‘Find your way’: How Trey Wade has silently become Wichita State basketball’s X-factor

Trying to find his role on Wichita State has been a season-long process for Trey Wade, a junior-college transfer who joined the Shockers this summer.

He has gone from playing 30-plus minutes as the starting power forward to coming off the bench to starting again recently. His shot has come and gone, but his three-point accuracy had dipped below 30% before Thursday’s explosion when Wade scored a season-high 21 points and made a career-high four threes in WSU’s win over Temple.

The process hasn’t been easy, but Wade has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates with his work ethic. And when the 6-foot-6 forward is playing well, he takes WSU to another level — evident by the team’s 9-0 record when Wade scores in double-digits.

That version of Wade is who the Shockers (21-7, 9-6 AAC) hope they’re getting for a crucial 3 p.m. Sunday game at SMU (19-8, 9-6 AAC), broadcast on ESPNU. The winner will be in sole possession of fourth place in the American Athletic Conference, while WSU has the opportunity to pick up a valuable Quadrant 2 victory for its NCAA Tournament resume.

“It’s tough trying to get acclimated to everything and learning the plays, learning the teammates, learning the coaches,” Wade said. “You’ve got to find your way. I just try to keep listening, that’s my biggest thing. I try to listen and then trust things are going to fall into place.”

Wade can be an important piece to WSU because he is the only player with the true mindset of a power forward. Although he is a bit undersized at 6-foot-6 and 219 pounds, Wade seems to play bigger than his size and is a relentless rebounder. He is also a plus-defender with the defensive versatility to play on the perimeter or in the posts.

So when Wade is scoring like he did on Thursday, he can be an X-factor for the Shockers.

“When we get him scoring like (Thursday), then it just opens up the offense for everybody,” WSU sophomore Jamarius Burton said of his teammate. “He’s already a tremendous defender and rebounder, so when he’s making shots then it just boosts everybody’s confidence to know that he’s a weapon and teams have got to respect him.”

Earning the respect from opposing defenses has been the ongoing battle for Wade. He’s not a back-to-the-basket player and even with his 4-for-5 showing on Thursday, he’s shooting at a rather unremarkable 33.3% clip on 2.5 three-point attempts per game.

More times than not, defenses have picked Wade as the player they feel comfortable leaving alone. If he’s on the perimeter, his defender slouches off and mucks up the paint to close down driving lanes for other WSU players. If they kick to Wade for a three, defenses have deemed that an acceptable outcome for the possession.

Wade is aware of this, which is why he was so relieved to finally put on tape that he is capable of torching defenses who choose to play off him.

“I knew they were going to play off me because I’ve kind of been shooting the ball bad, so I just had to be prepared for my shot,” Wade said.

“I’m so happy the ball was going in (Thursday). I work so hard on my shot. Doing stationary threes, I work so hard on them. I see them go in in practice and when they go in in the games, that’s a good feeling.”

After starting the first 19 games of the season, Wade moved to the bench following WSU’s three-game losing streak and played in just 14.3 minutes per game off the bench the next four games. But Marshall saw flashes during those minutes that he liked and decided to promote Wade to the starting lineup again for Thursday’s game against Temple.

Wade capitalized on the opportunity with his best game as a Shocker.

“I’ve liked his energy the last couple of games,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “He’s been beating people down the floor. He’s been rebounding well. He’s been a big part of what we’ve done all year long. I thought Trey deserved (the chance) and he certainly delivered.”

Wichita State at SMU

Records: WSU 21-7, 9-6 AAC, SMU 19-8, 9-6 AAC

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Moody Coliseum (7,000), Dallas

TV: ESPNU

Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: KEYN, 103.7 FM

Series: WSU leads 7-6 (2-4 in Dallas)

Projected starters

Coach: Tim Jankovich, fifth season, 90-46

Coach: Gregg Marshall, 13th season, 329-120

Taylor Eldridge

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6270

Wichita State athletics beat reporter. Bringing you closer to the Shockers you love and inside the sports you love to watch.