Casey Alexander's K-State Coaching Staff: Regional Roots & Defensive Expertise

0:00On March 16th, Casey Alexander just took over as the new head basketball coach at Kansas State and his top priority is putting together a coaching. Staff before the transfer portal swings open right after the NCAA Tournament Championship game. At Belmont, his team was packed with former players and longtime assistants from the Nashville area but heading to the Midwest for the first time. Means he'll want folks with regional routes, maybe even wildcat connections, plus someone strong on defense since he's best known for offense. Shane Southwill stands out as a prime target. He's a four-year star from Kansas State back in the 2010s, fresh off assisting at Northwestern after. Stints at Northern Illinois and back with the cats under Bruce Weber. Brian Ayers, Alexander's associate head coach at Belmont for nearly three decades, could follow along with his post-play expertise, while local guy Kyle Linsted, who worked under Greg Marshall at Wichita State, brings Midwest recruiting savvy. Several other Belmont holdovers like Karen Johnson and JJ Butler might make the move too, as Alexander races the clock to build a squad ready for the portal frenzy.