Why Andrej Kostic could thrive with new K-State basketball coach Casey Alexander
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Andrej Kostic was the only Kansas State player who chose to remain after Alexander's hire.
- Kostic made 30 triples on 80 attempts, shooting 37.5% from three last season.
- Kostic averaged 7.4 points over his final seven games after Driscoll increased his usage.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Andrej Kostic was the one and only Kansas State basketball player who chose to remain with the Wildcats after Casey Alexander took over as head coach.
Nobody on the 2025-26 roster was a better fit for Alexander’s run-and-gun offense than Kostic.
The Serbian sharpshooter had an underwhelming first season at Bramlage Coliseum, averaging 5.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 23 games, but he finished the year on an upswing. And his ability to knock down shots from beyond the 3-point line has never been in question.
That explains why Alexander was eager to talk with Kostic after he got the job, and why the freshman guard was willing to listen.
“He was open and receptive to conversation,” Alexander said. “Our staff worked really hard to get video prepared and to show him specifically how we play, big picture. We also wanted to show him, ‘Hey, here’s why we think you would be really good for us. A fresh start would allow you to be the player that I think everybody in Manhattan wants you to be.’
“It’s going to be a process, but he was very open and receptive to the conversation. I think he trusted that we would have his best interest in mind.”
The Wildcats lost nine players to the transfer portal after former head coach Jerome Tang was fired in February. Four have them have signed with other power-conference schools. Alexander said he invited all of them to sit down and discuss a future together at K-State. He was open to retaining more than one player as he worked to rebuild the roster.
But things only clicked between him and Kostic.
“A lot of guys already had their decisions made before I was even introduced,” Alexander said, “much less after I was introduced.”
It will be interesting to see how Kostic responds to a new coach next season. But it could be fun to watch.
When Alexander was the coach at Belmont last season, his team shot 41% from beyond the arc while attempting a whopping 819 shots from 3-point range. Four of his players made at least 44 triples last season. One of them, new Tennessee guard Tyler Lundblade, drained 112 shots from downtown.
Kostic could easily help Alexander spread the floor. He made 30 triples on 80 attempts (37.5%) last season. His best performances featured four 3-pointers in a home game against Kansas and three 3-pointers in a pair of other Big 12 contests.
He could be a nice fit for a new offense that is built around outside shooting.
Although he played sparingly under Tang, his usage went up with interim coach Matthew Driscoll. That allowed him to average 7.4 points over his final seven games.
Kostic will need to improve as a defender if he wants to play more minutes in the future. But his potential on offense is unmistakable. His highlight reel against foreign competition was enough to make some experts project him as a future NBA Draft pick before he arrived in Manhattan.
It sounds like he will be motivated to have a stronger season after spending one year in the Little Apple.
“I give the people of Manhattan a lot of credit for his decision to stay,” Alexander said. “He feels like he’s loved here and he feels very much appreciated. That was a big part of this.”