Transfer Tre King ‘left speechless’ by recruiting visit to Wichita State basketball
Not only did the Shockers pick up their second straight down-to-the wire victory this weekend, the Wichita State men’s basketball team also hosted highly touted transfer Tre King on an official visit.
King is a 6-foot-9, 225-pound big man who played the last three seasons at Eastern Kentucky and left as a first team all-conference player in the Ohio Valley after averaging 14.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in the 2020-21 season.
After a brief stint at Georgetown, he entered the transfer portal again last month and Wichita State was one of the first teams to reach out to him. With head coach Isaac Brown and assistant Tyson Waterman making the push, WSU was the first official visit King has taken since being in the portal.
Following a two-day visit on Friday and Saturday with his parents, Marvin and Rosalynn, King gave an exclusive interview to The Eagle about his time in Wichita and what comes next for him in recruiting.
What Tre King liked about recruiting visit to Wichita State
Wichita State gave King the total experience of what being a Shocker basketball player would be like.
He obviously spent most of his time with the WSU coaching staff, but he also met with WSU players, strength and conditioning coach Kerry Rosenboom, athletic director Darron Boatright, and academic advisor Gretchen Torline.
Even the service at Doo-Dah Diner made King feel like home. That was one of the handful of things he said he was looking for in his recruitment.
“Growing up, my family was big on relationships and big on family,” King said. “I want to be somewhere where it feels like home.
“The people in Wichita were amazing, really amazing. Ever since I got off the plane, people did their research and knew I was coming and made me feel at home. That really stood out to me.”
Like the recruits who have committed to WSU since Brown took over, King was quick to point out how much he liked the personality of the Shockers’ leader.
“He really is the guy who he says he is,” King said. “He was always honest. And that’s really hard to find these days, especially in college athletics: people who are truly genuine and really care about you. From the first time I spoke with him on the phone and did our first Zoom call, he’s always been that person.”
In his three years at EKU, King never reached the NCAA Tournament. Playing in March Madness at least once before his collegiate career is over is a priority to King, who said WSU fit the bill in that category as well.
“That’s one thing I want to say that I’ve done,” King said. “I really want to get there and win some games and make some noise. Growing up watching March Madness, I always saw Wichita State there consistently. They have a tradition of winning and I want to be a part of something like that and be a part of that culture.”
While Saturday’s crowd may have seemed below average for the typical WSU home game at Koch Arena, to King, who has never played in front of more than a few thousand fans, it was incredible.
Even when the Roundhouse isn’t rocking with a sold-out, 10,506 fans, the atmosphere still has an effect on a first-time visitor. His father, Marvin, who played for Drake from 1991-95, also had experience playing in front of WSU fans.
“Honestly, the biggest surprise to me was the fans,” King said. “I had always heard that Wichita State was a hard place to play (for opponents) because of how loud their fans get and how they show their support. I don’t think the words really did it justice. You really have to be there to experience it and see it yourself. I was left speechless. The atmosphere during the game was electric. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
It wasn’t hard for King to see how he would fit in with WSU and it was tempting to commit during his visit, but he promised himself that he would give such a big decision involving his future the necessary time he needs.
“Coach Brown and the staff did an amazing job of welcoming me and my parents,” King said. “The visit was everything they said it would be.”
How Tre King fits with Wichita State basketball
King played most of his minutes at Eastern Kentucky at center, but that was mostly out of necessity. King believes he has developed his game enough to be a stretch power forward for a team, although he acknowledges the mismatches he can create playing center.
There’s not really a precedent at WSU in recent history for the kind of player King is. His length and athleticism make him an eraser on the defensive end and he proved last season to be a three-level scorer at EKU, including a promising evolution that saw him become a pick-and-pop weapon.
If he joins WSU, King would be a ready-to-go option at center in the American Athletic Conference and could possibly even play alongside another big man at power forward.
“I see myself as being able to play all over the place,” King said. “Being at EKU, I had to play the five and I couldn’t really showcase everything that I could do. But at Wichita or the next level, I see myself being a guy who can really do everything for a team. I can guard multiple positions. I can score on all three levels. I can facilitate. I can rebound. I can defend. All of it.”
King is a tantalizing pick-and-roll partner for WSU given the talent it has at guard, as he can be effective rolling toward the basket (1.42 points per possession last season as roller) or popping to the perimeter (10 pick-and-pop threes).
WSU’s pick-and-roll game has been hamstrung in recent seasons because it doesn’t have a big who can short roll into space and make defenses pay. King could very well give WSU that boost. His play-making for others is still a work in progress, but he shows a good feel for where to move without the ball, has the size to finish at the rim and the ability to hit mid-range jumpers. And last he showed potential as a reliable pick-and-pop option.
For as good as King was on offense, he was at least equally as good, if not better, on the defensive end where he used his lanky arms, quick feet and good timing to stun would-be scorers by smothering, tipping and altering their shots.
WSU has been searching for that kind of shot-blocking presence to anchor its defense since Jaime Echenique graduated in 2020.
Speaking of Echenique, who began his career as an unknown junior-college prospect and finished as a bonafide pro now on the cusp of reaching the NBA, King likes that WSU has a track record of pumping out a steady stream of NBA players.
“From a basketball perspective, the biggest thing for me is the development part,” King said. “When it’s all said and done, I believe I’m an NBA player. I believe I have the potential to get there and I think I will be there. So I want to be around a group of people who see that as well and who are willing to put in the time and work with me to help me get there and reach my dreams.
“A big thing about Wichita State is their resume. The past 10 years they’ve had like eight guys who have been in the NBA and another 20 who are playing professionally. So their reputation precedes them. They develop pros and I believe I’m the next one.”
What comes next for Tre King in recruiting
Many fans will be wondering if King can play right away this season. Not even King himself knows the answer to that.
He originally transferred to Georgetown this summer, but never played in a game for the Hoyas and the program announced he was no longer on the team last month due to King not meeting “conduct expectations of the University.” King made his own statement acknowledging that it was an “inadvertent mistake that did not involve another person.”
The new plan for King, wherever he ends up committing, is to join the team for the second semester of this season and apply for a waiver from the NCAA.
“I would love to come in and play right away and be a part of the team,” King said. “But I don’t know if the NCAA will allow me to. Wherever I commit, the plan is to come in at the break.”
The timing works out well for WSU, which is unlikely to have its 13th scholarship back for the fall semester after center Matt McFarlane transferred out of the program in August. But WSU would regain that scholarship back in the spring, which could be available for King to at least join the team. As for King potentially playing this season for the Shockers? His fate is left up to the NCAA, which has proven to fickle.
Before King makes a final decision, he will visit two more schools this week: Missouri on Wednesday and Iowa State on Saturday.
“I’m going to take a couple more visits, then talk with my family and pray about it,” King said. “This is a big decision and then after all that, I’ll announce.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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