Kansas State forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin has been suspended from the team indefinitely, coach Jerome Tang announced Monday.

“I have indefinitely suspended Nae’Qwan Tomlin for not living up to the expectations we require of our players,” Tang said in a school statement. “Although he is not with the team, he is still part of our family, and we will do what can to support him as he moves through this process.”

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Tomlin was arrested early Sunday morning at Tubby’s Sports Bar in Manhattan, Kan., for “disorderly conduct; brawling or fighting,” according to a Riley County Police Department arrest report. He was released after posting a $750 bond, per the report.

The 22-year-old Tomlin averaged 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game as a junior last season, helping the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in Tang’s first year at the helm. Tang and the school agreed to a contract extension through the 2029-30 season last month.

Kansas State begins its 2023-24 campaign unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, receiving 13 votes. The Wildcats open the season on Nov. 6 against No. 21 USC at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, Nev.

How this will impact Kansas State

This suspension changes how Tang will likely handle his rotation. Instead of playing lineups with two big wings, which would have been how K-State started with Tomlin next to Arthur Kaluma, it’s likely that Tang will now play more three-guard lineups. It pushes Kaluma to the four spot. It likely creates more minutes for Cam Carter. Carter was already a breakout candidate. His emergence is even more important now. David N’Guessan will probably see his minutes go up too and will need to be able to play both big man spots.

K-State was already going to be a team where the go-to guy could change on any given night, but Tomlin’s absence could change how the Wildcats play. Tomlin is arguably the most talented player on the roster. Tang wants to play fast, and he’s a guy who is important to that mission. The good news is that K-State has more depth this season. This simply makes it that Tang will likely have to move one or two more players into the rotation that were likely going to be emergency options. — C.J. Moore, college basketball staff writer

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(Photo: Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)