Dexter Dennis learning how to avoid fouls to stay on the court for the Shockers
Foul trouble has been the culprit to robbing Wichita State freshman Dexter Dennis of chances to make an impact for the Shockers.
The 6-foot-5 guard started three straight games early this season for WSU, only to pick up his third foul against Providence early in the second half, then come out of the game with two first-half fouls against Davidson and Appalachian State.
In those three starts, Dennis had almost as many fouls (11) as points (15).
“The first several games he didn’t know what a foul was at the college level,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “You live and learn. Keep touching that hot stove, it’s going to burn you. He kept playing defense with his arms and his hands, as opposed to moving his feet.”
Marshall made his point by taking Dennis out of the starting lineup for WSU’s final game in Charleston against Alabama. After an uninspiring first half, Marshall challenged Dennis in the locker room to realize his potential.
Dennis responded by scoring 14 of his 19 points in the second half, making all five of his shots and four of five free throws. After failing to grab a rebound the first half, Dennis tracked down five in the second half, including four on the offensive end.
“I was just listening to Coach, really,” Dennis said. “He said something to me in the locker room at halftime that kind of got me going. I just used what he said as motivation.”
Dennis returned to the starting lineup over this past weekend against Rice and he continued his solid play with production of 11 points, including 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and no turnovers.
A reason why Dennis has been so effective for WSU the last two games? He’s avoided the momentary lapses on the defensive end that led to so many of his fouls early in the season.
“I’m starting to adjust to how the college refs call the game,” Dennis said in his postgame radio interview after the Rice win. “I foul with my hands and now I’m trying to be in the right position early, so I don’t have to foul when I’m late.”
Dennis has the athleticism and the length to be a disruptive defender that WSU can use to contain a perimeter threat. The best example of that came when Dennis matched up with a NBA prospect in Davidson guard Kellan Grady and played a role in Grady’s 1-for-11 shooting performance.
But that game also showcased Dennis’ bugaboo: he picked up two fouls in the first half and sat out the final 12 minutes, then picked up his fourth foul with nearly 10 minutes remaining in the game. He had to watch much of the closing minutes of WSU’s 57-53 loss on the bench.
“Coach is looking for a defensive stopper,” Dennis said in his Rice postgame radio interview. “He says that a lot. I want to be that guy or one of those guys. We have a couple of guys that I think can defend at a high level.”
Dennis has yet to unleash the type of other-worldly dunk in WSU’s first six games that his teammates raved about this fall, but he has carved out a role in the offense as a deadly spot-up shooter. Dennis has made 7 of 13 three-pointers (53. 8 percent) and canned 12 of 20 (60 percent) of his spot-up looks, per Synergy Sports.
The advanced stats show that when Dennis is on the court he has made the second-highest positive impact on WSU’s offense among the rotation regulars. The Shockers’ offense is scoring at 1.14 points per possession on the 55 percent of possessions Dennis has been on the court, nearly 0.08 points per possession better than the team average.
WSU will need that version of Dennis on Saturday when Baylor (4-2) comes to Koch Arena for a 7 p.m. nationally televised game broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
“When we talk about young players, some of them get it right when they walk in the door,” Marshall said. “Others get it in a week or two, maybe a month. Some it takes a whole season and a half maybe. Some never get it. That’s where we are. For Dexter, it took three-and-a-half games. But I hope we have it now. I hope he’s ready to go and give us quality minutes.”