Wichita State basketball recruiting update: Six players who could help the Shockers
With five open scholarships still remaining in its 2021 recruiting class, the Wichita State men’s basketball team has plenty of moves to make this spring in head coach Isaac Brown’s first recruiting cycle.
WSU kicked off April with a bang when Brown picked up his first commitment on April 1 in 6-foot-10 sophomore center Matt McFarlane. But two days before the spring signing period, McFarlane remains WSU’s lone player in its 2021 recruiting class.
Instead of the major overhaul required last spring when WSU had to replace more than half of its minutes played and scoring production with a flurry of commitments, the Shockers are only looking to replace a third of their minutes played and 30% of their scoring from a 16-6 team that won the American Athletic Conference regular season title and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
That means Brown and assistants Lou Gudino, Tyson Waterman and Billy Kennedy can be more selective in their recruiting this spring. According to sources, WSU’s two priorities are to replace its two seniors in the rotation: point guard Alterique Gilbert, who is expected to move on next season, and power forward Trey Wade, who announced his intention to remain in college and transfer last month.
While high school and junior college prospects can sign letters of intent starting Wednesday, WSU’s recruiting is not expected to wrap up by the end of the week. The Shockers could wait until May or even June before finalizing their roster for the 2021-22 season.
But with WSU honing in on a handful of transfers, here is a list of six players to keep an eye on:
Jordan Goldwire (Duke)
Vitals: A 6-foot-2, 184-pound senior point guard transfer from Norcross, Georgia. Goldwire has one season of eligibility remaining.
Production: Goldwire averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.2 steals in 28.5 minutes this past season. He shot 38% from the field, 33% on threes and 74% on free throws. He led Duke in assists and steals, while being named to the ACC’s All-Defense team.
Recruiting: Goldwire told Adam Zagoria on March 31 that he has been contacted by more than a dozen schools with WSU up against the likes of teams such as Maryland, Loyola Chicago, Utah, Seton Hall and Miami (Florida).
Fit at WSU: Goldwire would compete with junior Craig Porter for minutes at point guard. He has a well-earned reputation as one of the nation’s top defenders and could be a significant enough upgrade with his ability to wall up on the point of attack to level up WSU’s team defense. Goldwire is a pure ball hawk, capable of swooping in from the help side to steal entry passes, accelerating to intercept passes to the wing and even beating ball handlers in front of him to their desired spot and simply taking the ball away from them. In Goldwire, WSU would find an elite defensive option with reliable ball-handling at point guard. He’s not likely to provide the same offensive punch as Gilbert and he’s not a knock-down shooter, although his combined 34% shooting from beyond the arc the last two seasons at Duke has been respectable. But as a fifth-year senior, Goldwire would be a veteran presence and capable of helping WSU reload for another run at an AAC title and NCAA Tournament berth.
Qua Grant (West Texas A&M)
Vitals: A 6-foot-1 junior point guard transfer from Waxahachie, Texas. Grant has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Production: Grant is a two-time Division II first team All-American at West Texas A&M and led the team to the national title game this season. After averaging 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.4 steals in the 2019-20 season, Grant followed that up by averaging 22.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals this season. He shot 52% from the field, 38% on threes and 80% on free throws. He was also named to the conference’s all-defensive team the past two seasons.
Recruiting: It has not been reported who has expressed interest to Grant, although sources tell The Eagle that WSU has been in contact with him.
Fit at WSU: If WSU wants more of a scoring punch at point guard in the mold of Samajae Haynes-Jones, Grant Sherfield and Gilbert, then Grant could be the answer. He’s a two-time All-American at the Division II level and posted high-volume scoring numbers in the 91st percentile of efficiency, per Synergy. What is almost certain to translate at WSU is Grant’s ability to dissect defenses in the pick-and-roll game. He has an uncanny ability to slither his way to the basket and finish around, over and through taller defenders. He’s an above-average rebounder for his size, which would be a plus for WSU, and he’s a one-man wrecking crew in transition where his shiftiness, bulkiness and aggression can take over. It’s always a question if shooting numbers will translate, but he is a career 36% three-pointer on 464 attempts at West Texas A&M. Grant would be a natural fit for WSU’s dribble drive and high screen offenses because his greatest strength is taking his defender off the dribble.
Mikey Saunders Jr. (Cincinnati)
Vitals: A 6-foot, 190-pound freshman point guard transfer from Indianapolis. Saunders has four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Production: Saunders averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 15.5 minutes, while starting 10 games for Cincinnati this past season. He shot 39% from the field, 22% on threes and 75% on free throws as a true freshman. In his final six games, when Saunders played 27 minutes per game, he averaged 8.2 points and 2.3 assists.
Recruiting: Saunders will announce his next destination on Thursday on his social media accounts. BYU has consistently been linked to Saunders, while WSU has completed Zoom calls with Saunders the past week. DePaul and Toledo have also reached out, while Saunders has also left the option of returning to Cincinnati.
