KANSAS STATE CLASS

Explanation: Murphy is already in the fold, and the biggest long-shots among the five are probably Beran and Thorpe. The fight for Beran involves Wisconsin, Xavier and Georgia Tech, and the battle for Thorpe seems to be a head-to-head contest with TCU. All five have official visits scheduled. Braun will arrive in Manhattan for the first week in September with Murphy. McKinney and Beran will be in town the weekend the football team hosts Mississippi State, and Sept. 15 is when Thorpe will stay in Manhattan. There are other players in the mix, such as Jaden Shackelford, Toumani Camara, Emmanuel Taban, E.J. Liddell, Zeke Nnaji, Anthony Walker, Antwan January and Raymond Hawkins. It's also possible further attrition could open up another spot late. If so, most of these names probably won't be available any longer, but I'd imagine January would still be, if he's eligible at all.

MATT HALL'S PROJECTED KANSAS STATE CLASS

E.J. Liddell has a close relationship with K-State's Chris Lowery.

A very similar class to DY's, but with one obvious - and huge - difference: E.J. Liddell signing with Kansas State. I know it's a long-shot, but I think the relationship K-State has built with the St. Louis star will play a major factor, as would the commitment of fellow St. Louis product and close friend Mario McKinney. I believe K-State leads for McKinney, and at this point I'd be surprised if he's not a Wildcat. Am I taking Liddell just to be different? Well... The battle for Christian Braun won't be an easy one, either, but I think Manhattan is the most likely destination for him at the moment. The staff loves D.J. Thorpe and will put a full press on him, as they did with current commitment Montavious Murphy. The toughest name to leave off is Robbie Beran, followed by Emmanual Taban. Both have a shot to be part of this class, and either could replace Liddell if he ends up elsewhere.