K-State’s Casey Alexander steps into a very different spotlight Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days, and there’s plenty to watch before he ever coaches a game that counts.
Alexander, entering his first season leading the Wildcats, will take the stage at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday afternoon. Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaden Schutt will be alongside him as K-State begins its public push toward the 2025-26 season.
There’s still a lot to sort out about Alexander’s team before the Nov. 3 opener against South Dakota State, and the next few days should offer a few clues. The Wildcats also have two exhibitions on the schedule this week: Friday, Oct. 23, against Missouri at home and Oct. 26 against Nebraska in Grand Island, Nebraska.
One of the biggest questions is how Alexander looks and sounds in this setting. At Belmont, he was operating in a very different environment.
The Missouri Valley Conference often used hotel ballroom setups for media days - or went virtual - and Nashville media coverage wasn’t always heavy, even with his success. That’s a long way from the main stage at T-Mobile Center, where he’ll answer questions, move through interviews and handle the full media-day grind.
Another obvious storyline is the expectations surrounding K-State. The Wildcats were picked to finish tied for 14th in the Big 12 out of 16 teams, a position Alexander hasn’t dealt with much.
He has posted a winning record in each of his last 10 seasons, including seven at Belmont and three at Lipscomb, so this kind of projection is new ground. Whether he brushes it off or leans into it as fuel will be worth watching.
The exhibition games should also tell us something about how he wants to manage this roster early. Alexander has already said he’ll play to win, but not treat the results as the main point.
Those games should help him test rotations and see how his players respond under game conditions. Missouri and Nebraska both come in as preseason NCAA Tournament teams according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, so the Wildcats will get a real early test.
Health is another key piece. Timo Malovec, a transfer from Miami, is dealing with an injury Alexander already indicated could linger into the season.
If Malovec isn’t ready, the starting lineup could look different - Matt Gilhool is one possibility. Andrej Kostic, the only returner from last year’s team, has also been banged up.
He may not be in line to start right away, but his role off the bench could become important if he stays healthy and keeps developing.
And then there’s the possibility of questions about Jerome Tang. That’s not the central football line here, but it could come up.
Alexander wasn’t around for any of it, and this is not his story to answer for. Still, with the previous regime and the aftermath of the settlement lingering around the program’s public conversation, someone in the room may try to draw that connection.
If they do, how Alexander handles it will be worth noting.
In Other News...
Kansas State Just Added More Fuel To A Rivalry Kansas Cant Stop
The latest Sunflower Showdown only deepened a rivalry Kansas cant seem to crack. Kansas State handled the 124th meeting 35-14, stretching its run in the series to 18 straight and once again leaving the Wildcats with bragging rights that extend far beyond one October afternoon. Avery Johnson was at the center of it, piling up 209 passing yards and 132 rushing yards while helping Kansas State control the game from start to finish.
The follow-up recognition fit the moment, with kicker Luis Rodriguez and defensive back Nick McClennan earning Big 12 weekly honors after their roles in the win. For a program that already has one of the leagues most lopsided rivalries in hand, the timing only adds to the momentum, especially with Iowa State, Cincinnati and other opponents waiting on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Faces A New Offensive Test At Arizona State
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Collin Klein is already having to manage another layer of uncertainty on offense, with Garrett Oakley potentially sidelined by illness and the staff adjusting around other injuries. One of the bigger fixes has been moving Oliver Miller to tight end, a reminder that Kansas State has had to stay flexible while trying to keep the passing game and run game on schedule. Against an Arizona State team that knows Johnson well, those tweaks could matter as much as any pregame storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Still Has A Key Preseason Question To Sort Out
Kansas State is getting close to the point where the talking stops and the lineups start to matter. At Big 12 Media Days, coach Casey Alexander said the Wildcats are getting ready for their upcoming exhibitions against Missouri and Nebraska, while Brandon Rechsteiner and Isaiah Abraham helped frame a team still trying to sort out where everybody fits before the games begin to count.
The biggest wrinkle is Timo Malovec, whose preseason injury makes him unlikely to be available for the opener and adds another variable to a roster still under evaluation. Alexander said the starting five has not been finalized, which leaves Kansas State with a little more to learn in the next stretch, especially with health and performance both weighing on how the rotation comes together. [Read more 🡒]