Kansas State Falls to South Dakota State 68-66

Casey Alexander's debut as Kansas State head coach ended in a one-point loss to South Dakota State.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Basketball

Kansas State Falls to South Dakota State 68-66

Kansas State lost to South Dakota State 68-66 on November 3 at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, the debut game for new head coach Casey Alexander. The Wildcats had paid South Dakota State $90,000 to play the game.

Why it matters

The defeat marks the first game of a new coaching era after Jerome Tang was not retained by the university. The result puts early pressure on the program's new leadership.

Kansas State made 8 of 28 three-point attempts, with Brandon Rechsteiner going 4 of 11, while South Dakota State redshirt-freshman Davis Kern scored 24 points. The extraction does not provide a season-average comparison for these shooting figures.

The players

Casey Alexander

Casey Alexander is the new head coach of Kansas State, whose debut in that role ended in a one-point loss.

Davis Kern

Davis Kern is a redshirt-freshman guard for South Dakota State who led all scorers with 24 points in the win.

The details

Kansas State led 35-28 at halftime and went on a 16-3 run built on four consecutive made three-pointers. South Dakota State answered with a 9-0 run after the 8-minute mark, and Brandon Rechsteiner's game-tying floater at the horn did not fall.

November 3, 2026: Kansas State lost 68-66 to South Dakota State at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Season Trajectory

The opening-night defeat follows the coaching transition from Jerome Tang to Casey Alexander, placing early pressure on the Wildcats' first season under the new staff. The extraction contains no further context on how the result affects the team's standing in its conference.

The result leaves Kansas State with an early loss under its new coach, which will matter for how the team is seeded and positioned as the season progresses. The extraction does not specify the upcoming schedule or conference standings.

The takeaway

Early results in a coaching transition can be shaped by shooting variance, as Kansas State's late-game struggles from three-point range illustrate. Following a team's shooting splits alongside its final score gives a clearer picture of how games are decided.