Kansas State Casting Wide Net in Transfer Portal as Alexander Rebuilds Roster

Manhattan has become one of the hottest destinations in college basketball this spring. New Kansas State head coach Casey Alexander has been operating at a frantic pace since taking over, using the transfer portal to restock a roster that will need to be ready for Big 12 competition immediately.

The Wildcats have added two players on each of the last three workdays, with seven of their 10 committed scholarship players for 2026-27 coming through the portal. That aggressive approach has already drawn connections to several more prospects, some of whom have visited campus recently while others are scheduled to arrive later this week.

Leading the targets is Ty'Reek Coleman, a 6-foot-2 guard from Aurora, Illinois who just completed his true freshman season at Illinois State. Coleman saw action in 35 games, starting 19, and shot an impressive 50.4% from the field including 41.6% from three-point range. He averaged 10 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, helping the Redbirds advance to the NIT semifinals. His performance in that run stood out, including a 17-point effort against Auburn on 7-of-12 shooting with three steals. Coleman has already visited Manhattan and has trips lined up to Nebraska, Utah State and Iowa.

Jerone Morton, a 6-foot-4 guard from Washington State, is also expected on campus this week before heading to George Mason. Morton spent his first two college seasons at Morehead State in Kentucky, which has been a productive recruiting territory for Alexander, before transferring to Washington State. This past season he started 29 of 32 games, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 38.8% from deep and 43.8% overall from the field. His sophomore year at Morehead State was even more productive, with 10.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game on 37.7% three-point shooting.

Also on the radar are Brigham Rogers and Drew Scharnowski, both from Alexander's former program at Belmont. Rogers was a reserve for the Wildcats' new head coach this past season and has already visited Manhattan, though questions remain about whether there is room for him on a Big 12 roster. Scharnowski, a frontcourt player, represents a potentially bigger acquisition, though his recruitment has gone quiet and Iowa has emerged as a competitor given that Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum faced him regularly during his time at Drake.

Alexander is clearly racing to finalize his roster. With the Big 12 being one of college basketball's most demanding conferences, the pressure is on to field a competitive team in his first season.