Wichita State star Tyson Etienne ends college basketball career, enters 2022 NBA Draft
When Tyson Etienne announced he was returning to the Wichita State men’s basketball team last season, he called it “The Last Dance” in his social media captioning.
Sure enough, Etienne’s third season with the Shockers proved to be his last after the former American Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year made it official on his social media platforms on Thursday that he will enter the 2022 NBA Draft. Etienne confirmed to The Eagle that his college basketball career is over and he will forgo his final two years of eligibility to pursue a professional career.
“It was truly the greatest honor of my career thus far to play for Wichita State University and to proudly put on the black and yellow for the past 3 years,” Etienne wrote in his farewell post on social media. “Thank you to coach (Isaac) Brown, coach (Gregg) Marshall, coach (Tyson) Waterman, and the entire coaching and support staff for everything. For believing in me, giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and for helping to mold me into the man I am today.
“Shocker Nation - you are the best fan base in America. Thank you for genuinely cheering us on every single game through the ups and downs during my time here. I will miss your energy dearly.”
Etienne was Wichita State’s leading scorer the past two seasons and delivered a memorable scoring season during the 2020-21 campaign when he averaged 16.3 points, made 3.0 3-pointers per game on 39% accuracy and helped lead the Shockers to their first AAC championship and a return berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The 6-foot-2 guard flirted with the NBA Draft last summer and said he received positive feedback, but Etienne — and WSU — did not have the expected success during the 2021-22 season. Etienne’s efficiency dipped, as his 3-point shooting fell from 39.2% to 32.6% this past season in large part due to the increased difficulty of shot selection. After entering the season as the preseason favorite to win AAC Player of the Year, Etienne settled for third team all-conference honors.
While his third season at WSU may have been a disappointment, Etienne could once again flourish during the NBA workouts like he did last summer to create more positive buzz. He is not currently projected to be a draft pick, but should have several opportunities to play his way into that discussion with pre-draft workouts and a potential showing at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Even if he goes undrafted, Etienne figures to find a landing spot either with a G-League team or a lucrative overseas contract, much like former Shocker Jaime Echenique who is knocking on the door of the NBA in the same way.
In just 80 games and three seasons, Etienne joined the 1,000-point club and his career scoring average of 13.2 points ranks tied for 21st in program history. Etienne’s 200 career 3-pointers also finished third all-time in WSU history. He also made an impact off the floor, helping feed those in need in New York City and even hosting his own art show in Wichita last fall with part of the profits being donated to a Wichita charity and his former AAU basketball team.
The announcement comes as no surprise to those within the program, as Etienne informed the WSU coaches at their exit meetings in March of following through his plans of turning pro.
While the departure was expected, replacing Etienne’s scoring load won’t be easy. Wichita State head coach Isaac Brown has his work cut out for him after six players from last season’s rotation have entered the NCAA transfer portal following a disappointing 15-13 campaign, leaving him with eight scholarships available for WSU’s 2022 recruiting class.
The Shockers currently have three signees from the NCAA transfer portal in Drexel guard Xavier Bell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, Florida State center Quincy Ballard, a 7-foot sophomore, and Alabama center James Rojas, a 6-foot-8 senior. WSU has official visits scheduled this weekend for Elon sharpshooter Hunter McIntosh and Southeastern Louisiana wing Gus Okafor.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 8:55 AM.
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