Reports: David N'Guessan is ruled out for Kansas State against Oklahoma State

Junior forward David N'Guessan, who has been sidelined since Dec. 21 with a foot injury, is not expected to play as No. 11 Kansas State (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) hosts Oklahoma State (9-6, 1-2) on Tuesday.

The Virginia Tech transfer has been sidelined since last playing on Dec. 21.

The 82-76 come-from-behind overtime home victory over West Virginia on Dec. 31 showed N'Guessan's absence as a glaring problem. Even so, Kansas State has won three straight games, all against Top 25 teams, without him.

Before his injury, N'Guessan had become a unique counterpart to his frontcourt mate Keyontae Johnson. He exploded for 23 points, shooting 9-for-9, and five rebounds in an 81-64 win over Abilene Christian.

N'Guessan is a key contributor offensively when he is rim-running. The Wildcats look for the forward from the Netherlands to be impactful on defense end as well. He has shown the ability to block shots, and good defenders understand that altering a shot is just as important as a block. With his wingspan, he has shown the potential as an essential defender.

A lot of Wildcats faithful are wondering if N'Guessan's injury will be something that they will be worried about in late January or even late February. The real question is, can the Wildcats sustain the same success as the competition consistently gets better within the conference without the junior forward's presence?