Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson spent part of Tuesday night taking in some basketball, and the scene gave Wildcats fans a reminder that he’s settling in for what could be a big year in Manhattan.
Johnson was in the crowd for the TBT matchup between Purple Reign and JHX Hoops, a game that paired former Kansas State players against ex-Kansas Jayhawks. Purple Reign came away with an 80-61 win, and Michael Beasley paced the K-State alumni with 20 points.
The appearance fit with the idea that Johnson is entering the season in a comfortable place. He arrived at Kansas State as a highly regarded four-star recruit from Maize High School and has already spent the last two seasons as the team’s full-time starter. As a freshman, he also handled quarterback duties in the bowl game after Will Howard transferred to Ohio State, where he later won a national championship in 2025.
Johnson’s career has been solid so far, but plenty around the program believe this is the year he can take another step and strengthen his place in the school record book. Kansas State is coming off a disappointing 6-6 season and chose not to play in a bowl game, but the expectation is for a bounce-back under first-year coach Collin Klein.
That connection matters. Klein, who came to Manhattan from Texas A & M, was on the Kansas State staff when the Wildcats were recruiting Johnson out of high school, so the two already have a built-in relationship.
On the basketball side, Kansas State also got its non-conference schedule for the upcoming season on Monday. The Wildcats will open Nov. 3 against South Dakota State and then face Cal State Northridge on Nov.
6, Creighton on Nov. 10, Montana on Nov.
16, Campbell on Nov. 20 and Gonzaga on Nov. 24.
The schedule then shifts into a multi-game stretch beginning Nov. 26 against Alabama/Baylor, followed by a Nov. 27 game against TBD and a Nov. 28 championship game. After that, K-State plays at Seton Hall on Dec. 4, hosts IU-Indy on Dec.
8, Wichita State on Dec. 11, Little Rock on Dec.
18, Lindenwood on Dec. 21 and Omaha on Dec. 28.
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For Kostic, the reset is as much about fit as it is about responsibility. Alexanders run-and-gun offense should give him more freedom, and both coach and player have sounded upbeat about what that could mean after a rocky first season in which Kostics production never quite matched the expectations around him. The bigger question now is how quickly he can turn that fresh start into something more than just a promising storyline in summer practice. [Read more 🡒]
Bramlage Gets Another K State Kansas Rivalry Moment Fans Wont Ignore
Bramlage Coliseum is getting another dose of Kansas State-Kansas tension this summer, with alumni teams Purple Reign and JHX Hoops set to meet in the 2026 edition of The Basketball Tournament. The first game of their three-game first-round series is scheduled for July 21 in Manhattan, and the matchup will air nationally on FS1, giving the rivalry a bigger stage than the usual offseason exhibition.
The setup only adds to the intrigue for a tournament that carries a $2 million prize and features 14 teams split between alumni and non-alumni sides of the bracket. Purple Reign already has one recent bragging-rights win over Kansas after edging JHX Hoops in Kansas City last year, and now the Wildcats' side gets another chance to make Bramlage feel like home for a rivalry moment fans around here will notice. [Read more 🡒]