MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang added significant experience to his backcourt on Wednesday (June 15) with the signing of transfer Desi Sills (Jonesboro, Ark./Jonesboro/Arkansas/Arkansas State) to a Financial Aid Agreement with the program for the 2022-23 season.
Sills is the sixth player to sign with the Wildcats since Tang was introduced as the program's head coach on March 21, including the fourth Division I transfer following Cam Carter (Mississippi State), Jerrell Colbert (LSU) and David N'Guessan (Virginia Tech). Overall, Sills is the seventh newcomer added to the team for the 2022-23 season.
A 6-foot-2, 200-pound combo guard, Sills arrives at K-State after playing the 2021-22 season at Arkansas State, where he saw action in 28 of 29 games played with 27 starts. He helped guide the Red Wolves to an 18-11 record this past season, the program's highest win total in five seasons. Prior to that, he saw action in 98 games with 47 starts in three seasons (2018-21) at Arkansas, including being a major contributor for a Razorback team that won 25 games and advanced to the Elite Eight in 2020-21.
Overall, Sills has logged 126 games of experience at the Division I level, including 74 starts, while totaling more than 3,000 minutes played for 24.4 per game average.
"The staff and I couldn't be more excited to add a player like Desi to our team at K-State," said Tang. "Obviously, experience has been a high priority for us, and he has significant experience having played major roles at both Arkansas and Arkansas State. And just like the rest of the guys, Desi is a winner. He has been a part of 81 wins in college with a trip to the Elite Eight, so he knows what it takes to be successful. We can't wait to get him here to campus, so Wildcat Nation can get to know him for the quality man he is on and off the basketball court. We think he is a perfect complement to the other guys we already have in our program."
Sills will have one year of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 sport student-athletes an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sills has scored more than 1,000 points in his college career, totaling 1,110 points (8.8 ppg.) in his 126 games played on 43.5 percent (382-of-878) shooting, including 32.8 percent (129-of-393) from 3-point range, while knocking down 68.9 percent (217-of-315) from the free throw line. He has 50 career double-digit scoring games, including 27 games of 15 or more points and 8 20-point games. In addition, he has collected 326 rebounds (2.6 rpg.), 227 assists (1.8 apg.) and 135 steals (1.1 spg.) in 3,081 minutes (24.4 mpg.) in his career.
This past season, Sills played in 28 of 29 possible games, including 27 starts, for Arkansas State, ranking first on the team in steals (51) while placing second in scoring (12.6 ppg.) and field goals made (127) and third in 3-point field goals made (26), rebounds (101/3.6 rpg.) and assists (79/2.8 apg.). For the season, he connected on 44.6 percent (127-of-285) from the field, including 25.5 percent (26-of-102) from 3-point range, while hitting on 72.7 percent (72-of-99) from the free throw line.