Old friends Baker and VanVleet meet on hardwood

A pair of old teammates with deep Wichita ties met up Sunday in Toronto when the Toronto Raptors hosted the New York Knicks.

Former Wichita State University basketball stars Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet renewed their friendship at the Air Canada Centre with VanVleet’s first-place Raptors earning a 116-101 victory over the Knicks.

While his team lost, Baker had a solid game – playing 15 minutes and scoring five points, including a 3-pointer. VanVleet logged five minutes of court time, though he didn’t register on the stat sheet.

Baker – who was a walk-on in college – and VanVleet both starred under Gregg Marshall at Wichita State, helping the program to reach the Final Four in 2013. Neither player was picked in the 2016 NBA draft, though both defied the odds to earn roster spots for their respective teams to open the season.

In 16 games so far this season, Baker is averaging 3.4 points and nearly two rebounds per contest. VanVleet has appeared in 11 games for Toronto, averaging 1.6 points per game.

The Raptors currently lead the Atlantic Division in the NBA’s Eastern Conference – which is also home to the Knicks – while New York has struggled to a record of 18-23 this season.

The two teams also played on Nov. 12, though neither player saw the floor. The Raptors and Knicks will meet again in New York on Feb. 27.

This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Old friends Baker and VanVleet meet on hardwood."