Wichita State relies on lessons learned from departing stars for next season
Three days before the postseason started, Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet stayed after practice to shoot three-pointers at Koch Arena. They moved around the arc, Wichita State’s present and past stars trying to build more muscle memory.
Freshman forward Markis McDuffie joined them and the trio worked for almost 15 minutes.
Two days later in St. Louis, Baker and VanVleet attended the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year luncheon to receive their awards. McDuffie again joined them, Wichita State’s future getting his first look at one of the routines for the seniors.
On Saturday, those scenes represented the changing order of Wichita State basketball. The Shockers (26-9) ended their season with a 65-57 loss to Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the game seemed secondary to the departure of the seniors.
Wichita State will play basketball next season — just as it did in 2012 after the exit of seniors Toure Murry, Garrett Stutz, David Kyles, Ben Smith and Joe Ragland. The rebuilding starts with the hope the returners follow the lessons of Baker, VanVleet and Evan Wessel, four-season pillars of the program. McDuffie made it his priority to watch, often saying he wanted to learn to win by imitating everything the seniors did.
“I wouldn’t be in this position if it weren’t for them,” McDuffie said Saturday. “They continuously got on me, telling me to grow up, stay locked in, stay focused. They made me a better player, a smarter player, too.”
WSU coach Gregg Marshall is counting on that mentorship paying off.
“If they’re smart, they’re going to emulate (the seniors),” Marshall said. “If you’re a smart young player you’re going to watch them and see how they handle their business, the work ethic they display, how genuine they are with fans, making quality decisions on and off the court.”
WSU basketball ended an era on Saturday and soon the on-court work of replacing Baker, VanVleet, Wessel, Anton Grady and Bush Wamukota begins. After Saturday’s game, assistant coach Isaac Brown gave McDuffie and sophomore forward Rashard Kelly fist bumps on their way to the team bus and told them “Be ready to work.”
“I told all of (the seniors) thank you and I love them,” Kelly said. “I appreciate what they taught me. How to face adversity when things are good and when things are bad. I learned a lot from them as far as leading on and off the court and not accepting sub-par effort. They push each other every day.”
Measuring next season begins with the return of sophomore center Shaq Morris, who started the NCAA Tournament with a foul-plagued nine-minute performance and ended strong, and sophomore forward Zach Brown, who struggled throughout the three games. Both started most of the season and areas of improvement are clear for both.
“Shaq did some unbelievable things this year in terms of maturing and growing," Marshall said. “He was a load (vs. Miami). He’s got to learn how to play without fouling.”
McDuffie, the MVC’s Freshman of the Year, averaged 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds and never seemed overwhelmed by the moment, despite turnover issues. Sophomore guard Conner Frankamp scored eight points against Vanderbilt and 10 against Arizona, making 4 of 8 three-pointers.
Kelly is a two-season member of the rotation and sophomore Ruano Nurger gave the Shockers solid minutes against Vanderbilt and Arizona.
“I hope (McDuffie) got enough of a taste and he really liked that taste,” Marshall said. “He already is a good player. He can be a special player. He’s got some of those qualities you look for in a prime-time player.”
Freshman guard Landry Shamet is considered a key part of the future. He played three games, starting vs. Emporia State, before a stress fracture in his left foot sidelined him. He is expected to apply for a medical hardship season. Guard Peyton Allen, a transfer from Texas A&M, redshirted while practicing. He is regarded as a good shooter who needs to work on his quickness and agility.
Shamet, before the injury, ranked ahead of McDuffie on the freshman depth chart. While Marshall gave McDuffie and fellow freshmen Ty Taylor and Eric Hamilton the option to redshirt, Shamet figured in the plans from the summer.
“Landry Shamet is a very mature, talented player who will be a force for us for a long time,” Marshall said.
That group, barring departures, will give WSU the foundation for its next era. It will need significant help from a recruiting class currently numbering three with one player expected to sign in April.
Daishon Smith, a point guard from Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, needs to produce quickly at that spot, one where the Shockers lacked a true backup since the 2012-13 season. Shamet is working on the position and Frankamp is also an option. Taylor will need to make significant strides in the offseason with his passing and understanding of the offense to get in the mix quickly.
