Wichita State’s Rauno Nurger uses improved shooting touch to earn minutes

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall drew a play for the biggest shot of the year with Rauno Nurger as a prime option.

“Rauno’s come a long way,” Marshall said. “I really liked the way he shot the ball when we recruited him. For whatever reason, for two years he hasn’t been able to make a shot. Now, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it enough.”

No, it should not be surprising that Marshall put Nurger — a career 27-percent three-point shooter — in a pick-and-pop situation with guard Daishon Smith in the final seconds of last Friday’s 77-72 loss to then-No. 24 Michigan State. Nurger, a 6-foot-10 junior, is quietly and consistently demanding a bigger role with his scoring and defense.

The Shockers (6-2) play at Colorado State (6-1) on Saturday in the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge Series.

Nurger, who started for the first time on Tuesday against Southern Nazarene, is 5 of 8 from three-point range this season. He averages 7 points in 17.5 minutes, doubling his previous playing time. In a season marked by newcomers and new roles, Nurger is playing solid basketball with few mental errors.

“He always does the right thing, tries to do the right thing,” guard Landry Shamet said. “Even if he does make a mistake, it’s from trying too hard.”

Nurger, from Estonia, came to WSU from Sunrise Christian Academy. When Marshall watched him score, he thought of former Indiana State forward Justin Gant, a big man with a shooting touch, and plays the Sycamores ran for him.

“He would screen and pop and it was hard to guard,” Marshall said. “I envision that with Rauno.”

Nurger’s debut at WSU enforced that vision.

He made two three-pointers in the 2014 Shocker Madness scrimmage. Almost two months later, he made 2 of 4 threes and scored 15 points against Saint Louis, still his career high. He started last season planning to redshirt, to add strength and weight, before injuries forced him into the rotation in late November. His most memorable contributions came in NCAA Tournament wins over Vanderbilt and Arizona, games in which he played double-figure minutes.

His outside shooting touch, however, remained hidden. He entered his junior season 6 of 30 from three-point range. When he works on his shot — as he did for around 15 minutes after Thursday’s practice — he focuses on jumping off his usual flat-footed form.

“The reason why I’m shooting better this year is probably that I’m more confident,” Nurger said. “I’ve been working on my shot, day in and day out. I’m trying to get more elevation when I shoot my jump shot, so maybe that’s been a factor.”

WSU has plenty of players who can score, as their first five games proved. Nurger is one of the Shockers least likely to blow a defensive assignment. He also expertly uses one of the few officiating emphases that helps defenders. Defenders are allowed —almost encouraged — to jump straight up with arms extended straight. Building that wall, the belief is, gives the defender his space to make a play.

Nurger uses his body and reach as a deterrent and can do it without fouling. He compares the move to a blocker in volleyball, a sport he played in school tournaments in Estonia.

“In volleyball, you can’t jump forward and go over the line; you have to jump straight up,” he said. “Volleyball is kind of my second sport. When it was our school’s time to play in championships, I always took part.”

Nurger didn’t take the shot in the final seconds, with the Shockers down three, against Michigan State. Smith did and missed. There will be other chances for both players. If Nurger continues his shooting trend, it won’t be the last time Marshall puts him in position to make a big shot.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Rauno Nurger uses improved shooting touch to earn minutes."