Kansas State opens its basketball season Tuesday night against South Dakota State in Manhattan, Kan., with first-year coach Casey Alexander inheriting a nearly entirely rebuilt roster featuring just one returning scholarship player from last season’s 12-20 team, fieldlevelmedia.com reported.
Who are the new faces leading Kansas State this season?
Thirteen new scholarship players join lone returnee Andrej Kostic to give the Wildcats a completely new look. Alexander enters his first season of Power Five basketball following successful coaching stints at Stetson from 2011 to 2013, Lipscomb from 2013 to 2019, and Belmont from 2019 to 2026, holding a career record of 303-180.
Among the newcomers taking the court are guards Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaden Schutt, who transferred in from Colorado State and Virginia Tech, respectively. Rechsteiner averaged 12 points per game last season in Fort Collins, while Schutt chipped in 7.7 points per game for the Hokies. Having played together at Virginia Tech during the 2024-25 season, the pair will anchor the backcourt.
“(Rechsteiner and Schutt) will be starters; they’ll play significant roles,” Alexander said. “They’re going to be a really important part of the whole process from beginning to end.”
Alexander also highlighted Murray State transfer Brock Vice as a key contributor. “Brock’s presence is great,” Alexander said. “He’ll be someone we count on as well.”
How does South Dakota State challenge the Wildcats?
South Dakota State enters the matchup under coach Bryan Petersen, coming off a 14-18 campaign last year. The Jackrabbits were picked third in the Summit League preseason poll and are led by Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Joe Sayler, who has missed just two games in two seasons while averaging 13.5 points per game.
Petersen also leans on two additional preseason all-conference selections: Kalen Garry, who averaged 10.7 points per game, and NAIA transfer Jesse Van Kalsbeek, who averaged 27.8 ppg.
“We’re a little bit more athletic, a little bit more versatile than we were last year,” Petersen said. “I think we’re going to have some different types of strengths within our offense.”
What are the expectations for Kansas State in the Big 12?
Partly due to the massive roster turnover, Big 12 coaches picked the Wildcats to finish in a tie for 14th out of 16 teams in the conference preseason poll. Despite the low external expectations, Alexander remains confident in his group.
“We’ve got everything we need,” Alexander said. “You always want more, and more is always better. But we’ve got what we need to be successful, and I’m really excited about our future.”
