Excited for a New Start

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Four months have passed since fifth-year senior Dez Lindsay reached those glass double doors to the Ice Family Basketball Center for the first time, as the 23-year-old native of Louisville, Kentucky, whose hoops story took the unranked 6-foot-6, 215-pound forward from Louisville's Male High School to Florida SouthWestern State College and onto Oregon, sought new life, a hardwood rebirth at Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference.

Today, it's weight training, cardio, and practice, as Lindsay, donned in a purple t-shirt, takes a break and sits in front of reporters inside the team meeting room for the first time since this Little Apple journey began, when he entered the transfer portal in April and committed to K-State for his final year of eligibility, joining new head coach Casey Alexander and a coaching staff building a roster for the 2026-27 men's basketball season.

"I love it here," Lindsay says. "This is a family-oriented team, and we care about each other. Last year wasn't a good season. I always wanted a new start."

The grind, a simple schedule, an ease-in approach with an hour of weights and a 50-minute practice during the summer, has continued into October, as the Wildcats, who feature one returner and 13 newcomers from across the country who are shooting for the same goal, eat breakfast together, gel on the court, play video games off the court, and are consumed with two goals that go hand in hand.

Winning and reaching the NCAA Tournament.

"K-State is a winning program, and there's a lot of pride," Lindsay says. "The NCAA Tournament is a big key for us. Every day, we work toward it. I just want to win, really. I'm a winner. I hate to lose. We must be better every day as we go."

Upon his arrival in June, Lindsay was grouped with three roommates. JT Rock is a 7-foot-1 junior center from New Mexico, Isaiah Abraham is a 6-foot-7 forward from Georgetown, and 6-foot-6 sophomore guard Andrej Kostic of Serbia is the lone holdover from last year's K-State squad.

Each K-State player has something to prove. Lindsay has suffered multiple left shoulder dislocations from playing high school quarterback back home in Louisville, and he actually redshirted his initial season at Oregon two years ago due to another left shoulder dislocation. When healthy last season, he averaged 5.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Ducks.

"(The injury) for sure was depressing," Lindsay says. "I mean, it was the first time I'd sat out in my basketball career. That changed me as a player, sitting out the whole year and watching from the sidelines. On offense, I can do a little bit of everything. I'm going to be a big key to the defensive side. I can guard one through four, or I can guard the five. That's a big thing I can do for the team."

Lindsay's history with injuries hasn't dampened the physical and mental toughness that he has acquired over the course of a college career that began in 2022-23 at Florida SouthWestern Community College and continued in 2024-25 at Oregon. When healthy, Lindsay can put on a show — which is precisely what Alexander and his K-State coaching staff saw in Lindsay's highlight reel that prompted them to contact the prospective talent two weeks into the transfer portal.

In all, Lindsay has scored 876 points (10.3 points per game) while shooting 48.0% from the floor, including 35.4% from 3-point range, and has grabbed 374 rebounds (4.4 rebounds per game) and dished out 165 assists (1.9 assists per game) and collected 98 steals (1.2 steals per game) while playing in 85 games with 40 starts at the junior college and Division I levels.

Lindsay has 40 double-digit scoring games, including a Division I-best 16 points against Penn State last February. He had three 30-poing performances as a sophomore at Florida SouthWestern, including a career-high 38-point outburst at No. 4 Daytona State on February 3, 2024.

He averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in his Oregon career, hitting 40.3% of his shots from the floor, including 32.8% from 3-point range, while playing in 32 games with eight starts for the Ducks.

"(Lindsay) will be the best athlete on the team," Alexander says. "What I love about him is he's a really mature kid, tough, blue-collar, really a team guy. When we spent time with him in Manhattan for a couple days, we really admired what he's about and what he'll bring to the table on a daily basis. His athleticism, toughness and physicality on the perimeter makes him the right kind of guy."

Lindsay's biggest adjustment so far at K-State?

"The fast pace," Lindsay says. "At Oregon, the pace wasn't what it is here, where we get out early in transition. (Alexander) would rather run transition than a set play. But all the guys can shoot the ball. We're going to put up a lot of points because of our fast pace.

"We have freedom. He gives us space. He just lets us play."

What first captured Linday's attention, though, was the man himself, as Alexander, hired for his first Power 4 head coaching job in March, in one breath during a Zoom call in April, excitedly explained to Lindsay the intricacies of his offense, which led to 303 career wins at Stetson, Lipscomb and Belmont, and in another breath, suggested that K-State had plenty of room for Lindsay to utilize his athleticism and array of talents in Manhattan.

"The energy was there," Lindsay says. "I'm high energy when I play basketball. He was one of the only coaches who had energy when I talked to him. He was always smiling, excited and high energy when he spoke. He's still that way."

Yes, four months have passed since Lindsay entered the Ice Family Basketball Center for the first time as a Wildcat. Today, the Wildcats believe they're capable of playing an official game, as they know the offense, they know each other, and they know the demands and flow necessary to succeed in the Big 12.

Lindsay and K-State will get their chance to prove themselves soon. The Wildcats open their exhibition season against Missouri on October 23 at Bramlage Coliseum.

"I'm just excited for a new start," Lindsay says. "I want to have fun out there. Not too many people make it from my city. I'm one of those who made it out."

And now Lindsay, after a lengthy journey, is in the business of putting together a memorable final season.

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Abraham

Andrej Kostic

Dez Lindsay

JT Rock

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