Wichita State’s AfterShocks shake off slow start to beat Ex-Pats and advance in TBT
The Roundhouse was rocking, all of the biggest names in recent Shocker lore were in the building, and the AfterShocks took the next step in their pursuit of winning $1 million.
Just the typical Friday night in July, right?
It was a party-like atmosphere all day Friday with Fred VanVleet’s pop-up shop selling Bet On Yourself, and Shocker-themed merchandise and the Wichita State’s men’s basketball alumni team did not disappoint in the main event late Friday evening, shaking off an ice-cold shooting start for the AfterShocks to win 60-53 over the Ex-Pats to start The Basketball Tournament in front of 4,052 fans at Koch Arena.
“I’m just proud of the guys for staying with it,” AfterShocks coach Zach Bush said. “When shots aren’t falling, you start questioning a lot of things. But these guys just stayed with it. I’m proud of them for fighting through and not hitting the panic button.”
Despite shooting under 38% from the field and missing 18 of 20 three-pointers in the first half, the AfterShocks pulled through in the second half thanks to Rashard Kelly’s double-double, team-high 16 points and 13 rebounds and Wichita native Conner Frankamp knocking down four three-pointers to score 15 points and add four assists. Prentiss Nixon led the Ex-Pats, an alumni team of mostly Patriot League players, with 21 points.
The AfterShocks advanced to the Round of 32 in TBT play for the second straight year. This time an old Missouri Valley Conference rivalry will be renewed when the alumni teams from Wichita State and Creighton (Blue Crew) face off in a 3 p.m. game Sunday at Koch Arena. The two sides haven’t played in college basketball since Creighton left the Missouri Valley following the 2012-13 season.
“This is a call-out to all Shocker fans: This was a blast, and we didn’t even play very well,” Bush said. “Imagine if we play well and we make shots and we got a rival in here that we’ve been itching to play since they left the Valley. We haven’t been able to get a home-and-home in the non-con going, so for now, this is as close as you’re going to get. If you can’t as a Shocker fan get excited for this, I don’t know how much more you could want.”
With Fran Fraschilla and ESPN2 cameras broadcasting the game, another TBT-record crowd in attendance and VanVleet, Ron Baker, Landry Shamet, Tekele Cotton and Cleanthony Early all sitting on the floor, the hype of the event may have gotten to the AfterShocks on the court early.
They shot 22% from the field in the first half, including a paltry 2-for-20 performance on three-pointers. But thanks to some solid defense from Zach Brown and Markis McDuffie on the perimeter, the AfterShocks only trailed the Ex-Pats 21-19 at halftime.
“You feel some pressure a little bit,” Bush said. “At times, you get so excited you want to hear that roar. You’re anxious to get that moment. At times, it can be a little tight.”
But the AfterShocks played nearly the entire second half with the lead thanks to an immediate 7-2 run sparked by a Frankamp three-pointer and ended with a McDuffie layup in transition for a 26-23 lead less than 90 seconds into the third quarter.
The AfterShocks made 8 of 17 triples in the second half.
“We were getting good looks in the first half, we just weren’t knocking them down,” Frankamp said. “We have too many good shooters to shoot like that again in the second half. We kept playing hard and kept getting to the point, and the shooters finally knocked some down in the second half.”
The Ex-Pats rallied and trimmed the deficit to 52-51 entering the Elam Ending with the target score set at 60. But the AfterShocks reeled off the perfect performance during the Elam Ending, scoring the necessary eight points in the minimum of three possessions.
It started with a Kelly offensive rebound on the first possession, which he kicked out to an open shooter and Brown, who had just arrived on Friday to play with the team without practicing with them all week, knocked down the three-pointer.
On the next possession, Frankamp called for a clear-out and sized up his defender and went to work. Like he has done so many times throughout his career, Frankamp shook his defender for the momentary shooting window he needed to elevate and fire off a three that splashed through the net for a 58-51 lead. The bucket sent the Koch Arena crowd into hysterics.
“I just liked that matchup, and I’ve played a lot of iso ball in my life, so I feel pretty comfortable in that situation,” Frankamp said. “I like the top of the key. I was able to make a good move and get enough daylight to knock down that shot.”
Following the Ex-Pats’ only basket, the AfterShocks started to hunt the potential game-winning two-point basket. Bush dialed up a Spain pick-and-roll play, which had Kelly set the ball screen, then cut to the basket with Frankamp setting a back pick on Kelly’s defender.
“I just wanted to start by setting a good screen, so my man had to do something,” Kelly said. “You can’t leave Conner coming out to the three-point line. It’s something that we run a lot in Europe. You know someone is going to be open, either the shooter or the roll man.”
Trying to account for Frankamp led to confusion in the Ex-Pats’ defense and sure enough, Kelly rolled down the middle of the lane wide open. Tyrus McGee did the rest, throwing a wrap-around pass past his defender to Kelly for the Elam Ending basket.
“I saw two stay with Conner, so I knew Rashard would be open on the pass,” McGee said. “I was lucky he was there. I just bounced it in there knowing he would be there, and he did the rest.”
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 9:39 PM.
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