The transfer portal window is over in college basketball, and now it's time for evaluations for each team.
And well, Kansas State did...a decent job. Yeah, that's probably the best word to use in this situation. A good number of players with potential, but no real stars to turn any heads.
CBS Sports lauded the team's hire of Casey Alexander but expressed some concern about the lack of big-name additions to the roster, giving the team a "C" overall.
"Kansas State's midseason firing of Jerome Tang and hiring of Alexander from Belmont gave the Wildcats a jump start on roster assembly," the article wrote. "In terms of numbers, the Wildcats are nearing the finish line. In terms of the actual talent that will be required to field a competitive team in the Big 12, there's still a long way to go."
But honestly, this may be what the team needs: a developmental restart rather than chasing stars every season for short-term success.
"Barring a seismic addition, this team will likely hope to follow the 2024-25 Vanderbilt model," the article wrote. "Here is what that looks like: an unfamiliar coach takes over a struggling program, puts together a seemingly underwhelming roster, and then proceeds to surge past lackluster preseason expectations. It's a narrow path."
The additions are as follows: Timotej Málovec (sophomore forward), Montana Wheeler (freshman guard), Isaiah Abraham (sophomore forward), Matt Gilhool (freshman forward), JT Rock (sophomore center), Jaden Schutt, (junior guard), Brandon Rechsteiner (junior guard), Dezdrick Lindsay (junior forward), Brock Vice (sophomore forward).
Alexander wants to create a recognizable program where players want to stay on the team and continue to grow in Manhattan, KS, allowing him to develop them like he's done throughout his career.
"I would love for you to create a program that, you know what the identity of our team is, and you recognize faces from year to year," Alexander said in his opening press conference. "You know the style of play you're going to get, and it's super predictable. We have to be able to adapt, but I want you to see consistency. I want you to know our players, I want them to be in the community, I want them to be here consistently. I want to see some retention; I don't want to flip a roster over every season."
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