‘I’ve never had that’: Health leads to breakout for this Wichita State basketball transfer
Show an Alabama fan a highlight tape of the first three games of James Rojas on the Wichita State men’s basketball team this season and they might not recognize the same player.
At Alabama, Rojas was ground-bound and a step slow, the result of trying to play basketball at a high level in the SEC after tearing the ACL in both knees during a three-year span.
At Wichita State, Rojas is taking defenders off the dribble, throwing down dunks in transition and being given isolation plays to score because he is a mismatch problem for defenses.
Rojas scored 15 points, which matched his career-high in 47 games at Alabama, in his first start for WSU in Thursday’s road win at Richmond. The 6-foot-6, fifth-year senior has given the Shockers (2-1) a spark entering the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, where they will face Grand Canyon (3-1) at 2 p.m. Monday with the game being televised on CBS Sports Network.
“I feel the healthiest I’ve ever been in my whole college career,” Rojas said. “Just being out there and moving again is a great feeling. I love being out there with the guys and finally being able to move normally again.”
After tearing an ACL for the second time in less than three years, Rojas returned during the middle of the season last year at Alabama. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds as a backup big man for a Crimson Tide team that played in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The tape of Rojas at Alabama never showed a hint of a player who would be able to handle the ball or drive past defenders. But the WSU coaching staff did its homework on Rojas and believed the more time he was able to rehabilitate from the injuries, the better he would be for his fifth and final season.
Upon his arrival to campus, Rojas has spent hours with WSU trainer Todd Fagan and new strength and conditioning coach Ryan Horn to prepare his body for the upcoming season. With their help, Rojas feels like an entirely different athlete compared to what he was at Alabama. He is averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds through his first three games at WSU.
“All of the rehab and the work I’ve put in, it feels good to be able to show what I can do out there on the court,” Rojas said. “I just want to help this team with whatever I can to get the win.”
Rojas certainly helped the Shockers win on Thursday, as he has become a mismatch for defenses who try to hide a weaker defender on him, thinking he isn’t much of a scorer based on his past performance.
The first time Rojas touched the ball against Richmond, he executed a quick spin move in the post, left the defender flat-footed behind him and finished a reverse layup for an easy basket.
When WSU needed a basket down the stretch, head coach Isaac Brown was completely comfortable isolating Rojas at the elbow and trusting him to make a play. The senior did just that with WSU clinging to a 52-49 lead with 3:31 left, as he drove through the lane, picked up the foul and made both free throws to extend the lead. He did the same thing with 1:20 left, knocking down both free throws again to extend WSU’s lead to 56-51.
“IB calling out those iso plays for me, man, that is just big time,” Rojas said. “I’ve never had that kind of confidence from a coach before. Having that confidence from him, it really moves me. It gets me going and makes me want to play better to prove him right.”
In what is expected to be a defensive, grind-it-out battle against Grand Canyon, Rojas could be called on again.
The Antelopes have held their three Div. 1 opponents to 50.7 points and a 39.3% effective field goal percentage, which is the 15th-best defensive mark in the country. Grand Canyon figures to be a WAC championship contender this season with two of the better players in the conference in 5-11 junior guard Jovan Blacksher (13 points) and 6-4 sophomore guard Rayshon Harrison (10.3 points).
Brown believes Rojas’ experience will help WSU in games against quality opponents like Grand Canyon and WSU’s Tuesday game against either San Francisco or Northern Iowa, which will be decided by Monday’s results.
“Those young guys see Rojas has come back from a broken wrist, a torn ACL in his left knee, a torn ACL in his right knee and they’re inspired by him,” Brown said. “This last week in practice he was the first guy to get on the floor and we need that kind of senior leadership from him. He’s played in some high-level games and been through it before, so I think he will be a big part for us this year.”
Wichita State vs. Grand Canyon basketball preview
Records: WSU 2-1, GCU 3-1
When: 2 p.m. Monday
Where: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Mo. (18,972)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: KEYN, 103.7-FM
KenPom says: Wichita State 63, Grand Canyon 62
Projected starting lineups
Wichita State Shockers
Pos. | No. | Player | Ht. | Year | Pts | Reb. | Ast. |
G | 3 | Craig Porter | 6-2 | Sr. | 14.0 | 7.3 | 3.3 |
G | 5 | Jaron Pierre | 6-5 | So. | 6.3 | 4.3 | 0.3 |
G | 10 | Jaykwon Walton | 6-7 | Jr. | 13.7 | 3.3 | 1.3 |
F | 33 | James Rojas | 6-6 | Sr. | 9.3 | 5.3 | 0.7 |
C | 11 | Kenny Pohto | 6-11 | So. | 5.3 | 5.0 | 1.3 |
Coach: Isaac Brown, third season, 33-20
Grand Canyon Antelopes
Pos. | No. | Player | Ht. | Year | Pts | Reb. | Ast. |
G | 10 | Jovan Blacksher | 5-11 | Jr. | 13.0 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
G | 0 | Rayshon Harrison | 6-4 | So. | 10.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
G | 2 | Chance McMillian | 6-2 | So. | 7.5 | 2.8 | 1.8 |
F | 30 | Gabe McGlothan | 6-7 | Jr. | 9.5 | 8.0 | 0.8 |
F | 24 | Yvan Ouedraogo | 6-9 | Jr. | 5.3 | 5.8 | 0.5 |
Coach: Bryce Drew, third season, 42-16
This story was originally published November 20, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
.jpg)