Wichita State basketball coaches build future rosters during July

Wichita State basketball got a head start on a crucial July recruiting period with three commitments.

It’s only a start, however, because the Shockers have six seniors on the 2017-18 roster and NBA uncertainty to consider. We know the 2018-19 roster will look different. We might not know how much different until May.

July’s evaluation period (during which coaches can watch athletes play in tournaments around the country) features three four-day stretches starting on July 12.

The Shockers sprinted from the starting gate with non-binding commitments from center Isaiah Poor Bear Chandler, who will spend the 2017-18 season at Sunrise Christian Academy, forward Rodgerick Brown and guard Erik Stevenson. Brown is working to graduate early and join the Shockers for 2017-18. If not, he will likely attend a prep school and join WSU for 2018-19. Stevenson will be a freshman in 2018-19.

So Shocker coaches enter July with some talent in hand and a framework for where to go when replacing seniors Shaq Morris, Zach Brown, Darral Willis, Rashard Kelly, Rauno Nurger and Conner Frankamp.

“It always feels good to hear ‘Yes,’ ” said Brian Snow of Scout.com. “It allows you to be more focused on where you’re going to go and who you’re going to see.”

Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward from Cordova, Tenn., is ranked a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and Scout.com. Stevenson, a 6-4 guard from Timberline High in Lacey, Wash., is also ranked as a three-star prospect. Chandler (6-9), from Omaha, is judged as a four-star prospect by ESPN.com and three by 247 Sports. WSU also holds a non-binding commitment from forward DeAntoni Gordon, of Mobile, Ala., who is in the class of 2019.

What will be interesting to watch is how coaches shape the rest of the 2018-19 roster. It appears power forward and point guard are priorities. While the emphasis is on high school recruits to this point, a scholarship or two will likely be reserved for a transfer to balance the experience on future rosters.

The variable is the future of junior forward Markis McDuffie, who went through the NBA Draft evaluation process, and sophomore guard Landry Shamet. Both could be tempted by the NBA next spring.

The Shockers lose Morris, Kelly, Nurger and Willis from the frontcourt. McDuffie also plays forward. Chandler and incoming freshman Asbjorn Midtgaard are the building blocks at center for the future. A player or two versatile enough to play center and power forward is on the list.

The Shockers enter 2017-18 with Shamet, Frankamp, sophomore Austin Reaves and incoming junior Samajae Haynes-Jones as options at point guard. That list could drop to Reaves by 2019-20.

Some names to watch during July as players and schools grind toward decisions:

▪  Tyler Harris, ranked No. 19 nationally at point guard by 247 Sports, is a high school teammate of Brown’s at Cordova.

▪  Denver East shooting guard Daylen Kountz has Kansas roots and the family visited Wichita earlier this summer. ESPN.com ranks him No. 2 in Colorado.

▪  Flo Thamba, from Mountain Mission school in Grundy, Va., is ranked No. 16 nationally at center by 247 Sports. That recruiting service ranks him a four-star prospect.

▪  Fort Bend (Texas) Travis High center Morris Udeze visited WSU in early June. 247 Sports judges him a four-star prospect and No. 13 nationally at his position.

Summer ball — Ten Shocker baseball players are with teams this summer.

Pitcher Trent Allen, Cheney; third baseman Alec Bohm, Falmouth, Mass.; outfielder Josh DeBacker, Lima, Ohio; outfielder Dayton Dugas, Wilmington, N.C.; first baseman Greyson Jenista, Cotuit, Mass.; outfielder Jacob Katzfey, Winter Park, Fla.; pitcher Preston Minor, Regina, Saskatchewan; infielder Luke Ritter, Santa Barbara, Calif., pitcher Preston Snavely, Northern Colorado; outfielder Travis Young, Cheney.

Most pitchers are taking the summer off.

▪  Shocker junior pitcher Ben Hecht, drafted in the 12th round, signed with the Chicago Cubs. Senior pitcher Reagan Biechler, drafted in the 31st round by Colorado, signed. Senior pitcher Zach Lewis, a free agent, signed with the White Sox.

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Wichita State basketball coaches build future rosters during July."