The ten incoming basketball transfers at Kansas State (via Shop K-State) might not immediately impress every fan based on looks alone, but new head coach Casey Alexander isn’t concerned. Even though most of these players posted unremarkable stats at their previous schools, Alexander didn’t make raw ability or prior performance his top priority while reshaping the roster over the past month. Instead, he focused on a different quality when recruiting from the transfer portal.
“Above all else, I want guys that are about the team,” Alexander told reporters on Thursday. “In our conversations, I made it very clear that I didn’t want anyone coming to K-State if they didn’t care. If they were worried about anything more than winning, being a great teammate, and playing together as a unit, it’s not going to work out for anyone if that’s not their number one focus.
“I’m not naive these guys want to be stars. They want significant roles, and several of them will have that. But the reality is, not all 13 can. Culture still matters. A locker room that genuinely cares about each other still matters. Historically, that’s how we’ve won games.
“It’s tougher when you have so many new faces. There’s no continuity in leadership from year to year. But that was the main trait I was looking for that kind of person and teammate.”
K-State hired Alexander away from Belmont in March after he posted seven straight 20-win seasons using a similar recruiting philosophy. So it’s no surprise he continues to seek out team-oriented players who can excel in his up-tempo offense, now at the Big 12 level. The main difference is that he has more financial resources at Kansas State. He’ll also face stiffer competition on the court next season. With that in mind, Alexander has assembled a roster of 13 scholarship players he believes can make an impact in his first year at Bramlage Coliseum.
The catch? Only one of K-State’s incoming transfers Brandon Rechsteiner from Colorado State averaged over ten points per game last season. Many were reserves on their former teams. Most of the new Wildcats are long, athletic, and capable shooters, but their past production is modest. Here’s the full breakdown:
K-State basketball roster
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Isaiah Abraham (6-7 wing, Georgetown) – 4.8 pts, 2.9 reb
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Matt Gilhool (6-11 forward, LSU) – redshirted
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Dezdrick Lindsay (6-6 wing, Oregon) – 5.3 pts, 2.8 reb
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Timotej Malovec (6-8 forward, Miami) – 4.2 pts, 1.3 reb
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Pape N’Diaye (7-0 forward, Xavier) – 2 pts, 5 reb
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Brandon Rechsteiner (6-1 guard, Colorado State) – 12 pts, 2.5 ast
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JT Rock (7-1 center, New Mexico) – 6.2 pts, 3.5 reb
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Jaden Schutt (6-5 guard, Virginia Tech) – 7.7 pts, 1.6 reb
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Brock Vice (6-10 forward, Murray State) – 2 pts, 1.8 reb
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Montana Wheeler (5-10 guard, Bradley) – 8.5 pts, 2.8 ast
Andrej Kostic will return for another season, and Alexander is adding two high school recruits.
Season outlook
College basketball statistician Bart Torvik projects the group to rank No. 72 nationally heading into the 2026-27 season—an improvement from last year, when K-State lost 20 games and finished at No. 101. Still, the Wildcats will need to exceed expectations to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. On paper, that looks challenging; the team seems to lack star power.
Alexander said K-State had the money and resources to build a winning team but had to be careful “not to overspend” in the portal. He’s fine with that, too. Chasing the most expensive transfers wasn’t how he wanted to construct his first K-State roster. He’s confident a different approach will succeed.
“We wanted guys who fit our style of play and who we believe can be successful here going forward,” Alexander said. “There are huge differences from one program to the next. How someone performed at one place isn’t a complete predictor of how they’ll do elsewhere. We wanted the right people. We wanted the right kind of guys. We had to do that within a budget, and we’re really happy with how it turned out.”
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