Kansas State Wildcats Fall To Nebraska In Exhibition Game

Fans of the Kansas State Wildcats basketball team are going to have to be patient during the first season of the Casey Alexander era as coach. 

It's going to take some time before Alexander places his stamp on the program. The Wildcats lost 88-84 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in an exhibition matchup Monday in Lincoln. 

Guard Brandon Rechsteiner led the way for the Wildcats with 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting. Jaden Schutt added 16 points while Jaylen Alexander had 11. 

This is definitely a rebuilding year for the Wildcats. Alexander took over for Jerome Tang, who was fired at the end of last season. Kansas State has a completely full roster except for Andrej Kostic, who is the lone returner. 

The Wildcats program has been on the decline for the last three seasons. They have had two straight losing seasons and finished a disappointing 19-15 during a much anticipated year in 2023-24, which had one of the highest NIL payrolls in all of college basketball. 

The disappointment followed Tang's first season in which he led the team to the Elite Eight. Alexander has proven he can turn things around at a program. He turned Belmont into a winner, which is why the K-State brass put trust in him. The hope is the Wildcats can become a contender in the Big 12 conference, which won't be easy because of the tough competition. The league is arguably one of the best in college basketball. It features heavweights like the Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona Wildcats. 

The Kansas State Wildcats play host to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Nov. 3 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan in the season opener. 

Here's the Big 12 schedule: 

Jan. 2 at Baylor Bears, TBD

Jan. 5 vs. Houston Cougars, TBD 

Jan. 9 vs. Arizona Wildcats, TBD 

Jan. 12 at West Virginia Mountaineers, TBD 

Jan. 16 vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs, TBD

Jan. 19 at Arizona State Sun Devils, TBD 

Jan. 23 vs. Kansas Jayhawks, TBD 

Jan. 30 at Iowa State Cyclones, TBD 

Feb. 3 vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, TBD 

Feb. 6 vs. Colorado Buffaloes, TBD

Feb. 10 at Utah Utes, TBD 

Feb. 13 at Brigham Young Cougars, TBD 

Feb. 16 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils, TBD 

Feb. 20 at Cincinnati Bearcats, TBD 

Feb. 24 vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders, TBD 

Feb. 27 at Kansas Jayhawks, TBD 

March 3 at Central Florida Knights, TBD 

March 6 vs. Cincinnati Bearcats, TBD