According to Gregg Marshall, two Shockers have ‘taken their game to another level’
Summer workouts at Koch Arena have looked a little different for Gregg Marshall and the Wichita State men’s basketball team.
In a recent interview on The Drive on KFH Radio, Marshall said the WSU coaching staff is wearing masks while they’re on the floor coaching players. Meanwhile, the players enter and leave the building wear masks as they attempt to practice through the coronavirus pandemic.
In a normal offseason, the Shockers would have already logged two sessions of summer practice in June and July. Instead, WSU is just now getting into a routine as players coming in from other states — and in the case of Josaphat Bilau (France), other countries — had to quarantine upon arrival in Wichita.
“We’re trying to keep everyone safe,” Marshall told hosts Bob and Jeff Lutz. “Keep everyone healthy and COVID-free as best as we can so we can do some basketball training and some working out and some team-building and things like that to prepare for what we hope is a season.
“I’ve really enjoyed the minimal workouts that we’ve had with this group. Super nice, young men. Tremendous potential and athleticism and they’re working hard. That’s a great start.”
Marshall said the team is preparing as if the college basketball season will begin on time, although it’s impossible for anybody to say with certainty what will happen in the coming days. Last season, WSU played its exhibition game on October 29 and opened the season on November 5.
While the official non-conference schedule has yet to be released, a similar season-opening date is expected with an exhibition against Kansas State to be played at INTRUST Bank Arena scheduled for October 24.
WSU had a busy offseason since the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended its season last March when the Shockers were 23-8 and on the brink of a potential return to the NCAA Tournament. Since then, six players — nearly half of last season’s production — transferred out of the program and Marshall and his staff reloaded with a recruiting class they are confident will make the Shockers just as competitive as they were last season.
In his assessment of the returners, Marshall had high praise for the team’s two returning leading scorers: 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Tyson Etienne (9.4 points) and 6-5 junior wing Dexter Dennis (9.2), who recently withdrew his name from NBA Draft consideration and returned to WSU.
“Dexter Dennis and Tyson Etienne appear to have taken their game to another level in terms of confidence, in terms of doing more things and putting the ball on the floor opposed to just being jump shooters,” Marshall said. “Tyson is so strong and Dexter looked really good, too.”
Here’s what Marshall had to say about WSU’s other returners:
“Morris Udeze and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler came back and looked like different guys physically. They were both very cut up and athletic and looked like they were both very cut up, athletic, like they had slimmed their bodies down and were moving quicker and elevating a little higher. Both are going into their junior years and they look great.”
“I haven’t seen Josaphat yet because of quarantine. We’re hoping he’s going to look as good as those guys.”
“Trey Wade looks like a grown man. He’s really gotten a lot stronger. I guess him and (brother and WSU junior) Trevin were not able to do a whole lot at home and his dad locked them up during the pandemic and clearly they had some barbells in the bedrooms because they were both really looking strong and looked good when they came back.”
WSU welcomes a large class of newcomers, headlined by Connecticut graduate transfer Alterique Gilbert, who is expected to be WSU’s starting point guard this season. The Shockers have three junior-college transfers in guard Trevin Wade, guard Craig Porter (who has missed practices so far with a calf injury) and forward Clarence Jackson, and three incoming freshmen in guards Chauncey Jenkins and Ricky Council IV and forward Jaden Seymour.
“Trevin is a little guy, but man he’s cut up. He almost looks like a running back,” Marshall said. “Alterique is just the consummate point guard. He’s very, very strong and well put-together. Clarence Jackson works really hard and is a jack of all trades. He’s going to give you everything he’s got.
“As for the freshmen, Ricky Council is probably the biggest of the three. The other two are thin, but when you talk about athleticism, think Dexter Dennis athletes when you talk about Chauncey Jenkins, Jaden Seymour and Ricky Council. All three of those all have tremendous upside and are working very, very hard and looking really good.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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