As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Kansas State hired Belmont Coach Casey Alexander to replace the guy from Baylor who didn’t work out. After querying the other B.O.T.C. staff for suggestions, the first thing I want to try and tackle is Coach Alexander’s style of play, mainly because the last guy didn’t have one.
It’s a long time before next season tips off, so I can break this up into manageable chunks, starting with the offense.
Belmont Average Possession Length – Offense
Fast over Slow
Any way you slice it, much like fellow North Carolinian
Ricky Bobby, Casey Alexander wants to go fast. His Belmont teams played fast on offense, and I’m going to assume his Kansas State teams will play fast as well.
Belmont Average Shot Attempts Per Game – Offense
3’s over 2’s
Again, this is self-explanatory. Casey Alexander’s offense goes fast and shoots 3’s. If you’re looking to distill his style of play on offense, it’s “play fast and shoot 3’s.”
Belmont Assist Percentage – Offense
Passing over Dribbling
Coach Alexander’s players make quick decisions with the ball. They catch it, look for an opening, and then move it along if they don’t have anything. The ball rarely sticks in one player’s hand for long, and most shots come off the catch, not off the dribble. The system creates the shots, and the players take them, rather than placing the onus on the players to create their own, which we saw a good bit over the last few seasons.
Belmont Turnover Percentage – Offense
Tight over Loose
Outside of 2026, when the Bruins lost their starting point guard 15 games into the season, Belmont is tight with the basketball. Coach Alexander wants to get as many shots up as possible, and you can’t do that when you’re throwing the ball to the other team. One downside of playing at the pace Coach Alexander runs his offense is the potential for turnovers. In general, the faster you play, the more turnovers you can expect. A big part of Belmont’s success is turning that metric on its head.
They play fast but aren’t reckless with the ball on offense.
In Conclusion
If you’re following along at home, Coach Alexander’s offense looks like this, in terms of style:
- Pace – Fast
- Shot Selection – 3’s over 2’s
- Type of Shots – Catch and shoot over off the dribble
- Turnovers? – Solid with the ball
I figured I would start with the numbers before I get into the offensive scheme and player selection/recruitment, but here are a couple of spoilers.
Casey Alexander selects players for skill over everything else because everyone in his 5-out system has a job. This isn’t a system where you can hide players on offense, because everyone is going to touch the ball, and they’re expected to do something with it. Belmont’s leading scorer averaged 15.6 ppg; their 7th-leading scorer averaged 7.1 PPG. Again, for perspective, Kansas State’s leading scorer averaged 23.4 ppg; their 7th-leading scorer averaged 3.6 PPG.
I’ll be back soon to take a look at how Belmont and Coach Alexander attack defenses with its fast-paced, 5-out scheme.
