Wichita State freshman understands hunting shots rarely impresses coach

It is difficult, if not impossible, for a basketball player to shoot his way into Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall’s heart.

Freshman C.J. Keyser realizes this. So does roommate Austin Reaves, and in a Shocker Hall dorm room where two people from different backgrounds live, this is an area of agreement.

Some who came before them — think Corey Henderson Jr. or Ria’n Holland — never seemed to fully grasp the defend-first, shoot-fourth approach Marshall demands. Elite scoring talents such as Cleanthony Early or Darral Willis earn some latitude, but those talents are rare.

“We talk about it all the time,” Reaves said. “Little things. Rebounding. Passing the ball. Don’t stand on offense. Cut. That’s the way I got started getting playing time.”

Marshall used routs against Bradley and Drake to give Keyser a chance to add to WSU’s already impressive depth. He played 10 minutes against Bradley — his first significant action since November — and took care not to rush shots. He made a nice pass to start a play that produced a basket and played five first-half minutes without taking a shot.

“It took me a little while to figure that out, but I think I’ve got that now,” he said. “Playing defense. Getting stops. Being active. Running the floor. I’ve been doing well in that.”

Marshall saw those things in practice and rewarded Keyser, a 6-foot-4 guard who came to WSU billed as a potential stopper and a superb athlete. Keyser earned another first-half role against Drake and started strong. He handed out an assist on a Reaves three-pointer and took a charge from Drake’s Billy Wampler. His second-half minutes degenerated, as did many of his teammates’ in an uninspired 20 minutes.

“He’s got to be a defensive-minded guy,” Marshall said. “(Against Drake) he wasn’t. Just like everyone else in the second half, he didn’t guard very well.”

Reaves, from Newark, Ark., and Keyser, from Baltimore, know the expectations. Both sat out most of summer workouts with injury — Reaves rehabbing from shoulder surgery and Keyser with foot injuries. Both endured setbacks in the fall. Reaves returned more quickly and worked his way into the rotation with good shooting and passing.

Reaves loves watching ESPN and is a devoted hunter. Keyser can’t name his favorite show and says he doesn’t watch much TV. He wants to visit Reaves’ home to get his first experiences as an outdoorsman. Keyser is amazed that Reaves first ate at Chick-fil-A for the first time in college. While their life experiences are quite different, the roommate pairing is a plus.

“I don’t know how it works, but it really works,” Keyser said. “He’s a great person, before he’s a great basketball player. Austin’s had the opportunity to get a lot of minutes. He really knows what Coach wants.”

Reaves sees his friend following the plan in practice.

“He’s been playing really hard,” Reaves said. “In scout team, he’s always the other team’s best player. He does a really good job at it. When you have the skill set he has, you just have to get the system. If you get the system with him, he’s going to become a really, really good player.”

WSU (13-3, 3-0 Missouri Valley Conference) plays at Northern Iowa (5-9, 0-3) on Sunday in a matchup of the Valley’s most prominent post-Creighton programs. UNI, however, is at the bottom of the standings, a surprising fall after its 3-0 start included wins over Arizona State and Oklahoma.

The issue is offense and it is dragging down a team that boasts NCAA Tournament wins in 2015 and 2016. The Panthers rank last in the MVC with a 39.9 percent shooting percentage and eighth in three-point accuracy at 35.2 percent.

In six games, UNI failed to break 60 points. While a schedule that included two games against Xavier, Wyoming and North Carolina explains some of the struggles, Valley play hasn’t changed the picture much.

UNI made 4 of 15 threes in a 68-64 home loss to Missouri State. It shot 38.6 percent from the field in a 70-58 loss at Evansville. In a 77-66 loss at Loyola, the Panthers made 39.7 percent of their shots.

“A lot of it is on my shoulders, simply from the standpoint of finding something that’s going to fit this group best,” UNI coach Ben Jacobson said. “I haven’t quite found it yet.”

The Panthers are retooling after losing guard Wes Washpun, a dynamic pick-and-roll threat, and shooters Paul Jesperson and Matt Bohannon. A ankle injury has sidelined junior guard Wyatt Lohaus for half the season.

Jacobson expected junior big men Bennett Koch and Klint Carlson to continue their progress into lead forces. Instead, they’re playing inconsistently and senior Jeremy Morgan, who averages 16.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, carries too much of the burden.

“If we can get all three of them playing at a high-enough level, I think then it puts the rest of our guys in spots where they can be effective,” Jacobson said. “(Spencer) Haldeman can shoot the basketball. Jordan Ashton has started to play better. We haven’t had enough guys with Jeremy.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Wichita State freshman understands hunting shots rarely impresses coach."