Nov 02, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The teams square off on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head men's basketball coach Casey Alexander, along with senior Brandon Rechsteiner and fifth-year Dez Lindsay, met with the media on Monday afternoon (November 2) as the Wildcats prep for their season opener with South Dakota State.
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Links to the video are above with a transcript of Alexander availability below.
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K-State officially opens the Casey Alexander era on Tuesday night when the Wildcats play host to the Jackrabbits at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. South Dakota State was picked third in the preseason Summit League media poll and return four lettermen, including Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Joe Sayler. This will be the fifth matchup between the schools and the first since a 91-68 win by the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 13, 2023.
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K-State is 95-27 all-time in season openers, including 83-10 at home and 31-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
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It will be the first of two home games this week, including Friday's matchup with Cal State Northridge at 8 p.m., CT.
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General admission tickets start at $14 for the opener, while tickets for Friday's game can be purchased in advance for just $9 with the purchase of a ticket for Saturday's football game with Oklahoma State.
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HEAD COACH CASEY ALEXANDER
On the growth you would like to see from the exhibition games…
"Just consistency. I felt like defensively, we were really pleased with how we played against Missouri, and more so following game plan and scouting report and everything else, but we didn't get that in the Nebraska game, and then almost the inverse offensively. We really struggled (offensively) against Missouri. We didn't really play like we want to play (against Missouri) but looked like we want to look against Nebraska. We shared the ball well. We shot it well. We really had the ball moving."
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On the health of JT Rock…
"He's better. I mean, he really shouldn't have been out there in the Missouri game at all. We tried to give him some minutes in the first half but weren't comfortable putting him back out there in the second half. And then it was lingering in the Nebraska exhibition, but he's closer. He's closer to 100 percent. He definitely will play."
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On how much he learned about rotations after exhibition play…
"We're getting there. We're about to figure some of that stuff out. I'm not overly concerned with those kinds of things. I'm willing to change a starting lineup for matchups or whatever. There's some guys that'll be the standard, I think, in starting and playing the most minutes. But there's no reason right now where we've got to pigeonhole anybody into a specific role when we've got a lot still left to learn about ourselves."
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On Brandon Rechsteiner being counted on to lead the offense… Â
"He's important. I think we've all seen just in the two exhibitions that he's very capable and can make a lot of good things happen. But he's another example of that consistency we were talking about earlier. I felt like in the Missouri game, he definitely pressed a little bit. He didn't get off to a great start, and then he tried to make it happen. And that's not what we need from him. He's going to get plenty of opportunities. And I think the theme for the team really is just let's just take what's right in front of us and do what we're supposed to do and let it happen that way. We don't need to go out and try to make anything happen on our own."
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On the health of Timo Malovec…
"He's closer, but that's the update. This is a big week for him, just for a number of reasons. So hopefully we can get him back really soon, and he will help us. He'll fill a lot of holes. He's not going to come in and save the day, but he's just got so much versatility with his size that he can really help us with his versatility. Without him, a lot of responsibility falls on Matt (Gilhool), Isaiah (Abraham) and Dez (Lindsay), and they've all had their moments. But, again, if the theme is consistency, they would fall in that group that that we need to see more from."
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On first game jitters/excitement…
"There's excitement. I mean, it's definitely the real thing. And we put in a lot of time and effort to get to this point. I do think the exhibitions minimize what used to feel so different about playing your first game, and much in the same way that practice does. You know, when we used to start October 15 or you know somewhere close to there, and now you start June 1. It's just you know you feel like it never stops, honestly. But Tuesday is what we all came to K-State for to play the games and to be a team, and so that part's exciting."
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On the ability to come back and the sense of urgency in the exhibitions…
"I mean, obviously, we would prefer not to be down 13 or 14 or whatever it was in those two games, but we've talked long and hard about this just being a process-driven team. That's what we want our standard to be, and if that's what you really believe, then then you're trying to get as close to a 40-minute game as you can. We had about a four or five-minute start of the second half against Missouri that we were very unhappy with didn't feel like we had the urgency and that we needed and it really cost us. But outside of that, effort-wise, I feel pretty good about the other 75 that we've played so far in those two exhibition games, and that's what you want. We could have folded. But I was really pleased with how they stayed with it."
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On Andrej Kostic…
"He's really just now getting to where he's more he's healthy enough to put several practices together, and then the next step would be several good practices together. We have great confidence in him. He's going to play, and we're excited about what he can bring. But he just hasn't put himself in position to play instead of the other guys to this point."
