Casey Alexander values potential more than production with new K-State transfers

There are two very different ways to judge the seven incoming basketball transfers that have announced their plans to play for Kansas State and new head coach Casey Alexander next season.

1. By potential.

2. By production.

Alexander clearly values one more than the other, at least during the early days of his K-State basketball tenure.

If you grade K-State’s first seven transfers of this cycle based on recruiting ratings, and the potential that comes with them, then there is reason for excitement with this group.

Isaiah Abraham, Matt Gilhool, Brandon Rechsteiner, JT Rock and Jaden Schutt were all once four-star recruits. They have some talent.

Schutt began his college basketball career at Duke, picking the Blue Devils over Michigan State and Florida. Abraham started out at Connecticut, choosing the Huskies over Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia. Rock held offers from Kansas and Purdue before he signed with Iowa State.

K-State fans would have rejoiced had any of them picked the Wildcats directly out of high school.

But little euphoria followed their recent commitments as transfers.

Even though it is evident that Alexander expects to get his incoming transfers to play like touted recruits next season at Bramlage Coliseum, there isn’t much else that suggests they are a group of star players.

If you choose to rate K-State’s current batch of incoming transfers based on the statistics they put up for their previous teams, you are likely underwhelmed.

Only Colorado State transfer Brandon Rechsteiner averaged more than 10 points per game last season. Brock Vice has been in college for three years, and he’s never averaged more than two points per game in a season. LSU transfer Matt Gilhool didn’t see any action with the Tigers.

K-State’s incomplete transfer class combined to average 38 points and 14.8 rebounds per game last season.

That isn’t enough to earn the Wildcats a spot on any “way too early” top-25 projections ahead of Alexander’s first season at K-State, even after you also factor in returning guard Andrej Kostic and a pair of incoming recruits.

By no means does that mean K-State will struggle on the hardwood next season. Alexander came to K-State from Belmont with a plan to improve the Wildcats, and he appears to be executing it. He has reeled off 20-win seasons throughout his coaching career without proven stars from the transfer portal. Perhaps he can do the same in Manhattan.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Wildcats valued past production in recent transfer classes. They paid big bucks for Coleman Hawkins from Illinois and PJ Haggerty from Memphis, to name two. And yet, K-State has missed the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons, and six of the past seven.

Alexander has a plan, and he appears to be executing it by leaning on newcomers who can shoot from the perimeter and who can fit his run-and-gun offense. With five scholarship spots remaining, the roster can still improve dramatically during the offseason.

Will that be enough for K-State to show improvement in Year 1? That depends on what ultimately turns out to be more important — production or potential.

K-State basketball roster outlook

Incoming transfers (7)

Isaiah Abraham (6-7 wing from Georgetown)

Last season: 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds

Recruit profile: 4-star prospect with offers from UConn, Georgetown, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia

Matt Gilhool (6-11 forward from LSU)

Last season: redshirted

Recruit profile: 4-star prospect with offers from LSU, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Washington

Dezdrick Lindsay (6-6 wing from Oregon)

Last season: 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds

Recruit profile: junior college prospect Brandon Rechsteiner (6-1 guard from Colorado State)

Last season: 12 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds

Recruit profile: 4-star prospect with offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Virginia Tech

JT Rock (7-1 center from New Mexico)

Last season: 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds

Recruit profile: 4-star prospect with offers from Creighton, Iowa, Iowa State, Purdue, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Jaden Schutt (6-5 guard from Virginia Tech)

Last season: 7.7 points and 1.6 rebounds

Recruit profile: 4-star prospect with offers from Duke, Michigan State, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin

Brock Vice (6-10 forward from Murray State)

Last season: 2 points, 1.8 rebounds

Recruit profile: 3-star prospect with offers from Appalachian State, Belmont, Creighton, Saint Louis, Tulsa

Returning players (1)

Andrej Kostic

Last season: 5.2 points, 1.7 rebounds

Recruit profile: Former professional from Serbia

Incoming recruits (2)

Jaylen Alexander

Recruit profile: 3-star prospect with offers from Auburn, Belmont, UAB

Devin Hutcherson

Recruit profile: 3-star prospect with offers from Belmont, Georgia Tech, Mississippi

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.