Gregg Marshall pulls from Space Jam to discuss Dexter Dennis’ comeback from slump
Shocker fans hit their highest decibel level of the day when Dexter Dennis checked in for the first time Saturday.
Dennis was away from the Wichita State basketball team for three games, including the Shockers conference opener against East Carolina, for “personal reasons.” Coach Gregg Marshall said Dennis was “struggling.”
Dennis’ return against Ole Miss didn’t go as planned. He didn’t score and finished with one rebound and four fouls, the first of which came within 30 seconds of his first appearance. It wasn’t as smooth as any of the Shocker fans would have hoped, but Marshall had his sophomore’s back postgame.
“He’s a wonderful young man, great teammate and a great player,” Marshall said.
Dennis finished last season with double-digit points in nine of the final 14 games, including the National Invitation Tournament. He was a critical piece to the Shockers’ semifinal run to New York City and started receiving buzz about a future move to the NBA.
This season, he hasn’t hit three buckets since WSU’s win over UT Martin on Nov. 16. He is averaging 6.5 points per game and 3.9 since tying a career-high with 19 against Texas Southern on Nov. 9.
Still, that eye-popping performance against Southern was less than two months ago. Marshall said that Dennis isn’t gone.
“I’m going to give him his opportunities as long as he keeps battling and defending,” Marshall said.
Dennis logged the third-fewest minutes of his career (10) in the Shockers’ 74-54 win over Ole Miss. As he works back from injury and his shooting slump, that number is set to rise. That could start at 6 p.m. Thursday as WSU hosts Memphis, the preseason pick to win the American Athletic Conference.
Dennis has started to shut out the noise surrounding his struggles on the court. Time away from the court was the first step, and he recently deactivated his Twitter account. He has left his Instagram page active and posted to it after the Shockers’ win Saturday with a photo of he and fellow sophomore Erik Stevenson jumping in celebration. Dennis quoted Martin Luther King Jr.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” read the quote. “The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others.”
Marshall said when Dennis gets back to his form, adding him to a 13-1 team will be dangerous.
“We’ve all seen that Looney Toons movie, ‘Monstars,’ where they take your talent,” Marshall said. “That doesn’t happen. That’s fantasy. He still has the talent, and it’s going to blossom here real soon as he continues to get healthy.”