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On how he breaks down scouting opponents…
"We have six coaches that are splitting all the scouting and then all hands-on deck for video and analytics and everything else. So essentially, we have three position groups and there are two coaches for each position group, and so we just kind of rotate it among those six guys. But how we scout is very important to me. I'm very involved, and that's been important to our success. Preparation. I mean, that may sound like a given, but I'm we're very wired toward scouting reports, personnel, making adjustments, things like that."
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On if there is a certain percentage of man vs. zone he wants to run in games…
"No, not at all. And we went into the Nebraska game planning to play some zone because we needed to. You know, just we needed to get our feet wet a little bit and see how it works. So, we were going to play zone against Missouri regardless of circumstance in the game. You know, again, that's one of the things. Maybe you know, for the casual observer, you know, they may miss something like that as far as it being an exhibition game. I wouldn't walk into Tuesday's game, saying we're going to do this regardless of circumstance, right? But, in an exhibition game, we knew we needed to play some zone, and then we had some decent success with it, so we played it more than I thought."
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On Matt Gilhool and his fouls…
"Yes, I'm conscious of it. I hope that it's isolated, but we've talked about it. So, he plays hard. He's really made us better when he's been out there. I made a comment to somebody earlier today. Just I think offensively that we seem to play in a little bit better rhythm when he's in the game. You know, so being able to play on both ends of the floor, and it's not a lack of effort. Just fundamentally he's got some things he needs to improve with to keep him keep himself out there for longer."
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On if he has certain number of players in mind he wants to play…
"No, I think it's game dependent. Again, that was another thing we were talking about going into the exhibition games. Like we literally scripted out substitution pattern in the first half of the Nebraska game. We had our own reasons for that, but I wanted to see certain guys get certain amounts of minutes. And so, we won't ever do that again. I'm willing. It may be eight (guys) tomorrow, and it might be 12 Friday. It's just kind of game dictated by the game."
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On South Dakota State…
"I mean, I think it would start with their two guards. I'm really impressed with those guys. They've got three preseason all-conference players on their roster, but the two guards have nine total years combined experience at South Dakota State. That's pretty rare these days. So, they clearly understand what makes it work, and they're very important to their team. They're not limited to just those two guys, but that'll be a real important part of our preparation."
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On having been in South Dakota State's position all those years at Belmont…
"It is different for me personally to be on this side of it, and having won a bunch of these in my past, I understand how easy that can happen. I think the thing about it is, nobody expects a mid-major program to be better over the long haul than a Power Four team, but in a 40-minute game, it's not that tall of an order. Anything can happen in one 40-minute game."
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How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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Links to the video are above with a transcript of Alexander availability below.
Â
K-State officially opens the Casey Alexander era on Tuesday night when the Wildcats play host to the Jackrabbits at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. South Dakota State was picked third in the preseason Summit League media poll and return four lettermen, including Preseason Summit League Player of the Year Joe Sayler. This will be the fifth matchup between the schools and the first since a 91-68 win by the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 13, 2023.
Â
K-State is 95-27 all-time in season openers, including 83-10 at home and 31-3 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Â
It will be the first of two home games this week, including Friday's matchup with Cal State Northridge at 8 p.m., CT.
Â
General admission tickets start at $14 for the opener, while tickets for Friday's game can be purchased in advance for just $9 with the purchase of a ticket for Saturday's football game with Oklahoma State.
Â
HEAD COACH CASEY ALEXANDER
On the growth you would like to see from the exhibition games…
"Just consistency. I felt like defensively, we were really pleased with how we played against Missouri, and more so following game plan and scouting report and everything else, but we didn't get that in the Nebraska game, and then almost the inverse offensively. We really struggled (offensively) against Missouri. We didn't really play like we want to play (against Missouri) but looked like we want to look against Nebraska. We shared the ball well. We shot it well. We really had the ball moving."
Â
On the health of JT Rock…
"He's better. I mean, he really shouldn't have been out there in the Missouri game at all. We tried to give him some minutes in the first half but weren't comfortable putting him back out there in the second half. And then it was lingering in the Nebraska exhibition, but he's closer. He's closer to 100 percent. He definitely will play."
Â
On how much he learned about rotations after exhibition play…
"We're getting there. We're about to figure some of that stuff out. I'm not overly concerned with those kinds of things. I'm willing to change a starting lineup for matchups or whatever. There's some guys that'll be the standard, I think, in starting and playing the most minutes. But there's no reason right now where we've got to pigeonhole anybody into a specific role when we've got a lot still left to learn about ourselves."
Â
On Brandon Rechsteiner being counted on to lead the offense… Â
"He's important. I think we've all seen just in the two exhibitions that he's very capable and can make a lot of good things happen. But he's another example of that consistency we were talking about earlier. I felt like in the Missouri game, he definitely pressed a little bit. He didn't get off to a great start, and then he tried to make it happen. And that's not what we need from him. He's going to get plenty of opportunities. And I think the theme for the team really is just let's just take what's right in front of us and do what we're supposed to do and let it happen that way. We don't need to go out and try to make anything happen on our own."
