WSU notes: Zach Brown touched by new friend in Poland

Julia is a 3-year-old with short blonde hair and a gap-toothed smile that stuck with Wichita State’s Zach Brown after his travels in Europe with Athletes in Action.

Brown, a Shocker senior basketball player, returned this week after a 13-day tour of Poland and the Czech Republic. His team went 3-2 and he enjoyed the basketball. The off-the-court memories of his first trip to Europe are upper-most in his mind.

He met Julia at an orphanage in Poland and spent a few hours playing on swings and touring the house with her. Brown held her up to dunk on a basketball goal.

“She really tugged on my heart,” he said. “I felt like I could actually take care of her. We had a language barrier, but we spent a whole lot of time.”

Brown enjoyed the history in Prague. He survived largely on chicken, rice and potatoes and figures he dropped a few pounds. He slept through warm nights in the Czech Republic in a room without air conditioning.

“I met a lot of good people,” he said. “I didn’t realize how grateful I am to be in the position I am.”

Brown said he played his best game against the Belarus national team and scored 22 points. He said he averaged around 14 points.

“I was able to keep my conditioning up,” he said. “My skill level, I was able to see where I’m at compared to certain pros or certain national teams.”

Hold that pour — Wichita State president John Bardo has not decided on a proposal to sell 3.2 beer at all athletic events.

“We’re not anywhere near figuring that out yet,” he said.

The request, from the athletic department, comes as Bardo is evaluating the campus alcohol policy with hotels and restaurants under consideration for the university’s Innovation Campus.

WSU sells beer at baseball games at Eck Stadium. Ten of the 11 American Athletic Conference basketball (and other sports) members sell beer or alcohol at events, some of which are held in off-campus arenas or stadiums. East Carolina is the lone holdout with no beer or alcohol sales.

Final touches on contracts — The contracts for WSU’s entrance in the American and its apparel deal with Under Armour remain in the works.

WSU will join the AAC on July 1. It announced its deal with Under Armour in mid-April.

Athletic director Darron Boatright said he expects the AAC contract completed by the end of June. A draft of the Under Armour contract is expected soon and Boatright said he expects a signed deal within a month.

Back together again — The 1963 Shocker football team is holding a reunion beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday.

Dick Klein, a lineman on the team, said he expects around 25 members of the team to attend. Neither Bill Parcells nor Bob Long, two of the more prominent NFL products from that team, will attend, he said.

The group gets together every five years. In February, however, Klein and a teammate decided to add this year because of the advance of age.

“The numbers are getting fewer and fewer,” Klein said.

The 1963 Shockers won a share of the school’s last Missouri Valley Conference title and went 7-2.

Klein said he expects a few to attend for the first time, including former NFL player Miller Farr. For information, call Klein at (316) 617-9058.

Worth noting — Wichita State’s Giulia Guidetti ended the season No. 123 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings. Gabriela Porubin and Fatima Bizhokova are No. 55 in doubles. The Shockers will play in the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 26-27 at Texas Tech. They play Florida International and either Texas Tech or St. Mary’s. … Former Shocker volleyball star Emily Stockman plays for Team USA in the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament in China beginning Friday. She will play in Switzerland and South Korea in July. … Former WSU softball player Macklin Hitz was named assistant coach at Western Nebraska Community College earlier this month. … Wichita State’s Volleyball 101 dinner will be held on Aug. 19 at Koch Arena’s practice facility. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased through goshockers.com.

This story was originally published June 9, 2017 at 4:20 PM with the headline "WSU notes: Zach Brown touched by new friend in Poland."