Portal Paul not done recruiting. Wichita State hosts center to fill portal need
Wichita State basketball checked one major box on Thursday morning, but the Shockers were not finished working the transfer portal.
After locking in a commitment from former Dayton wing Bryce Heard, sources told The Eagle that Paul Mills and his staff were also closing out an official visit with former New Mexico State center Cyr Malonga on Thursday, a veteran big man who could help complete WSU’s frontcourt picture behind returning 7-foot-2 center Will Berg.
Malonga is a 6-foot-11 senior from Republic of the Congo who has logged 70 career games and 34 starts with career averages of 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds over three college seasons between East Carolina and New Mexico State.
WSU is looking to once again deploy a three-man center setup with Berg positioned to handle the bulk of the minutes, Malonga potentially stepping into a veteran reserve role and sophomore Noah Hill continuing to push for a larger share of the rotation. That would give the Shockers the trio they are looking for at the 5 spot, even if the three-way split in minutes looks different than it did last season.
At New Mexico State last season, Malonga played in 23 games and made 16 starts, averaging 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 67% from the field. He opened the season in the starting lineup and was used regularly early, averaging 5.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 15.8 minutes, but his role shrank as the season unfolded and he was essentially outside of the rotation in the second half of the season for an Aggies team that went 16-16 overall.
Before that, Malonga spent two seasons at East Carolina, which gives him a working knowledge of the American and the physical demands that come with life in that league. As a freshman in 2023-24, he played in 28 games and started 14, averaging 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.8 minutes. As a sophomore in 2024-25, his role dipped to 18 appearances and four starts with averages of 1.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 7.1 minutes.
Even though Malonga would be filling the spot that Emmanuel Okorafor held this past season at WSU, it’s not likely he would be asked to fill the same role.
Okorafor started 26 games for the Shockers last season and gave WSU 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 block per game while bringing a level of physicality that paired well with Berg for an effective one-two punch. He remains in the transfer portal while awaiting clarity on whether an NCAA waiver could give him another season, leaving WSU in the position of planning as if it still needs to fill those backup center minutes.
At 6-11 with three years of Division I experience, including time in the American, Malonga profiles as the type of veteran depth piece who could come in, defend the rim, play for short bursts and keep WSU from overextending Berg. In that scenario, the Shockers would not need him to be a like-for-like replacement for Okorafor offensively. This roster is already shaping up to look different stylistically and WSU may simply be searching for a dependable reserve who understands his role.
WSU has two scholarships left to complete its 2026-27 roster, but only one obvious portal need remains: center. And if Mills has shown anything this spring, it is that the Shockers tend to move quickly once they identify their guy.
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