Darral Willis, a 6-foot-8 forward from Pearl River (Miss.) Community, must replace the productivity of Grady. While Morris and Grady teamed up for an inside presence that was adequate most nights, that position could use an upgrade if the Shockers expect to continue their NCAA Tournament success.
Guard C.J. Keyser, from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, watched former Shocker Tekele Cotton closely and considers himself a strong defender. He spent a season at Sunrise Christian Academy with current WSU assistant coach Kyle Lindsted, so Keyser’s talents and attitude are a known quantity. WSU also possesses a non-binding commitment from Cedar Ridge (Ark.) guard Austin Reaves. Reaves is scheduled to have surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder this week and said he is unsure of the recovery time.
With Frankamp and Allen scheduled to receive scholarships next season, the Shockers are one person over the NCAA limit of 13. That is nothing new for this time of year and attrition due to transfer, academics or a move to prep school is a regular solution to the overcrowding issue.
Marshall’s top priority will be defense, as always.
But he will also need to develop a point guard to replace VanVleet’s three seasons of leadership. WSU wasn’t able to recruit his replacement in previous seasons and Shamet, Frankamp and Taylor didn’t grab that spot.
With Baker, Grady and VanVleet gone, the Shockers lose three key scorers from a team that shot 42.9 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from behind the arc. Those are the lowest marks since Marshall’s first team shot 41.7 percent from the field and his second team made 32.2 percent of its threes.
Paul Suellentrop: 316-269-6760, @paulsuellentrop
Three questions for 2016-17
1. How will the Shockers score?
It is disturbing to consider Wichita State’s scoring struggles against some of the top teams this season, and then consider that Ron Baker, Anton Grady and Fred VanVleet won’t return. WSU needs several scorers to emerge. It could start with Shaq Morris playing more minutes and newcomer Darral Willis adding offense from the post.
WSU’s offensive efficiency ranking of No. 94 by kenpom.com is its lowest since his second team ranked No. 151 in 2008-09.
2. What’s the schedule look like?
Wichita State declined to take an exhibition tour last summer, instead planning to use it this summer to give an inexperienced team time to practice and bond.
The marquee games include a trip to the Bahamas in November for the Battle 4 Atlantis, a field that includes Michigan State, Louisville, Baylor, LSU, VCU, Saint John’s and Old Dominion. WSU plays Oklahoma in Oklahoma City and at Colorado State. Tulsa, Saint Louis and South Dakota State visit Koch Arena.
3. Who will challenge Wichita State in the MVC?
Northern Iowa’s showing in the NCAA Tournament stamps the Panthers as a contender, although they must also replace key seniors such as Wes Washpun and Matt Bohannon. Illinois State is also a possibility with the players such as Paris Lee, MiKyle McIntosh and Deontae Hawkins returning.
This may be a good season for the Shockers to rebuild. Twelve of the MVC’s top 20 scorers and nine of the 10 All-MVC picks were seniors.
A look at the newcomers
▪ Guard Daishon Smith (6-foot-1) earned All-Panhandle Conference honors for Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College. He averaged 16.2 points, making 41.7 percent of his shots and 37 percent of his threes, for Tallahassee (21-12). He averaged 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 turnovers.
▪ Pearl River (Miss.) Community College forward Darral Willis (6-8) was named to the All-Region 23 and All-MACJC South Division teams. He averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Wildcats (16-9), making 59 percent of his shots and 75.3 percent of his free throws.
▪ Guard C.J. Keyser (6-4) of Brewster (N.H.) Academy is listed as a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247sports.com.
▪ Cedar Ridge (Ark.) guard Austin Reaves (6-4) averaged around 33 points, 11 rebounds and 7.5 assists in leading his team to the Class 3A title. Reaves, who plans to sign with WSU when the signing period begins on April 13, scored 56 or more four times, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with a high 73 against Forrest City in a 117-115 triple-overtime win in December.
Paul Suellentrop
This story was originally published March 20, 2016 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Wichita State relies on lessons learned from departing stars for next season."