The transfer portal is just four days away from opening its floodgates, and over in Manhattan - things are about to get interesting. How Kansas State chooses to utilize the portal in its early stages has the chance to make or break the 2026-27 season.
What needs to go right for Casey Alexander, Kansas State men's basketball after transfer portal opens
The transfer portal has been messy in recent years, but that doesn't mean it's any less important for incoming head coaches to utilize it in building rosters. For Alexander and his staff, that could mean reading into this year's March Madness standouts.
Cinderella names like Gavin Doty, Isaac Johnson even Wes Ines from South Florida could spark conversation across the country. But this isn't about names, it's about strategy. The highly-talented pieces of the puzzle will come later.
There's a lot of potential upside with recruiting breakout tournament stars, too. For starters, you get someone that's already been on that stage. They know what to expect, and how the game works when the lights get bright.
Making it back to that stage doesn't change the implications or what it takes to win in the postseason, but familiarity goes a long way. Having someone on the roster that knows how to navigate that can make or break a roster.
At the time of publication, no names have officially been listed as targets for Alexander and the Kansas State Wildcats.
High school or transfer portal? Choosing the right recruiting path is a must
Going the high school recruiting route requires consistency. That's a game that Alexander has already proven capable of winning. So far, he's landed commitment from Devin Hutcherson and Jaylen Alexander, two of the biggest names in the class of 2026.
The tricky part comes in deciding where to focus most resources. For Big Ten programs like Iowa and Indiana, that focus is often the transfer portal. Both Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum and Hoosiers leader Darren DeVries have found success reconnecting with former players, but not every coach is the same.
Throw in the fact that Alexander coached in the Missouri Valley Conference, one of the biggest pools for Power Five programs in the recruiting hunt, and retaining players without a deep foundation of trust isn't just hard; it's almost impossible.
Most programs nowadays opt for the transfer portal, recruiting players that already have college experience. In a nutshell, that makes sense. The modern landscape doesn't force first-year players who might not be ready to redshirt like in the past.
Players who aren’t McDonald’s All-Americans out of high school often take a different route, but thanks to the transfer portal, that no longer means walking on and hoping to earn a scholarship.
Emphasizing that workloads matter more than any 5-star ranking
The recruiting game doesn't just stop at who coaches decide to bring in. It's one thing to get there, but another to prove why you're there in the first place. Keaton Wagler is a prime example of that at Illinois, fighting for a chance to compete in the National Championship.
Having a ‘McDonald’s All-American’ or ‘5-star recruit’ label only tells part of the story. If players aren't willing to buy into the vision, the season is over before it even starts.
Alexander is already showing a strong basis of that at Kansas State. Both of his recruits thus far are nationally recognized to some degree, and have the potential to break out in their freshman seasons. Give them time to develop, and retain their talents, and something special could be in the works.
On the flip side, if you adopt a style that doesn't fit, they'll likely only last a single season and end up playing elsewhere. Nobody wants to see that happen, especially not the fans.
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