KSN Keys: Men’s Basketball vs South Dakota State

After the dramatic ending of Tang’s time in Manhattan, Alexander has been tasked with assembling an all new roster and bringing excitement around basketball back to the K-State faithful. So far, through two exhibition games against former tournament teams in Nebraska and Missouri, there is definitely a buzz brewing around Bramlage this season. But tonight’s matchup is where the rubber will really meet the road and games end up on the permanent record. With that in mind, here are the pivotal pieces that need to fall in place in order for Coach Alexander to start his tenure off on the right foot.

1. Start Hot and STAY Hot

Kansas State’s two exhibition games seemed to follow pretty similar scripts:

1. Hit the first couple of threes in the very first possessions
2. go on a drought for three to five minutes
3. go into halftime either leading or losing by two possessions
4. Go on another drought until you’re trailing by at least 10
5. Climb back into the game to trail by two with a minute left
6. Lose by four

Though this formula made both games pretty entertaining, it also saw K-State put together a nice start and throw it away pretty quickly. In the first three possessions of both games, K-State hit five three pointers in six possessions, popping out to multiple possession leads within a couple of minutes. 

Against Missouri, K-State put up nine points in two minutes and then proceeded to go scoreless for over five and a half minutes. Against Nebraska, it was a six point lead that led to a 10-10 tie game after five minutes. With a couple of sloppy possessions cleaned up, K-State could put themselves in situations where they wouldn’t have to trail by 10 after a few scoreless minutes in the second half. And with how well they rally in the final minutes, even a couple of cleaner possessions could’ve given K-State the win over some talented squads.

2. Defense Must Stay Disciplined

Another common denominator in both exhibition losses was the amount of fouls K-State committed, particularly down the stretch in the second half. In both games combined, the Cats outfouled their opponents 39-25 with 25 of those 39 coming in the second halves alone. 

Part of the reason for the foul discrepancy is the NIL factor; these other power four units have guys who are a little faster and stronger, so sometimes a star player like Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort may blow by a guard and force a foul. K-State’s roster still has plenty of talent, but they sit in a conference that is the mecca of five star recruits and NBA prospects.

The other reason K-State has had foul trouble is because of the centers and forwards; K-State has some exciting bigs that can shoot from all three levels, but there isn’t a ton of speed from the fours and fives. On defense, guys like Pape N’diaye and Brock Vice get caught flat footed or attack on-ball too aggressively, leading to an increase in fouls during the preseason. In total, N’diaye, Vice and Gilhool have accounted for 16 of those 39 fouls.

K-State’s defense would take a big step forward if the interior defense cleaned up their ability to contest shots, keeping shoot-heavy squads like Nebraska out of the bonus.

3. Brandon Rechsteiner

Brandon Rechsteiner brings the most production out of any Wildcat on the roster. While at Colorado State, Rechsteiner averaged 12 points per game, being a strong offensive piece for the Rams. Though his numbers from previous seasons don’t leap off the page, his play in Coach Alexander’s system has looked phenomenal, particularly against Nebraska.

The 21 points while shooting 57% from the field is exciting, especially his ability to pull from three. But the best part of his performance against the Huskers was his emphasis on distributing. Rechsteiner has been the primary ball handler for the Cats and every play seems to start with a pass from him. His ability to finish at the rim has been impressive, but his processing and shot selection make him way scarier than just the leading scorer on the team.

The senior has had back to back games with five or more assists and his gravity on the court sets everyone else up for success. Add on the fact that he’s been vocal as a leader, and he is the secret sauce for this Cats offensive concoction. There is a reason that Casey Alexander has recruited him three different times and now it’s time for Rechsteiner to take Alexander’s scheme and run with it.