Thinking Long Term Is Key For Kansas State Hoops Coach Casey Alexander

The Kansas State Wildcats basketball team is less than a month from beginning the era of coach Casey Alexander. 

They play host to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Nov. 3 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan. While the season has seemingly arrived fast, the plan for the Wildcats should be to take it slow at first and perhaps even next season. 

Alexander has arguably the toughest fix in the Big 12 conference. He takes over a program that has struggled the last three seasons, missing the NCAA Tournament each time. This all comes after the Wildcats were on top of the college basketball world in coach Jerome Tang's first year in 2023. That season they were a surprise participant in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and reached high as No. 5 in the rankings. 

Things unraveled since, leaving Alexander to clean up a mess that he inherited when he was hired following last season. He took in mid-March but that wasn't nearly enough time to get things together, especially in this transfer portal, NIL era. 

It left him scrambling for players. The result was the Wildcats only having one player left from last year's roster, Andrej Kostic. 

Although Kostic is a solid player, he won't be able to do this alone. That's why it's best to practice patience with the Wildcats this season and perhaps even the next. If anyone is up for the rebuilding job, it's Alexander. 

He did a solid job during his tenure with Belmont. In four seasons, he compiled a 102-33 record and won the Missouri Valley Conference. It's going to take even more for him to have similar success in the Big 12. 

The hope is the K-State administration and fan base give him time to make it happen. 

Here's the Big 12 schedule for the Wildcats: 

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