A new chapter is quickly taking shape in Manhattan, and momentum is building by the day. As the transfer portal hums at full speed, Casey Alexander continues to press all the right buttons, stacking pieces and reshaping the future of Kansas State basketball with urgency and intent.
That push gained even more traction when top elite star announced his decision to suit up at Bramlage Coliseum next season. The 6-foot-11 big man becomes the Wildcats’ sixth incoming transfer of the cycle, another clear signal that Kansas State isn’t waiting around to rebuild — it’s reloading in real time.
Gilhool arrives in Manhattan seeking a fresh start after spending his freshman year redshirting at LSU. While he didn’t log any game action during his time with the Tigers, the lack of college minutes hasn’t dimmed the intrigue surrounding his long-term upside. Far from an afterthought, Gilhool was a highly regarded four-star prospect coming out of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and one of the more coveted frontcourt recruits in his class.
At the high school level, Gilhool showed exactly why college coaches lined up early. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds as a senior, using his size, soft touch around the rim, and rebounding instincts to control games on both ends of the floor. Those tools — still largely untapped at the college level — are what Alexander and his staff are betting on as they look to unlock the potential recruiters saw just two years ago.
For Kansas State, the addition is as much about projection as it is about numbers. Gilhool gives the Wildcats another true interior presence with room to grow, a developmental piece who could pay dividends as the roster matures and roles begin to solidify. His arrival also continues a rapid roster overhaul that now has nine scholarship players accounted for heading into the 2026–27 season.
There’s still work to be done. With multiple departures through graduation and the transfer portal, Alexander has six roster spots remaining to fill. But the blueprint is becoming clearer by the day: add size, add upside, and surround returning pieces with talent capable of raising the program’s ceiling.
In a week already defined by movement and momentum, this latest addition reinforces one thing — Kansas State isn’t standing still. The Wildcats are building aggressively, and the transfer portal continues to be their most powerful weapon.