JT Rock is settling into Kansas State with one big advantage already in hand: home is close enough for family to make the trip.
The 7-foot center transferred from New Mexico to K-State this offseason, and the pull of the Midwest played a major role in that move. Rock started his college career at Iowa State, then spent a year at New Mexico before deciding he wanted to be back nearer to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“The proximity of home,” Rock said of the reason for transferring to K-State. “I'm from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
"It's about five and a half hours from here. My family and everybody can get to the games.”
That comfort comes with a different kind of adjustment on the court. Kansas State is entering a new era under first-year coach Casey Alexander, and the roster is largely rebuilt. Rock was the first player to commit to Alexander, and he’s embracing the challenge of helping shape a team trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the last three.
“Yeah, I would say throughout the summer, as a new team where everybody in the program is new, it's been really nice to just see that. I think that our team is going to have good depth this year.
We'll have a lot of guys that can play and just a team that plays together first and foremost. So really excited about the team environment that we've been able to build so early in this journey together.”
Rock arrives with real credentials. He was a four-star recruit out of Lincoln High School and the top player in South Dakota’s 2024 class. In 46 college games, he has averaged 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 54 percent.
Elsewhere Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum, the Purple Reign’s TBT run came to an end with a 62-55 loss to JHX Hoops. After opening the best-of-3 series with a win, Purple Reign dropped the next two and was knocked out.
Purple Reign was built mostly around former Kansas State players, while JHX Hoops featured ex-Kansas Jayhawks. Zeke Mayo led JHX Hoops with 25 points, 18 of them in the second half, and Michael Beasley scored a team-high 17 for Purple Reign.
JHX Hoops moves on to the single-elimination quarterfinals, where the winner of the tournament will take home $2 million.
In Other News...
Casey Alexanders Latest K-State Addition Feels Bigger Than Just Depth
Brandon Rechsteiner gives Kansas State something it has needed as Casey Alexander begins his first season in charge: a proven guard with real college experience, not just another body for the backcourt. Rechsteiner arrives after stops at Virginia Tech and Colorado State, where he was productive enough to show he can handle a larger role, and his addition fits the kind of roster build Alexander has been trying to put together since replacing Jerome Tang earlier this year.
For a program that has missed the NCAA Tournament three straight years and is trying to steady itself after back-to-back losing seasons, these moves matter beyond the box score. Rechsteiner is the sort of transfer who can change the tone of a rotation quickly, and he looks positioned to be more than a depth piece as Kansas State tries to reset under a new coach. [Read more 🡒]
Purple Reign Run Ends With A Rivalry Sting In Manhattan
The Purple Reigns run in The Basketball Tournament had the kind of built-in intrigue Kansas State fans could appreciate, with a roster made up mostly of former Wildcats trying to keep summer basketball alive against familiar names from across the border. Michael Beasley led Purple Reign with 17 points, but the group could not quite turn that into the kind of finishing push needed in a rivalry setting that always seems to carry a little extra edge in Manhattan.
JHX Hoops, the former Kansas Jayhawks alumni team, found the answer in Zeke Mayo, who put up 25 points and helped swing the decisive stretch in the second half. The result sends the Jayhawks-backed side on to the tournament quarterfinals, while Purple Reign is left to look back on a short but meaningful run that had plenty of local interest and one more reminder of how quickly an alumni showcase can turn into a rivalry test. [Read more 🡒]