Tyson Etienne had NBA Draft promises. Why he wanted one more year at Wichita State
Tyson Etienne had conquered the grind of the NBA Draft workout process: the physical toll it took on his body with so much travel across the country and the mental toll it took of trying to perform his best with such high stakes every time he stepped on the floor in front of an audience of NBA scouts.
And in the end, the 21-year-old guard from Englewood, New Jersey put himself in a position to achieve his life-long dream of playing in the NBA.
“I had NBA teams that were guaranteeing me a selection in the draft,” Etienne told The Eagle on Wednesday evening. “I had teams and organizations that were really sold on me and wanted to invest in me. I had that on the table. It wasn’t like I was going to hope. I had a real chance.”
But after hours of conversation with his inner circle, Etienne opted on Wednesday to delay his early departure to the NBA one more year and return to Wichita State for the 2021-22 men’s basketball season.
Etienne has handled himself like a pro in every aspect of his life since he was a teenager. Coming this close to becoming an NBA player was admittedly tantalizing to him, but Etienne explained why he wanted to return to college for one more season.
“At the end of the day, it’s great that there were NBA teams that wanted to select me, but personally, I just don’t like how I went out last season,” said Etienne, referring to his 0-for-6 and 1-point performance against Drake in WSU’s NCAA Tournament loss.
“That’s not who I am. I want to come back and brush up on my game and do the things I need to do for Coach (Isaac Brown) and the rest of the staff, so I can lead the program the way I want to lead it.”
In his Instagram post announcing his return to WSU, Etienne included a screen shot he took of Twitter comments following the Drake loss.
“Tyson Etienne choked he garbage,” read one comment.
“That loss is 100% on Tyson Etienne,” another commenter said.
When Etienne originally declared for the NBA Draft back in April, he told The Eagle that the Drake loss “will prove to be very significant in my career for what it has done for me.”
On Wednesday, Etienne said he still reflects often on the worst game from his breakout sophomore campaign that saw him average 16.3 points, drill a school-record 2.95 three-pointers per game and win the American Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year award.
“Absolutely, I still use that as fuel,” Etienne said. “I still remember how I felt after that game. I know I could have gotten drafted in the 2021 class, but I think a piece of me would have always felt incomplete. That’s why I’m giving it one more shot. I feel like another year of polishing up on the things that I need to do will set myself up for an even better situation next year.”
Etienne entered the pre-draft process with little fanfare and was pegged by NBA scouts as a spot-up shooter. After three months of training and workouts with eight NBA teams, Etienne shattered that preconceived notion, surprising scouts with showcases of his explosive athleticism (46-inch max vertical) and savviness operating out of the pick and roll.
Etienne’s potential as a lead creator on the ball paired with his sharpshooting has skyrocketed his NBA Draft stock. The only thing keeping him out of the first round is a season of video evidence that he can excel running a college offense.
Etienne is expected to receive that exact opportunity this upcoming season with the Shockers, as Brown plans to shift Etienne from almost exclusively shooting guard to playing more point guard to allow him to showcase his skills in WSU’s dribble-drive offense. With WSU’s starting point guard role up for grabs, it could be a rare case of what’s best for a player’s pro potential is also best for the team.
“I think going through the process was super beneficial for me,” Etienne said. “I learned so many different things. Like how these organizations operate and what they’re looking for and what workouts are like and what all the draft process entails. Now I know what I’ve got to do to make myself a super high draft pick next June.”
With Etienne back in the fold, the Shockers not only believe they can repeat last season’s success — conference champions with a return bid to March Madness — but build on it.
Etienne gives WSU arguably the best player in the American and the Shockers also return a pair of veterans with starting experience in junior wing Dexter Dennis and junior center Morris Udeze. The Shockers expect freshman wing Ricky Council IV and sophomore forward Monzy Jackson to thrive in expanded roles and junior transfers Joe Pleasant, a junior forward from Abilene Christian, and Qua Grant, a Division II All-American guard from West Texas A&M, should give WSU reliable depth.
After enjoying his breakout season in the midst of a severely limited-capacity crowd at Koch Arena, Etienne said one of the things he’s looking forward to most next season is playing in front of 10,506 fans again.
“Had we had the fans back and I had the season I did last year, I wonder what it would’ve felt like,” Etienne said. “Now that we’re getting back to normal, it’s exciting to have a full season ahead and get after it with no restrictions. I’m excited to see what happens for me, for my team and what happens next for the city.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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