‘A lifelong dream’: Dexter Dennis opens up about entering NBA Draft, his future at WSU
It had been a “lifelong dream” for Dexter Dennis to do what he did Thursday: enter his name in the NBA Draft process.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Baker, Louisiana has oozed potential since he arrived at Wichita State two years ago. Thursday’s no-risk, all-upside decision allows him to receive feedback from NBA executives about his game and put his name on scouts’ radars while maintaining his college eligibility so he can potentially return for his junior year.
“For the longest time, I didn’t know if it was going to happen,” Dennis said. “Now that it’s here, it means I have to work that much harder and step up everything I was already doing. It’s a challenge, but it’s really exciting for me and my family right now. This is basically every college athlete’s dream.”
Dennis has pieced together two straight good seasons at WSU, but not the breakthrough campaign to regularly land him in NBA mock drafts. He averaged 9.2 points and 5 rebounds per game as a sophomore and elevated his production in conference play, averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds while drilling 39% of his three-pointers.
Those numbers aren’t flashy, but Dennis has the shooting, athleticism and defense to catch the NBA’s eye. To even reach Thursday’s decision, Dawn McQuirter, Dennis’ mother, was proud of all that her son had overcome.
“I’m so proud of him because he’s sacrificed a lot for this for a very long time,” McQuirter said. “Any sacrifices he could have made, he’s done that at a very young age. I think this process should give him some perspective and help him prepare for next year.”
It’s likely Dennis will be back in college for his junior season, but will that be at Wichita State? McQuirter and WSU head coach Gregg Marshall both believe so, but Dennis said Friday he has yet to make a final decision on that, either.
“I don’t know right now for sure,” Dennis said. “I haven’t really even thought about it. Right now I’m kind of putting all of my time and energy into this NBA process. It’s still something that I will have to sit down with my family and the closest people in my circle and discuss.”
Dennis admitted the past three weeks have been a lot for him to take in.
It seems like forever, but it was less than three weeks ago WSU had dreams of returning to the NCAA Tournament until its 23-8 season was abruptly ended by the coronavirus pandemic. Then came a mass exodus of transfers, a total of seven scholarship players gone — including two of Dennis’ roommates.
“Over the last two years I’ve built bonds with several of those guys,” Dennis said. “That first year we struggled, but through that struggle we got tighter as a family and as a group.
“This last year wasn’t smooth, but we were still close. I know those guys had to do what’s best for them and I respect that. I definitely miss them and I still love them and support them in every way.”
WSU has since retooled its roster with five commitments this spring, an injection of talent and athleticism that the coaching staff believes can keep the Shockers in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth next season. But those hopes feature Dennis, who would be a centerpiece for WSU in 2020-21.
It could be a while until Dennis is able to complete the NBA Draft process.
In a normal year, he would spend the next two months scheduling workouts with interested NBA teams and traveling the country to put his skill-set on display in private workouts. But traveling is unlikely due to the coronavirus pandemic and the NBA has yet to announce what changes will be made to the NBA Draft process.
Dennis has until June 15 to withdraw his name from draft consideration and remain eligible for his junior season. Marshall has pledged his support of Dennis through this process.
“Dexter’s ultimate goal is to become an NBA player and this is the first step,” Marshall said in a statement. “We have been discussing this option with him for a while now and agree that he needs to test the waters like so many of our players in the recent past. I have always believed that he has a great chance to eventually play at the next level and gaining this experience is paramount. It’s an opportunity for him to get used to the workouts and find out what NBA executives think of him. We will continue to support Dexter through this process.”
Back home in Baker, Dennis is excited to start preparing for the experience. With so much uncertainty right now, he’s unsure of how it will play out, but he’s committed to staying ready. He’s transformed his family’s garage into his own gym and said he’s able to complete all of his workouts.
After imagining what NBA scouts might say about his game, Dennis will now finally be able to receive that official opinion.
“I have the utmost confidence in myself and my ability, but I know there are still things that I need to work on in my game,” Dennis said. “I’m really down to try to improve anything. I know I have to improve my ball-handling and playmaking for others and myself. But I’m eager to start working and trying to improve any and every aspect of my game.”
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