Â
On the health of Timo Malovec…
"He's closer, but that's the update. This is a big week for him, just for a number of reasons. So hopefully we can get him back really soon, and he will help us. He'll fill a lot of holes. He's not going to come in and save the day, but he's just got so much versatility with his size that he can really help us with his versatility. Without him, a lot of responsibility falls on Matt (Gilhool), Isaiah (Abraham) and Dez (Lindsay), and they've all had their moments. But, again, if the theme is consistency, they would fall in that group that that we need to see more from."
Â
On first game jitters/excitement…
"There's excitement. I mean, it's definitely the real thing. And we put in a lot of time and effort to get to this point. I do think the exhibitions minimize what used to feel so different about playing your first game, and much in the same way that practice does. You know, when we used to start October 15 or you know somewhere close to there, and now you start June 1. It's just you know you feel like it never stops, honestly. But Tuesday is what we all came to K-State for to play the games and to be a team, and so that part's exciting."
Â
On the ability to come back and the sense of urgency in the exhibitions…
"I mean, obviously, we would prefer not to be down 13 or 14 or whatever it was in those two games, but we've talked long and hard about this just being a process-driven team. That's what we want our standard to be, and if that's what you really believe, then then you're trying to get as close to a 40-minute game as you can. We had about a four or five-minute start of the second half against Missouri that we were very unhappy with didn't feel like we had the urgency and that we needed and it really cost us. But outside of that, effort-wise, I feel pretty good about the other 75 that we've played so far in those two exhibition games, and that's what you want. We could have folded. But I was really pleased with how they stayed with it."
Â
On Andrej Kostic…
"He's really just now getting to where he's more he's healthy enough to put several practices together, and then the next step would be several good practices together. We have great confidence in him. He's going to play, and we're excited about what he can bring. But he just hasn't put himself in position to play instead of the other guys to this point."
Â
On how he breaks down scouting opponents…
"We have six coaches that are splitting all the scouting and then all hands-on deck for video and analytics and everything else. So essentially, we have three position groups and there are two coaches for each position group, and so we just kind of rotate it among those six guys. But how we scout is very important to me. I'm very involved, and that's been important to our success. Preparation. I mean, that may sound like a given, but I'm we're very wired toward scouting reports, personnel, making adjustments, things like that."
Â
On if there is a certain percentage of man vs. zone he wants to run in games…
"No, not at all. And we went into the Nebraska game planning to play some zone because we needed to. You know, just we needed to get our feet wet a little bit and see how it works. So, we were going to play zone against Missouri regardless of circumstance in the game. You know, again, that's one of the things. Maybe you know, for the casual observer, you know, they may miss something like that as far as it being an exhibition game. I wouldn't walk into Tuesday's game, saying we're going to do this regardless of circumstance, right? But, in an exhibition game, we knew we needed to play some zone, and then we had some decent success with it, so we played it more than I thought."
Â
On Matt Gilhool and his fouls…
"Yes, I'm conscious of it. I hope that it's isolated, but we've talked about it. So, he plays hard. He's really made us better when he's been out there. I made a comment to somebody earlier today. Just I think offensively that we seem to play in a little bit better rhythm when he's in the game. You know, so being able to play on both ends of the floor, and it's not a lack of effort. Just fundamentally he's got some things he needs to improve with to keep him keep himself out there for longer."
Â
On if he has certain number of players in mind he wants to play…
"No, I think it's game dependent. Again, that was another thing we were talking about going into the exhibition games. Like we literally scripted out substitution pattern in the first half of the Nebraska game. We had our own reasons for that, but I wanted to see certain guys get certain amounts of minutes. And so, we won't ever do that again. I'm willing. It may be eight (guys) tomorrow, and it might be 12 Friday. It's just kind of game dictated by the game."
Â
On South Dakota State…
"I mean, I think it would start with their two guards. I'm really impressed with those guys. They've got three preseason all-conference players on their roster, but the two guards have nine total years combined experience at South Dakota State. That's pretty rare these days. So, they clearly understand what makes it work, and they're very important to their team. They're not limited to just those two guys, but that'll be a real important part of our preparation."
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On having been in South Dakota State's position all those years at Belmont…
"It is different for me personally to be on this side of it, and having won a bunch of these in my past, I understand how easy that can happen. I think the thing about it is, nobody expects a mid-major program to be better over the long haul than a Power Four team, but in a 40-minute game, it's not that tall of an order. Anything can happen in one 40-minute game."
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How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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