Fit at WSU: Being a freshman, Saunders offers a potential future of four years at the point guard position. WSU fans will likely remember him for his blonde-highlighted hair, but Saunders carved out a reputation on the court as a pesky defender and pass-first point guard who can run an offense. His scoring picked up late in thee season when he played consistent minutes, but scoring will likely be secondary to Saunders at his next stop. Since he’s a bit under-sized, he has to make up for it on the defensive end with toughness and the desire to be a good defender. On the offensive end, he is seen as a reliable ball handler who can be a good fit executing sets in WSU’s motion offense. He does have impressive burst, which sometimes makes him look like he was shot out of a cannon when gets downhill attacking the basket. With a year of experience in the American under his belt, Saunders could play a role for WSU next season and also offer up the potential of developing into an even larger role down the road.
Gethro Muscadin (Kansas)
Vitals: A 6-foot-10, 220-pound freshman center from Haiti. Muscadin has four seasons of eligibility remaining.
Production: Muscadin had a total of two points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in just 31 minutes played across 11 games this past season at Kansas. He rarely saw time outside the end of blow-out games.
Recruiting: WSU conducted a Zoom call with Muscadin last week. The Shockers are one a handful of high-major teams to show interest, joining Penn State and Rutgers. Other schools who have reportedly contacted Muscadin include New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State, Texas San Antonio and Sam Houston State.
Fit at WSU: A former four-star, top-100 recruit, Muscadin offers plenty of upside at a position that is hard to find that kind of raw ability at. He even is familiar with Wichita after starting his career at Life Prep in Wichita, then playing two seasons at Sunrise Christian Academy. Muscadin was viewed as more of a project at KU, hence the reason he barely played this past season, but he could be ready for an expanded role elsewhere. His athleticism and length is what made him such an intriguing prospect on the recruiting trail last year. Since he only started playing basketball when he was 15, Muscadin likely benefited from his year in Lawrence gaining experience — even if it was only as a practice player — of Division I basketball at a high-level program. It’s unclear if Muscadin would be ready to contribute immediately at WSU, but winning the recruiting battle for him would certainly provide another intriguing big man option for the Shockers going forward.
Filip Rebraca (North Dakota)
Vitals: A 6-foot-9, 222-pound junior power forward from Serbia. Rebraca has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Production: Rebraca averaged 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks this past season at North Dakota and was named second team all-Summit League. He shot 51% from the field, 38% on threes and 61% on free throws. As a sophomore, Rebraca averaged 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.0 blocks, while shooting 58% from the field, 11% on threes and 67% on free throws.
Recruiting: Rebraca has done Zoom calls with Iowa, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Utah and Tulsa. He has also been hearing heavily from WSU, South Carolina and San Diego State. He will reportedly make a decision sometime later this month.
Fit at WSU: There is some stiff competition for Rebraca after another strong season at North Dakota, especially after the 6-9 Serbian showed off expanded range this past season. He’s told recruiting sites that he wants his next team to help him develop his three-point shot even more and WSU would be a natural fit after the Shockers have been successful in recent history adding steady three-point shots to big men. After shooting 1-for-9 on threes in 32 games in the 2019-20 season, Rebraca stepped out and stroked in 15-for-40 in 25 games this past season. He did the most damage on pick-and-pops when he would set a high ball screen, then pop back to the center of the arc. But Rebraca also showed the ability to space the floor and spot up in the corner and knock down catch-and-shoot looks, which gives him the flexibility of potential playing alongside a traditional center on the offensive end. And at 6-9 with a superb defensive rebounding rate, Rebraca would provide some much-needed rebounding help for the Shockers. And for a team that desperately needs as much help as it can get to improve its defensive rebounding and outside shooting, Rebraca could prove to be a valued target for WSU.
Ty Groce (Eastern Michigan)
Vitals: A 6-foot-8, 215-pound senior power forward from Ypsilanti, Michigan. Groce has one season of eligibility remaining.
Production: Groce had his best season at EMU as a senior, averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks. He shot 53% from the field, 34% on threes and 72% on free throws.
Recruiting: It has not been reported who has expressed interest to Groce, although sources tell The Eagle that WSU has been in contact with him.
Fit at WSU: As a fifth-year player with plenty of experience and a history of scoring production, it’s easy to see why the Shockers would be interested in bringing Groce in to compete for minutes at power forward and center. He scored very efficiently as EMU’s lead option last season, making 58% of his two-pointers and showing the ability to step outside and knock down the occasional three (35% on 16 makes last season). At 6-8 with quick feet and springs, Groce is a good rebounder and shot-blocker who could help WSU’s defense right away. His mobility is most noticeable on offense when he’s running the floor and finishing in transition, where he can grab a rebound and lead the fast break and finish — sometimes with a smooth Euro step — or sprint the floor, receive a pass and use his athleticism to sky above defenders to finish above the rim. Those traits are a big reason why Groce scored 1.49 points per possession in transition, which ranked in the 96th percentile of Division I last season.
This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
.jpg)