What kind of player do Wichita State Shockers have in Isaac Abidde after redshirt year
The wait is over for Isaac Abidde.
After not playing competitive basketball for the first time since he can remember last season, the 6-foot-9 forward is eager to show what he can contribute to the Wichita State men’s team following his redshirt year.
Abidde has yet to make his Division I debut, but is one of just four returners from last season’s WSU team and hopes the experience soaked up from going through weight training, practices, individual workouts and road trips will help him be more prepared to earn a spot in coach Isaac Brown’s rotation for the 2022-23 season.
“I don’t think I ever got used to (not playing),” Abidde said. “I feel like no basketball player should ever get used to that, but sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to get better. I believe in IB and I believe in what he sees in my future. So I’ve just kept my head down and kept working.”
That belief is what convinced Abidde to audible from his plan of trying to generate a higher level of recruiting interest with a post-graduate team to instead sit out as a redshirt with the Shockers.
In his year away from competitive basketball, Abidde dedicated himself to becoming stronger in the weight room. The Albany, Georgia native arrived on campus a wiry 197 pounds, but now reports he will enter training camp later this month close to 215 pounds for his second season in Wichita.
“I gained a lot of weight and I still feel good moving too, so that’s good,” Abidde said. “The biggest thing for me this last year was seeing the pace of the (Division I) game and developing my strength. That was the most important thing to me.”
The sole memory of Abidde so far for WSU fans was his display of athleticism in winning the dunk contest at Shocker Madness last fall. Those bursts of athleticism — leaping over a crowd to finish a put-back dunk or exploding for an off-ball block — are what has the coaching staff the most excited about Abidde’s potential playing both forward positions.
Abidde is a perimeter-oriented player (think more in the mold of a Markis McDuffie than a Darius Carter) who would much rather shoot a three-pointer than play with his back to the basket. If Abidde’s three-point stroke translates, he could become the ideal power forward for the Shockers in the American Athletic Conference.
On defense, Abidde’s length and athleticism has reportedly delivered highlight-reel blocks fairly routinely in practice. That combination is a tantalizing one for the coaching staff who envisions Abidde being able to comfortably switch any screen involving a guard or forward. But he learned last year watching AAC games that there’s a lot more that goes into good defense than being athletic.
Can he effectively communicate with teammates in live-ball situations in his first year on the floor? Can he analyze the floor and determine the right read to fulfill his responsibilities in the team defense structure? Can he match the physicality of the veteran forwards in the AAC? Can he avoid relying on his natural ability of jumping higher than everyone else and consistently box out?
“I feel like I learned so much last year by just watching,” Abidde said. “I’m definitely glad I came here because I feel like there’s no better way to prepare for playing college basketball than to be right there with a team every day.”
Like with any young player, there are sure to be plenty of growing pains and learning lessons early for Abidde. He still laughs recalling the first time he played with the WSU players in a pick-up game last summer.
“I got dunked on by Mo (Udeze),” Abidde said, laughing. “That was my welcome-to-college moment.”
Abidde will have the opportunity to seize some kind of role with the Shockers this season when the team reconvenes in Wichita next week for the start of the fall semester.
With so much production gone from last season and so many newcomers on this year’s WSU team, it’s still too early to forecast potential playing time. Abidde isn’t worried about that, he’s just happy to be back in the mix.
“I’m just ready to get the year started,” Abidde said. “I want to be a well-rounded player who can do whatever my team needs me to do to help win games.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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