The impact of 7-foot transfer Quincy Ballard this summer for Wichita State basketball
A fresh start is what Quincy Ballard believes was necessary to jumpstart his career.
The Wichita State men’s basketball coaches believe the Shockers could be the beneficiaries if the 7-foot center does fulfill his potential in Wichita after two seasons at Florida State where he rarely left the bench.
Three months ahead from the start of the 2022-23 season is too soon to project how large of a role Ballard could play for the Shockers, but it is a certainty that he will be in the rotation at center.
“The main reason I came (to Wichita State) out of all of the schools was that they give me the best opportunity,” Ballard said. “I believe I’m going to bring a huge impact to the team.”
Ballard remains somewhat of an unknown on the basketball court after playing sparingly in Tallahassee over the course of two seasons, appearing in 36 games and averaging 1.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 4.1 minutes per game.
Reports from his first two months in Wichita for summer workouts have been encouraging. He’s been measured as a legitimate 7-footer with a plus-wingspan and his bursts of athleticism to block a shot or catch an alley-oop dunk have raised eyebrows from the coaching staff during practices.
For how impressive his physical prowess can be, Ballard will likely need time to develop as a big man. He only started playing organized basketball six years ago and he’s still learning what it takes to make an impact at a high level in college basketball.
WSU coach Isaac Brown and his staff are ecstatic to work with Ballard because he has the potential to be a game-changing presence defensively around the rim for the Shockers for the next three seasons. He is one of only three 7-footers in the program the past decade.
“With so many offenses built around dribble penetration, it’s more important than ever to have a good defensive presence in the paint,” Brown said in a statement after Ballard signed. “Quincy gives us that rim protector. I love the way he runs the floor and finishes around the rim. We’re looking forward to working with him over the next three years and continuing to expand his game.”
Adding a back-to-the-basket game may come over time, but Ballard figures to be ready right away to make an impact for WSU on the offensive end as a rim-running, screen-setter. He has found success in summer workouts burying defenders around the perimeter with a pick, then rolling to the rim and catching lobs and finishing. With his size, he also figures to be a plus rebounder at both ends.
That gives WSU three distinct options to go with at center with Ballard, sophomore pick-and-pop specialist Kenny Pohto and Alabama transfer James Rojas, a super senior who is an undersized (6-foot-6) but savvy defender and veteran leader.
Ballard figures to be the biggest shot distributor of the trio, as he has shown good instincts this summer rotating over to swat shots away around the rim. His length figures to affect even more shots than he can block, but that’s the exact reason why opposing teams will likely try to pull him away from the rim and put him in a constant stream of pick and rolls.
How will Ballard hold up? The answer very well could determine how much playing time he earns in Year 1.
WSU will likely use drop coverage to protect Ballard in those situations, as it will ask its guards to fight over screens with Ballard dropping back and hoping his length can give a strong contest on a pull-up jumper or a drive to the rim.
There will likely be growing pains for Ballard playing in his first extended action since he was a high school senior in the 2019-20 season.
But it is that opportunity to see the court again why Ballard, a Syracuse native, turned down his hometown Orange and picked the Shockers back in April.
“I really liked coach Isaac Brown because I felt like he was a coach I could really trust for the next few seasons,” Ballard said. “I wanted to come somewhere where they believed in me. They said they want to develop me and it’s nice to have a coach who believes in me.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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