What Dexter Dennis has added to his game as new threat for Wichita State basketball
By definition, thanks to a free season because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no seniors eligibility-wise on the Wichita State men’s basketball team.
But that doesn’t mean four-year players like Dexter Dennis aren’t approaching this upcoming 2021-22 season with the Shockers as their senior year.
As one of two four-year players on the WSU roster — Morris Udeze being the other — and by far the active leader in career minutes played on the team, Dennis has enjoyed being the veteran on and off the floor this summer with the Shockers in what he hinted could be his final year with the team before he graduates from school in May.
“I do feel like I’m one of the leaders on this team,” Dennis said. “I’ve been here four years now and those four years have gone by fast, but I’m ready to step into that role for my team. I’ve been focused this offseason on transferring my knowledge to the younger guys, some knowledge that maybe I didn’t have when I was their age.
“I just want to try to be that guy for this team. That’s not necessarily scoring all the time, but being a leader and doing whatever this team needs me to do. If that’s just to clap and hand out water, I might not be too happy about it, but I’ll do it if it’s what’s best for the team.”
While American Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year Tyson Etienne will be on campus for the first time this summer next Monday when practice resumes, WSU head coach Isaac Brown said Dennis was one of the players who stepped up the most in the vocal leadership department this summer when Etienne was gone.
As a player who has been through so many different forms of adversity the last three seasons with the Shockers, the 6-foot-5 wing is a respected voice in the locker room and leads by example with his work ethic in the weight room and on the practice court.
But most importantly, Dennis has expanded his game this summer after logging countless hours of ball-handling work in preparation for playing more shooting guard this season for the Shockers. While he can still defend up to the power forward position on defense, Brown has high hopes of using Dennis in more of a play-making role this season.
“I definitely feel more comfortable with the ball in my hands,” Dennis said. “IB is putting me in a lot more situations this summer and we’re going through certain drills to help with that. In the shell drill, I’m in the ball handling position now and I’ve been working really hard on it. The past few years that really hasn’t been my role, so I did other things to help the team. This year, I think IB is going to incorporate me more in those (ball-handling) situations.”
Of course, Dennis has a well-earned reputation for being one of the best, most versatile defenders in the conference. While he plans to continue being an elite defensive stopper, Dennis also hopes to continue the promising signs he showed in a small sample size last season as a scorer in pick-and-roll situations when he generated offense (0.88 points per possession) at a slightly above-average rate.
In a handful of scrimmages witnessed by The Eagle this summer, Dennis has looked more comfortable than ever attacking the basket and finishing at the rim — another detail he could improve on in his game. Whether it’s coming off a screen, utilizing a simple pump-fake on the perimeter or using a nifty spin move, Dennis has shown promising signs of being able to gain the advantage, keep the defender on his hip while dribbling and use his athleticism to soar through the air and finish above the rim with either hand.
If Dennis can level up as an off-the-dribble threat in combination with his catch-and-shoot ability, then WSU’s dribble drive offense under Brown suddenly becomes that much more difficult to contain.
Another thing that could propel Dennis to his best season yet is if he can avoid another slow start. In 48 career games played in November, December and January, Dennis only averages 7.4 points — compared to the 11.1 average he carries in games played after February. He always plays his best basketball late in the season, but now he wants to prove he can put it together for an entire year.
“I believe 100% it’s going to be about us this year,” Dennis said of the Shockers. “We can definitely be our biggest enemy or our greatest ally. I think we’re going to bring over a lot of chemistry from last season and if we play together and play smart and play Shocker basketball, then I think we’re going to be fine.”
In the latest example of WSU athletes cashing in on the NCAA’s new NIL rules, Dennis debuted his personal brand logo — DDD that doubles for the initials in his name and also for discipline, desire and dedication — over the weekend complete with his own web site and clothing line.
Dennis worked with local designer Ryan McKay, who works for Promo Depot in Wichita on Ridge Road, to create the design. His initial release features three D’s intertwined sold in a black, white and purple color wave. Dennis said he plans to release WSU-themed, black-and-yellow gear (shirts, shorts, hoodies and hats) closer to the season.
“This is something that I’ve been working on for a minute now,” Dennis said. “There’s a lot of ways you can make money, but there’s a lot of ways you can break the rules too. So I wanted to make sure what I’m doing is legal and within the rules. So I started working with Ryan to help expand my brand. This is just the first drop. There’s a lot more stuff on the way, so this is just the start.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
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