MONSTER ENERGY BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS

October 21, 2026

Casey Alexander

Isaiah Abraham

Brandon Rechsteiner

Kansas State Wildcats

Media Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by the K-State men.

Coach, you made it through the majority of your first Media Day. What has been the most common question asked to you?

CASEY ALEXANDER: Well, everything's just about starting at zero and having to put it all together. We literally have one returner from last year's team. But we're new to him, he's new to us. Everybody else just about in the whole program is new to each other.

How has that gone, Coach? Where are you now?

Most people want to talk about offense. We actually do play both ends of the floor. They make us every time we go out there (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: What makes you feel the most like you're ready for this opportunity?

CASEY ALEXANDER: Great confidence in our guys. I've said a lot of times today and prior to that this team feels like my teams feel. They act the way my teams act. They play the way my teams play. It's comfortable to walk into practice every day and know what we're going to get. That inspires a lot of confidence in me.

I don't really know what the finished product is going to look like. When you do have all these changes and you're somewhere new taking over a new place with new players, it's nice to at least know what you're about. We did a great job with these guys.

THE MODERATOR: Isaiah, you're a transfer from Georgetown and had plenty of options. When you opened up where you wanted to play next, you chose Coach Alexander and Manhattan. Why were they the right fit and timing for you?

ISAIAH ABRAHAM: I think the way that he brings the best out of his players, how he has the team just play together. Obviously the winning career. I think all of those had a great deal in it.

THE MODERATOR: Brandon, same question for you. In the revolving door of college basketball, lot of suitors, but you choose that purple jersey.

BRANDON RECHSTEINER: I've had a prior relationship with Coach. The opportunity, his background, his DNA, his résumé, it all aligned. He's going to win, and I truly believe in what we have going here. Just proud to be a part of Kansas State and the family.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, we're getting an idea of your recruiting pitch to these guys. Generally speaking, what are you saying, especially in year one, when you have so much unknown about the program?

CASEY ALEXANDER: Yeah, I think we have to know who we are. None of us are naïve to the fact that we've got a pretty steep climb ahead of us. This is the best league in the country for a reason. Games are hard to win here.

I don't think any of us are misled into thinking that we have the best talent from top to bottom, and not the best coach. We've got to find what is going to make us successful, what is our niche.

Being together, playing to a certain style, having the character, our culture, those kind of things are really important to us. That's the reason why I, we, have had the success that we've had. We know who we are. We know what makes that formula win. I feel really good about that piece of it.

THE MODERATOR: A couple of buzzwords that are discussed almost ad nauseam, culture, identity. But they resonate, especially with you taking over. What are you hoping the identity becomes?

CASEY ALEXANDER: Let me say this, first of all. I think the reason you hear that is because it's critical to everybody's success. What people don't understand, a lot of times when they hear those words, it doesn't mean they're all the same. There's a lot of ways to win games, build a program, play the game.

What's important, though, is that you understand what yours is. Me as a leader, our staff, can impart that onto them, but they can also take the ownership in that to understand what is going to make us successful.

I would say right here clearly one thing I know about the Big 12, if we're not who we are, our best version of ourself, we will not have a good season. We better dial into it.

THE MODERATOR: Isaiah, how would you describe the atmosphere around practice right now?

ISAIAH ABRAHAM: I think it's a lot of energy. We're just excited every day we come into practice going against each other. I think we're really excited for this upcoming game that we have.

But yeah, it's just a lot of energy, a lot of motivation. We're just really motivated right now.

CASEY ALEXANDER: I bet you've heard that, too (smiling)?

THE MODERATOR: We like those words.

CASEY ALEXANDER: The other would be really bad. I mean, everybody's tired of it. We don't like each other. Culture's bad. That would be terrible (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Brandon, when you look at your teammates around you, what is unique about this version of Kansas State basketball?

BRANDON RECHSTEINER: Yeah, I mean, I think Coach hit on it. We all are understanding of how critical our identity is going to be for our success. I think the more we dial into that. And I think we've done a good job, every day we're getting better of we need to be the team that's the most together.

We have a lot of talent, a lot of good coaching. When we dial into that, it's going to be good.

THE MODERATOR: What is the key to balancing -- because this is natural human instinct, we want everything now, in our day and age more so than ever, give it to me immediately, but you said it's going to be a build. What's the key to balancing I want to win now towards it's going to take a minute?

CASEY ALEXANDER: These are all the other clichés. It's control the controllables, one day at a time, those kinds of things.

Coaches, we all operate that way anyway. How do I expect us to do anything if I don't give my best to Kansas State today. Then tomorrow's a little bit better. Incrementally over time we get to where we want to go.

You can't skip steps in order to be good in this business or in this league. Really anything in life, for that matter.

THE MODERATOR: What are the two of you most looking forward to about competing in the Big 12?

BRANDON RECHSTEINER: Every game's a battle. It's the best of the best league. I think we all know what we signed up for. We want to embrace that. We want to prove that we belong, too. We deserve to be here. We want to win every game we play.

ISAIAH ABRAHAM: Same thing that he said. Literally everything that he said (smiling). Also I'm excited to play at Bramlage Coliseum. Can't wait to have the K-State fans in front of us, giving it our all.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, when I say EMAW, what resonates inside your head?

CASEY ALEXANDER: The first thing that came to mind when you said that was Bill Snyder, legendary football coach revered in Manhattan. I've learned a lot about it since I got there. Clearly a different sport, but I think what he was about and what those great K-State football teams did for so long really embodies the spirit of Manhattan, what K Staters want.

We want to live into that. Even though we're different, it's a different time, it's important to me that the people love our program see that from us.

THE MODERATOR: Love the shout-out to Coach Snyder. Incredible human being and culture that he developed.

Question.

Q. You talked about finding your identity and knowing your identity where it fits within the team and the league. What do you want the league and NCAA as a whole to know specifically about this team? What makes the K-State identity special since there's so much previous culture?

CASEY ALEXANDER: Man, thought I was smart.

THE MODERATOR: In-depth.

CASEY ALEXANDER: That's a lot right there (smiling). Oh, man.

What I want the team and the NCAA to know? Again, I say the same thing I just answered with him just a minute ago.

All we can do is put the best representation of ourselves out there every day, all right? It's a roller coaster ride of a season no matter where you coach, what level, what sport. It's going to test us. It's not going to be easy.

I would want them to see a team that is pretty predictable every time you go watch them play, both in how they play, how they play together, what the effort looks like. I think that's a real test of will, character, whatever you want to say.

I would love for whoever is watching to be able to say, Yeah, that looks like a K-State basketball team right now.

Q. You said everyone wants to know about the offense with you. What does this team bring defensively?

CASEY ALEXANDER: It's really a reflection of what they see on the offensive end too, in its best form. Our offense has been good historically because we play unselfishly. We share the ball. We understand what we're trying to accomplish. It's a real team-oriented game, and the defensive end is the same way. We are not going to look like that Houston team does defensively. We're not built that way.

But we can be a team that understands scouts reports, understands role definition from other teams. We can be a team that's incredibly prepared, high basketball IQ, take actions away, play together, be in the right place at the right time, force tough shots.

They are going to dictate to the offense. Not they, but Houston, who was up here before us. They're going to dictate to the offense. We're not going to do that, but that doesn't mean we can't be a successful team on the defensive end.

THE MODERATOR: I think that will wrap-up. Thank you for being with us.