Baker, VanVleet leave college behind to start working on pro skills in pro settings

The transition to professional basketball starts in Koch Arena with an NBA basketball, the NBA three-point line and Wichita State assistant coach Greg Heiar defending while holding white plastic paddles.

“I’ve taken anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 (NBA threes),” Ron Baker said. “I know Fred (VanVleet) and I have made, together, at least 300 a day since we started working out Monday.”

Baker and VanVleet are soon headed to their spring workout headquarters. On Wednesday, VanVleet talked while cleaning out his Koch Arena locker and stuffing his belongings in a black gym bag. He leaves Sunday for Indianapolis to train at 100% Hoops, with trips to Las Vegas for sessions at Impact Basketball. Baker leaves Monday for Los Angeles, where he will work out with other Creative Artists Agency clients, including Providence’s Kris Dunn, he said.

“The biggest thing now is getting in good shape,” VanVleet said. “Getting a lot of shots up, maximizing what my game is, that’s what I’ll be working on.”

Both players are hoping for a spot in the NBA Combine May 11-15 in Chicago, an invitation-only affair for 60-70 players. If they aren’t invited, they will get chances to work out for NBA teams in tryout camps leading up to the NBA Draft on June 23.

Neither will play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which starts Wednesday. Both players, after consulting with their agents, decided they didn’t need to play in Portsmouth, a tournament for seniors who are regarded as borderline NBA prospects.

“It’s not life or death in terms of the NBA,” said VanVleet, who’s represented by Andy Miller of ASM Sports. “It’s more in terms of connections for Plan B, if you want to go overseas. The consensus was I didn’t need to go.”

Last week, Baker and VanVleet spent their afternoons in Koch Arena lengthening their three-point range from the college distance of 20 feet, 9 inches to the NBA range of 22 feet (corners) to 23-9 (top of key). Three managers rebounded as Baker and VanVleet moved to orange plastic dots placed at NBA range around the arc. Heiar obstructed their vision with his 2 1/2-foot extensions and, occasionally, blocked the Spalding and smiled.

“The ball is different — it’s weird,” VanVleet said. “It’s a different texture. It works a lot better when your hands are wet, honestly, you get a lot better grip that way.”

The distance is the bigger obstacle and how they adapt to the extra inches will be significant parts of their evaluation from NBA scouts. Spacing the floor with shooters is everything in the NBA. VanVleet made 141 of 365 threes (38.6 percent) in his WSU career. Baker made 242 of 655 (36.9). Both possess plenty of guard skills that could help in the NBA, not to mention overseas or in the NBA Development League.

Will other teams need to guard them?

“The challenge to score is going to be a lot higher,” Baker said. “I’ve been trying to more (loft) on the ball. The more arc that’s on it, the better chance it’s going to have to go in. You just have to be more disciplined with your shot, you have to be squared up better.”

When Baker and VanVleet weren’t working at Koch Arena, they exercised their right to make money off their basketball skills by signing autographs and filming commercials. Since both are leaving Wichita, they filmed a message to fans for Thursday’s celebration and awards show at Koch Arena.

“We wish we could be there, but we’ve got an important four weeks ahead of us,” Baker said.

Another player working on his shot — Brewster (N.H.) Academy’s C.J. Keyser wakes up at 5:50 most mornings, grabs a red sports drink and heads to the gym. He starts class at 8 a.m.

“Before yoga, before I lift, I shoot or do other skill work,” he said. “I work out until 7, 7:15 and then go back to the dorm and shower and then be ready for school. Five days a week. Sometimes Saturdays.”

Keyser, a 6-foot-4 guard, will join the other Wichita State newcomers in Wichita for summer school in early June. Before then, he wants to improve his scoring ability. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Brewster, making 46 percent of his shots and 75 percent of his foul shots.

Keyser, who spent a year at Sunrise Christian Academy, is regarded as an excellent defender. He said he shoots 500 or more threes every day and the shooting machine records his percentage.

“I normally shoot around 60, 55 percent,” he said. “In open gyms, I’m shooting it extremely well. It was a confidence thing. I worked on getting it off quicker, getting my release a little quicker. I had to get up a lot of shots, all the time, so I had confidence to shoot threes.”

Brewster went 25-9 and lost to Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy in the quarterfinals of the National Prep Championship. Keyser said he played point guard for Brewster, which is not his natural position. The experience should help him at WSU, even if he plays other places for the Shockers.

“I feel like I learned enough to be able to come in and contribute next year,” he said. “You have to learn how to run the team and keep the team together. You have to know every play and every position on the floor. It’s not an easy job.”

▪  Pearl River (Miss.) Community College forward Darral Willis earned third-team NJCAA All-American honors. Willis averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Wildcats.

▪  Former WSU guard Ria’n Holland committed to Mercer, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com. Holland, a sophomore at Indian Hills Community College, earned All-Iowa Community College Athletic Conference honors after averaging 13 points and making 51.3 percent of his three-pointers.

▪  Guard Ty Taylor is in the early stages of setting up visits and considering his options after deciding to transfer from WSU recently. He plans on attending an NCAA Division I school, where he would sit out next season. He said he would consider a junior college if he can’t find the right NCAA school.

Taylor, a freshman from Kansas City, Mo., played in 19 games for the Shockers and averaged 3.1 points and 7.9 minutes.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Baker, VanVleet leave college behind to start working on pro skills in pro settings."